Just when I was about to give up, something wonderful came along and it changed the way I think about my future. I was having dinner with my aunt on the seventeenth of November, and I told her that I wasn't feeling good. Obviously, the day wasn't nice to me. And then I received a call from our school directress.
Two miscalls. Not one but two. Oh no. My heart sank for a moment and I immediately reflected on my activities in school that day. After sending a risky text message ("Hi Teacher! You miscalled two times po."), I was really hoping for the best... hoping that I didn't do something wrong. And then my phone vibrated. It was our directress.
I couldn't believe it. What did I do to deserve this? I felt cold. My heart beat faster.
Our directress was in a happy mood. She just called to say "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" At first, I had no idea why she said that word. And then it hit me. "I passed the LET?", I said. Oh my goodness. I can tell that she was extremely happy and excited. And I think she was in her car when she called because I heard vehicles beeping and honking. Karla and Serie also sent me messages. I literally jumped and screamed after I put my phone down. Kinilig ako.
That night, I felt like I won the lottery. It was the happiest day of my life.
LET stands for the licensure exam for teachers. I took the LET last September 25 along with Karla and Kaye. Out of 10, 000 plus educators all over the Philippines, only 22. 68% made it. And I'm proud to say that I'm one of those who made it. I'm also proud of Karla and Kaye and my other friends because they also passed. :)
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| Unlike the others who post polaroid photos on their wall, I have these instead. |
My LET journey was not easy. I had to make sacrifices for the sake of LET. I turned down a couple of invitations too to give myself a time to study. I didn't do a "super hardcore study" though. There were days when I was too lazy to read. But I tried to discipline myself because I was aiming for a goal. That is to pass the LET. For instance, I know I'm not good in memorization so I made notes written on small pieces of Manila paper to remind me of the theories, theorists (how can we forget our best buddies Piaget, Vygotsky, Pavlov, Skinner, Bruner...), philosophies, philosophers (um, hello Aristotle and Plato!), mathematical formulas and equations, and the like. There was a time when my cousins from abroad came to visit but I wasn't able to see them because I was in Manila, studying in the review school. Kahit na super tempted ako na mag-absent pero hindi ako pinayagan ng elders. There was also a time when my friends from PLICA decided to watch Zombadings (an indie movie). I've always wanted to watch that movie and when the opportunity came, hindi ako pwede. Everyone was there, except me. While they were watching the movie, I was staying in a hostel near the review school, preparing for my last two review sessions with our coaches. I stayed there for 2 nights, 3 days. Good thing my room had a cable TV, an aircon, and a wi-fi so my days weren't boring after all. But still. And the biggest sacrifice I made was waking up early in the morning just to be in time for the review class. The school is located near the Katipunan area and I live in Laguna. North and south. Both ends. Just so you know, all these things happened over the summer and the first few months of the new school year. And if you're wondering why I enrolled in a review school that's miles away from home, it's because I wanted to meet new people, learn new things, to become more open to what is around me.
Despite everything... despite all these sacrifices... everything was truly worth it. What I learned from my LET journey is something I will treasure forever. I'm glad and proud to say that I didn't learn from books but from experiences too. Hence, I learned in a meaningful way.
You can reach your goal long as long as you try your best and work hard for it. There is no room for giving up. Don't be afraid to let go of your comfort zones. Think outside the box. Having said these, I realized that true learning begins when you go beyond the norms. Kahit mga little things or acts lang yan, they'll go a long way. Just like the new ad of Globe says, "break free, go lang ng go". Don't forget to pray too. Praying to God is the most powerful weapon, in my honest opinion. Hindi Ka niya pababayaan lalo na pag nakikita niya na you're doing your best. Trust me. ;)
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| Because we don't twinkle... we shine! :) |
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| The unexpected gift! |
And Teacher A (the head of our sister school) came all the way from Green Meadows just to give Kaye, Karla and I this cute glass-like tumbler from Starbucks! She's one sweet lady too. :)
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| Photo courtesy of Karla. Polaroid effect, yours truly. |
Last but definitely last the least, our photo. That's Kaye, Karla, and myself smiling from ear to ear. We are the new professional teachers! And we are sooo ready to teach minds and touch lives. :)
This would not have been possible without the help of the people around us. A big thanks to our respective families, our PLICA family, and friends for their never ending support. Let me take this opportunity too to thank Ms. Alice and Sir Albert and the people I've met along the way for inspiring me. God, thank you for everything. :)
This would not have been possible without the help of the people around us. A big thanks to our respective families, our PLICA family, and friends for their never ending support. Let me take this opportunity too to thank Ms. Alice and Sir Albert and the people I've met along the way for inspiring me. God, thank you for everything. :)
