26/10/2016
Being a teacher for a usual class is already hard as it is. Dealing with students who verbally, and even physically attack teachers is much, much harder.
Simone Villanueva from Bohol once had a student named Popo. At the time, Popo was in grade 4 despite being a thirteen-year-old. Popo was your usual ill-behaved student: a rowdy, violent kid, who bullied his classmates and insulted his teachers. During one lesson, Popo rushed to the front and hit his teacher.
Simone didn't get the student expelled, though. Instead, he delved further and tried to understand where Popo was coming from. It turned out that Popo was experiencing family issues. Probably, his rowdy behavior were manifestations of the troubled family life he was experiencing day by day, Simone realized.
Understanding Popo's situation put Simone in a better position to turn his student's life around. It took a while before he earned Popo's trust and eventually his respect. With proper guidance and mentoring, Simone was able to change Popo's behavior and outlook. Now, Popo is in Grade 5 and is doing very well (and behaving quite well, too!) in class.
We admire you, Simone. We admire all teachers like you.
