A Class of Its Own: The ANI experience
Posted by: Angeli Ko
in the category Volunteer Views
It was almost four years ago when I volunteered as a teacher for ANI. I had just finished my freshman year in Ateneo, thriving in the new, vibrant world of university life, simply enjoying all the opportunities that my college education offered. My older sister, Steph, who was then an incoming senior and the Vice Principal for Academics of the ANI program, invited me to join their team. As a Management student who was focused on business-oriented organizations and activities, I had never heard of ANI – at that time, my best guess would have been that it was devoted to the agricultural sector or a church choir group, but I knew well enough that neither any of my siblings or I were country bumpkins or had much talent singing.
The Wannabe Teacher
Steph explained to me that ANI was a summer instructional program offered to exceptional public high school students, with the aim of helping them increase their chances of getting into the top universities in the Philippines. Noting the deplorable state of public education in our country, ANI volunteers hope that these two months of special training would make a difference to these deserving students by teaching them advanced subjects a few hours each week.
Apart from my interest in business and entrepreneurship, I have always valued education and held a great deal of respect for excellent teachers. I had some experience in tutoring private school kids before for extra pocket money, but it would be my first time to volunteer my “expertise” to a whole classroom full of people. I was curious to compare the experience of paid and volunteer work, and of conducting lessons in a classroom, instead of the one-on-one sessions I was accustomed to. I knew that as an ANI teacher, I would be “outnumbered” and more susceptible to critique and whatever comments my students might have over my notoriously illegible penmanship and other personality quirks. But I knew that I could commit to this project for its entirety and do well, so I applied for an interview to be a volunteer Math teacher, with visions of me inspiring and dazzling my students with the FOIL method and the Pythagorean theorem.
Humbled and Challenged
Two weeks before the start of ANI classes, I found out I didn’t get the Math teaching post. I accepted their decision since I knew I didn’t deserve the position. My ego convinced me that I didn’t need to prepare for the testing and interview, and I failed miserably as a result, forgetting the most basic tricks in the book. Since there was a lack of Science teachers, I was offered to teach Chemistry instead. I was hesitant at first – the prospect of teaching Chemistry was simply terrifying. I knew how to solve problems and equations in my head, but was unsure that I could articulate them successfully. I was afraid that I would embarrass myself, or even worse, not be able to impart any knowledge to my students. After all, you just can’t say “basta kasi ganyan” or “just because”, when asked why these two elements can be combined, while others could not.
I eventually accepted the position, knowing that it would be a good challenge and learning opportunity, and that I had a supportive group of fellow volunteer teachers who were ready and willing to offer whatever help they could give. Knowing that I would be treading this unfamiliar territory, I prepared well this time, determined not to make the same mistake as my first Math interview. I didn’t take whatever stock knowledge I had for granted and took out my old dusty high school notebooks, determined to formulate ways to make a stereotypically boring subject more exciting without resorting to bribing my students with extra bonus points.
Classroom Tales
I went to school early on the first day, spending five minutes carefully writing and re-writing my name in scripted font in the blackboard. I was nervous and curious about how it will feel on the other side of the teaching spectrum. The first bell rang, and I was met with thirty new faces who would be my students for the next two months. We did our usual introductions, and I was pleased to discover that my class had a good mix of personalities. Some were noisy and assertive, while others were more shy and reserved, but all of them were polite, respectful and ready to learn – the best qualities that any teacher could ever ask from his or her class.
Right off the bat, I was impressed at the level of commitment my students had to the ANI program. They didn’t come from privileged households where everything was handed to them in a silver platter, but knowing this didn’t make my students feel bitter or defeated. Instead, they had the thirst for knowledge and desire to build on their potential to go to school on lovely summer days, instead of playing with their friends or watching Magandang Tanghaling Bayan at home.
I remember asking my students for a one-page reflection to be passed on an intermediate pad and giving three-page typewritten reports the day after. My students spent what little allowance they were given to go to Internet cafes to write their reports. Surprises like these further inspired and impressed me to do more for them as their teacher. A few weeks into the program, I was enthusiastically spending more time at home researching and preparing for our chemistry lessons the next day rather than working on my own homework assignments for summer school.
Of course, my students weren’t perfect angels and I never expected them to be. There were days that I would come home frustrated and disappointed that they weren’t as focused or prepared, but I never thought about quitting on them. There were impromptu ten-minute debate sessions on “Why Is Chemistry Important?” and “Does It Really Matter if We Memorize the Periodic Table?”, but it just made the teaching experience more vibrant and interactive.
Being an ANI teacher was an emotionally-charging experience as well. There were days spent laughing at the silliest jokes and teacher-bloopers, while sobering moments when I had to stop tears from flowing after hearing what some of my students were going through. A Physics teacher once shared his ANI experience when his class was conducting experiments on gravity using hard-boiled eggs, and one of the students asked if he could bring the eggs home afterwards to feed his family.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
After two months, I stood as a proud “ate” and friend to my students on their graduation day. The cliché of teachers learning from their students holds true – I learned a lot from my students, and they inspired and pushed me in ways I never imagined. I grew up a lot that summer, having learned to accept new challenges, find great value in preparation and instill humility in myself, as well as be persistent and have the courage to follow my dreams. I was lucky to have been born into a comfortable life where a good education was readily handed to me, and I am grateful to have had the chance to give back as an ANI teacher. Seeing the kids over the two months made me see what it took to be a true volunteer, rather than a one-off experience where the “high” of volunteering would most likely wear off a week afterwards.
A four-year old story of a volunteer teacher may sound bland and unremarkable at first glance, but it wasn’t all about Chemistry in the end. Those two months helped shaped who I am today and have aided me in carving a concrete plan for what I want to do in life. Among my many goals in life, I want to become a successful social entrepreneur and build a sustainable business that contributes to the improvement of our educational system, whether directly or indirectly. Why? Because I love education and learning.
There is nothing more satisfying for a teacher than to ask a question, and be answered with hands up in the air, waved enthusiastically by students who want to share what they have learned, one lesson at a time.
Class dismissed.
