Arjay suddenly woke up from a nice sleep. He checked the time: It’s 9 in the morning.
He still has time to prepare for the seminar. He was assigned by the principal to attend the seminar at St. Claire. He’s not really fond of seminars, but he needs it for professional growth, especially he’s not really a teacher by profession.
He lazily stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom. He went back to bed and grabbed his phone. He browse the internet about the seminar’s topic.
He was busy reading an article about Media Integration when someone knocked on his door.
“Son, Are you up? What time will your seminar be?” the voice was coming from outside his room.
It’s his mom. He stood up from the bed and opened the door.
“One o’clock, mom.”
“Why don’t you come downstairs and eat breakfast? I thought you’re still sleeping.”
“Later mom. I’m reading something related to the seminar.” He said.
“Okay. Be aware of your time.” His mom reminded him before she went downstairs.
“Yes mom.” he replied and went back to the bed to continue his reading.
When he’s done reading the article, he read some more and finally got up to take a bath and fixed his clothes for the seminar.
He finally went downstairs to eat some brunch before going to the seminar. When he’s done eating, he went out of the kitchen and passed by his mother on the living room.
“I’ll be going now, mom.” he said and kissed his mother’s cheek.
“Okay son. Have you eaten your lunch?” she asked.
“Yes mom.” he said and continued his way outside. He saw his father cleaning the car. “Dad I’m sorry, but may I use the car?” he asked politely.
“Sure! That’s why I car washed it. Here’s the key.” And his father tossed the keys to him. He smiled.
“Thanks, dad. I’ll be going now.” He said and got inside the car. He drove off to St. Claire.
As soon as he arrived at the school, he parked the car and went straight to the venue. He went to the registration area and signed his name. After signing, he looked around to check any vacant seats. Every seats were taken, except for the seat on the first table. As if it’s meant for him. He walked straight to the vacant seat.
There’s a woman occupying the seat beside the vacant seat, a loner perhaps. He would be very much comfortable sitting in with a loner. He took his seat.
“Sorry, there’s no other vacant –“
She turned to look at him and they were both dumbfounded to see each other. She immediately cut the eye contact and arranged herself on her seat. He saw her blushed and he smiled a bit.
“You’re Diana Pangan, right?” he asked, even though he know her full well.
She turned to face him. She smiled shyly and nodded.
“I’m Arjay Altamira.” He introduced himself and offered a handshake.
She shook hands with him.
“I know you, brother.”
“Oh, yeah right. Sorry. I just thought you forgot me already.”
“We were schoolmates in college, how could I forget.”
He nodded. He was smiling all throughout their conversation, and he feels like an idiot.
“Your brother is on my advisory class.” He said after a few moment of silence to continue their dead conversation.
She nodded.
“Yeah, he told me.” She casually said.
“Wow, you are close, aren’t you?”
She nodded again, but she’s avoiding to meet his gaze.
“We are. He also told me that he likes your class a lot.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that.” He said, amazed.
She smiled a bit and shrugged. The first speaker of the afternoon went in front and started the seminar.
Arjay tried to keep his focus on the resource speaker while thinking about Diana who’s literally sitting beside him. He wondered how she kept her focus.
He glanced at her. She’s just tapping her pen on her notebook and doesn’t really taking down notes.
“So now, for our activity, I want you to look for a partner. Not necessarily your seatmates, it is better if new faces, right? So that you can be acquainted with the rest of the people here. I’ll give you 5 minutes to roam around the room and meet new people.” The speaker said.
Arjay felt alive! Finally, an activity! And not just an activity, it is a pair activity! Almost everyone had their partners already, except for him and Diana. He turned around to face her but someone grabbed his elbow. He turned around again to see a lady in front of him. The lady smiled. He smiled back.
“If you’d like to, we can be partners, sir.” The lady offered.
“I am so sorry, ma’am but I already have a partner.” He politely declined.
“Oh… I don’t see anyone with you.” the lady said.
He turned to face Diana. She’s still looking for a partner. He held her wrist and it made her turn around.
“She’s my partner. I am really sorry, ma’am. Maybe next time.” He said and smiled a bit.
“Oh, okay, sir. Yeah, maybe next time.” The lady smiled and went on to look for a pair.
He realized he’s still holding Diana’s wrist so he let it go and turned to face her.
“That’s of course if you’d like to be my partner.” He offered.
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s fine with me. I just thought you don’t want to be partnered with me that’s why I didn’t ask you, brother.”
He smiled and nodded.
“Can I ask you a favor?” he said, uncertain if she would agree.
“Sure, I guess.” She smiled. At least now, she’s already looking at him.
“Could you please disregard the ’brother’ thing? I uhh… I already left the seminary so, no need for that honorary.” He said.
She laughed a bit.
“Sure. I’ll just change it to sir, then, since you are a teacher now.”
“I think I like the sound of ‘sir’ better.” He smirked.
