My MAKE experience

In our studies, we need teachers. There are those areas in the academic subjects where in we don’t excel. And in there, we need someone to help us understand better our weaknesses.

For about three months, I have been a student teacher, a mentor in elementary mathematics (since I’m not good in Intermediate and Advanced Algebra). I, with 31 other volunteers taught in Hipodromo Elementary School. Actually, I was lucky to be able to share my knowledge out of the 50 or more students who wanted to join the program.

The program is called MAKE, an acronym for Math Knowledge Enhancement. It is collaboration between The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and The University of the Philippines- High School. The mentoring started December 2 of last year and ended last Saturday, March 17, 2007.

When I first taught the students, I was nervous and a little scared that they may not be able to understand what I would be talking about. I was pretty shaking but I relaxed after a while. I crossed my fingers hoping they could absorb the topic I discussed. And apparently, they did. I was really happy I made friends with them. It lessened my pressure as a mentor. Even though sometimes, I was not around, I come back and see that they are happy to see me.

Sometimes, I reach my boiling point. I swear I’m not that patient type of person. It is because some of them don’t listen, other students from the other group enter our group, others quarrel, and others keep running around the room. Gosh! It’s hard to maintain the peacefulness inside the room. But one thing I learned from the experience is that I wasn’t able to shout out loud, I mean really shout. I can say that I was able to extend my patience because of those students.

Also, love teams inside the room can’t be absent. I sort of made one of them. Their names were Noeh and Joanne. I find them cute when they are together. One seems to be the contrast of the other. I always laugh, seeing them when they have their “kulitan moments”. Though they always deny that they have a crush on each other, I can still foresee one of them getting attracted to the other or be it a mutual feeling. I mean, you can never really tell what lies the future, can you?

When we had our closing ceremonies and realized that beautiful things come to an end, I was and am happy that I was able to share what I have also learned when I was still in grade school. It was not easy to teach them, plus the fact that noise is around, but we, the mentors always want to make it a point that our students are able to absorb the topics that we have been discussing. I was happy to know when a student said that his grades increased by four points when he joined the mentoring program. It made me feel that my co-mentors and I made a difference.

We know that the students still have a long way to go like we do, and we hope that someday they could also teach and impart their knowledge to other people who are in need of assistance and guidance. Knowledge truly is the one thing that can never be taken away or stolen from you. It is one of the precious gems kept in the treasure box of life.