The Great Depression

1. DISASTER DEMO.

School is far from over and the post finals week is really depressing.

Our demo teaching for Principles of Teaching II which will cover 30% of our total grade finally took place. I was somehow glad that I was demonstrator #24, because I could at least prepare a bit longer than the first fifteen demonstrators.

Everyone was busy preparing the visual aids, learning materials and motivational activities.

*** A Science experiment during the demo about soil erosion.

I was supposedly scheduled on he 2nd day, but our prof. had fever during the afternoon session, so she finished the demo at 4 PM.

I immediately went home to finish my remaining visuals and practice the flow of my lesson. I slept early so I could have enough energy for tomorrow.

The next day is the big day.

I was surprised when my classmates told me that there are two demonstrators who will not be able to do their demos before me. That means, I will be next after the first demonstrator that morning.

And all that I felt was weakness.

I literally fell on my knees, trying to still convince myself that I will be doing the demonstration at the afternoon session.

I grudgingly laid my visuals on the floor and began erasing the guidelines I used in cursive writing on my visuals and realized that my eraser shed the most rubber it could in less than 10 minutes.

I began cutting strips of paper for the borders of my flashcards, then I ran out of paper. The first demonstrator is about to finish.This is what I call disaster.

I want to cry, but I don't think it is the most rational thing to do at the light of mishaps and mistakes.

I asked the demonstrator next to me (since she's already prepared) to take my place and demonstrate, thanks to the Gods, she understood and said Okay.

Half-way through her demo, I finished preparing the visuals aid and began composing myself. Fortunately, our professor gave a 10 minute break, but still, my heart is very heavy to do the demo. I felt like all my preparations have been put to trash and all that I could do at that very moment is to tear the visual aids to tiny pieces and throw them at the nearest trash can.

I started my demo wearing a fake smile. I sang my Opening Song out of tune and I skipped four parts of the lesson plan, Unlocking of Word Difficulty, Recalling Standard for Silent Reading and Reading of Guide Questions.

I realized I just made the dumbest thing in my entire life as a teacher wanna-be.
Skipping parts of a detailed lesson plan which I patiently made for a month or so, with two major revisions before I can put it on Final Form that is.

I never dared ask myself what happened because from the very stat I knew what happened- my mood swung drastically because of the news that I only knew during the first demo that day. ( Obviously, I did not apply the 90-10 principle by Stephen Covey. Darn. )

I cannot have anybody to blame at my poor demo except myself, myself who have been wearing a smile early in the morning, thinking that my demo will be on the afternoon.

I got a grade of 84. I deserve it.

But I really, really think I could earn more than that, if only.........

2. I PROMISE NOT TO DRIVE A MOTORCYCLE AGAIN!

I really wanted to learn how to drive a motorcycle, since the boys said that if one knows how to ride a bike, then it'll be easy to learn how to drive a motorcycle.

I never experienced riding in a motorcycle and I was already in 2nd year college when I learned how to ride a motorcycle. Hehe.

I was bugging my MahalKO to teach me how to drive, so one day, on our way to Old Market, he asked me to drive it.

I was driving smoothly while he guides me to drive all by myself, not until we have to make a left turn to park the motorcycle.

He was aking mo to step on the brakes without even teaching where the fu***ng brakes are located. "Basta tapakan mo" he even said knowing that there are many "tatapakans" in a motorcycle, left and right.I thought he would step on the brakes since I don't have a fu***ng idea where in the many "tapakans" the brake is, but I was shocked when I saw a man in brown behind a white Honda car,riding a bicycle about to crash into us.

BAM. We hit the bicycle.

The side mirror of the motorcycle broke into pieces and I fell flat on the ground.

The NATO drivers and Old Market vendors were staring at us and all I wanted to do is to wear an invisibility cloak or hypnotize everybody to forget what Jessamyn Ferrer had just done.

Again, thanks to all the Gods again that the man was not hurt and his bicycle had no damages.

A group of people are now staring at me as if I murdered someone, they happen to be members of Alpha Phi Omega fraternity and the man is their brother.

Woooh. This is unbelivable, I just hit an APO member.

MahalKO immediately approached the group and apologized for what happened.

Now, they are smiling and exchanging jokes. Thank you Lord.

I was tongue-tied for the longest time of my entire existence, and all I could do that time is to hit MahalKO at his back.


When an APO member told me that "Gagaling ka na mag-drive niyan, nadisgrasya ka na eh." , I gave him a smile and said to myself,

NO, I WILL NOT TRY TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A MOTORCYCLE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

BTW, the side mirror stashed my precious savings a hundred and fifty pesos. I still have the broken side mirror with me. :D