WHY I VALUE LIFE

- Get Your Own

Here are 10 things we, teachers spill to you students who aren't aware that we know about you.... We seem to be untouchables to you but we are actually human species you know... capable of having emotions as well. Here's a crucial glimpse of what's going on inside our heads:

1. We can see everything that's goin on in the classroom-- if you're fiddling with your calculator during Anatomy class, if you're asleep, if you're talking to your seatmate-- we can even see where your eyeballs are during the exam. If you haven't been called on something, it's only because we've chosen not to. But we may decide to... one day.
2. Impressions matter -- especially on first encounters . We don't have time to get to know everyone in class so your "dating" is one tool we utilize to sum up if you're cocky, kikay, tamad, or super smart. Impressions can change over time, but you'll have to work extra hard if you want to reverse a negative one. The one thing you don't want to be is the student who leaves no impression at all.
3. WE know when you're making bola-- particularly if you use catch phrases and big, fancy words. We're secretly shaking our heads or laughing inside. We're also taking note of the fact that you don't really know what you're talking about. So next time, try shutting your trap and pay attention.
4. WE know when you're making sipsip-- But sip-sip, if done properly, isn't always such a bad thing because it can amuse us and put us in a good mood. And happy teachers are nicer teachers. Just remember: being sip-sip can never be a substiture for actual work.
5. WE love students who try hard. And this is because we work hard, too. We don't expect all of you to be whiz kids and geniuses, but real effort does score points in our books. Hopefully, it will also reflect in your grades.
6. Bad penmanship gives us eyestrain and headaches. Make sure to keep your writing legible, and you'll keep your teacher patient. Hiding your non-answers behind messy scrawls doesn't work either.
7. WE've heard every excuse in the book. A co-teacher once had a student who came in late because of the heavy traffic coming from Alabang. The teacher simply replied, "Then maybe we should carpool. I live there, too." Check in all excuses at the door, and you're bound to do better in class.
8. WE're the experts. You may be smarter than we are, but for now, we know more than you do about this particular topic. So it makes sense to listen and learn.
9. WE're tired. Teachers average at least 12 work hours per day.That includes preparing for classes, actual class-time, grading, office hours, and attending faculty meetings. There is nothing more annoying to us than students who waste our time.
10. We live in the 21st century. We know when your term paper was lifted off the Internet--we have Google, too. We also know how mobile phones, calculators, and other hi-tech gadgets work, so try learning the answers to those questions instead of storing them in your gadget's memory.

-FROM Seventeen Magazine, 2006