Oh my God! The youth of today are so unruly! Mariely told herself as she walked back to the faculty room. It was recess time for the students. She sat down and began to think of a good plan—and effective classroom rules—for both herself and her students.
"Faith, are you okay?" Veron suddenly asked while organizing her things and sitting at her desk.
Mariely sighed, resting her chin in her hand.
"I'm fine. I won't give up on those naughty kids. I'm a fighter—I never back down!" she said cheerfully, trying to keep a positive attitude.
Veron just laughed at her.
"But how do I make rules without making them feel suffocated?" Mariely asked suddenly, letting out a long sigh as she thought about it.
Veron patted her back. "I know you can do it, Faith. You'll come up with rules that are fair and helpful," she said with a wink.
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess.
"Let's go together. Are you handling the Pilot Section now?" Veron asked.
Mariely nodded, and together they walked to their respective classrooms.
As soon as they entered the Pilot Section, the students immediately quieted down and returned to their seats.
Mariely took a deep breath as the students watched her, waiting for her next move. She cleared her throat—something felt stuck in it—and smiled at them. Some of them smiled back. Like a new teacher would, she introduced herself and started recognizing each student one by one.
To gain their attention, she led an activity that helped her connect with them.
****
Nathan noticed his younger sister was busy writing, sighing over and over again. He slowly approached her desk so as not to startle her.
"Hey," he greeted her, kissing her forehead. "My youngest is so busy," he added, gently tapping her back.
"Brother, it's you." Mariely smiled. She quickly returned to her work, resting her chin on her hand again.
Nathan sat down beside her. "Come on, tell your brother about your first day at work."
She pouted.
"Oh? Why the pout?" He knew that when she did that, she wasn't having a great day. It made him chuckle—she still acted like a child when talking to him.
Mariely just scratched her head.
"Were there a lot of lesson plans to make, Ely?" he asked. "Or too many instructional materials?"
"Neither, brother!" She responded with a frown.
"Oh, I guessed wrong then. Just say it."
"Eh, brother, I was assigned as the adviser for the last section. You know, the kids there are really naughty. They were even fighting earlier—one of them got a head injury." Mariely explained.
Nathan raised a brow. He had a hard time believing what his sister was telling him. Kids these days are really something else, he thought.
"And after that, they were even placing bets on when I'd resign!" Mariely added, shaking her head.
"You should just resign," Nathan replied, serious.
"Are you joking, brother?" she asked.
"I'm not. I'm just thinking about your situation. If your students are that unruly, you might end up in trouble," he said firmly. He knew how hard it was to be a teacher—it's their responsibility to ensure students actually learn.
But deep down, his instincts as an older brother made him want to tell her to just stay home where she'd be safe.
Nathan had opposed her decision to become a teacher when she was still in college. But Mariely had begged their parents—and him—to support her dream. In the end, they gave in and supported her wholeheartedly.
"Come on, brother! I can do it," she said brightly, snapping him back to the present.
"You really think so?" he asked.
"Of course. I chose this profession, so I'll fulfill my duty to guide children, especially the ones who need it the most," she replied with a smile.
Nathan just shrugged and nodded, then ruffled her hair. "If you ever need help, I'm just here."
Mariely nodded. "Don't be too nice, okay? They might take advantage of you," he reminded her.
She chuckled. "Come on, brother, I'm a strict teacher!"
He laughed with her.
"What are you doing now?" Nathan asked.
"Ah, I'm creating classroom rules—ones that will help them improve without feeling suffocated and while treating everyone equally."
"Hold on, I'll just get changed. I'll help you come up with good ones," he said, kissing her forehead and ruffling her hair again before heading to his room.
****
Just as promised, Nathan came back and helped her. Mariely knew her brother could be overprotective, but he was also her greatest support. Despite his past opposition to her choices, he couldn't bear to see her struggle—he always stood by her.
When they finished working on the rules, she smiled at him gratefully.
"Thank you, brother!" Mariely beamed.
"You're always welcome, sis. Go to sleep—you've got work tomorrow."
She nodded immediately.
The next morning, Nathan drove her to school.
"Bye, brother!" Mariely said as she got out of the car.
"Bye. Take care, sis."
She smiled and walked away. She knew her brother wouldn't leave until she was safely inside.
She headed to the faculty room and began organizing her things.
"Oh, look! Her boyfriend dropped her off!" Veron teased.
"Boyfriend, my foot! That's my older brother!" Mariely laughed.
"Really? Your brother's handsome. Is he single?" Veron teased back.
"Oh, he's already engaged," Mariely replied, laughing at Veron's shocked face.
Then she noticed her brother's ID on the desk.
"Wait a sec—I'll drop this off," she said, grabbing the ID.
Veron nodded.
Maybe he hasn't left yet, Mariely thought, hurrying to the school gate.
Sure enough, he was still there—talking to someone whose back was turned to her.
"Brother!" she called out as she ran over.
"You forgot your ID," she said, slightly out of breath.
"So, she's your sister, Nathan," said the man he was talking to.
She looked up, and recognition flickered. Wasn't he the man from yesterday?
Does my older brother know him? she wondered silently.