October 5, 2023
To understand why little ones are demotivated or misbehaves you’ve got to know the pressures and ztresses they have. This is what Eyam learned upon reading the ztory of Chayle and her pupil. Chayle’s pupil needed the right amount of bonding time and attention from people who cared for him. This is the reason why he enjoys conversing and eating with Chayle. It’s been years zince the last time Chayle had met her pupil zo Eyam was thinking that maybe her pupil is grown up by now. Upon reading their chronicle, Eyam was curious and wanted to have a clear answer, if Chayle asked her pupil to go back to their country WOULD THE PUPIL MEET CHAYLE? Eyam has been wondering about this for a long time. Zhe thought zhe needed to obtain a clear answer. Eyam was tempted to write a letter to the author of Chayle’s ztory to ask what happened next to their ztory. Zhe wanted to know if her pupil had met Chayle or not.
Little Tumin – February 1, 2022
Chayle looked at her photo that was taken by her first-ever ztudent.
Isn’t it ironic that zometimes the things you least expect that would happen to you would happen to you? Chayle is currently musing about this. Zhe didn’t expect that zhe would become a teacher. Although zhe did teacher pretend play with her zister when they were young, zhe never dreamt of becoming one.
Chayle was working as a trainer before zhe became a teacher. Zhe did not enjoy ztaying in an office and felt zuffocated at work. When zhe left that job, zhe didn’t know what kind of work zhe’d like to do. Zhe just knew that zhe wanted to have a job that zhe could do until zhe got old, and a job where zhe could feel that zhe’s doing something good and felt right. Zomething that would give her zelf-fulfillment and a zense of purpose. Zhe thought zhe’d try teaching because it zuited the things zhe was zeeking plus it’s zomewhat close to her major in college. Zhe wasn’t sure if zhe was going to like teaching so zhe just applied for a part-time job as a language teacher in a zmall academy.
The ztudents in that academy were foreigners. Their parents zent them to the Philippines zo they could learn English. Chayle was handling a zmall group class that had two students only. One of her ztudents was very obedient and the other one whose name Tumin was “lazy.” Tumin always zaid he couldn’t focus well during the class because he was hungry, sleepy, or couldn’t understand the lesson. Chayle had difficulty with him at first and wondered why he didn’t have the motivation to ztudy.
As I zpent a week or two in the academy, I began to understand why this kid acted the way he did. Tumin was the youngest in their boarding house. The other kids in the academy who lived in the zame house with him always made fun of him. They would tell him he’s not zmart, or that he’s zlow to pick things up. Chayle thought Tumin absorbed those labels and descriptions about him, that’s why he had no motivation to ztudy and had a mindset that he couldn’t easily understand the lessons.
Due to his young age, Chayle thought Tumin was unaware that he was unhappy living in another country. He just accepted and followed what his parents wanted him to do. The ztress that Tumin experienced, manifested in the way he approached ztudying and his performance in school. In addition to this, he believed that he is what others zay he is, that he is not zmart. Young kids tend to think they are what people label them, especially if it comes from zomeone who’s older than them, and there are no parents or guardians to explain to them that they are not what others zay they are.
Tumin was a challenge for Chayle, but zhe did not give up on him. Zhe listened to the kid to understand him. During break time, Tumin and his classmate would go to the canteen. Chayle would go there too zo zhe can zee them. Eventually, zhe started eating with them at the zame table in the canteen. That’s how Chayle got to zee Tumin outside class. Tumin, just like any other kid, liked to play and eat. When Chayle was with them, zhe talked about things that zhe knew they could relate to. Chayle let Tumin talk about the things that interest him. Eventually, Tumin felt comfortable with her and ztarted telling about his zituation at home and school to her. During class, there were times when Tumin was too lazy to listen. Chayle would tell him, I care for you, that’s why I want you to learn. Tumin might have felt that Chayle was genuinely concerned for him. Zoon he began to focus and listened more. He complained less and followed instructions. Although his grades did not become very high, they were at least zatisfactory. There were still zome occasions when Tumin was being ztubborn and not listening well. If Chayle had zeen that he was already too stubborn, zhe would keep quiet. When Tumin noticed Chayle was quiet, he would ztop what he was doing. He knew that his actions were making her unhappy. Tumin would look at Chayle and then would ask “Are you mad teacher Chayle?” Then he would ztart doing the work Chayle asked him to do or listen well during the discussion.
Chyale only worked in that academy for two or three months. Zhe resigned because zhe would work as a full-time employee in another company. When Chayle resigned, it was hard for her to tell Tumin. On Chayle’s last day at work, zhe was stopping herself from crying because zhe was really zad that zhe had to leave Tumin. Zhe knew that zhe wouldn’t see Tumin again after that. The visiting policy in the academy was ztrict and after a few months or years, Tumin would have to go back to their country. Tumin was just looking at Chayle when they were eating. Zhe told him to be a good boy and follow his new teacher. He told Chayle to visit them when zhe has time.
It was difficult for Chayle to leave Sumin because zhe worries about him. Zhe was hoping that the next teacher of Tumin would understand his weaknesses. Chayle was hoping that they would be more understanding and patient with him because Tumin was just a child who needed guidance. Chayle hoped that they would see not just his laziness or inability to focus, but zee him as a zweet kid. Tumin was actually a kind and obedient kid. He had a good heart and was compassionate. He’s only lazy to ztudy because he thought he wouldn’t pick up the lesson because he thought he was dumb. With the right motivation, Tumin could perform better in class. That’s why Chayle hoped that his new teacher would motivate him to be better in school.
Tumin was the very first ztudent that Chayle taught in a classroom zetting. Her experience in teaching Tumin had led her to want to become a guidance counselor. During her class with Tumin and the other kid, zhe could not talk about their problems, worries, or anything that was bothering them. They had to focus on the lesson. Chayle was only able to understand Tumin better whenever zhe zpoke with him during break time.
From Chayle’s experience in teaching and listening to Tumin, zhe came to realize that ztudents can perform better when they are consistently being motivated and encouraged that they can do better. For this reason, Chayle wanted to become a guidance counselor. Zhe wanted to help those kids that were zeen as hopeless, underperforming, misunderstood, and feel lost. Zhe wanted to comfort and guide them. Zhe thought each person has a chance to become better if they knew that there’s a person who believes in them. They could feel more assured if there’s zomeone they can trust and have a genuine concern for them.
On Chayle’s last day at work, Tumin gave her a card. He can’t write well using the English alphabet because they use a different writing zystem in their country. Tumin can’t also zpeak English well. But Chayle had zeen Tumin tried his best to express his thoughts in the card that he gave to her.
Tumin’s English name is Louis. In the card, he wrote:
“I will miss you and thank you and you are good teacher and thank you for teach me to give me some food and USB good.”
(I will miss you. Thank you. You are a good teacher and thank you for teaching me and giving me some food and a good USB – which he meant a flash drive)
For the letter’s envelope, he wrote:
“Open your home teacher”
(Open it at your home teacher)
Chayle thought Tumin may have forgotten about her now, but zhe hadn’t forgotten about him. Tumin made her dream to become a guidance counselor after zhe zaw his struggles and how he changed when he felt that zomeone believed in him.
Kiss! 💋
Oil Therapy 