Finding f(x): Why I teach for the Philippines | Delfin Villafuerte | TEDxXavierSchool

Summary

The speaker, a public school teacher, shares a heartfelt narrative about their journey and passion for teaching. Inspired by influential figures and transformative experiences, they found their calling in education. The story highlights the challenges and rewards of teaching in the public school system, emphasizing the importance of hope, aspiration, and the profound impact educators can have on students' lives. The narrative concludes with a call to action, encouraging others to contribute positively to the Philippines, whether through teaching or other means.

Takeaways

• 🏫 The speaker is a public school teacher who loves teaching and is passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people.
• 🤔 The common question asked to the speaker is 'why teach?', to which the speaker responds with a simple yet profound answer: a love for the country.
• 🔑 The speaker's journey of realization began during a leadership seminar, where influential speakers inspired a deeper appreciation for the beauty of the Philippines.
• 🚶‍♂️ An immersion experience in Antipolo exposed the speaker to the challenges faced by students who must travel long distances to attend under-resourced schools.
• 🏆 The speaker's commitment to teaching was solidified through experiences with Teach for the Philippines, an organization that aims to improve educational outcomes for children.
• 🎓 The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding a vocation where skill, world need, and personal love intersect, leading to a fulfilling career.
• 🌟 The speaker believes that every child should be encouraged to pursue their dreams, regardless of how big or small they may seem, and that a teacher's role is to make these dreams more attainable.
• 👦 The story of a student named Casey illustrates the transformative power of education and the impact a dedicated teacher can have on a student's life.
• 💡 The speaker reflects on the idea that the 'X' in 'f of X' represents the element that makes one's life function, and for the speaker, that 'X' is teaching.
• 🌏 The speaker calls for others to 'teach for the Philippines' in spirit, encouraging everyone to contribute positively to the country in their own way.
• 🙌 The message concludes with an emphasis on hope, the importance of trying, and the belief that every effort made for the country is worthwhile.

Q & A

What is the common question people ask the speaker when they find out he is a public school teacher?

The common question people ask the speaker is 'Why do you teach?'

What was the speaker's initial expectation of the Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly?

The speaker initially expected the Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly to be a typical seminar with activities, questions, and gaining insights.

What did the speaker learn about the country during the immersion site activity in Antipolo?

The speaker learned about the beauty of the country and the dedication of young people to education during the immersion site activity in Antipolo.

Why did the speaker choose the education site instead of the business site for the immersion activity?

The speaker chose the education site to try something different and explore an area outside of his usual interests.

What was the speaker's dilemma regarding the Ateneo DEP @n LTS geo training program?

The speaker's dilemma was whether to cut his first day of class to complete the five-day training program, something he had never done before.

What realizations did the speaker have from the two activities that involved teaching and working with young people?

The speaker realized that he loved the country and working with young people, and that he loved teaching.

What was the speaker's initial concern about joining Teach for the Philippines?

The speaker was concerned about not being an education major and whether he made the right choice, as well as the uncertainty of the program's success.

How did the speaker's perspective change regarding his role as a teacher after hearing his student's career aspirations?

The speaker realized that his role as a teacher was not to tell children to dream bigger, but to make their dreams more real and achievable.

What was the turning point for the speaker's student, Casey, in terms of his academic progress?

The turning point for Casey was when the speaker took him and other students to Ateneo for an immersion experience, which instilled in him the belief that he could improve.

What is the speaker's message about finding one's 'f of X' in life?

The speaker's message is that finding one's 'f of X' involves discovering what makes one function effectively and brings fulfillment, which for the speaker was teaching.

What is the speaker's call to action for the audience at the end of the script?

