The World of the Mysterious Bagworm

 The World of the Mysterious Bagworm

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog

Shot holes caused by bagworm (Cryotothelea heckmeyeri) besiege a talisay tree (Terminalia catappa), Cebu City 

                            Pagoda bagworm, Crypothelea hekmeyeri Heyl., in pseudo colony 

                            on duhat leaf; below, enlarged side view of the pagoda-shaped insect.

Sheepishly she peeps from under a pagoda she built;

Like the turtle she hides, creeps ‘til finally ceases to eat.

A Venus de Milo she emerges, sans wings she must wait,

Love scent in the air she urges a winged groom her mate.

She lays her eggs in the tent, broods them ‘til they hatch,

With heart’s content; leaves and dies after the dispatch.

To the Great Maker, life’s full of sacrifice and obligation;

Mother keeps young and home, the species’ bastion.

- AV Rotor, Bagworm

Light in the Woods, 1995

My pastime reading under a spreading duhat tree standing at the backyard of our old house was disturbed one summer. This favorite shady spot almost disappeared as the tree my father planted before I was born completely shed its leaves. Our yard turned into a litter of leaves. Our tree appeared lifeless.

Summer is when this tree is a deep green canopy, loaded with flowers and luscious, sweet fruits, and laughing children, their tongues and hands bearing the stain of its black berries.

The culprit cannot be the drought spurred by El Nino, I thought. Duhat is highly tolerant to prolonged dry spell, because its tap roots can reach deep seated ground water.

Even before I discovered the culprit - a shy insect protected by a pagoda-like bag - my children had already set up a field laboratory in their a tent, complete with basic research tools, and books of Karganilla, Doyle and Attenborough. For days our backyard became a workshop with the touch of Scotland Yard, Mt Makiling and Jules Verne.

My children called the insect living pagoda because of the semblance of its house with the Chinese temple, and because of its turtle-like habit of retreating into its bag. Leo, our youngest fondly called it Ipi, contracted from “insect na parang pagong at pagodang intsik”.

Ipi belongs to the least known family of insects, Psychidae, which in French means mysterious. Yet its relatives, the moth and the butterfly, are perhaps the most popular and expressive members of the insect world.

Curious about the unique bag and how it was built by such a lowly insect, Matt and Chris Ann worked as research partners. They entered their data in a field notebook as follows:

1. Base diameter - 2 cm

2. Height of bag - 2 cm

3. No. of shingles on the bag - 20

4. Size ratio of shingles from base to tip – 10:1

5. Basic design – Overlap-spiral

We examined the specimen in detail with a hand lens and found that the bag has several outstanding features. My children continued their data entry, as follows:

1. Water-resistant (shingle roof principle)

2. Stress-resistant (pyramid principle)

3. Good ventilation (radiator principle)

4. Light yet strong (fibrous structure)

5. Camouflage efficient (mimicry and color blending)

6. Structural foundation - None

The pagoda bag has no structural foundation, I explained. It is carried from place to place by a sturdy insect which is a caterpillar, larva of a moth. Beneath its pagoda tent, it gnaws the leaf on the fleshy portion, prying off the epidermal layer to become circular shingles. Using its saliva, it cements the new shingles to enlarge its bag, then moves to a fresh leaf and repeats the whole operation. As

the larva grows, the shingle it cuts gets bigger,

This is a very rare case where construction starts at the tip and culminates at the base, noted my wife. Remember that the structure is supposed to be upside down because Ipi feeds from the underside of the leaf, I said. “An upside pagoda,” our children chorused.

As Ipi grows, the shingles progressively increase in size and number, thus the bag assumes the shape of a storied pagoda. Thus there are small

Pagodas and larger ones, and varied intermediate sizes, depending on the age of the caterpillar which continuously feeds for almost the whole summer during which it molts five times.

If there are no longer new shingles added to the bag it is presumed that the insect had stopped growing. It then prepares to pupate and permanently attaches its bag on a branch or twig, and there inside it goes into slumber. The attached bag appears like thorn as if it were a part of the tree, and indeed a clever camouflage on the part of the insect. Here suddenly is a parasite becoming a symbiont, arming the host tree with false thorns!

