Learning is finding out what you already know, doing is demonstrating that you know it, teaching is reminding others that they know it as well as you do. We are all learners, doers and teachers.

-Richard David Bach

It is now beginning to dawn on me that I only have a week left in school. Yes, I have resigned as a teacher but that does not mean I am also resigning from teaching. It is a difficult decision for me but after careful consideration, I submitted my resignation paper. Three semesters have passed. Three sems full of memories, both bad and good, but these memories will forever be kept.

I have encountered students who made me feel like teaching is a responsibility that I always have to do. Parang utang na loob pa ng teachers na magturo. Well, that may be true but the process of learning does not pass by a one-way street. You don't just pay your tuition fees and attend classes anytime you feel like it. Students should attend classes with an open heart and an open mind. Learning requires acceptance. Learning is also a responsibility.

I am not even sure if I was an effective teacher. I would like to believe so but I am not sure. Although there were some students who contributed a lot to my stress and frustrations, there were also some who have been vocal in giving thanks and showing their appreciation. Last night, I received a text message from one of my students who was not even that close to me. I was touched by her gesture and it gave me inspiration to write this post. This is the text that I received:

"Hi mam she! goodeve. hay nlungkot ako nun snbi m mgresign kna. i will really miss u mam. i wish i cud find a way to thank u 4 all that ive learnd from u. thankx 4 teaching me things i still don't know. goodluck po sa life. i will nver 4get u mam! stay the same! mwuah!" -Pau

A simple text message but it meant a lot to me. Teaching is not a thankless job after all.

I have resigned but I'll still be around. Leaving AU is hard especially when I think of the people that I'll leave behind. I'll miss everyone, even the "pasaway" students. I also learned some things from them. I learned more from my colleagues. I learned most from my teaching experience. As they say, once a teacher, always a student. ;-D