A Time When I Was Once Called "SIR"

So after passing the Civil Service exam, I began making my resume – of course with a lot of help from my BEST.

I began sending my application letter to private schools hoping that they have vacancies for an instructor. First, it was hard since I have no teaching experience yet. After a few weeks of waiting, luckily my application was replied by SKIA (Sultan Kudarat Islamic Academy) – a madrasa located in Bulalo, Sultan Kudarat, just a few clicks away from Cotabato City.

There I was on my way to my very first interview, I was very cautious of everything. I keep on asking my self, have I brought all my documents? Have I worn the proper attire? Is this not too brightly colored? Have I clipped my fingernails properly? Are my teeth presentable when I smile? Or when do I have to smile? Do I really need to smile during interview? These were just few of the million things I was thinking that time.

The time has come for the interview. – First I was told by the secretary to wait as she calls her boss through the intercom telling that I have arrived. Then she told me that I can enter his office for the interview.

As I knocked and entered his well-furnished air conditioned office. I felt a strange pressure, my knees were getting shaky and my fingertips were getting numb.

So as I sat there, I feel like I’m in an interrogation room that as if time stopped and all I can sense is fear, intimidation and everything related to it. I was almost in a panic when approached me and said “Assalamu Alaikum” – (greeting of peace in Arabic) as he raised his hand and for a handshake.

Right after I relpied “Alaikum Issalam” all of the pressures, fear disappeared for  realized why should I be intimidated? I’m just here for the interview, I should not show any weakness if I want to me a teacher because sometimes you have to be though physically and mentally if you want your student to respect you. How could I be a good teacher, if I feared an interviewer? How will I be able to face a classroom full of students?

So as the interview goes on, I told the interviewer what he need and what he wanted to hear from me. – uhhhm mostly. He told me that I have to prepare for teaching demo with a subject or your choice at 2:00 pm. WHAT!!!?? As checked the watch on the wall of his office I realized that it’s was already 10:30 am My, my , my I’m in a panic again. But I just smiled and say “okey sir I’ll be back for the demo this afternoon”.

After leaving his office, I immediately went to the nearest internet café to look for my topic. Then I finally decided that the topic that ill demo will be PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Since this was the topic of my report during my college days in the University of Southern Mindanao (USM).

So I began to recall the details of that topic and as much as possible memorizing the details on light wavelength frequency and contrasting the light and dark process of photosynthesis. After that, I had my lunch and waited for the scheduled demo.

It’s 2:00 pm and I’m in a classroom facing the panel, peeping and eves-dropping student outside the classroom.  I said to my self “This is it! I have to show them what I am made of”.

So I started it with greetings to the panel, as asking them the details of the situation such as, what kind of student will be teaching, etc. told them that I’m going to start my demo.

“Good afternoon class” the panel replied “Good afternoon Sir” right after that, I began my lecture and treat my panel as students. They eventually asked me question just to test my versatility or how much I know about the topic. And sometimes, I throw questions to the panel about the topic especially if they’re not paying attention to what I am saying.

After the demo, the panel along with the vice president of the school had a short closed-door-meeting assessing my performance in the interview and on the demo. After 30 minutes, I was called the office and told me that I passed and I can start my job by next week with a salary of 3,300.00 php a month  – ( I know it’s not that much but I know  it was more than enough for me that time.) .

It was really a come-and-go moment that day. A week after, I reported to the school as an instructor and with prestige, I was addressed as “SIR”.