The CSB Experience 2: Eight Weeks

Week 1: The Orientation

Sometimes, one should take the risk of having to go to some unfamiliar place in order to reach one’s final destination. Nevertheless, me and my groupmates are willing to take such a risk so that we’d be able to attend a seminar conducted by the ERDA Foundation.

The foundation is found in a residential area in Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City besides Siena College QC. We were able to get there before the prescribed time of 2pm. Since we were hungry, we had lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant along Banawe.

Ms Jen was nowhere to be found but she sent a proxy prof to guide us. During the course of the meeting, I got to know a lot about the ERDA Foundation, its humble beginnings and the many scholars it had helped and continue to help throughout the years. So there are a lot of things that sure to be ahead us in the coming weeks.

Week 2: The First Day

Miscommunication was the theme for the second week. We weren’t able to have a clear contact with our social worker from ERDA and Charlon was way late. He’s supposed to be in charge for the transportation but it was already way past noon when he finally arrived.

We dropped off somewhere near Anda Circle and took a tricycle ride en route to Baseco Compound. We then stopped at the Baseco Compound-Food Terminal where we waited for Ms May R Lim, the social worker sent by ERDA to oversee their operations in the area, who’s supposed to bring us the place where we’re to teach kids there.

We were finally approached by one of the community leaders of Baseco and directed us to the place where we are going to teach. We had about 25 students to teach. The classroom is small but it’s well maintained. But there was no power running so we have to be patient with our situation.

After the session was over, we went straight home.

Week 3: Empowered

We were still teaching the afternoon, which wasn’t supposed to be considering that our NSTPCWS is set in the morning. Ms May R Lim assured us that we’d be able to teach kids in the morning for the remaining weeks. There was still no power running the classroom, because it was revealed that the kagawad was not present in his office. He was supposed to be in charge for the power but looks like he had other matters to attend to.

Week 4: Thy Morning Come

Finally, we were able to teach in our supposed time although once again we were late. Around this time, we were doing our evaluation towards Ms Jen. Afterwards, we waited for Charlon to arrive in school. But because we weren’t able to make a thorough contact with the guy, we decided to go ahead. Turns out that Charlon was already in SDA while we were buying lunch in Main, talk about weird!

We found him and Ms Jen at the site. Charlon explained to us that he got lost but eventually he found his way to the site.

Week 5: Rough

There were some neighborhood kids flocking the outdoors of the classroom. At first we ignored their constant distraction brought to the class but what was worrisome was that they were starting to enter the room and creating tensions with the class. Much to the worries of the community leader guarding the place, she looked for one of the students’ parents/relatives while we try to stall the situation by prolonging the session past the prescribed time of our stay for the day. Until “Big Mama” finally arrived did those juvenile punks finally left.

Week 6:  Almost There

Following the incident, about a quarter of the class didn’t attend class the next week. But nevertheless, we started the days teaching on our usual areas: Math, Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, Science and random subjects like English, and Art.

There wasn’t much going on since the incident so we tried to forget about it.

Week 7: Not Yet the End

It’s not yet the end. Simon thought that we’re in week 8 but turns out we’re only one week short of a last day. But despite that, we continue to teach our final lessons with the kids. Tiresome yes but the response from the class was ever so great. It touched me.

Week 8: The End is Near

To mark our group’s final day, we had a party to celebrate our last moments with our class. We had games, activities, and lotsa lotsa food. One of the students gave me a letter saying that they were glad that they had us as their teachers, even for a short while. Surely, I’m gonna miss them all.

I’m gonna miss them all, that’s for sure.