21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

  

From Surviving to Soaring

​Every teacher can inspire us. They come just in the right moment of our lives. They are the people who rose from humble beginnings and struggles to achieve what they are now. Ma'am Hazel Ann Que of Ilocos Sur National High School is one of them. She is an inspiring teacher and a dedicated one. A loving teacher who wants her knowledge to be shared to her students learnings. In spite of the struggles she experienced to become one, she pursued her goals with passion. She wanted to have a positive and inspiring impact on children lives even though her time and resources maybe limited but a young mind is limitless.

​In 7 years of teaching, she help students to learn new things and help them to grow not only as a student but as a good person as well. She is not just a teacher, she is also a good listener and a mentor in life. She gave advices to students who can't surpass their problems. She can see the potential in every students that she handles. She can see the passion of her students in learning. Giving the courage to find their own paths with enough guidance and make the impossible become possible. Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is imaparting change.

​Teaching is not just talking in front but also dealing in different types of students, some are slow learners, some have attitude problems and some are good students and it makes a classroom. This will test her patience and triggers her motivation to help and teach them. And you can see the progress in each students. Building trust and connection to students is not easy, it takes a lot of knowledge and courage to be a help and to inspire a student. Being a teacher is not always an easy job, and for Ma'am Hazel, it is not always a profession, she consider it as a human service to help others grow and evolve. According to ma’am Hazel, being a teacher is like sharing life experiences because she can reflect a real life situation that is happening in their lives. And it is because she was once a student, she can relate and understand every problem students are going through. She knows that sharing personal stories and experiences can be used as motivation and inspiration to students especially those who are in need of guidance and lost of paths. She openly give advises to her students that are struggling whether academic or personal.

​Her college instructor, Ma'am Maricel Quadra is the one who motivated her to move forward in her studies and served as her second mother. She gained her strength to push through her studies to become a teacher and to inspire her student to do the same. So, as a teacher, she also helps her student and motivates them to move forward in their lives. And she can now serve as a second mother to her students. 

​The experiences of Ma'am Hazel inspires us to become a good person and help each other to motivate ourselves to achieve the dreams and goals in the future and believing in our own self to improve not only our lives but also other people to become a better version of themselves. Being a part of someone's life is a gift that no one can steal.

SETTING:​​Ilocos Sur National High School

PLOT: ​​​The story is about the inspiration drawn from becoming a teacher, how to inspire the students on pursuing their dreams and goals in life and sharing experiences in life to become a better person. The challenges that can help to mold each students and guiding them whichever path they choose.

CHARACTERIZATION: Ma'am Hazel is an inspiring and dedicated teacher that serves as a good model for her students who wants to share her knowledge and experiences in her journey as a teacher.

POINT OF VIEW:​The story is told from the perspective of a former student.

CONFLICT:​​The biggest challenge of becoming a teacher is on how to cater or deal with the different needs of the students especially those who are left behind or slow learners.

THEME: ​​Encouraging and motivating to have a positive and inspiring impact on student's lives.