Being a public-school teacher assigned in a well-known community where drug pushers and users are in, it was a great challenge for me how to handle pupils with problem parents. I started teaching in Canday-ong, Calindagan Elementary School Dumaguete City last June 3, 2013 to be exact handling the least section in grade two that time. I met “Abel” a skinny, petite, silent yet always angry boy because of his actions toward his classmates. He was labeled as “buluyagon” in his kindergarten and grade one days.
As new to the school and community as well, I tried to reach out to Abel. Not so obvious but I really started my own study based on his behavior because I want to help him learn the lessons and control his temper at the same time.
One day, his seatmate accused him of stealing his ball pen, but the truth was it only fell on the floor and found it 2 meters away from him. Abel punched the face of his seatmate while shouting “YAWA ka ha! Buang ka ha! Yawa, yawa, yawa!” I stopped him and let him sit on a chair near the door. I gave him a glass of water and told him to take a deep breath. I asked the whole class about the incident and found Abel innocent. I talked to his seatmate to apologize and same with Abel to have closure of their issue.
After that day, I observed that Abel is always asking for food from his classmates. In the afternoon, he was very punctual, but I observed that he was not in the mood and he was always angry. He wanted to fight with his male classmates that can caused a big trouble in my class.
“ Abel, nakakaon pod kag paniudto? Nganong isog man ka sige?,” I asked Abel. “ Wala na siya kakaon ma’am kay nahutdan sa ka Te Endang,” said his classmates in chorus.
Te Endang is the in-charged of giving free lunch for less-fortunate children in Canday-ong financed by LCP Dumaguete City. Abel will just go there for his lunch but there are times that He cannot avail the free lunch because he was late, or nothing is left for him.
Therefore, I conclude, that when Abel is hungry, he is not in the mood and always wanted a fight with his classmates even in a very small reason. “Kung walay kaon, daling masuko si Abel ug aborido ang utok.”
I started to bring food for him. After our morning class, I let him eat his lunch first before I dismissed him. Because of that, he volunteered to clean the classroom every lunch break and we also talked with each other. I slowly gained his trust until one day he asked me, “Ma’am, makamatay ng lusay?” “Ngano man bel?”, I replied. “Kay si mama namatay man to kay naay lusay. Dayon sige pod kulatahon ni papa. Ganahan ko naay lusay para magkuyog naming mama nako.” His tears started to fall with silence around us.
I never scold Abel. I always talked to him with calm voice because I know that it will just make him very angry and might result to dropping out. I did a reversed psychology and gave him responsibilities in the classroom. I taught him how to read and write but more on how to be good as a person. He was not the first honor, but he was always the leader in the class every time that I was not around. His classmates also followed his commands. No more isog na Abel and not the always gutom na Abel.
I was his teacher from grade two until grade four because of the K-12 curriculum and I was an additional teacher during that time. He was one of my greatest achievements as a teacher. He tested my temper and even my heart.
I realized that positive discipline can be an effective tool to train kids to find love around them and to love their selves more! I applied positive discipline to Abel because I know that time that he might hate me forever or even stop him in dreaming just because of my wrong disciplinary actions. My experiences taught me to love my pupils especially those who can’t fine love at home. My profession is not that easy as what other people are thinking. I invested most of my time, money, effort and even my heart. I teach, I help, I nurture, and I care. It’s not easy to implement positive discipline, but if we will not try, we might regret it until the rest of our lives.
Aiza Pagbonocan- Aranas
