There are some movies whose stories stay with you for a long time after seeing them. Munting Tinig (Small Voices) is such a film. It was not a big-budget production, nor did it have amazing special effects associated with
I am no film critic, but in my opinion it couldn’t have been because of the acting (the actors were above average but not Meryl Streep material), nor the directing (some parts were a little boring and more than a few would have said the movie tended to drag a bit), not even the music (being a Music major, I detected some “anomalies,” but I am not here to criticize).
Why? Why did this humble film project touch so many people, and is now being considered as a Filipino modern classic?
It is because of the STORY. Others would say it was formulaic and predictable. So what? Seeing it unfold before me was still an experience to treasure, to immerse myself if only for an hour and a half in the world of a public school teacher working in a tiny village school in a far-flung rural area.
The movie touched on several issues. I shall tackle a few one by one and comment on them separately.
“Only the intellectually inferior become teachers.” This is a common attitude found amongst even fellow UP students. And the sad thing is, certain Education majors themselves think this way! I’ve talked to a couple of Education majors, and when I asked, “Why take Education?” The common reply was: “This was the only course I could take, I didn’t pass my first couple of choices in the UPCAT. And I’m not very good in anything else.” This is a terrible, terrible thing… to demoralize oneself in this manner. They do not see that they are in a most precious vocation.
When you ask people from one or two generations ago, you will find that only the best and the brightest became teachers in the good old days. And teachers of old could teach EVERYTHING, not like now when a teacher specializes in a certain subject. My father recalls a former teacher of his with great fondness, and said that she taught everything, from Music to Math to Science… “And she spoke impeccable English, too.”
We teachers-in-training today should take it as a challenge, to raise the bar once again and prove those who think the worst of us wrong.
Then there is the case of teachers going abroad to earn dollars. So many things have been written on this. For myself, I am fortunate to belong to a middle-class family (my sister and I will be the third generation of educators) so I do not think I will be forced to make the agonizing choice that Ms. Pilar (the teacher that Alessandra de Rossi’s character substituted for in the film) had to make: to leave the children she so dearly loved to teach in order to earn a better living abroad. And I would be the last one to stand on a pulpit and preach against the millions of OFW’s who more often than not are forced by circumstances to seek greener pastures abroad. I can only speak for myself when I promise that should I ever leave the
This movie has special meaning for me because I am training to become not just any teacher, but a music teacher, like Melinda (Alessandra de Rossi’s character). I felt so affirmed in my choice of vocation, because the movie clearly illustrated the power of music, of singing, to uplift spirits and brighten even the darkest and saddest of lives.
I could relate to this movie on so many levels, and I have seen firsthand the issues that Melinda took offense with (for example: teachers selling candies to students for extra cash… it DOES happen!). I did my classroom music teaching practicum last sem, and I had to teach in two schools: one private and one public. I was able to experience both worlds, and it was a very valuable experience for me. Now, when I say I want to be a teacher, I no longer say it with eyes closed. I have SEEN what it is to be a teacher, and I have had a taste (if only for a little while) of what a teacher’s life will be like. And I choose it gladly.
This is a film that every Filipino teacher-in-training should watch. It is not a movie for those seeking mindless entertainment. See it to understand that we aren’t just teachers. Henry Adams put it perfectly when he said, “A teacher affects eternity… he can never tell where his influence stops.” And that is why they say that “to teach is to touch lives forever.”
I was also taught to think this way by my parents when I was younger. I remember whenever I tell them about negative encounters with some of my teachers they will always tell me, teacher lang mga yan kaya ganyan yan. It's sad that I had that misconception for quite a while. Of course all that changed when I fell in love with Reg, who's a teacher, and when I taught last sem at the same music teaching practicum you were in... Grabe, to describe it as "nosebleed" is an understatement. Teaching is such a noble profession. It deserves utmost respect for the sacrifices and selflessness that's an inevitable part of the profession.
ReplyDeletethis makes me think more about teaching... what a privilege it would be to be able "to touch lives forever". but i haven't experienced teaching though. does every music course have a classroom music teaching practicum? make kwento naman your teaching experiences sometime! :)
ReplyDeletei agree! i remember one of my music ed major friends telling me how performers get to be famous, get to tour the world, get the public's attention, while teachers (not all, but many) live in relative obscurity. i mean, who can name the teacher of Beethoven or Picasso? but most likely, these great men wouldn't have reached such greatness without the guidance of their teachers.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Mika dear!! :)
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge, only certain courses have MuEd 125 or 135 requirements (Grade school and high school practicum, respectively), like BM Voice and Conducting.
I'd love to share my teaching experiences with you sometime! ;)
A lot of people have that misconception... I think the only reason I was spared from this is because both my parents are educators :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Hay, Gabi. I wish I had your heart and conviction. I'm still quite unsure about whether or not I'll make a good teacher.
ReplyDeleteAnd teaching is not for the intellectually inferior. Being intelligent is easy. At least for us UP students, it's a given. But being able to impart knowledge and so much more to others isn't something everyone can do. Even people with PhD's can make bad teachers.
I'll be having my first practicum next year. Shemay. I'm so nervous. I often joke that it's easier to graduate summa cum laude from UP than to become a good teacher. I've had brushes with teaching, and it's really not that simple, especially if you're teaching musically illiterate kids who are practically clean slates.
But for what it's worth, I'm glad there are still people like you who are passionate about such a noble yet often unappreciated profession. And hopefully in time things will change.
Hi Cat. I didn't feel this way about teaching until very recently (as in, three sems ago?? My mediocre-at-best grades in the first couple of MuEd subjects can attest to that fact). The fact that you care so much about whether or not you'll make a "good" teacher is an affirmative sign, I think.
