is not an apologia for why I did not pursue a teaching career, but it will introduce you to my favorite classroom teacher who embodied my old aspirations to be one. There are teachers who barely impact on your life; they teach this class and move on to the next, just a daily routine. There are teachers who have the power to change your life, for the better. I met Teacher Maria Teresa Barcelona Mendoza at the Techno- logical Institute of the Philippines when I enrolled in two of the subjects she was teaching. She was not intimidating, yet she exuded authority. She never chatted, every word coming from her mouth was pertinent to the subject at hand. She was well versed in her subject matter. If you asked her a question on the topic she would give you a straight answer without beating around the bush; you wonder how the hell she could memorize all the exact passages you just read from your book. This only meant that before going to class, she was prepared. She once caught me off-guard. She was discussing this thing about the rehabilitation of employees in Occupational Safety and Health, and she asked me what was my stand on that issue. Frankly, I had no sparkling idea about the matter, much less how to answer her question. I stood up, There are teachers who barely impact on your life; they teach this class and move on to the next, just a daily routine. There are teachers who have the power to change your life, for the better.
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