How sweet it is to be loved by you!

March 8 was the day I got scared to death. It was the day I went to the emergency room because I bled, and I was 6 months pregnant.

It was a typical busy day, where I was the only one who had back-to-back classes the whole morning because I had to give my 4 classes their last long test for the year. I was going around, doing the same things I usually do in class, like hollering out last-minute reminders and keeping them settled. I guess for a moment I forgot I was pregnant until I saw that I bled. Tears were welling up my eyes as I read instructions during my third class, waiting for my doctor's reply. Teacher Jei was kind enough to continue reading the long test for me, and I am also grateful for Teacher Lea who volunteered to buy medicine for me at that moment. The rest of the teachers were checking up on me when I stayed at the clinic waiting for my parents. They were equally worried and asked me to take the rest, however long it took.

I was prescribed to take the week off to rest and continue my medicines. I was told by my doctor I made myself get agitated (perhaps from running around and hollering to make sure the students finish the test on time) but my cervix was closed and there was no more bleeding. I just had to observe any changes from then on.

Some children saw me in the clinic, but most of them heard the news about me through their advisers. Most of them thought it was all their fault that they even apologized through Facebook. But the biggest surprise was the bunch of letters from Grade 2-Archimedes that greeted me the day I came back. It was funny and at the same time touching that these children thought of the well-being of me and my baby. I never thought they would be as excited for her arrival as me. I guess they do really think of me as someone important. Check out some of the unforgettable notes below. I'm going to miss them all! Sniff.

The children

Let me just share with you just how affectionate my students can be:




- from Asia, a very sweet first grader who always sits with me everytime I proctor during dismissal. She would always come up to me with a drawing and tells me about her new book of animals. Up until the third term, she would still talk about animals. She can be whiny and uncooperative at times, but I'm hopeful that by next year she'd be more mature and a good speller :) I hope to satiate her thirst for learning about animals next year.


- a birthday card from Vince, one of the more mischievous boys in first grade. This made me smile because I didn't really expect he would make me a card and even remember about the specific things he learned from me. There never was a Computer class that he didn't ask for my help, and I guess with this card, he is telling me that he appreciates what I do for him. I somewhat feel guilty now for the times that I lose my patience with him because he couldn't do things independently. It is during these times that I resolve to stretch my patience a little bit more because some children really need the understanding.


- I just had to include this birthday card from Melissa. I have to give credit T.Beth, the ELA teacher for this because the elements of the letter really did endure for this little girl! She was one of the average ones in her class, but now I realize that I somewhat underestimated her in this regard. Each child truly has different strengths and weaknesses. One may excel in one subject, and be just average in another. This is another reminder for me to adjust myself to each child's capabilities and make learning enduring for them.


- a hilarious acrostic from Andy, another first grader. I felt she really tried hard to think of words to describe me and she wanted more words that's why she added her name! Aah, kids really do say the darnest things that's why I came to love the first and second graders. They are just full of wit!


- first grader Sean does take the cake for honesty! Had a laugh-out-loud moment with this one. He is one of the more assertive students in class who can sometimes be coming on too strong. Anyway, I did appreciate his gesture :)


- I received this early in the year from Jana. It made me laugh because it seemed like she owed me for not studying! It's heartwarming to know that there are students who consider the feelings of their teachers for mediocre performance. It turned out that she only got one mistake in that long test. I wrote her a reply on the same test and told her that she shouldn't think about herself as not good enough and by trying very hard she could easily succeed. She went on to reap a medal during Recognition Day.