Red, the Color of Love
By Johan Golucan
On the ___th day of ____, 2013, a
new teacher was introduced during the flag ceremony. Fair complexion, red hair,
thick eye glasses, and an American accent; having observed all these made me realize
that standing in front of us was a foreigner.
When I first found out that she was going to be teaching
in Easter, I thought I would have to make some major adjustments like getting used
to her American accent and her foreign teaching style. But I guess it’s just
water under the bridge now because I discovered that despite her differences
with us, she’s a great teacher!
Her name is Margaret Ann Clinch, a 27 year-old native of Ohio, a state located in the Midwest of the U.S. She has an Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s degree of Science from the University of Evansville. Though her chosen course is not related to teaching, her passion in educating young minds earned her a year of tutoring in the Americorps Program.
Smart
and quiet. These are two words that her co-teachers use to describe her. But
underneath that silence lies a fountain of knowledge. According to the other
teachers, when they start a topic with her, especially if it is an intelligent
one, she can go on with the discussion without running out of ideas. She is a
proof that in silence, there is wisdom.
It
is no secret that Margaret is a volunteer teacher. And because of this, the
students have a high amount of respect for her.
When
it comes to her relationship with the other teachers, she says they are very
welcoming to her and that she enjoys working with them.
“I find the students here in Easter to be the same as all the other students anywhere in the world. There are times when I yell at the top of my lung but mostly I enjoy the students,” Margaret says with a big smile on her face.
During her time, she had to go
through a lot of debt to get through college. Having experienced this, she wishes
to tell the students a piece of wisdom. And that is, “Enjoy this time now
because you’re never going to have as much of an opportunity to learn as you do
at this point of your lives. Everything after high school you have to work
for.”
Having been so curious how
Margaret got here in Easter College, I took the interview as an opportunity to
ask this question that had been nagging me for quite a while. According to her,
she volunteered at the Young Adults Service Program. It was basically a program
where they send you somewhere in the world and have you do something. In her
case, she was sent to the Philippines
to teach. Originally she was to be sent in the southern part of the
Philippines but the program decided against it because of the recent warfare
and disasters.
“Life is short and we do not have
too much time to gladden the hearts of those we travel along the road with. So
be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” This was actually a prayer that
was taught to Margaret by the head of her program. It is a beautiful piece of
literature that reflects her kind-heartedness.
Her love in teaching is a ray of sunshine to us, her
students. She says she loves the point where somebody captures that spark of
interest that she is so passionate about. Personally for me, she makes learning
seem so magical, so much different from how I used to see it.
The only question that is left for us now is, will she continue teaching? The honest truth is that even she herself doesn’t know. She hasn’t decided whether or not she will be going back for a master’s degree in education or if she will try to work for her local diocese. So part of her being here is because she wants to decide whether she would pursue education or ministry. Well, whichever she chooses, I think that it’s safe to say that all of is here in Easter are ready to support her all the way.
Good luck, Ma’am Margaret.
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