My children's curiosity seemed endless. I explained that like all living things, bagworms have self-preserving mechanisms. They must move away from the food leaf before it falls off. They must secure themselves properly as they tide up with their pupal stage. After a week later they metamorphose into adults. Here on the twigs and branches they escape potential predators. Here too, the next generation of newly hatched larvae will wait for new shoots on which they feed.

Matt picked one bag after another to find out what stage the insect is undergoing. I recalled my research on Cryptothelea fuscescens Heyl, a relative of C. heckmeyeri, the pagoda species. Chris Ann took down notes

1. Specimen 1 - Bag is less than 1 cm in diameter, caterpillar in third instar (molting), voracious feeder.

2. Specimen 2 - Bag large, construction complete, insect in fifth or sixth instar, morphological parts highly distinct, head and thorax thick, three pairs of powerful legs.

3. Specimen 3 - Insect in pupal stage, expected to emerge in one week, chrysalis (skin) full, dark and shiny. Feeding had completely stopped.

4. Specimen 4 - flag empty, opening clear, chrysalis empty.

5. Specimen 5 - Bag contains eggs laid on cottony mass, chrysalis empty.

The last specimen is intriguing. Where is the insect? Why did it abandon its lifelong home? A puzzle was painted on the face of our young Leo. So I explained.

Let us trace the life history of Ipi and its kind. Both male and female bagworms mature into moths. The winged male upon emerging from his bag is soon attracted by love scent emitted by a waiting female moth still ensconced in her bag. The scent is an attractant scientists call pheromone. Then in the stillness of summer night, her Romeo comes knocking. Without leaving her bag she receives him at an opening at the tip of the pagoda bag. A long honeymoon follows, but signaling an ephemeral life of the couple.

The fertilized female lay her eggs inside the bag, seals it with her saliva, then wiggles out to the outside world but only to fall to the ground - and die, because Nature did not provide her wings!

“Poor little thing,” muttered Cecille apparently in defense of the female species. “Nature did it for a reason,” I countered, “otherwise we would not have bagworms today.” The wingless condition of the female bagworm is the key to the survival of the species.

The sun had set, the litter of leaves had been cleaned up. And the silhouette of our leafless duhat tree against the reddening sky painted gloom on our subject. As dusk set in, I noticed nocturnal insects circling the veranda lamp. A moth paused, then passed over our heads and disappeared into a tree. “Bye, bye,", cried Leo Carlo.

Summer was short, the rains came early and our duhat tree developed robust foliage. Cicadas chirped at the upper branches and an early May beetle hang peacefully gnawing on young a leaf. I was reading Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring when a gust of wind brought down a dozen tiny bagworms hanging on their own invisible spinnerets. My children were aroused from their reading of The Living Planet.

We had unveiled the mystery of the pagoda bagworm, but above anything else, we found love and appreciation on the wonders of Nature and the unity of life itself. ~

Another species of bagworm (Crypthothela fuscescens Heylerts),  Family Psychidae. Photos taken at Angels' Hills, Tagaytay. The larva builds a bag of dried twig of the same diameter and length and attaches on the host plant until it reaches maturity.  The spent bag simply remains hanging. Lower photo shows an exposed larva purposely for study.

Bagworm (Crypthothela fuscescens Heylerts), Family Psychidae

Photos taken at Angels' Hills, Tagaytay.

Bagworms make bags out of pieces of stems and leaves attached to the host plant. The male insect emerges leaving behind its molt at the opening of the bag. The female is wingless and does not leave the bag. When ready for mating she exude sex pheromone to attract a winged male through the posterior opening to fertilize. After laying her eggs inside the bag, she pushes her way out and drops to the ground and dies. In a week's time the hatchlings emerge from the nursery bag and soon find food and start building their own bags. Lowest photos: full size bagworms. The caterpillar molts five or six times before becoming into pupa, and consequently adult. Exposed caterpillars in their fifth and final instars.

* Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM, 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday

In Celebration of World Food Day, October 16, 2025: Ten Healthy Food Rules Stay healthy and happy with the food you eat.

Ten Healthy Food Rules

Stay healthy and happy with the food you eat.

There is no substitute to freshness. The less processed your food is, the better. Don't overeat, and eat the right food with the proper nutritional value.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Breast feeding and early weaning make a healthy child. 

Baby Mackie, author's grand daughter, with her yaya. 

 

Ukoy na kalabasa, with egg and small shrimp. 

 

 

It is served in patties, or rolled like lumpia 

Bulanglang or diningding: young pod of batao, malungay pod, soup 

thickened with kamote or sweet potato, topped with sea weed (Gracillaria). 

 

Fresh seaweeds as salad: Gracillaria and Codium (pokpoklo)

 

Sweet potato paste (suman) 

 

Tamales, fish with onion, tomato black pepper, salt and ginger,

 wrapped with banana leaves - steamed. 

 

Sinkamas or yam with natural vinegar and salt.

Buko  - direct from the young coconut - complete food and drink.

Health Food Rules

Rule 1 - There is no substitute to freshness. Perishable food must be prepared and served without delay: newly caught fish (better if alive), animals and fowls direct from the slaughter house (better if butchered or dressed at home), newly picked fruits and vegetables (fully mature when harvested).  

Rule 2 - The less processed your food is, the better.  Reduce if not avoid eating processed food (canned, preserves, dairy, etc), heavily spiced, overcooked, over decorated, culinary loaded - they are unhealthy,  They burden body physiology from digestion to circulation to excretion. Besides they are very expensive and unfriendly to the environment. 

Rule 3 - Food residues are harmful, if not  poisonous. Antibiotics residues in meat and poultry, eggs and dairy; sodium in salted products, instant noodles, sauce; chemical residues in fruits and vegetables from insecticide, herbicide, fungicide, nematocide; and hydrocarbon from fossil fuel and smoke emissions. The miracle insecticide against malaria  mosquito - DDT (Dichloro-diphenyl-tetrachloro-ethane) remains banned because it is not  degraded even as it passes from one organism to another in the food chain. Thus it accumulates in predators -  among them humans.  DDT poisoning builds even after years from ingestion. 

Rule 4 - Metal poisoning causes permanent impairment, or results to death.  Lead is the most common toxic metal around from, china wares to car batteries. It damages the central nervous system and internal organs.  Mercury poisoning is more severe. Cadmium is a recent introduction with cell phones and other electronic devices. Other than direct contamination, these metals are absorbed by plants and animals and find their way on the dining table. Kitchen wares made of aluminum, tin, nickel, antimony are being phased out.  

Rule 5 - Avoid particulates in food, water and air. Car and factory emissions scatter particulates in the environment which we can only observe in the form of smog, sediments and dusts. Tar from cigarette and asphalt, asbestos from car brakes, unburnt carbon from tires, and old and faulty engines, metal particles in factories, silica from cereal mills. The worst particulate today in alarming global scale is microplastic.  Plastic does not decompose, unlike natural substances that  return into elements ready for the next cycle to form new life or stored for future use by living things.  Microplastic is non biodegradable, and therefore remains foreign to nature.

Rule 6 - Avoid synthetic food and additives, they are harmful, and affect mainly the nervous system and senses.  The Number One food additive to avoid is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) or Vetsin. It is the cause of Chinese Food Syndrome. A friend of mine died of vetsin overdose. It is also used in dognapping by simply throwing a piece of bread saturated with vetsin. Avoid sweeteners - NutraSweet, saccharin, aspartame and other concealed brand names. Another is Olestra - fatless fat.  The fat molecules are so large the villi cannot absorb them. So the unbroken fat simply leaks and causes discomfort - and quite often, embarrassment. Go natural, like brewed rather that decaffeinated coffee.