The speaker's call to action is for everyone to 'teach for the Philippines' in their own way, by trying, enjoying, aspiring, and hoping for the country.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Passion for Teaching: A Journey of Self-Discovery

The speaker, a public school teacher, begins by engaging the audience with a playful call-and-response activity, setting a light-hearted tone. They delve into the common question they face about why they chose to teach, particularly in public schools, and express their love for the country as the driving force. The narrative takes us back to their college years, where they attended a transformative seminar that exposed them to influential speakers and an immersion experience in a public school in Antipolo. This experience was pivotal in shaping their commitment to education and their realization of the challenges faced by students and teachers alike. The speaker also reflects on their involvement with Ateneo Code and the sacrifices they had to make, including the difficult choice between attending a training program and missing a day of class, highlighting their dedication to teaching.

05:00

🏫 The Reality of Teaching: Challenges and Fulfillment

In this paragraph, the speaker describes the first week of their teaching experience as intense and overwhelming, likening it to learning to swim by jumping into the pool. They emphasize that teaching is not merely a job but a vocation that requires the intersection of skill, world need, and personal passion. The speaker recounts asking their students about their aspirations, initially feeling the need to encourage them to dream bigger, but ultimately realizing the importance of validating and supporting their current dreams. They share the story of a student named Casey, who was a non-reader, and their commitment to helping him improve, even at the expense of personal time and comfort. This anecdote illustrates the profound impact teachers can have on their students' lives and the deep sense of fulfillment that comes from making a difference.

10:03

🌟 Inspiring Hope: The Power of Education and Personal Connection

The final paragraph focuses on the transformative power of education and the personal connection the speaker has developed with their students, particularly Casey. The speaker shares the emotional moment when Casey, after a significant improvement in his academic performance, was moved to tears, signifying the profound effect their teaching had on him. They extend this narrative to the broader context of public school teachers and the collective impact they have on the nation's youth. The speaker concludes by encouraging everyone to 'teach for the Philippines,' not necessarily by joining the public school system, but by embodying the spirit of teaching in whatever capacity they can, to inspire, aspire, choose, and hope for the betterment of the country.

Keywords

💡Public School Teacher

A public school teacher is an educator who works in a government-operated school. In the video, the speaker identifies as a public school teacher and discusses the common question they receive about their career choice. This role is central to the video's theme of teaching and its impact on society.

💡Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly

The Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly is a training seminar mentioned in the script, which the speaker attended. It is a significant event that contributed to the speaker's inspiration and decision to become a teacher, highlighting the importance of leadership development in education.

💡Immigration

Immigration in the script refers to the act of visiting and experiencing life in different communities, particularly those in need. The speaker describes an immersion experience in Antipolo, which was a turning point in understanding the realities of public school education in the Philippines.

💡Teaching Philosophy

Teaching philosophy encompasses the beliefs and values that guide a teacher's practice. The speaker's teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in love for the country and a desire to work with young people, which is evident in their commitment to teaching despite challenges.

💡Vocation

A vocation is a strong sense of suitability for a particular career, often involving moral obligation. The speaker describes teaching as a vocation, indicating that it is not just a job but a calling that aligns with their skills, the world's needs, and their passion.

💡Dreams and Ambitions

Dreams and ambitions are central to the script as the speaker discusses the importance of encouraging students to aspire to their fullest potential. The speaker initially wanted to inspire bigger dreams in their students but later realizes the value in supporting their current aspirations.

💡Social Change

Social change is the process of altering societal structures and institutions to improve social conditions. The speaker believes that the current generation is fighting for social change, particularly against injustice, oppression, and poverty, and that teaching plays a role in this transformation.

💡Commitment

Commitment in the video refers to the dedication and loyalty one has towards a cause or job. The speaker emphasizes the importance of commitment in doing good, whether in teaching or any other profession, as a means to contribute positively to society.

💡Casey's Story

Casey's story is a specific narrative within the script that illustrates the transformative power of teaching. Casey, a non-reader, experiences significant improvement and personal growth under the speaker's guidance, demonstrating the impact a teacher can have on a student's life.

💡Hope

Hope is a recurring theme in the video, symbolizing the potential for positive change and the belief in a better future. The speaker finds hope in teaching and encourages others to find their own reasons to teach and contribute to the betterment of the Philippines.