ReplyDeleteI also think that being a "good" teacher is more a matter of having the right heart than the technical know-how. I'm not saying that getting the proper training is unimportant, but you could always take workshops and attend classes for that. And of course, nothing beats Experience as the greatest trainer.
For what it's worth, I think you'll do great in whatever profession you choose. *hug*
You'll never know if you're cut out for something until you get your feet wet. I wish you all the best for your practicum!! :) If you need any help, I'm just a text message away, Cat dear.
Aww, thanks so much, Gabi =)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your first point. I'm sure all of us have been under dozens of PhD's in UP (although we might not even be aware of it sometimes) but not all of them have been good teachers.
ReplyDeleteAnd about the difficulty in being a good teacher, I agree with you. In my practicum experience, it wasn't just mental difficulty, it was also a psychological turmoil. Hehe. Though of course pag dating ng presentation nila medyo naiiyak din ako with how far they've gone. Alam mo yun, feeling proud parent.
I can easily cite a few examples, pero wag nalang, he he ;p
ReplyDeleteSo true. When I was a younger student, I couldn't understand why my teachers became so happy whenever I mastered a new concept or became much better at doing something --because as far as I knew, ako yung nakinabang.
But having experienced being on the other side, it is the most fulfilling thing in the world seeing them making good use of what you imparted to them. Proud parent nga, he he =)
hi...cant help reacting to your blog.
ReplyDeletethe tradition of teaching throughout the world has never been so widespread in the course of human history. our times have seen teachers here and there, doing their thing to make our world a better place.
of course there will be problems in the institutionalization of teaching (or the homogenization of education, brought by 20th century mass industrialization). the mentor-student tradition was mostly abandoned to favor mass education, and thus have caused a lot of things to solve, and in turn convoluted by theory and experimentation to a point that sometimes the main point is missed.
what is usually not seen by a lot of aspiring teachers is that education is not for the teacher, but for the student. one must bear in mind that teaching must be always for the student's welfare, and not for the teacher who has unwittingly turned to teaching as his primary source of income.
teachers must have other sources of income, namely the practice of their particular craft. if not, then they will fall into the trap of viewing students not as persons who want to learn, but as commodities in what may be called the "business" of education.
although this may sound too idealistic, but i believe that a teacher should not expect any physical reward from his students, and would only find joy in the fact that his students have learned well, and the torch of knowledge has been passed to the next generation.
when someone teaches music he has to have these three things properly in levels that would make others believe that what they are teaching is important.
These are the important characteristics of being a competent teacher:
1. mastery of the skill being taught,
2. mastery in the art of teaching,
3. but most of all one must have the heart to teach the skill in the first place.
however, many teachers seem to lack on item no. 3, precisely because he has unwittingly seen the harsh reality of education being treated as a commodity rather than a human right. it is not their fault, only enforced unto him by circumstance, and thus will react as they should---treat teaching as a business, and thus will go to places where teachers are in demand.
that is why an aspiring teacher should keep in mind to be vigilant in learning the actual field he is teaching, as well as to be familiar with the needs of his students, and most of all he must find joy in the process of passing on to the next generation what he has gained in the practice of this particular way of life, whether from books or from actual experience.
his decision to teach in the philippine setting is an example of true courage, where he finds the temptation to despair a constant companion. true strength of character is then tested, and most of the time they lose.
that is why we really have to thank our teachers for helping us find our way, and remember their valor by being better persons and good practitioners of the craft they have taught us.
i'd like to ramble on, but this is your blog so i must stop.
anyway, good luck in your chosen vocation......
I was quite curious by your question so i'd done some research, just in case.....
ReplyDeleteBeethoven's first music teacher was his father Johann, who was said to be responsible for Ludwig's eventual deafness.
He also studied under Gottlob Neefe. Neefe recognised how extraordinarily talented Beethoven was. Aside from teaching him music, he made the works of philosophers, ancient and modern, known to Beethoven.
(from http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Bio/BiographyLudwig.html)
Pablo Picasso was exposed to art from a very young age by his father, who was a painter and art instructor. After studying at various art schools between 1892 and 1896, including academies in Barcelona and Madrid, he went on to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid.
(from http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/picteach.htm)
Makes me a bit worried about my son's education (he's just turned two last New Year's Day) : )
I loved this movie too. Maybe because of the simplicity of the story. Unlike you, I liked the acting though. Hehe. Alessandra de Rossi garnered a lot of accolades for her portrayal here.
ReplyDeleteoo nga noh, good point. sometimes i think that's the reason why you can find many teachers who have no real mastery of their subject - they do it just for the income, and not to pass on knowledge. i guess i can't argue against people trying to earn a living and with mouths to feed back at home. that was a very interesting reply, thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kuya Raymond! Thanks so much for sharing. :)
ReplyDelete"I believe that a teacher should not expect any physical reward from his students, and would only find joy in the fact that his students have learned well, and the torch of knowledge has been passed to the next generation." ---> True! A teacher's true reward is when his student no longer needs his guidance (or, even better, has surpassed his own skill) and has learned to be self-sufficient.
It would be so nice if we could pass on our love for music to our students... love for Music's several varieties, and not just pop, rock and rap. If we could help even just one student experience that piercing aesthetic ecstasy, that moment when Music touches our very soul and it seems as if we catch a glimpse of Heaven itself... our lives would not have been lived in vain.
aba ate gabi, you sound like Beethoven from Copying Beethoven :) sometimes i think that's the real purpose of music (sometimes lang ha!). philip yancey says one of three things that helped him regain his faith was classical music (the others were nature and romantic love). it's those profound aesthetic experiences that somehow makes one feel that there's more to earth than physical things - 'a glimpse of Heaven' as you put it
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