Coming from Ms. Eleanor V. Abuel, this is a statement that best depicts her eternal teaching ardor. Since she was a child, she has always wanted and planned to be a mind-molder. Although attracted to Nursing at one point in her life, she still found her way back to her first and true love.

 

A product of Maryknoll College (now Miriam College), Ms. Abuel has always been inspired by the Maryknoll Sisters, from whom she acquired her sense of discipline as a lay person and teacher.

 

The Classroom Teacher

 

This visually artistic educator knows how to use her talent to give more enthusiasm to her pre-school students. She uses chalk talk, writes, and draws her lessons on the board to get and hold each of her students’ attention.

 

Courtesy and 3 R’s (Reading, Arithmetic’s & Writing) basics are the expected inputs of Ms. Abuel to her students, while patience is what she has learned from them. She has learned and kept in mind that some slow learners might just be “late bloomers” who may become brilliant later in life. 

 

Rewards and Frustrations

 

Hearing about a student’s achievement is a very rewarding experience for Ms. Abuel as a teacher. She feels like “being in heaven” whenever she hears news about the success of her students. Conversely, learning about a former student’s downfall truly frustrates her. This shows that she indeed has a heart for her students, and that is how she would like to be remembered by them – a loving and kind teacher to all.

 

The Lay Person and Apostolate Teacher

 

Her love for her students is equally shared with her immediate and spiritual family. Ms. Abuel currently serves as a lay person in the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), which she considers as her spiritual family.  She does apostolate teaching in their centers, and most of their students are Papuans, Thai, and Vietnamese. She helps them speak and write English language. At present, she stays in their Lay House in SOLT Formation Center in Putiao, Sorsogon.

 

Asked if she still applies her teacher-personality whenever she spends time with her family, she said she would not want to. She thinks that intentionally applying it to her immediate and spiritual family will make them feel like being treated as kids. However, such teacher-personality still shows in its natural way, for it will always remain in her system.

 

A Devoted Educator

 

Whether teaching in a classroom or in their centers, Ms. Abuel keeps her faith in her profession, and that is what she would like any aspiring teacher to do. She believes that teaching is a vocation; hence, any teacher should give every inch of his heart and soul to it.