Currently, I am a student at the University of the Philippines, Diliman taking up Elementary Education majoring in Teaching in the Early Grades. At 24, I have also been teaching a nursery class at a small preschool here at our place (Caloocan City) for five years now. Though my writing experience is limited to the writing classes I took up at the University a few semesters ago, I have been working on my writing during my freetime. Right now I'm endeavoring to write my own compilation of short stories.  

Who would I think influenced my style? I could not consciously think of  anyone who has influenced me. But I could give a rundown of my favorites. Variously and intermittently, I've read Amado Hernandez, Tony Perez, Domingo Landicho and Lualhati Bautista. But a few of my favorites include Nick Joaquin, William Golding, and the children's story writers of Adarna Books. I also like the humor of Jessica  Zafra. Right now I'm reading Ricky Lee's manual for scriptwriting, A Trip to Quiapo, which is quite an engaging read, and Genoveva Edroza Matute's stories, which I think are very powerful. 

Children love to negate statements and answer the opposite of what you would expect. Yet I love to ask them questions with tag answers like, “Natulog ba kayo?” or “Nag-aral ba kayo?” Before I know it I would be caught in an endless debate about the lifetime benefits of an afternoon nap. And children have an advantage. They are miniature verbal machines waiting precisely for just this occasion to practice their skills.  

Before long, however, I would have sensed that our conversation was going around in circles. To put an end to it, I would resort to the old trick of imposing my authority as a grownup. “Sige, tama na! Huwag nang maingay! Ilabas na ninyo ang libro ninyo!” They would obediently do as they were told though, I had a sinking feeling that I had lost.  

The first minutes of study time is quite peaceful, rather the proverbial calm before the storm. Lots of pictures are needed to catch their attention so I would arm myself to the teeth from the very start. From apples, balls, and cats to xylophones, yo-yos and zebras. But children tire easily so I keep a reserve of ants, bells and candles, yarns and zeros. Children love to use their hands and they are most adept with a pencil or crayon. Once they’ve begun coloring a page, there’s no letting up till the whole page is a rainbow splatter of colors. This is the time I would write the lesson on the board. I often wondered when I was a kid how my teachers knew what I was doing without their even looking. Now I find myself growing those very same “eyes” behind my head. “Alvin, huwag aakyat sa lamesa! Aika, huwag susulatan ang lamesa!” I would turn around and sure enough, there they were, caught even before committing the offence.  

 After giving the older children, the three- and four-year olds, work to do I would then personally tutor Alvin, the very chubby bunso among them.  

“Alvin, ito ang square. Sabihin mo nga, square.”  
 “Square!”  
 “Very good! May apat na gilid ang square. Bilangin nga natin… isa… dalawa…”  
 “Ch-eacher, o!” he suddenly exclaimed. I looked up and there he was proudly smiling and pointing to his new and freshly sharpened pencil sticking out of his ear. It was a feat to tell him “Tanggalin mo ‘yan” with a straight face.  

Recess is quite different, however. It is the time I could put aside my authority and join them as child to a child. It is also the time I could somehow get even.  

 “Teacher, pakibuksan po itong Zest-o!”  
 “Ayaw ko nga.”  
 “Dali na, teacher!”  
 “Ayaw ko e.”  
 “Sige pag hindi mo binuksan yan hindi na lang ako kakain!”  
 “Sige na nga.”  
 “Hay naku, teacher! Naiinis na ko sa yo, ang kulit-kulit mo!”  
  
Children know how it feels to be irritated, of course. They just can’t consider how others feel. This is often the cause of the numerous petty quarrels erupting about every five minutes. Most of the time these are resolved by themselves and mediating between them would only add to the confusion. Although a few might escalate into a minor war and all my arbitration skills would be called upon to settle it. “Tama na iyan. Alvin, doon ka maupo. Ikaw, dito. Walang mag-iingay.” Fortunately, these would die down to threats like “Isusumbong kita sa Papa ko, malaki ang sinturon nun” and “Hindi kita bibigyan ng cake sa 
birthday ko” and would eventually be forgotten.  

Having had their fill, the children become especially noisier than usual. Senseless jargon would ring in the air. “Huwag maingay” would be answered by “Chook choot kwang nyets.” A quick remedy would be to engage them in a song but the song itself becomes “Paa, tuhod, balikat, kwek-kok,” an unknowing victim of wordplay. A favorite, though, is Sasara ang bulaklak, bubuka ang bulaklak which never fails to attract them. Thus having been pepped up a little, they are only too happy to rest and work on their books.  

The most awaited activity of all is story time when they get to read or listen to stories. And children are the most animated of listeners. They make up for listening to stories what they lack in listening to sermons. Nonetheless, a round with Aklat Batibot’s Sina Linggit Laban Kay Barakuda proved to be controversial with queries as “Bakit salbahe si Barakuda?” and “Nasan ang nanay ni Linggit?” Then I would have to invent each character’s biographies however farfetched it may seem. But children have 
a vivid imagination and innocent stories as these become peppered with ghosts, witches and goblins when read by themselves.  

 “Ano?! May multo ba sa Frog Prince?” I would ask incredulously, to which they would complain, “Kasi si teacher e, magsulat ka na lang diyan” which is childspeak for “Leave us alone.” And they’re quite right. Children live in a world of their own, a world of fantastic reality. They may seem unruly, but those are their ways of learning socialization. They may seem inquisitive, but those are their ways of acquiring a worldview. They may seem unreasonable, but those are their ways of developing their individual selves.  

 “O sige, iligpit na ang mga gamit ninyo.”  
 “OPO!”  
 “Gagawin ang assignment ninyo, ha.”  
 “OPO!”  
 “Goodbye, children.”  
 “GOODBYE, CHILDREN!” they would echo.  

 And off they go bubbling with laughter and wonderment.  
 
 

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