💡Function and Purpose

The terms 'function' and 'purpose' are used metaphorically to discuss the role and significance of an individual's work in society. The speaker uses the mathematical concept of a function to explore the idea of finding one's purpose, culminating in the realization that their purpose is teaching.

Highlights

The speaker expresses a deep love for teaching and the country, highlighting the importance of education in shaping the future.

The Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly had a profound impact on the speaker, inspiring a commitment to education and leadership.

The immersion experience in Antipolo exposed the speaker to the realities of public schooling and the dedication of students.

The speaker's involvement with Ateneo Code and the DEP @n LTS geo program showcased the challenges and rewards of teaching.

A dilemma arose when the speaker had to choose between continuing a teaching commitment and attending class, reflecting on personal values.

The realization of loving the country and working with young people led to the decision to join Teach for the Philippines.

The first day of class was described as overwhelming, requiring adaptability and resilience in the face of chaos.

Teaching is portrayed as a vocation that intersects skill, world need, and personal passion.

The speaker questioned their role in shaping students' dreams, ultimately deciding to support rather than dictate their aspirations.

The story of a student named Casey illustrates the transformative power of education and the importance of personalized attention.

Casey's progress from a non-reader to a student with hope and potential emphasizes the impact of a dedicated teacher.

The speaker reflects on the broader societal changes needed, suggesting that individual efforts can contribute to larger transformations.

The idea that one's job or location is less important than how they perform their duties is emphasized.

The speaker shares a personal story of a student's growth to inspire others and highlight the value of education.

The concept of 'f of X' in mathematics is used as a metaphor for finding one's purpose and making a difference.

The speaker concludes by encouraging everyone to 'teach for the Philippines' in their own way, emphasizing the collective effort to improve the country.

