I have been an educator for 15 years and counting. Although I have had experienced not a few rough roads and sharp edges in my teaching journey, all I can say is that I am a consummate survivor and, now, a warrior. Having taught at a number of academic institutions (including one parochial school), I have had several regrets as a teacher not only in terms of professional decisions but also in terms of my self-perception. I also felt quite inadequate and underrated as an educator and belittled as a professional, not until I began to involve myself in the world of mass media.
Ever since I began hosting Voice of the Teachers (DWDD 1134 KHZ AM) on radio seven years ago, I have been learning how to fight for our fellow Filipino teachers’ rights since responsibilities expected of teachers have already been entrenched into our Filipino educationalists’ minds and hearts in the first place and have already been exercised circumspectly by our beloved gurus. Now that I am one of the senior hosts, all I can say is that my co-hosts and I are having a great time becoming one of the advocates for teachers not only in our respective schools but also on the airwaves.
Just two years ago, I started writing for Ilocos Sentinel with my column The Ilocano Educator, and I have continued writing ever since, regardless of how busy I may be. Not wanting to lose two precious opportunities, I have decided to engage in hosting a radio show for teachers and writing through my own column for teachers. Now that I am a PHD student majoring in applied linguistics at Philippine Normal University, I am now becoming more assertive and others-oriented because I get to meet classmates and fellow students from different backgrounds. Moreover, I get to focus on more and more teacher-related and education-related topics without having to suffer from writers’ block for days on end.
To be honest to you all, my dear readers, I have been an ardent anti-communist since I was young. However, it was only in 2016 that I have imbued in myself the values of advocacy and selflessness not only as a teacher but also as a media practitioner. I began to appear as a guest on various television and radio shows, although it is only now that I am transforming into a vociferous anti-communist and anti-leftist because it is only now that I am starting to discover that I can be as brave as anyone else.
Why did I decide to become a fervent fighter of communists, leftists, activists, and other undesirable elements who want to wreck our youth and our country? These are the reasons why:
- I have been utterly bothered by the spate of incidents involving leftists. Though I have not been directly affected by leftists, I clench my fists and fight back tears whenever I hear of our learners being hypnotized and used by communists and leftists in so many devious ways possible. I am now ready to pummel any leftist who comes my way and crosses paths with me.
- I now have friends who are ardent loyalists and supporters of the current government. Because they have motivated me to love the Philippines and fellow Filipinos even more, I have made a personal decision to be a communist and leftist hunter as an educator, radio host, and columnist.
- Those who have directed their cancel culture moves towards me will soon receive a dose of their own medicine. The bitter truths I have discovered were that those schools that rejected my application to be a teacher are fronts of communist and leftist organizations and that those academics who talk behind my back are leftist-leaning (and, yes, most of them). Because I am now more empowered, I will exhaust all my strength to expose them and reveal their transgressions against our current administration and our learners and teachers.
- Some of the problems of our teachers today have been experienced by me. People may think that I have had it easy as a teacher, but they are utterly wrong because they do not know my story. I may keep to myself most of the time as far as my personal struggles are concerned, but I will definitely speak about education reform advocacy up until my last breath. It is all because I have experienced the problems our teachers are experiencing.
- I want to prove to myself and to the world that I was born to have purpose and bring about change in our education landscape. Enough said, although I am doing this because it is my moral mission. If there are awards that come, these are bonuses. I am just like one who settles for a Toyota Corolla Liftback even if I can aim for an Opel Rekord or Mercedes-Benz 300D.
Despite my shortcomings as a teacher, I am proud to say that I am doing a lot now that I am an education reform advocate, media practitioner, teacher trainer, and learning event entrepreneur! I have a lot to learn and explore about education issues, so I am ready to spread my wings even more!
To leftist-oriented organizations and personalities, I tell you this: You have no business interfering with DepEd’s and CHED’s policies and programs at any given time because you foment division and strife. Mark my word.
GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHO!
GUESS WHAT: Hubris and self-glorification are the trademarks of this well-known media practitioner and professor from one of the leading state universities in the country. I personally visited a website containing evaluations and ratings of teachers from the state university and just recently, I discovered that our subject is not only condescending but also self-absorbed across his/her classes. Not a few of his/her students find him/her as egotistic as Narcissus despite his/her numerous accomplishments in the field of media. This media practitioner may be known as the voice of various brands but is known for throwing a hissy fit, que barbaridad!
What are the lessons of the story? Never be as pompous as Icarus. Teach not to promote yourself but to help your students and promote them for their talents. Never be condescending towards your students. Remember that fame and tenure are vapid and fleeting (and could be co-terminus with your life).
GUESS WHO: Who is this state university professor and a known personality in his/her field who is a leftist-oriented president of an academic organization and is a vociferous opponent of the government? As I was reading the papers and browsing the web a few weeks ago, I came across our subject’s palpable disdain for our education system due to our current government’s stand in terms of the implementation of a major academic-related policy. The words that our subject used and the writing style manifested our subject’s inherent yet misplaced activism, unbridled cynicism, and covert egotism. Instead of speaking for the organization, our subject was speaking for himself/herself. As a result, not a few disdain our subject. Sus Santissima Trinidad Concepcion de Altapresyon!
What are the lessons of the story? Show opposition but do so with respect and finesse. Support the government instead of antagonizing it. Never mix your political beliefs with your professional practice. Be a good role model to learners instead of being a purported enemy of the state.
If you have suggestions in terms of the education-related topics that you want me to feature, please feel free to send me an email to edteo.ramos@yahoo.com or to coachjet.inspirations@gmail.com and I will reply to you as soon as I receive your email. You may also message me on Facebook through any of my two working accounts: Jet Ramos (personal) and CoachJet Ramos (new and publicly official). You may also view my inspirational videos through my official YouTube account (my comeback started just last September 06): Coach Jet’s Weekday Inspirations. Another channel, called Jet R, will be launched late in September and will feature your Ilocano Educator’s original poems in English and Filipino.
