WHAT A TREAT! : Experienced teacher tops high school LET

By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: January 03, 2010

VIVIAN DAVID, 38, WAS under a lot of pressure when she took the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) for the secondary level.

As a senior mentor at the Ateneo Grade School (AGS), she was expected to pass the test with ease. “Being one of the more veteran teachers, I felt that failure would be totally embarrassing,” said David.

A friend also expected to be treated to a restaurant meal, as she was confident David would top LET.

Fortunately, David lived up to expectations.

Failure was not an option, even as the mother of two boys also had to cope with the devastation left by Tropical Storm “Ondoy.” Her exam reviewers got covered in mud during the flooding caused by the typhoon.

Meaningful work

David, who finished psychology at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) in 1992, is the academic coordinator for third grade at AGS. She got hired as a teacher after graduation years before passing the LET became a requirement.

“I do like teaching,” David said. “I find the work meaningful. I can make positive contributions to society and I can help in forming young minds and future leaders.”

To prepare for the LET, she initially bought two reviewers. She was warned by colleagues that the exam was tough. Between her work and the study load for her Masters in Reading Education course, not to mention her obligations to her family, David scored low in the sample tests at first.

Worried, she bought two more reviewers and was rewarded with better scores.

Reviewing and practicing test-taking on her own not only familiarized her with the kinds of questions usually asked, but also developed her endurance. “Taking exams the whole day is no light work,” she said.

Years of teaching also proved useful.

She said, “Many of the things asked I had never come across in books, but I had encountered them in my work.”

The day before the original exam schedule, she was trapped at AGS by Ondoy. Her 6-year-old son had a class and had to go to Ateneo. David’s family, other students, parents, teachers and even examinees could not get out of AGS.

Some of her younger colleagues were determined to go take the test, even if they had to swim to their respective venues, but David knew she could not do that because she had left the required documents at home, and their house in Ateneoville in Marikina City was flooded.

Luckily for her, the exam was rescheduled.

When she finally took the test, she realized her friends were right; the LET was tough.

“I absolutely did not expect nor aspire to top the exam. I just wanted to pass,” she said.

One early morning in November, after attending mass, David was met by her fellow teachers who started congratulating her. They thought she had gone to church in thanksgiving.

“Initially, I couldn’t understand what they were saying,” said David. “I thought they meant the results were out and I had passed. I thought they were a little overreacting (to the news).”

It took a while before she fully understood what they were telling her—that she was No. 1.

Still in doubt, she asked them to show her the actual results. They logged on to the website where the LET results were posted and she saw her name.

Right choice

Topping the exam, David said, only affirmed that she made the right career choice.

Even while taking up psychology, some of her professors had encouraged her to try teaching. She said she also loved taking care of little children.

“I can do my bit in building a better society by educating its citizens; I can help carry out God’s work of raising good people. What could be better than that?” David said.

She said she hoped to continue working for AGS. “It is a good school and a good community. I consider myself lucky to be part of this community.”

“Part of the preparation for the LET is knowing what you know and what you don’t,” she noted. “Reviewing can give you confidence, but it helps to be physically and emotionally ready, too.”

David said her mother prayed for her and her mother-in-law offered a mass as well. Her friend, who expected a treat, also fervently prayed that she would pass the test with flying colors.

In all likelihood, David will be giving her friend that treat soon.

©Copyright 2001-2010 INQUIRER.net, An Inquirer Company

-------------------

Congratulations to my college Philosophy classmate. :)

I wish I had the same discipline and training when it comes to studying whether for tests or for learning in general.