July 24, 2026
I woke up this morning genuinely excited.
It was our final day at Andres Bonifacio Integrated School, and after spending the week learning alongside students and teachers, it was our turn to give back through professional development. I had spent weeks preparing a session on empowering students to lead through STEM and was eager to share ideas that had worked in my own classroom.
At 3:00 a.m., my phone sounded with an emergency alert. Heavy storms had moved into the area, and the region was under an orange flood warning.
Just as I drifted back to sleep, another alert came at 5:00 a.m.
This time it was a red alert.
Soon after, we received a message from our host teacher that school had been canceled for students because of the flooding. They weren’t sure if any teachers would be able to safely make it to the school, but they were going to see who could come for the professional development.
As we made our way to the school that morning, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.
When we arrived, I was humbled before I ever stood in front of the room.
Nearly half of the faculty had made the trip despite the flooding, despite school being canceled, and despite having every reason to stay home. They chose to spend their unexpected day off learning with us and having conversations about education.
That act alone taught me something before my presentation had even begun.
Then I delivered my professional development.
And if I’m being honest…
It missed the mark.
I had come prepared to share strategies for empowering students through STEM, inquiry, student voice, and leadership. While the ideas were well received, it quickly became clear that many of the instructional strategies themselves weren’t new. The discussion naturally shifted away from what I was presenting and toward something much deeper.
We began talking about what school looks like in Ohio compared to the Philippines.
We talked about schedules, classroom spaces, materials, technology, and the everyday realities of teaching in two very different educational systems. We discussed how many of the ideas I shared were absolutely possible—but that implementing them required resources that simply aren’t always available.
That conversation changed me.
For years I’ve believed that great teaching isn’t dependent on fancy equipment or expensive technology. I still believe that.
But I left the Philippines understanding something I hadn’t fully appreciated before.
Resources matter.
Funding matters.
Time matters.
The teachers I met are exceptional educators. They create meaningful learning experiences every day with far fewer resources than many of us have. They adapt. They innovate. They persevere. They do incredible work with what is available to them.
What I do in my classroom isn’t impossible to do there.
It’s simply harder.
The lack of materials, flexible learning spaces, technology, and even the pace of the school day changes what is realistic from one lesson to the next. It wasn’t a lack of passion or knowledge. It was a difference in circumstances.
I walked into that room believing I was there to teach.
Instead, I became the student.
Looking back, I don’t think the morning was a failed professional development at all.
It became exactly what it needed to be.
Not a presentation.
A conversation.
One built on honesty, curiosity, and mutual respect.
We stopped trying to compare our schools and instead began trying to understand one another. Those discussions gave me a deeper appreciation for the challenges they navigate every day and opened the door for future collaboration around topics that are meaningful to both of our educational systems.
Sometimes professional development isn’t about delivering the perfect presentation.
Sometimes it’s about listening.
Sometimes it’s about asking better questions than giving better answers.
And sometimes the greatest lesson is realizing that while we all teach in different classrooms, we are all working toward the same goal: giving students the very best opportunities we can with the resources we have.
That is the lesson I will carry home with me.
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