Rule 7 - Beware of the invisible poison: radiation.   The worst kind of radiation is from fallout following a nuclear explosion (Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1945), and nuclear plant meltdown (Three-Mile Island in the US, Chernobyl in Russia in the seventies, and Fukoshima Japan following a massive tsunami in 2011).  Radioactive decay slowly takes hundreds of years, thus it can cause harm to the members of the food chain. (grass to cow to milk to baby, back to the same or similar cycle). Radiation from high voltage lines, transmission towers, electronic gadgets may get into the food we eat. So with hospital waste containing radioisotopes. The innocent looking microwave oven is now being phased out in many countries. 

Rule 8 - Beware of Frankenfood from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Frankenfood is named after the creator of the monster in Mary Shelley's novel – Frankenstein. Examples are Bacillus thuringiensis Corn (Bt Corn), Bt Eggplant (Bt Talong), GM potato, GM soybean, SavrFlavr tomato, and golden rice which contains the yellow pigment gene of daffodil. Pharmed food has built-in medicine or drug. An increasing number of food grown in the laboratory includes in vitro stem cell burger which is dubbed lab meat. 

(In what is regarded as a historic move, the Supreme Court of the Philippines in December 2015 ordered a permanent ban on the field testing of GM (genetically modified) eggplant and a temporary halt to all applications for contain use, import, propagation and commercialization of GM crops and products. However, there was a twist in 2022. Corn, Golden Rice, and Bt Eggplant are GE crops were  allowed for commercial propagation. The biosafety permit for commercial propagation of Bt Eggplant was signed on October 18, 2022.)

Rule 9 - Drink natural instead of distilled water. Manufacturers call bottled water as mineral water because the process did not take away the naturally occurring minerals which are removed through distillation. But why buy mineral water when you can make your own at home with seeds of malunggay (Moringa oleifera), and through simple water treatment?

Rule 10 - Don't overeat.  Eat the right food with the proper nutritional value.  Eat more fruits and vegetables and less of meat and meat products. It is best to grow or procure your food, cook at home and serve it yourself to your family. The family that eats together stays together happy and healthy. Food indeed is santa gracia. ~

Acknowledgement: Internet Images 

Don't Waste Food, Please Don't!

Don't Waste Food, Please Don't! 

"Yes, children, Santa Gracia is watching us."

In observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste observed on September 29, 2025, and World Food Day celebrated every year on October 16, 2025 to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) in 1945.

Don't throw away food left on the table. Please don't.

 Recycle leftover in a different presentation.

• Food is Santa Gracia (holy grace) as old folks reverently call it.

• Food waste could otherwise go to millions who have not enough to eat.

• Food waste breeds pest and disease, sickens the air.                                                                                                                                       

• Anything that goes to waste draws down the economy.

• Waste widens inequity in resources.

Here are some things to do with food leftovers.

1. Sinagag - fried rice mix with bits of bacon, ham, fried egg, fish, and the like.

 2. Torta - tidbits like those mentioned in scramble egg. Include veggies like carrot and onion.

3. Pickle – excess veggies and fruits plus vinegar, sugar and salt, and spices. Good for carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, green papaya, yam (sinkamas), others.

4. Paksiw – if not consumed is fried, makes a new menu.

5. Daing – fish in season is dried, cooked with gata’ (coconut milk).

6. Suka – fruit vinegar from overripe pineapple, banana, others, but not tomato and kamias.

7. Pudding – bread not consumed on time is also made into pizza bread- bread crumbs, garlic bread.

8. Sopas – Grind bones, shrimp head for soup and broth. Bulalo for whole bone.

9. Pastillas – milk powder not consumed on time, also grated hardened cheese.

10. Veggie and fruit peelings – for animal feeds, composting. Include solids from brewing (coffee) and juicing fruits. Ultimately, inevitable food waste is collected for feeds in poultry and piggery.

Food waste also emanates from carelessness in handling, food preparation and serving. Much is also lost due to lack of proper processing, transport and storage facilities. Estimated loss in postharvest alone runs from 10 to 37 percent of actual harvest of crops. - avr

In "Give us this day our daily bread..." in the Lord's Prayer, us here is regarded as thanksgiving and remembering the millions people around the world who may not have the food they need.

I believe in the wisdom of the old folk who reminds us of the value of food. They have experienced hunger during war, drought, flood, crop failure, pestilence - even in normal times. They have not lost sight of the presence of Santa Gracia.

