๐ฑ๐ข ๐น๐๐๐๐ข ๐ฒ. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ณ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐ธ
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ณ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐.
In September 2013, right after passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), I started working as a SPED teacher at Second Home for Hope Learning Center in Bacolod City. The faculty included occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, a physical therapist, a psychologist, SPED Teachers, and a developmental pediatrician.
My two years of handling children with special needs and collaborating with other therapists molded me into an effective and efficient SPED teacher. It also made me a better person, and I thank God for it. Yet, I felt God had other plans that I must pursue.
In January 2016, I got a SPED item in Dinagat Islands Division. The language barrier was indeed a challenge as I could not avoid using Hiligaynon words even in our ordinary conversations. It was difficult for them to understand what I said at times, although I somehow managed to translate some words into the vernacular because I speak a little Cebuano. (๐๐บ ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ถ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ด๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ.)
Five years on, I vowed to serve as a SPED Teacher because I have a heart for handling learners with special needs. Guiding them and allowing myself to become a part of their lives is more than just a job. It is my mission, my vocation.
In Dinagat, I felt honored and humbled to have the privilege to undertake the following endeavors:
1. Providing Technical Assistance to the teachers from other islands;
2. Giving hands-on support to parents;
3. Showing my skills to my colleagues at the school and the district;
4. Sharing learned experiences and theories about SPED to our Schools Division;
5. Attending seminars and workshops for professional development.
I give credit to everyone who made it possible for me.
I enjoyed my stay in Dinagat, yet I still longed to be home with my family and friends in Bacolod, especially during semestral breaks, which paved the way to an incident that changed my life forever.
On one fateful day in August 2016, at the port of Surigao City, while I was waiting for my departure to Bacolod City, I met a special someone – my future husband. The saying, โLove knows no boundaries, and love conquers all,โ touched me deeply at that moment.
After some years of having a “rainbow relationship,” I applied for a transfer to Agusan Del Norte Division to be near him. After I was accepted, we got married.
Although I still handle children with special needs in my new workplace, I needed to adjust again to the new environment while trying to go with the flow. Then, an opportunity for ERF promotion came. After two weeks of discernment, I applied. But I did not have my certificates since I left them in Dinagat, also worried that Odette might have ruined them all.
Eventually, I got my CAV (Certification, Authentication, and Verification) from the Visayas, and when I received my certificates from Dinagat, I immediately complied with all the other requirements. It did not stop some people from questioning my ability and performance, but I ignored them.
After a month of suspenseful anticipation, the result from the Division Office was positive. I thank God for this blessing; and my husband, too, for he inspired me to make the decision.
Eleven weeks after the approval of the Division, the same result came from the Regional Office. I prayed, โLord, whatever is your plan, I know you have your purpose. The beautiful things in my life happened because of your will.โ
Being a SPED teacher, I now understand that I must continue giving my big heart to my learners. I am now more motivated to love my work. God has given me more than I gave Him, including all the beautiful things of being a SPED teacher.
Love SPED.

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