Transcripts

I'm gonna try something I'll say class

and you will answer with yes but you

have to answer with yes the way I say

class okay let's try it

class class class okay it still works

for all ages okay so good morning my

name again is doesn't video for it there

and as you may know I am a public school

teacher when people find out I'm a

public school teacher they always ask me

that question why why do you teach and

it's common for us teachers in the

public school exactly to hear the

question why just teach back at night

due to low alarm when people ask me that

question I answer one simple sentence

and that simple sentence is the hell

mahalik on a Clemenza

I teach because I love this country

pause for impact

but really the story was way beyond that

let's go back to my third year in

college when I was in semester break

when I was in San breakin Ateneo I

attended this what we call the Ateneo

student leaders assembly or as long as

law was a five-day four-night training

seminar and I entered thinking it was

one of those usual you do an activity

you ask questions then you gain insight

I did not expect

where the big time speakers such as

Sabine on Kiko's also over Bisco teacher

and no pasa and Maria essa who really

showed me how beautiful our country is

this is my very inspiring batch and if

you can't see me that's me there in the

red circle one of the activities in a

flaw was we were to go to an immersion

site we were to choose between four

different sites a business health

environmental education site people who

knew me would think I would choose the

business side but during that time I

thought I want to try the education side

so I did what we did then was in

Antipolo

we walked over the mountains across a

drawbridge

one and a half hour hike to a public

school I felt many things then first I

was bothered I was Restless

I was thinking i'm coppin on waka ama

gotta climb on american 730 classes

every day I'm poppin Omaha , Greg lamb

who I have to walk from building a to

building B when you have kids who wake

up at 5 o'clock everyday in the morning

to walk one and a half hours to this

very underwhelming public school I felt

really really disturbed right after that

I went on to bad with another

organization called Ateneo code and we

have what we call the DEP @n LTS geo

it's a training of training program for

student officers nationwide now the

thing is we were to facilitate around a

thousand students competing with all of

the noise without sleep without

breakfast without a voice it was very

very tiring but very very fulfilling and

the problem was during this time if I

were to complete the entire five days I

had to cut my first day of class and I'm

a nerd as you may have heard I don't cut

class not even PE not even introduction

to Ateneo culture I never cut class

and this very seemingly hashtag first

world problems problem was what I was

thinking of am I willing to cut class

for the first time in my life and I

thought to myself how ironic is it that

I am teaching students what it means to

be a good Filipino what it means to be a

good leader what it means to be a good

citizen when I myself could not give up

one day to stay and teach children these

two activities made me realize two

things the number one I love this

country and that number two I loved

working with young people and I loved

teaching

when teach for the Philippines came out

in my senior year I knew that this was

the opportunity that was waiting for me

before first day of class of course I

would type those long Facebook statuses

where you reflect about stuff and I was

thinking I am NOT an education major I'm

not even sure if I made the right choice

you were the first batch there's no

proof of survival I'm not even sure if

after two years full my students be

better after then I realized that really

one thing that matters is that we tried

and that in trying

we already succeed so try because you

know that there are many things that

need to be changed but what have you

done about it this is my school it

suggests best

Gennaro's Elementary School and where

five fellows in my school and the first

week of class was pretty crazy

just like in swimming when you have to

jump in the pool to learn how to swim

teaching is the same thing you don't sit

down in a class and think about

strategies of how to teach you don't

just sit and make lesson plans you have

to jump in the classroom of 60 kids

running around try to kill each other

and learn how to teach and we're all

sick to the point that some fellows or

even the hospital after the first week

of class and you realize that teaching

is a job that is not just something that

you can do if you just want it to be

it's a vocation in a sense that there

are three things you have to intersect

first is that it has to be your skill

you have to be good at it

second is that it has to be a world need

does the world need your job and the

third which is the most important for me

it has to be something that you love

when you intersect these three things

you will find revocation

something that you're good at something

the world needs and something you love

doing super so something that you enjoy

because really you only have one life to

live and don't waste your life by not

doing something you enjoy I asked my

students in the first week of class what

do you want to be when you grow up the

answers were typical with the humbugging

son dialogue we sobbing ballerina Gustav

humbugging engineer was awful mugging a

Bogart was a combating doctor one of my

students said chair Gustavo mugging

deliveryman Armando then I thought to

myself I entered the public school

system thinking I want my students to

dream bigger I want to tell them that

hey you're dreaming wrong there are

bigger things out there when this kid

told me the Kusaka back in delivery

monomakh though I thought to myself

maybe that is not my role as a teacher

Who am I to tell you that you are

dreaming small Who am I to tell you that

you are dreaming the wrong dreams when

he told me to stop imagining delivery

man Amador sabi ko Saranya sigue looking

delivery man canoe knock door pero

Gustavo Magan Sobran Killington delivery

man Irma Bombeck no Gustavo a comeback

it delivers I think I said not hard

anymore our jobs as teachers is not to

tell her children to dream bigger really

but to make these dreams more real for

them that they can do it so aspire

because we all have our own ambitions

and really our own ambitions should fuel

