The Taxed Teacher

I used to never worry about my taxes. Since I get my salary monthly, my employer deducts my income tax and files them for me with the BIR. All I have to do is to check whether the correct amount was deducted and to sign my W2s.

My tax woes started when I was officially hired as part-time teacher in the school where I am teaching. Since I am officially employed by the College (although at a part-time basis), I have to consolidate the income that I earn there with my regular income. When I did this early this year, I was shocked when I learned that I still have a tax deficit which I have to settle before the April 15 deadline.

It took some time for me to understand it and I had to confer with my Accountant friends to figure it out. Apparently, my regular job taxes me the max at 32%. Since I am only earning a pittance as a teacher, I am taxed only with the basic rate. So when I consolidated the two together, the tax rate that was applied with my regular job was also applied to my teaching rate. Ergo, the tax deficit.

Also, according to my Accountant friends, if I do not want to have a repeat of the tax deficit, I have to inform the school that the salary that I draw from teaching should also be taxed at 32% moving forward. That was devastating news as if that happens, my net pay won't even be enough to cover for my weekly transportation expenses going to school. Teaching is something that I am beginning to love and since I love this, it's beginning to love me back (I deduce this based on the high grades that I got on my teacher's evaluation).

I sent a formal letter to our dean to change my status from part-time to consultant. If that happens, I will no longer be included in the school's alpha list. Moreover, SSS will no longer be deducted (that is also my other concern. The school is deducting SSS from my wages when my regular job is already deducting the max amount. SSS owes me a refund which I can only claim if I write a letter etc etc. Not worth the hassle). And I believe only VAT will be deducted from my fees. Hopefully, my request will be granted so I can continue teaching. Otherwise, I will be forced to resign to look for a teaching position nearer my place of residence.

Two Years!

Last Thursday, Feb. 6, marked my two years with my current employer. I celebrated it by treating two of my colleagues to lunch at Banapple. I don't know if it's something worth celebrating when I'm having mixed feelings with my job now but the point that I lasted this long is worth noting.

This is my fourth employer already in my 15 years of working. I'm not perfectly happy with what I do but then, there is no such thing as a perfect job. Maybe there is one but I have yet to find it.

Like what I've been telling my friends and students, happiness is a decision and it should come from within. Probably happiness is not the right term with what I'm looking for but job satisfaction. One thing's for sure, I enjoy teaching but unfortunately, it's not enough to let me pay the growing bills so as of now, I have to keep it at part-time and let my day-job fund my passion.

On that note, I'm also marking my second year in teaching. I started on January 2012 as a substitute teacher. I'm still at it two years after and enjoying every minute of it.

Just earlier, I was teaching my students cost behavior. I found certain satisfaction when I saw their faces light up with understanding when I taught them the difference between variable and fixed cost and how to price their products. Now I know why some teachers are extending their lecture time because they're in the zone.

I don't know where my career path will take me but wherever it is, here's to more successful years ahead. Cheers!

Picture taken from www.themainevent.com.au

Midterms

I'm happy to say that as early as the first month of this year, I surpassed my blog posts in 2013. When I saw how much I've neglected it last year, I resolved to post more this year and I think I'm making progress in that resolution.

Though it's too early to say but 18 days into the year, I'm still keeping with my one-rice-a-day project. I really hope I get to do this. If I can do it for a month then I can stay with it until the rest of the year. I'm planning to do it in tranches. Probably in a couple of months once my body is used to the level of carbs, I plan to cut down on sweets. And then oily stuff would go. Whew. I really hope I can do this!

The title of my post actually pertains to that day of the term where students are doubly nervous as this exam would be a big percentage of their final grade. It's also the middle of the term for me where I get to evaluate where I am with regards to the course.

It's only January yet I feel like a lot has happened already. We hit the year running and I think it's good for my health and soul (the stress is a good kind of stress). If I can literally run then that would better so I can lose all these excess weight.

Here's to the rest of the year and hope that I get to keep my resolutions and make most of my last 2 years as a 30-something.

Surviving my First Term

I survived my first term of teaching. Actually, it was an abbreviated term as I came in at midterms. Nevertheless, it was such a different experience for me that I agreed to come back next term.

This is totally away from my comfort zone and I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'll be teaching a subject that I'm not familiar with so I have the rest of the summer to really learn it. This time, I'll be teaching finance majors which is different as my previous students were BM majors so they're not as familiar with finance as these finance majors would probably be. I would be hard-pressed to really learn the lessons as it would be difficult to bluff my way out of difficult questions.