Yes, children, Santa Gracia.is watching us. ~

------------------------

*In observance of World Food Day October 16, every year. Actually, Food Day must be observed every day.

** The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed on September 29, 2025. This day aims to raise awareness about the urgency of reducing food loss and waste, which is critical for achieving a sustainable food future. The observance encourages individuals and stakeholders to take action against food waste, highlighting that over 1 billion meals worth of food are wasted daily. (Food Drink Life)

Usapang Bayan - World Teachers' Day, Oct 5, 2025: Qualities of a Good Teacher

Usapang Bayan October 3, 2025, 2-3 pm

World Teachers' Day, Oct 5, 2025

Qualities of a Good Teacher

Ms Melly C Tenorio, host, and Dr Abe V Rotor, guest

Dr Abe V Rotor

Former Professor, UST, DLSU-D, SPU-QC

Drawings on the wall by Mackie R Sta Maria, 6 years old*

1. Effective teaching is both inborn talent and learned skill

There is debate about whether teachers are born with certain qualities or if they can be made through training and experience. Some say that teachers are born with certain qualities, such as: Genetic makeup; a caring, patient, encouraging, and joyous personality; innate characteristics and personality traits. 

"By nature, some people possess a combination of personality characteristics that are conducive to effective teaching" - Malikow, 2006

 

Part 2 - Unveiling Teaching Expertise

                              A Self Evaluation as a kind of self-examination.  

 I invite the reader to go over these questions as a reference in search of Effective Teaching and Teaching Models. 

1. In teaching, Humanities and Science must go together. This requires the use of both, the left brain which is for creativity and the right brain which is for logical thinking or reasoning. (False, brain lobes are interchanged.)

2. The majority of the teacher-participants are experimentalists. They uphold the experimental educational philosophy. This means that these teachers are flexible and open to educational change. True 

3. Twelve are advocates to perennialists, educational philosophy, which means that they do not subscribe to just one philosophy, and they shift their roles from being facilitators of learning to transmitters and interpreters of knowledge. (False, they are eclectic.)

4. Twelve are eclectic that is, they perceive themselves as authority figures in the classroom, transmitting and interpreting knowledge. (False, they are perennialists.)

5. Nine are realists. They tend to focus on the here and now. They stress knowledge as how it is applied or observed. For example the laws of nature are better understood through observation and research. True

6. Most of the expert teachers are idealists. They view education as a means of developing students’ intellectual abilities. Influenced by the Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato, these teachers stress the importance of logic and philosophy. 

(False, there are very few – only 1 in the survey is an idealist.)

7. Of the two compositions used as basis in relating it to effectiveness in teaching. Essentials refer to requisites or “musts” for the attainment of teaching expertise. True

8. Enhancers are teaching practices and behaviors contributory to teaching expertise. True 

9. The effective teacher draws inspiration from his or her family, school administration and his community. (True. Almost one-half of the expert teachers consider the supportive role of family members who understand the nature of teaching as having greatly contributed to their success. Twenty of the expert teachers mentioned of a family member as their mentor and source of inspiration. On the other hand the role of school administrators is very important, with almost 70% of the participants attributing the administration’s support to their success. The ambiance of teaching is equally important whereby the school is one large respectable family with a community atmosphere.)

10. Subject matter expertise – All of the experts demonstrates a very thorough knowledge of subject matter, which facilitates effective organization of content to promote learning. True 

11. Being up-to-date with the latest developments in their fields – The experts are updated and very knowledgeable, explain new alternative ways of solving a problem – refers to effective classroom diagnostics.  True

12. Knowledge of practical application and concrete, interesting examples to clarify abstract ideas/concepts – All of the expert teachers have readily available examples which are clear, simple, and interesting, to clarify issues or ideas – subject matter expertise. True

13. Instructional Expertise – The expert teachers demonstrate facility in the use of varied instructional strategies, demonstrate knowledge of different teaching strategies, adopt group dynamics, and are particular in instructional clarity. They have the ability to simplify and clearly present lessons. (True. Use of varied teaching strategies – 90% of the expert teachers use varied teaching strategies. They employ other than lecture and recitation, song and movement, role-playing, pantomime, choral; reading visual imagery, concept mapping, brainstorming, contest, simulation, oral debate, cooperative learning etc.)

