Manila: Jasour – News Desk
She has experienced being bitten, being hit and sustaining bruises from her students. These experiences made her rethink if her decision to get this job was wrong all along.
Mary Rose Genova, fondly called Teacher Maru, initially doubted her fitness to become a special education teacher.
“I have reached a point where I start questioning myself. I know it is not their fault; I only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problem. But we are only human, we get hurt and become vulnerable. There are times when I reflect and ask myself if this is still what I want to do in the future, if it is still worth it. These are the things I look back on. She said.
But she did not let these hardships stop her from continuing her job until she finally realized this was her calling.
Teacher Maru said her first dream job was to become a Developmental Pediatrician, but because of financial difficulties she decided on the next best alternative, a SPED teacher.
She said, “I initially wanted to become a doctor, but at that time, my family was financially struggling, so I chose Special Education because it was somewhat close to my goal of becoming a Developmental Pediatrician.”
“It’s almost the same. I just wanted to learn about the different types of disabilities and how children with disabilities really learn. During that time, I also read an article in the newspaper about special education, and I thought this might be a sign that I should pursue SPED and become a SPED teacher,” she continued.
“When I was in high school, I had a teacher whose child had Down syndrome. That child was adorable. Even though the child was not officially enrolled at that time, the mother would bring him to school. He wore a uniform and was learning many basic skills.”