I'm so looking forward to next term. Hopefully, I'll be able to be more effective as a teacher. Good luck to me!

Midterms

I was computing my class' midterm grades yesterday and I was dismayed by the performance of some of my students. My father-in-law consoled me by saying that the midterm grade is only a gauge on how the student is performing and does not really count to the final grade. Nevertheless, just the thought of failing someone makes my stomach turn. I was a student once and I know how difficult a failing grade can be to take in.

My friends who are also professors added that I don't have to feel sorry for the student if she is not exerting effort to learn. I was reminded that learning is a two-way street. I teach and my pupils study. One even said that the teacher's anthem is: "I did my best, but I guess your best was not good enough...there's no easy way to break somebody's heart." (Thank you Mr. Cortez)

I just really hope that I can become an effective teacher. I really want my students to learn from me and I hope I can impart the lesson without too much difficulty.

Thanks to http://disorientedtheology.files.wordpress.com for the pic.

Back Home

Returning to St. Scholastica's College as a teacher has never been part of my plans. After taking STRAMA under Prof. Elfren Cruz and earning my MBA degree, I had this sudden urge to teach. Maybe it's because I helped him check term papers and somehow found out that I liked it. I have a professor friend who was looking for part-time faculty early this year and even if I was qualified and the department head was ready to hire me, I had a trip that could not be rescheduled during the start of the term so it did not work out.

Fortunately, I was called back a few weeks ago as one of the faculty had to go on leave and asked me to replace her. So I went back to make a demo lecture and was hired. I returned today to fix my requirements, get some reading materials and have a last minute talk with the leaving professor.

While waiting, I walked around and re-familiarized myself with the surroundings that I called home for 11 years.



The above picture is inside the chapel where we held countless masses and where we even had our First Communion. While I was saying my prayer (and taking this picture), there was a choir that was practicing and I stayed a bit to listen to their beautiful voices. If it wasn't for the overpowering smell of incense (or some chemical), I would've stayed longer but I did not want to pass out so I left and walked around some more.



The college building is fronting the field. We had our field demonstrations on this open piece of land and I could still remember when we were in Grade 3 (or was that Grade 4) where we danced in ruffles while playing the maracas (the name of the song escapes me right now. I hope someone can enlighten me) and I think we had fruits on our heads too.

The building on the left is the newly built St. Cecilia's Hall. I think they tore down the whole building which housed the auditorium where we had our "Linggo ng Wika" celebrations and if I remember it right, Miriam Defensor-Santiago also had a talk there (I think that was when she was running for President. Oh my, I'm old!). The College library is also in that building and I was there earlier to borrow some books for my class. I'm impressed with their library and I'm looking forward to spending some time there.

The middle building is the canteen. I can still remember when we can return Coke bottles for the deposit. And my favorite food back then was cheesepie with ice cream! :) And the arroz caldo too! I can still remember how yummy it smelled.

I'm looking forward to revisit my roots and see what has changed and what has remained the same. I'll be posting more pictures and would probably reminisce more.

My New Alter-Ego, Professor

Thanks to graphicshunt.com for the image.

Starting January 2012, I will have another role added to my current persona. Other then being a wife, mother, daughter (in-law), sister (in-law), niece, grand-daughter, aunt, cousin, subordinate, officemate and friend, I will be a teacher.

I remember when I was in high school, I entertained the thought of being a teacher but for the life of me, I can't recall why I did not consider it as a career option.I just thought about it seriously after earning my MBA degree last year and credit goes to my Strategic Management professor, Mr. Elfren Cruz for sowing the idea into my brain. You see, I helped him check papers of his STRAMA students and helping them sort through pages and pages of theories for the appropriate strategy. I thoroughly enjoyed that exercise and even returned the next term to help him again.

It also helps that according to Strengths-finder, my primary strength is "Learner", meaning I thrive in an environment where I am constantly learning. Where else will I continue to learn but in school and as a teacher at that?

I will be a replacement professor as the current teacher has to go on leave due to her sensitive pregnancy. I was supposed to start last June but since I had to leave for the US, it did not work out. I'm so glad that they called me back to ask for my availability. I might continue this up to next term and hope that this would inspire me to put the zing back in my work.

My students will be third year college students studying for their Bachelors degree in Business Management. Hopefully, I will be able to impart all that I can to them and will make the learning experience as fun as possible.

Wish me luck!