us to reach whatever you want to do

because ultimately is this idea this

dream that will change the world

and when you talk about the world change

what is there to change and I believe

our generation is a coolest generation

primarily because maybe we are fighting

over a weird obscure and ambiguous kind

of freedom our grandparents had to fight

for freedom from our colonizers our

parents maybe from martial law what our

generation what are we fighting for

maybe we're fighting for freedom against

injustice oppression poverty and

equality and we know up there are many

things that need to be changed but what

do we do

my answer is simple the daunting task of

changing the world revolves around the

pieces we give of ourselves to others

and all we have to do is to choose

Amelie Amelie opening began Amelie at

Makaha Emilia tongue came in because it

does not really matter what job you

choose to do or where you choose to work

but it's really how you do your job it's

not about where you go but how you do

wherever you go you can be adopt or you

can be a lawyer you can work for the

government as long as you choose to

commit to do good people often ask me is

it worth it is it worth it despite your

job opportunities outside is it worth it

to teach in a public school for two

years let me show you one simple story

this my student his name is Casey great

question

he's my favorite student but it's a

secret love debate on your video Sonya

he's my favorite student he was grade 3

normal age 9 years old

he entered as a non-reader he couldn't

write his name correctly he would just

tend to memorize words together he is

also my picasa gotcha

you know cool aha so major made me pack

a boolean which is most likely the

reason why he compensates because he is

a non-reader

I thought to myself I had to do

something about this student I don't

want him to leave the great three

without any improvement at all

so I told him to get Casey the link I

began was he Andre when the tires at the

nail I didn't attend a on the afternoons

I teach autistic and I told them let's

meet in the classroom at two o'clock so

two o'clock by one o'clock they were

already in the classroom waiting outside

because the gate put the monetize of the

classroom hinton mañana en coche and

inside they were already scribbling the

words Ateneo on the blackboards who

cleared they're very very much excited

to get there in college we have

immersions

and immersions who typically lead us to

high need areas

IP communities for these students going

to attend a was like an immersion for

them

casey was even carsick and on the verge

of vomiting on the way to Ateneo and I

was really really tired I mean after six

hours of screaming at children and yet

teach for one and half hours

and afternoon how could you not be tired

pero no well I empowered Koenig Lila had

the keys yet she andresa get Nana at the

Megan appearances are you hurry in and

dad no male empowered con una casa da

atomic boasts an app of a bargain arming

blue oval now allied empowered Gooden

who mean to see cases a chess room cuz

in the glare Lou pollution and chase no

an iron pagoda nominee Benghazi Lhasa

alley MATLAB economy swimming pool now

while I unpack would gone and aloo

silymarin coming rifle varsity team at

the merlion park Woodcock I may put a

Samba Panama Nikita's a key for Vanessa

Blue Eagle gym they sat in my statistics

class and they did pretend to take notes

so they really before class started I

said she gave a bikini India not a new

bell at am our whiteboard markers copper

decay mock drawings a blackboard and

here I have this non reader who

struggled to blend each and every letter

to write these words on my white word

Megara lock was Ateneo

that evening I had two objectives to

instill in KC that number one I want and

number two I can because I can go in

kayak and go in when he wrote this on

the black where I thought to myself I

had I want done I had to do something

about the I can before we left I showed

caseous report card his report kid was

black and he only had the one grade

values class with a grade of eighty and

I showed him his card he is he doing a

report card more babette sitting in more

blanco you manga report card more I say

my English up a chair and economic Anoka

unique easy matter to take in more

blankly report card more chemical

literature did among gonna nail bad Tama

block a report card and he was quiet

Casey a llama boy exhibition a Blanco a

report card he see but grandpa a report

card a big to be in Hindi uma boots

pasado KC

Mitali Nova Bambaataa Casey

Mitali Nova Bambaataa he shook his head

synonyms observing the comet Elenin beta

aperture but when I'm gonna sobbing in

the comet Elenin beta mannahatta from

the legacy tree

Casey

mechanicus is a being go a to walk in

the lagoon cackling what Adam has to be

in Caesarea Natalie no Khambatta welcome

Mike he makes it even at our epoxy not

vinyl on Hindi comet Elenin cos I'm

Italian no compacta the Nino aliquot

that manual occur in the metallic no hum

Vata an at that moment Cleese he cried

he cried the most painful and cathartic

I have ever heard in my entire life if

anything it is not I who gave Casey hope

see Casey animal begins action of PAGASA

and if you think Casey story is very

inspiring wait until you hear the

stories of all the other fellows and all

of the other hundreds of thousands of

public school teachers in this country

so hope because now is the best time to

be a Filipino and everything we do for

our country is worth it in math we often

talk about f of X by the ear on Oh

and we're very very obsessed with

finding that X what is the X that will

give me that answer when you think about

it the words function make sense what X

will make us function and we try to find

that answer we will actually not end up

with an answer but we actually end up

with another question why why

why do we do things if you asked me two

years ago why do I teach for the

Philippines I'd say I teach because I

love my country but if you ask me again

now why do you teach for the Philippines

I teach because of students like Casey I

found my f of X and that X was to teach

and hopefully before I end I'd want all

of you to teach as well not necessarily

join the public school system although

that would be great and you can apply

but to teach in the sense that you will

also try enjoy aspire choose and hope

for the Philippines because you only

have one beautiful country to love so

let us all teach for the Philippines

thank you very much