14. The founders of the world’s greatest religions were teachers. True

15. Dr. Albert Schweitzer was great English explorer and teacher-missionary in Africa who became famous for his philosophy “reverence for life.” (True. He was one of the last great explorers to bring knowledge, peace and Christianity into the Dark Continent.}

16. Classroom Management Expertise – This is the ability of the teacher to prepare for and provide a physical learning environment. Students engage actively in class, time is properly managed, and students behave accordingly. A highly desirable study ethic prevails in class.  True

17. Efficient handling of routine activities and time management – refers to effective diagnostics. (False. – All expert teachers manage classroom routine and time efficiently. The teacher is familiar with the names of his students, and knows who is absent, who is a fast or slow learner. More than half of the experts (58%) do not check attendance because the students are properly monitored and absenteeism does not pose a problem. Classes start and end on time. The teacher employs different ways of maximizing class time, such as the use of OHP, and other instructional devises, including handouts.)

18. Maintenance of students’ on-task behavior is a key enhancer. They use socialization techniques, encourage students to recite, motivate, and check their progress. There is never a dull moment in the classroom for an expert teacher. (True, 92% of the model teachers used this technique.)

19. Absence of class disruptions – The expert teachers make sure that the class does not suffer from unnecessary disruption. The experts are not reactive to disruptive situations; they are proactive, meaning they anticipate and prevent such situations to happen – or they can immediately remedy the situation from getting worse. True

20. Classroom Management Expertise – this is the ability of the teacher to prepare for and provide a physical learning environment. Students engage actively in class, time is properly managed, and students behave accordingly. True

21. Expert teachers have a range of teaching experience from 2 to 47 years, with a median of 25 years. (True, it takes 25 years to be a model teacher. There is a saying, “Experience does not only make a good teacher; experience is the best teacher.”)

22. The experts were honor graduates and campus leaders. (False. They were academic achievers in college. There were only 14 of the experts who were active in extracurricular activities in college, say in athletics and campus politics. Fifty-eight are academic achievers, with 33 as top performers but who did not make it in the dean’s list, and 25 who were consistent scholars and honor students. Only 11 were average academic performers.}

23. In general, the 69 outstanding teachers did not choose teaching as their first career.
(True.  Only 26 actually set their minds to teaching as early as upon graduation in high school. For one reason or another, 43 set out for other careers. Others found teaching compatible with their present professions, while a good number opted to spend their retirement as teachers or professors.)

24. Women dominate the teaching profession. (True. Of the 69 outstanding teachers, women constitute 74% as compared with that of men which is 26 &, or a ratio of 4 to 1. The reason for this is that men place less priority to teaching than better paying jobs. This is manifested in the choice of careers. In the case of men, they prefer law, engineering, and applied courses in industry and technology that offer better professional growth opportunities and pay as compared to teaching.)

25. Honor graduates are the best teachers because they are highly knowledgeable and can adjust easily to situation.  (False, however high intelligence is preferred.)~

Reference: Unveiling Teaching Expertise: A Showcase of 69 Outstanding Teachers in the Philippines, Flordeliza Clemente-Reyes 2002. Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, DZRB 738 AM, 8 to 9 o’clock in the evening, Monday to Friday.

 Part 3 - Attributes of the Expert Teacher

In celebration of World Teachers' Day and Month, October 5, 2024

Dr Abe V Rotor

1. Women dominate the teaching profession. Of the 69 outstanding teachers, women constitute 74% as compared with that of men which is 26 &, or a ratio of 4 to 1. The reason for this is that men place less priority to teaching than better paying jobs. This is manifested in the choice of careers. In the case of men, they prefer law, engineering, and applied courses in industry and technology that offer better professional growth opportunities and pay as compared to teaching.

