As I reflect on my journey as an educator, I am thrown back to those days when life and learning seemed easy. Then again, I am reminded by a famous American president that nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. Instead, he has envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well. Okay, my apologies—I was young!
Today, as I stand facing this recent worldwide calamity, I ask the question: Does this mean that these past few years have been worth our while, knowing that nothing was made easy with the challenges that the pandemic brought? I firmly believe so, and as an educator, this is magnified and multiplied many times over! As a result, many things have changed, and more changes are still coming, but what will not change is our commitment to ensuring the quality of learning we provide our students.
This semester, we will forge ahead and reach yet another milestone in our careers as educators. "What is important is not to be defeated but to forge ahead bravely," says Daisaku Ikeda. If we do this, a path will open before us. True enough, as we forged our way through the challenges of these past few months, we saw many opportunities that presented themselves to our institute. Despite the many fears that loom around us, we see the proverbial light at the near end of this tunnel. This light is what keeps us looking and moving forward, no matter the odds.
This semester, we all face another set of challenges, but along with them, many great learning opportunities await as well. We look forward to achieving loftier goals by forming new collegial partnerships with you as we work together to ensure that our youth become life-long learners and strive to achieve their personal and professional goals in life. In the process, they inspire other teachers and staff in the workplace.
As we work ever so meticulously in ensuring that we provide dynamic and relevant curricula and that our institution is safe for the return of our students, teachers, and staff, we do so by following all mandates and directives. We should not be forgetting the touch of care we can give as fellow parents and guardians of these young adults. We always think of ways to reflect our culture of learning, caring, respect, and quality.
It is my heartfelt privilege to serve these youths alongside you, working in a collaborative environment that draws strength from all its united members and stakeholders. I look forward to working with you to establish and keep that tradition of academic excellence.
With our hearts and minds together, we will foster a positive learning climate that will make a difference in our students’ lives and the lives that they will touch. We are here to help you reach that goal; we are here for you.
About the Author:
Michael Mesa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a Major in English from Republic Central Colleges, a Master’s Degree in Basic Education Teaching and Supervision from Ateneo De Manila University, a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University in Arizona, USA, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management from Holy Angel University. Dr. Mesa is currently the Vice-President for Academic Affairs, holding an Assistant Professor IV position at Mabalacat City College, teaching professional courses in the School of Teacher Education.
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