Dare To Dream: Participating in the competition for the first time! 

"Don't be afraid to dream big and start small. Success begins with the first step."

Though we occasionally raise significant existential concerns,"Why do I teach?" is the most fundamental and essential question.

Asking yourself, "Why do I teach?" will set you on a professional and personal development path. It will be challenging yet worthwhile.

Have you ever noticed how kids are so enthused about everything?

"Be brave enough to take a chance at something new." 

One of my students, Boyboy, participated in the "Interpretatibong Pagbasa sa Filipino" contest for the first time. Interpretive reading is the skilful sharing of an author's ideas and emotions with the reader. The choice should have significance for the reader to impart to the audience. The goal is to improve one's ability to communicate the emotions and meaning of a piece of prose or poetry.

It's his first time seeing a real town and participating in competitions. Oh, and Boyboy is a member of our community's indigenous group known as "Aetas".

It must be well known that Aeta prefers to dwell in isolation in the highlands and isolated locations. A few of my Aeta kids think they're not like me since I have straight hair.

Naturally, as a teacher, I broke down this barrier, which occasionally prevented them from interacting with others and accepting prejudice and criticism from society.

I always try to convince them that we are all the same, a single community, and all on an equal footing.

Boyboy could read and interact with people, so I was already quite proud of him when I mentored him, and we took part in this competition together.
I'm already glad that he can read because, as you are aware, poverty plays a significant role in the inability to read and write for some indigenous people, in addition to cultural barriers. Many of them, particularly their parents, prioritize meeting their fundamental necessities over their education, such as food and housing.

I can teach them to read and write, which makes me proud and honoured as a teacher in an indigenous school.

Boyboy's decision to enter the contest filled me with pride, even though he didn't win. I'm happy he stepped outside of his comfort zone and entered the competition with grit. At last, an indigenous student brought honour to his tribe.

Particular life events elicit our true feelings and force our thoughts to the fore. They can expose aspects of ourselves that we have long neglected.

However, we frequently require additional time to experiment. It's in our wiring to be cautious of novel encounters. However, the more we allow this fear to control us, the more we withdraw into our comfort zone. Continually acting in the same way will never allow us to evolve.

Leaving alone and putting your trust in new settings frequently results in positive transformation. If you maintain the mindset of continuous self-challenge, you become more receptive to new ideas and notions. You have to accept the fact that there is always more to discover and experience, regardless of how much life you have had.

The Take-Away:

One of your objectives should be pushing yourself and stepping outside your comfort zone. Something novel and daring. It doesn't matter how big or small—as long as it's fostering personal development and growth—you own it.

So..
How about you? When was the last time you did something for the first time?