It is widely known that public school teachers in the Philippines experience all sorts of hardships including low pay and lack of facilities, which is why this South Cotabato teacher's ingenuity has inspired so many people.
Viral on social media right now is Reynel Calmerin, a Grade 6 English teacher from the Polomolok Central Elementary School 3 who turned an old restroom into a colorful reading corner for his students using mostly just scrap wood.
He shared his project on Facebook on 2 June, Sunday and it now has more than 6,000 reactions, 4,000 shares, and close to 500 comments.
Calmerin recalled how he turned trash into treasure in a Facebook message to Coconuts Manila. The 32-year-old said that the former restroom, which is inside a classroom where he teaches, was already ripped off its facilities when he reported for work this school year. He wanted to reuse the space and said that he used scrap wood so that he could get rid of the bathroom tiles and cover them without having to paint the walls, which would cost more.
"If I remove the tiles, I need to polish it with cement and paint it. It is time-consuming and I don’t have [the] budget for that," Calmerin said.
It was a good thing that behind the classroom is a stock room for broken chairs, which he ended up using to cover the restroom's walls. They ended up becoming decorative too because, in their school, chairs are color-coded according to the grade level.
The makeover took about three days to finish and involved Calmerin deconstructing the chairs, cutting the wood, and attaching them to the frame he prepared for the wall. The teacher said he coated the wood with natural varnish but did not repaint them to give the room a rustic look.
"It is tough, believe me," he said laughing. "Because I am not a carpenter."
The teacher said he spent about PHP100 (US$ 1.92) on nails and varnish to create the wall. The decorations came from his own home or were donated by other teachers. He said some parents also provided financial assistance for the lights and electricity.
"Our school is promoting that bayanihan spirit," Calmerin said, referring to the Filipino term for communal unity.
He said the students and faculty loved what he did and that he still can't believe that his post has gone viral.
"I can’t believe it, but it gives me [the] opportunity to inspire others," he said. "They keep on sending messages and asking [for] suggestion on how to improve [their] classroom."
He also wants his students to learn a few things from all of this. "Be creative and be part of the solution. Do not complain. Instead, make a difference."
Viral on social media right now is Reynel Calmerin, a Grade 6 English teacher from the Polomolok Central Elementary School 3 who turned an old restroom into a colorful reading corner for his students using mostly just scrap wood.
He shared his project on Facebook on 2 June, Sunday and it now has more than 6,000 reactions, 4,000 shares, and close to 500 comments.
Calmerin recalled how he turned trash into treasure in a Facebook message to Coconuts Manila. The 32-year-old said that the former restroom, which is inside a classroom where he teaches, was already ripped off its facilities when he reported for work this school year. He wanted to reuse the space and said that he used scrap wood so that he could get rid of the bathroom tiles and cover them without having to paint the walls, which would cost more.
"If I remove the tiles, I need to polish it with cement and paint it. It is time-consuming and I don’t have [the] budget for that," Calmerin said.
It was a good thing that behind the classroom is a stock room for broken chairs, which he ended up using to cover the restroom's walls. They ended up becoming decorative too because, in their school, chairs are color-coded according to the grade level.
The makeover took about three days to finish and involved Calmerin deconstructing the chairs, cutting the wood, and attaching them to the frame he prepared for the wall. The teacher said he coated the wood with natural varnish but did not repaint them to give the room a rustic look.
"It is tough, believe me," he said laughing. "Because I am not a carpenter."
The teacher said he spent about PHP100 (US$ 1.92) on nails and varnish to create the wall. The decorations came from his own home or were donated by other teachers. He said some parents also provided financial assistance for the lights and electricity.
"Our school is promoting that bayanihan spirit," Calmerin said, referring to the Filipino term for communal unity.
He said the students and faculty loved what he did and that he still can't believe that his post has gone viral.
"I can’t believe it, but it gives me [the] opportunity to inspire others," he said. "They keep on sending messages and asking [for] suggestion on how to improve [their] classroom."
He also wants his students to learn a few things from all of this. "Be creative and be part of the solution. Do not complain. Instead, make a difference."
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