To my Antique Christian Center family, teachers, parents, our beloved graduates, friends, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
Finally, I’m home.
It’s just like a couple of days ago when I was in that small chair – wearing my white polo with bowtie and black pants. I can’t wait for the celebration to end because I’m already excited to be in grade school and most of all, a happy trip at Cindy’s or Regina’s. I can’t even remember who our guest speaker was because I admit, as a child, I have a short attention span.
I remember, I went straight from home-study with my nanay to Prep. I was in Prep D under Teacher Cabrejas. My two older brothers were with Teacher Cabrejas, too. I was this cute and nice little boy who is fond of eating – well, even up to now – grabbing others’ snacks and toys if they won’t share those with me. I have this egocentric attitude that “if others have something, I must also have that”. See, I told you I’m nice; not naughty and teacher Cabrejas can guarantee it.
Enough about me. So why are we here?
We are here simply because we are celebrating – celebrating the growing, coming of age and enlightenment of our sons and daughters. To the graduates of batch 2010-2011, my deepest congratulations to you. Today, you have made nanay and tatay, mommy and daddy, mama and papa proud of your achievements. But this graduation is not the end yet. This is just one of the so many beginnings that you children will have to face, experience, conquer, and victor on. Because of that, you deserve our applause.
Be proud that you are a graduate of the best preparatory school in the province, the Antique Christian Center. This school has given and provided you with knowledge and skills necessary for your elementary education in whatever school you choose to enroll.
The theme for this year’s ACC graduation is ‘kung bright child ang gusto mo, i-develop mo’. Without second guessing, I believe that this is for our parents whose molding hands will pave the way to their children’s success.
I’m not a parent yet but I’ll speak from experience on how to develop a bright child. I’ll talk about how my parents raised us. Before that, to give you a background, I’m the youngest among three boys who all graduated from this institution. My eldest brother is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce; my middle brother is a graduate of John B. Lacson Maritime University, cum laude, and a second mate at the age of 24; and I don’t have to repeat what is about me because I might sound conceited.
Going to West Visayas State University and be a teacher opened my mind to reality. It taught me how to become a teacher and understand people of different personality and apply the principles on understanding people’s emotions given a specific age. Because of that, I was able to analyze and scrutinize the methods my parents used in educating and raising us. To sum up, these were the methods used by my parents: the Importance of Play, The Law of Readiness by Thorndike, a stress and pressure-free environment and multiple intelligences by Gardner.
According to psychologists, play plays an integral role in a child’s development. As what I’ve said, I went straight to prep at age six. My parents allowed me to tire myself in playing, even hurt myself just to let me learn things my way. Let your children play for that will expose them on life’s realities. They will learn to explore things and moral values through playing with their peers. But of course, they need guidance to tell them what they’re doing is right or wrong. Let your child learn through playing and you will learn what kind of a child you are raising, if the values you are teaching them are absorbed and being exercised. Also through playing, this will give you ideas on what your child is capable of doing in the future. If your child at play is restless and enthusiastic, then your child may be an athlete and will have this positive disposition. After play, I would cough my lungs out because of asthma and because of running and it turned me into a badminton player.
According to Thorndike’s Law of readiness, it posits that satisfaction or frustration depends on the individual’s state of readiness. To make the story long, never force your child to do something he is not ready to do. It is innate for any individual to learn as he progresses in life. Forcing your child to be this and that would not bring your child any good. Let your child discover his own potential and gifts at his own preferred pace. Your child will give you cues if they’re ready to do things because they are curious and interested to learn. Set your standards low for your child to reach fully, understand correctly and embrace perfectly so as to personify your teachings whole heartedly. I am lucky that my parents did not force me to read at the age of four. What happened was I unconsciously forced myself to read because of my envy for my brothers reading funny comics. That was such a pop culture during my time.
A stress-free and pressure-free environment is also necessary. As teachers, we were taught to have a classroom with a positive vibration. I am talking about teachers because parents are children’s first teachers. Socrates, Aristotle and Plato believe that individuals should feel that they are valued, loved and that they belong with the environment they’re in. Your child is not a robot that once you pushed a button, immediately follows. Adults even can’t handle stress and pressure very well. How about our children? They need your reinforcement and motivation; not your expectation. Surveys prove that suicide in Japan is due to pressure of oneself and their parents to have a degree and the reason why students cheat during exam is because they fear what might their parents say and do – pressure leading to stress leading to anxiety leading to insanity. My parents did not pressure me to do well in school. They’re not even concerned with their names I’m bearing because they’re both teachers. My achievements are my gifts for my parents because I feel that those are the only way to show them how good they are as parents in raising us and not because they need me to.
We are all intelligent by nature and our intelligences vary. Do not be caged on the usual measure of intelligence which are grades, medals, certificates, awards and others. It is only but one aspect of human intelligence. If your child is not good at mathematics, do not conclude that he is not smart. Why don’t you look at his other grades and develop the subject and the skill within the subject where he shows potential. So what if he is not good in math or in science. Maybe he is good at physical stuff; not everybody is born an athlete. Maybe he likes rhythm and music and can dance along with it, not everybody is good at singing and dancing. Maybe he is good at drawing, painting and molding and be a visual artist. Maybe he finds it easy to talk to people and make them agree with his own statements; a politician or a businessman. That’s gift. Open your mind. Others weaknesses are maybe your child’s strengths. So never compare your child with your amiga or amigo’s child because they are initially and forever will be different. Don’t make your child regret the day he was born and blame you for what you have done to them. I was never compared by my parents to anybody. They made me feel that I am special with my own ways. That made me think that I am in no competition with others but only with myself. As long as I don’t trust myself, I will never get places.
In order to have a bright child, always remember that it’s not with the most expensive milk your child is drinking; it’s not about the school; it’s not about having tutors to teach your child every night; it’s not about giving your child everything; it’s about understanding your own child’s potentials, capabilities and gifts and developing it, supporting it, and be proud of it. Never set a standard. Have your own child set a standard for themselves.
As the famous lines in my favorite movie, the three idiots, and I quote and I recommend you to watch it, “Make your passion your profession. Study to be accomplished not to be affluent. Follow your own excellence and success will chase you.” You can use these lines to teach and educate your children to bring out the best in them.
Thank you very much and a pleasant morning to each and every one.
