Time flies soooo fast and I'm turning 1 at La Salle! Wow! I still can't believe I dared to teach in this prestigious university! I still can't believe I chose teaching over engineering! I still can't believe I survived teaching from high school to college students! It is just so awesome that I am sticking into this profession since 2009!
Looking back, I was in a dilemma before ditching my "real" profession. It was so hard for me to decide because I know what I was loosing. Being a licensed chemical engineer entitled me to earn real good fortune if I'm giving my service to chemical industrial plants. But considering to be a teacher, teachers don't earn that much. Sad to say, it is reality that most teachers survive through loans. It is often a joke that all loans were already being applied and availed except for por-loan (hearse). But anyway, I chose teaching. With eyes closed and hearts closed, I chose it for the purpose of just being here in Ozamis, my comfort zone.
Eventually, I learned to love teaching the hardest way. As a non-educator, I was so lost at what I had entered into! I was such a misfit! Rowdy kids, class observations, paper works, and the likes - everything were really stress boosters! However, I got the hang of it and learned to love every single detail of teaching minus the loans. Hehe.....
Just yesterday and the other day, I attended four modules of Lasallian Formation. It is the study of the life of St. John Baptist de La Salle, the history of the foundation of La Salle schools, and the value of instilling St. John Baptist's mission into the hearts of all Lasallians who had chosen to become part of the Lasallian family.
As already a Lasallian (I'm an alumna of ICC-La Salle), I knew La Salle's mission is to give education to the poor. Then I asked my Religious Education (Rel.Ed.) teacher from a long time ago, "Poor? Then why is it that our tuition fee is very high?". At an early age of 12 I had asked that question for being so kuripot even before. Then he replied, "Poor doesn't literally mean poor financially. It can be poor in knowledge, poor in love, poor in spirit, or poor in any other aspect of a person's being." So I understood. We may sound like a luxurious school but if we dig deeper, we can understand what La Salle is all about.
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| St. John Baptist de La Salle's Portrait at the Arts Center |
La Salle aims to provide quality human and Christian education especially to the poor. That's why we have Br. Martin Simpson Laboratory School (BMSLS) and Night High School which are intended for those who are less fortunate. BMSLS offers Grades 1 to 10 for kids who are so willing to come to school but cannot afford to. On the other hand, Night High School offers Grades 7 to 10 for teenagers who are working by day and still want to pursue their studies. A School for the Deaf is also open for all our deaf/mute brothers and sisters. So aside from our regular colleges and integrated school which also offers scholarships, we have these three other schools that cater the educational needs of our less privileged brothers and sisters.
Additionally, La Salle has these core values of FSC. That's Faith, Service, and Communion. (Literally, FSC stands for Fratres Scholarum Christianarum, "The Brothers of the Christian Schools" in English) First is the spirit of faith. Everything that La Salle does is rooted in God. La Salle follows the example of Christ and lives according to the gospel. Second is the zeal in service. Being God's servant entails you to die to yourself and to be alive in Christ. It is also into being a servant to others. Third is mission as communion. Truly, no man is an island. We cannot work by ourselves only. Three heads are better than one. So we need one another in order to attain a goal. We need to be associated with one another and have good fellowship to further the mission God has given. And with this, Lasallians must be ONE!
Finally, we have one mission, one vision, one God! We are ONE La Salle! Though we have individual differences, we are one in spirit in teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives. This is what being a Lasallian is. This is not about religion, not about prestige, and not about being the best. But this is about making a difference in the society in the name of only one God.
So with this, we pledged to further St. John Baptist de La Salle's cause. Now, it is not me and students or me and co-teachers or me and superiors anymore but it is WE. We are one! Ánimo! Long live the Lasallian spirit!
Additionally, La Salle has these core values of FSC. That's Faith, Service, and Communion. (Literally, FSC stands for Fratres Scholarum Christianarum, "The Brothers of the Christian Schools" in English) First is the spirit of faith. Everything that La Salle does is rooted in God. La Salle follows the example of Christ and lives according to the gospel. Second is the zeal in service. Being God's servant entails you to die to yourself and to be alive in Christ. It is also into being a servant to others. Third is mission as communion. Truly, no man is an island. We cannot work by ourselves only. Three heads are better than one. So we need one another in order to attain a goal. We need to be associated with one another and have good fellowship to further the mission God has given. And with this, Lasallians must be ONE!
Finally, we have one mission, one vision, one God! We are ONE La Salle! Though we have individual differences, we are one in spirit in teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives. This is what being a Lasallian is. This is not about religion, not about prestige, and not about being the best. But this is about making a difference in the society in the name of only one God.
So with this, we pledged to further St. John Baptist de La Salle's cause. Now, it is not me and students or me and co-teachers or me and superiors anymore but it is WE. We are one! Ánimo! Long live the Lasallian spirit!
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| LSU Faculty Batch 2013 |
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