2. The median age of the expert teacher is 50. Majority of the experts (82.6%) are in their past 40. Surprisingly one-fifth of the experts is in the 60 to 79 age bracket. These data point out that teaching – contrary to common belief – does not deteriorate with age. On the other hand, teaching improves with time and experience. Distilled and seasoned knowledge is wisdom.

3. Forty-five of the 69 expert teachers are married. The remaining 24 are single with two of them a nun and a priest. Again at this point, contrary to common belief, being married and having a family is not a deterrent to being a good teacher. On the contrary there are many cases where teaching career is enhanced by an understanding and cooperative family.

4. In general, the 69 outstanding teachers did not choose teaching as their first career. Only 26 actually set their minds to teaching as early as upon graduation in high school. For one reason or another the 43 set out for other careers. Others found teaching compatible with their present professions, while a good number opted to spend their retirement as teachers or professors. Among the outstanding teachers are practicing agriculturists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, doctors, engineers, TV hosts, and the like. This shows that a good teacher may not have started out early in his career as teacher but ended up becoming a good teacher. Professions and experiences outside of teaching greatly contribute to teaching effectiveness.

5. The experts were academic achievers in college. There were only 14 of the experts who were active in extracurricular activities in college, say in athletics and campus politics. Fifty-eight are academic achievers, with 33 as top performers but who did not make it in the dean’s list, and 25 who were consistent scholars and honor students. Only 11 were average academic performers. Dr. Reyes explains the relationship of academic performance and expertise in teaching this way. “Academic achievers generally have good self-esteem and exude high self-confidence – personal attributes that are helpful to teachers, cognitive intelligence as a facilitative factor to subject mastery and instructional skills, notwithstanding.” An intelligent teacher is therefore highly desirable so long as he demonstrates humility patience and understanding. On the other hand, “magtitser ka na lang,” is an insult to the teaching profession.

6. On the educational attainment of the expert teachers, 35 of them have doctoral degrees while 26 have master’s degrees. The remaining ones were at the time of the survey still pursuing their graduate studies. This means that 88.4% of the expert teachers have at least a master’s degree, which points out to the importance of graduate education as a factor in effective teaching. Graduate education is characterized by “extensive professional reading and research, as well as personal discipline, perseverance, diligence, and a strong motivation to succeed,” in the words of Dr. Reyes. The pursuit of graduate studies confirms the strong conviction of the teacher towards excellence and dedication in his profession. Graduate studies confer the imprimatur of a teacher’s professional status, and his place among his peers.

7. The expert teachers do not only possess high educational attainment; they also excel in specific disciplines or fields of study. Here is a breakdown of the findings:

 Education and related fields 36 %
 Applied and natural sciences 26
 Languages, literature, communication art 15
 Medicine, nursing and public health 6
 Political, social science, economics 6
 Psychology, guidance and counseling 5
 Philosophy 3
 Agriculture 3

It is interesting to note that 55 of the experts have either completed or enrolled in programs that offer rich opportunities for sharing research, information, and work experiences in the school setting.

8. On teaching experience, the range is wide – 2 to 47 years, with a median of 25 years. Yes, it takes 25 years to be a model teacher. There is a saying, “Experience does not only make a good teacher; experience is the best teacher.”

9. Which hemisphere of the brain is more useful to the expert teacher? The different specializations of expert teachers attest to a left-right brain combination or mix-brain, which means that the use of both hemisphere in proper balance and harmony is needed in teaching - the left for language, mathematics and logic, and the right which is dominantly for creativity is for intuition, inspiration and imagination. Majority of the expert teachers are mix-brained (43 women and 11 men). The rest are left-brained who are experts in the fields of science, mathematics, language, philosophy, research, nursing and agriculture. The survey came up with a negative right-brained among the experts.

10. The effective teacher draws inspiration from his or her family. Almost one-half of the expert teachers consider the supportive role of family members who understand the nature of teaching as having greatly contributed to their success. Twenty of the expert teachers mentioned of a family member as their mentor and source of inspiration. On the other hand the role of school administrators is very important, with almost 70% of the participants attributing the administration’s support to their success. The ambiance of teaching is equally important whereby the school is one large respectable family with a community atmosphere.

