Robin Williams, in the
movie Dead Poets Society, played the charismatic professor John Keating who
inspired his students to become lovers of poetry to the point of living their
best potential in their prime as young idealistic boys. This role played by the
great actor inspired more educators to go beyond the normal mode of teaching to
give their students a hand in growing themselves in wisdom through life
experiences, rather than just growing their grades. After all, life is not
defined by abstract concepts, but by the lessons that actual events provide.
Carpe Diem. This quote in
the movie left an indelible mark to me as a High School student. The posted
challenge to go beyond one’s limitations to get one’s desired goals gave me a
sense of perspective as to how do I
would act upon the fulfillment of my personal vision. Of course, as a
volunteer, I have tied my vision to public service.
Before watching that film,
I was just your typical introverted student intellectual cowering through tons
of reading material in the school library hoping to know every single fact this
world would provide. During that time, I was already contented with the fact
that I was performing well in my academics. I find it not necessary to take
part of any student group since this would distract me from my pursuit for
higher grades. Yes, this was what I though the only thing that I will and can
do. It was not a good idea for me then to go out and venture, not until the
weekly sessions with the kids.
My very first volunteer
involvement was in a Day Care Center in Project 4 where I taught forty toddlers
how to create their own stories through games. This was a requirement in school
that I need to accomplish, hence the need for me to drag myself at first. In
the first sessions, as young as they are, I started tickling their imaginations
by inventing my own stories. Without a storybook in my hand, I started to
create doodles of characters while dramatizing the story through my changing
voices.
At first, the children
found it weird to hear such narratives not found in any traditional story
books. But, as I placed various elements together from alien space ships to
flying animal creatures, the children started to laugh so hard that their
favorite superheroes such as Astro Boy and Batman became part of the same
universe. From the blue heavens to the black Makati skyline, my stories went
around the world in the same rate as the children rolled in the floor in
excitement of what would be the next scene of the story.
After doing this for five
more times, the children can already relate the plots to the point that they
are depicting the characters even during their free play times. I can’t believe
how my characters gave them a space to dream their own scenes. When I was about
to end my duty in the center, even though I was saddened to the fact that I
would not meet them as regularly as before, I became joyful to the
breakthroughs that happened to me and to the kids.
As they became more
creative and attached to the stories, I then started to believe that through
volunteerism, I was able to express my core gifts from God without expecting a
return. It is by giving that I received the grace and the gift of purpose. Soon
enough after this, I started to teach public school elementary students.
To be continued in another article.
Contributed by: Kevin Dela Cruz from Checkmyschool.org
Disclaimer: This post was approved my the author of this blog article
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