Posted On: Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 9:31 am
Like I have updated in my Facebook account, I got a phone call yesterday from my kids’ school principal. They were in dire need of a temporary teacher coz one of the teachers was going for an operation and she’d be gone for 3 weeks. I thought why not help… I’m not that busy. There will be no trips for the coming 3 weeks.
The best part of the bargain is that, although it’s a volunteer kind of work, I get a meager pay. Not that much, but I think it would be fine, better than nothing actually. I get a bit of compensation for my half-a-day work everyday for 3 weeks.
Last night, I panicked a bit though coz the first thing that the principal told me (after I said yes) was the dress code. My husband laughed at this part and said, I wasn’t surprised she told you that of all the things to tell. 
Whatever he meant by that! Anyways… a lot of friends advise on what to wear for a teacher. I may check one of those Ugg womens shoes though.
And so, today was my first day of work. Like any other first-day-work-anxieties, I went to the school. It was funny because the teachers didn’t know I was going to volunteer teach today. But before I went inside, they thought of me as the school’s principal. A few of them said “Oh Mrs Shan is here already.” Was it that kind of air I brought with me? I wonder. I was actually anxious coz I didn’t know what to do. Like zero knowledge.
I actually thought I was late. Good thing I came ahead of Mrs Shan. Otherwise, it wasn’t good for a first-day-worker like me. I was surprised to know that the level I was going to teach was my son’s level… just in different class. Some of the students there knew me. Preeyalin, one of them, said… I know you! You are Schenker’s mother! Hehehe. That really helped coz I think half of the class knew me already. At the first session, the reading part, I overheard Preeyalin whispering to her seat mate. This is good, our new teacher is nice, not very strict. LOL. I told her, it’s because it’s my first day. Tomorrow, I’ll be strict. She grimaced. LOL.
I was still having a little knowledge about what to teach coz the principal would show me one by one only. And we would finish fast. (Reminder: bring a watch tomorrow) And so there was 5 full minutes that we didn’t do anything except that I wanted them to sit properly and be quite. Then one of the students said Teacher, can you give us something to do? I’m bored. Hahaha.
So I was cramming for ideas on what to do. I went to school unprepared. Then I looked around the room and Alas! I found some storybooks. So I asked them if they would want to hear a story. They were ecstatic! I think I read 3 storybooks until Mrs Shan came again and told me what to do next. I was relieved.
It was a good but very tiring first day of teaching. Tiring because I had to walk home. When I told my husband, he offered to come and give us a lift next time.
Tomorrow, I will be more sure and confident coz I know what to do already. I just need to bring a watch.
This work came as a blessing actually. I neither asked nor desire to teach at the school. I think the reason they asked me was because last February, Mrs Shan, the Principal asked me if I knew somebody who could volunteer to teach because one of the teachers was going somewhere. I told her I would volunteer if I was available. I was going to go back to the Philippines that time to renew my passport. So I think she remembered I said I would volunteer if I was free.
Since I am still in the process of saving money for my upcoming trip, I really think this work is God’s blessing and provision. Thank you, Lord!
Categories: just a thought