“So, have you all found a partner?” the speaker asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” They all responded.
“Great, so what you are going to do is to formulate a lesson plan for your chosen grade level integrating any forms of traditional and new media that we had discussed a while ago. So you need to choose one from traditional, and then one for the new. And then later on, we will choose 5 pairs to share their ideas to the group, okay? We will have the presentation after the short break.” The speaker said.
They started to work on their lesson plan. Diana was writing something on her notebook and Arjay just watched her.
“What grade level would be our target?” Diana asked and looked at him. “Is there something wrong with my face, sir?” she asked.
Arjay realized that he’s been analyzing Diana’s face. He scratched his eyebrows and laughed awkwardly.
“No, sorry. You were asking?” he asked back. It’s Diana’s turn to smirk.
“I asked what grade level would be our target learners?”
“Oh… Well, I am handling 8th and 9th graders.”
“I am handling 8th graders, too. Since both of us have 8th graders, let’s just focus on English 8.” She said and wrote something down again.
“I don’t really know how to construct lesson plan. I think you would want to know that.” He said.
“Don’t worry about the lesson planning, I got it. But I need your ideas about the activities and the integration of media, since my brother told me you are good at giving creative, interactive, and fun activities.” She said.
“He really said that?” he asked, frowning.
“Yes. And he denounced my way of teaching.” She laughed and shook her head.
“Wait… we’re still in good terms, right?” he asked.
“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t we be?” she looked at him.
“Well, apparently your brother is having his favorites…” he shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t worry about that. He still loves me.” She said confidently and smiled.
He smiled back at her and they were staring at each other. Diana felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She cut the gaze.
“Anyways, back to the activity. I have a lesson in mind: Elements that make up Reality and fantasy based on a material viewed. So, we already have traditional media used here: movies. What can we use for the new media?” she asked him.
“We could use Social Networking sites here. Since the topic is reality and fantasy.”
“Based on a material viewed.” She added.
“Yes. So, young people tend to copy what they had just watched and live it out on their personal lives, right?”
“Right. So how are we going to integrate that?”
“Work on the first part until the discussion part, leave me the activity part.”
“Okay.” She said and started writing the first part of the lesson plan.
Arjay thought of a creative activity to match their lesson. When Diana was done writing, she handed him the paper. Arjay can’t help but fancy Diana’s penmanship.
“Wow, you have a nice penmanship. My penmanship would ruin it.” He said.
“It’s fine. They will not asked for that later. Write your part so that we can finish it.”
He shrugged and began writing. It’s Diana’s turn to stare at Arjay. He was busy writing when he accidentally glanced at her. He smirked. He returned his gaze at the paper but he spoke to her.
“You’re analyzing me.” He said more of a statement. Diana blinked.
“What?” she asked innocently.
He smiled and looked at her.
“I said, I’m done.” He said and handed the paper to her.
Diana read the activity part. She’s nodding while reading the activities. She turned to Arjay and she caught him staring at her again.
“Why are you staring at me?” she asked, raising one of her brows.
“I’m just… you’re too focused on reading the activity part, and you’re nodding your head. You looked like a bobble head. You know, the car accessory that –“
“I know what a bobble head is, I’m not an idiot.” She said and side-eye looked at him.
Arjay laughed. Diana fixed her seat and faced in front.
“Hey, I’m just kidding.” He said and leaned on the table to see Diana’s face. Her face is void.
“Okay! So, let’s have this pair to share their lesson plan.” The resource speaker said, referring to them.
“Let’s go.” He said and stood up.
Diana stood up, too, but she went the other way around. She was clearly pissed.
“Ooohhh~~ I think our first pair has a Lover’s quarrel.” The resource speaker said.
Diana glared at her.
“I’m just kidding ma’am…” the speaker read her name tag. “Diana. Don’t take it personally, okay. We are all good here.” The speaker nervously laughed.
She smiled.
“I don’t, ma’am. This is really my normal eye expression.” She lied.
“Oh, okay. So, kindly share your ideas in the group?”
Diana explained the first part and Arjay took over on the activities part. When they are done, the crowd applauded and they receive a praise for their ideas. The seminar ended at exactly 5:30 pm. They all went out. Diana headed out first.
“Diana, wait up!” Arjay called out.
Diana stopped walking and slowly turned around. Arjay smiled at her and ran towards her.
“I’m sorry if you got offended a while ago. I didn’t mean to.” he said when he’s finally beside her.
“It’s fine. I don’t hold grudges.” She smiled at him. ‘With the person I like.’ She said in her mind. She continued walking. Arjay walked with her.
“So, still seatmates tomorrow?” Arjay suggested.
“S-sure. Why not?” she stuttered.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be early tomorrow. It’s getting late. I can drop you to your house on my way home if you’d like.” He offered.
“Actually I –“
“Diana!” someone called out.
They both turned to where the shout came from.