jan in between

What’s the most underrated life skill?

Being open to detours. You never know where a random yes might take you.

One of the unexpected detours in my life started with a phone call.

I woke up one morning to a call from someone asking me if I wanted to study teaching. I was already a nurse at the time. Lyka, in his sultry morning-girly voice, asked: “Dzai, skwela ta Education, dzai, para maka-take ta LET nya mag-teach ta sa public kay mas dako ang sweldo.”

How? I didn’t want to go back to school.

But he assured me it was going to be fun and wouldn’t take that long. Apparently, he was already enrolled and wanted me to join so he wouldn’t get bored.

So I stopped by the university. I brought along my best friend, Jen, who was also Lyka’s and my blockmate back in college. She was working as a nurse at the time too.

Honestly, we weren’t even planning on enrolling that day. Jen was just with me because we were having lunch and catching up, and I remembered that I was supposed to stop by the university to inquire about the program.

Because, as I had already told myself, I was DONE with school. But somehow, while we were there, I asked Jen if she wanted to enroll too.

She had absolutely no plans of going back to school. She was literally just there to accompany me.

So I told her, “I’ll pay for our entrance fees.” I’m not rich, okay? 😂 But the tuition was affordable, and we could pay in installments, so that’s exactly what we did.

And just like that, the two of us were in. 🔐

The program was only on weekends for about three or four months, if I remember correctly.

Looking back, I think we were basically just looking for an excuse to hang out with each other on weekends while somehow earning a certificate at the same time.

We also met other professionals in our class, mostly nurses and engineers. Since we were nurses, our teaching track was naturally more aligned with Science.

Win-win!

And we really did have so much fun.

This actually wasn’t the first time the three of us had gotten ourselves into something together.

Back in nursing school, the three of us were part of a nursing group of maybe 10 or 12 students—I honestly don’t remember anymore. We were the designated jesters, the comedians.

We kept the group light and fun whenever everything got crazy. And OMG—saying nursing school was crazy is an understatement. But that story deserves a post of its own. 😂

We had classes in major subjects like Foundations of Teaching, Fundamentals, Strategies, and a bunch of others I can barely remember now.

We had excellent professors from different recognized universities, and I remember our batch being somewhat of a pioneer in that program—bachelor’s degree holders who wanted to qualify to teach in secondary schools.

And we actually enjoyed it.

For some reason, though, Lyka didn’t continue on to take the board exam because he had to go to another country and had other plans.

Meanwhile, Jen and I persevered. We took the exam. And we passed! Jen applied in her area, and I applied where I was living.

And I’m actually proud of both of us because applying for a teaching position in the Philippines isn’t just about sitting through an interview.

There were several steps—interviews, a teaching demonstration, and a written test, which I believe included English proficiency, if I remember correctly.

And with so many applicants, we actually made it. We both landed teaching jobs.

I started as a substitute teacher and eventually got permanently hired at the school where I worked for four years.

Mostly, I taught 7th and 8th grade Science.

But because this is the Philippines—and as they say, it’s more fun in the Philippines—I also ended up handling MAPEH.

Would you imagine me teaching MAPEH?! It stands for Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health.

Music? I like music. Arts? Of course! But Physical Education?! LOL. 😂 And Health? Okay, maybe that last one makes sense because I’m a nurse. 😂

I also taught Araling Panlipunan, or Social Studies, which I found very interesting as well. So there I was. A nurse who somehow became a teacher.

And because apparently one job wasn’t enough, I was also the designated—or unofficial—school nurse, which I actually loved. I didn’t have to deal with nursing reports and hospital paperwork. Instead, students would come to me for everything from little cuts and scrapes to occasional more serious situations. There were fainting episodes, injuries, and even times when I had to call an ambulance.

It was a completely different kind of nursing, but I loved being that person at school they could come to when they weren’t feeling okay.

So in a weird way, I never really stopped being a nurse. I just became a teacher, too.

And did I get paid better than I did as a nurse? Yes. Very much.

So I can honestly say that this was one of the greatest blessings in disguise.

I never planned on becoming a teacher. I didn’t wake up one day thinking, I want another degree. I was actually trying to avoid going back to school.

But that random phone call at 9 in the morning led me somewhere I never expected to go. I learned a completely different career.

I met people from different walks of life—from my coworkers and beloved co-teachers 🫶 to my awesome, energetic students.

And I gained four years of memories that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. 💕

Sometimes, life doesn’t announce the important turns. Sometimes, it just calls you at 9 in the morning and says,

“Dzai, skwela ta Education.”

And somehow, you say yes.

Happy World Teachers’ Day. 🫶

October 5