---------------------

Acknowledgement:  Internet cartoon; reference: Unveiling Teaching expertise: A Showcase of 69 Outstanding Teachers in the Philippines by Flordeliza Clemente-Reyes

ANNEX A

AI Overview

Some believe that teaching is an inborn talent, while others believe that teaching is a skill that can be learned

Inborn talent

Some believe that some people are naturally gifted to teach, and that their genetic sequence gives them certain characteristics that make them good teachers. These characteristics include being caring, patient, encouraging, and joyous.

Learned skill

Others believe that teaching is a skill that can be learned through training and education. They argue that even if some people have a personality that is suitable for teaching, they still need to go through the training and learn the goals and standards.

Intrinsic Personality

Some say that great teachers are passionate, have a sense of humor, and are committed to finding new ways to deliver content. They also say that teachers should use their unique personality to inspire and motivate their students.

                                                               Other qualities 

• Communication skills, 
• Listening skills, 
• Collaboration skills, 
• Adaptability, Empathy, 
• An engaging classroom presence,
• A value in real-world learning, 
• A lifelong love of learning

Acknowledgement with gratitude: Internet

Inborn faculty refers to a natural ability or aptitude that a person is born with. For example, the idea that children are born with an inborn faculty for language acquisition is a central tenet of Noam Chomsky's theory of language acquisition. Internet

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

– Malala Yousafzai 

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist, and producer of film and television. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, receiving the prize in 2014 at age 17, and is the second Pakistani and the only Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize. Wikipedia

ANNEX B - Prayer for Teachers 

as Good Shepherds and Disciples of Peace

On many occasions Christ found nature as the perfect setting of his prayers, sermons and parables. Among them are The Sower, Sermon on the Mount, Mustard Seed, Prodigal Son, and The Good Shepherd. The Sea of Galilee, River Jordan, Plain of Judea, Garden of Gethsemane (oasis) were part of his wanderings to reach out for the faithful. 

We are teachers in our own rights - as parents, community leaders, elders, scholars, etc.

Father Almighty, teach us to become good teachers in the way of the Good Shepherd

Father Almighty, source of light, of life and everything in this world, as we observe Teachers' Day, we beg you to be with us, to be our “unseen Guest.” Light our way; touch our heart as we touch the hearts of others, especially the young ones, the youth, whom You have placed under our care. Bless us with joy and enthusiasm, with zeal and obedience, with understanding and compassion as we take their hands and walk with them to make this world a better place to live in.

Teach us then to become good teachers and educators in the way of the Good Shepherd.

- Make us unifying element that we may live peacefully in one community;

- Make us catalysts of change, and an anchor of undefined destiny as well;

- Make us conveyors of knowledge, skill and values rolled into a holistic well-being;

- Make us healers by bringing enlightenment to human misery;

- Make us agents of rational thoughts and decisions;

- Make us sentries that we may fend off evil intentions that undermine true education;

- Make us custodians of tradition amid modernism;

- Make us guardians in the way of the Parable of the Sower, and the Prodigal Son;

- Make us the Good Samaritan, as well.

You have chosen us teachers to be the intellect and heart of the academe - because You want us to examine education in the way we examine our calling.

- to reach out for one another;- to listen;

- to care;- to comfort;

- to encourage one another when we fail;

- to pray for one another when we falter;

- to be strong together;

- to share the joy of teaching; and

- to convey the Sermon on the Mount

With you, Father Almighty, we can do many things; without you, we can do nothing. We ask You these through your Son Jesus Christ, who reigns forever and ever. Amen ~

Sermon on the Mount: the Greatest Teacher who ever lived and preached among the people is Christ. Even with the computer and other means of modern education today, the philosophy and methodology of teaching laid down by Christ remains as relevant and forceful as ever.  Like passing on the torch of knowledge and wisdom, Christ has influenced teachers, leaders, people of all walks of life, particularly at the grassroots, more than any teacher the world has known.  

* World Teachers' Day - October 5 2023 

** Mackie is grand daughter of the author.