Mrs. Villanueva. We’ve all seen her somewhere. Perhaps a quick glimpse in the admin room, a special occasion where she gave a rousing speech, a chance encounter in the hallways that involved a very nervous greeting on our part, a vague memory of her as a stern yet kind primary school math enrichment teacher, or a very vivid memory of her teaching you just last week! Maybe you have never even seen her in person at all—and only know her as our principal—a principal who has managed to successfully run a school while battling cancer.
These bits and pieces are quite meaningful, but very few of us actually know who Mrs. Villanueva is and what she does. What does running a school really entail? Who does she meet with as she goes about her day? Where does she find the strength and the wisdom she needs as she goes through a packed schedule?
This is what Mrs. V’s daily life looked like in early 2019, and how vastly everything has changed by late 2021.
What is the first thing you do as soon as you step inside the school?
2019: The first thing, always: I make sure that I have my own time with the Lord. This is the first thing I always do when I go inside my office, aside from saying good morning and saying hi to everyone I meet. I close the door and have at least fifteen to twenty minutes of just quieting down. I entrust the school to the Lord; I pray; I read my Bible. Every day, my prayer is: “Lord, protect the school. Protect every child. Protect every teacher.” After that, of course, I go to my checklist. I review what things I have to face, and of course, I am not only a principal—I also am a teacher.
What is the first thing you do when you get to your desk for work?
2021: I would usually check my calendar for the list of to-do things.
Then, I would spend some time in prayer and reading the Word. I believe that apart from HIM I can do nothing. Seeking God first for grace, strength, and wisdom is one of the most important things I need to do.
How do you usually spend the morning?
2019: It varies, actually. One thing I really love about being a principal is that my life is not boring. Never a dull moment for me. This morning, for example, I have my meetings; I have my students coming in who have to finish their work or make up for their tests. I have interviews for school activities with supervisors coming to see me. So I cannot really say, “Every morning, this is what I do.” My schedule is very eclectic—not really confusing, but sometimes everyone has to adjust to my very crazy schedule. Some of the mornings I teach, some of them I hold meetings, some of them I have to make rounds, [and] sometimes I have to sit in a class—especially if I have to observe some teachers or students. Other times it’s PTC, or supervisors coming in to see me.
2021: Each day is a wonderful day to anticipate God’s wonderful acts to fulfill through me. Spending the morning with God is the first thing I do. Check the Viber groups and emails and reply to important and urgent queries first. Then eat a hearty breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal for me.
During face-to-face instruction days, I would spend time eating breakfast with the admin group. I love breakfast...
With the online setup now, we have it in the afternoon instead. Many of the staff help with the tech hosting in the morning. I spend the rest of the morning teaching Class Patmos, preparing lessons, checking test papers, observing classes, making rounds, and holding meetings.
What do you do during breaks?
2019: I eat. I love eating. But then again, it’s very difficult for me to say that I always have a break because some of my breaks are used up for meetings. But if I do have a break, I make sure that I eat. I love breakfast. Definitely, after my quiet time with the Lord, I fill my stomach up with a healthy breakfast. During break time, I also talk to people. I ask them how they are, then I make kuwento-kuwento. I love talking to the staff and we just laugh. If I have the luxury of a break, of course, I also have to take care of my body, so I take naps. I have a brief little prayer: “Lord, thank you for getting us through half of the day. Just half a day left to go.”
2021: Breaks? My breaks are erratic. I do not usually have a formal break. Breaks are usually used to conduct quick meetings that need our immediate decisions. It is also used to attend to students who would come see me during their breaks. If no meetings, I enjoy eating lunch with the admin people. Chat and laugh. With this online setup, I appreciate my breaks more now. I get to eat with my family. I get to stand and stretch. I get to be more intentional to take a quick nap and to rest my eyes and body.
Until when in the afternoon do you stay in school? Why?
2019: I wear many hats. I do not only wear my hat as the principal of the school—I am also a mom. Sometimes I have to stay late because I have to wait for my son to finish soccer practice. Usually, I go home at six if I have to wait for Seth. But if there are no meetings or anything else, I can go home at four-thirty in order to fulfill my role as a wife and as a mom. Sometimes, though, I go home late not just because I’m waiting for Seth, but also because there’s a meeting or training, or I have to do some stuff for the following day. Usually, I would do some serious thinking after classes, when no one is coming to ask me questions. That’s the time when I have to write memos, when I have to plan. So usually, I go home at five-thirty to six.
During this DLIFE, what time do you usually consider the school day to be over for you? Why?
2021: Hard to specify a time that school is over. No definite time, so many things to do and finish. Especially during the onset of the DLife, the supervisors and I would hold meetings until 8:00 pm to plan and evaluate. How I love and thank God for my team. Their love for the students is highly commendable. But due to my cancer now, I have to be intentional and stop and rest. Usually, at 6:00 pm, I will try to stop and listen to my body now and let it rest.
What is the best part of a working day?
2019: That time at the end of the day, when we’re all safe. I just feel, Wow. The day is over. No accidents. We are all done already. I’m so happy ticking the boxes on my checklist: “Oh, I’m done, I’m done, I’m done.” So really, the best part is when I have accomplished what I have to accomplish for the day. Or perhaps when I hear good stories, good testimonies. “You know, this child has changed.” “Oh, this teacher has become a better teacher.” That’s also one of the best parts of the day—the affirmation that you are making a difference in the life of a student, of a parent, or a teacher. That would put a smile on my face, and somehow, I have done what the Lord wants me to do for the day.
What is the best part of a working day given this online setup?
2021: Every part is a BEST for me. I am called to give every minute my very BEST. I enjoy whatever I am doing - holding classes, conducting meetings, planning lessons, attending webinars, praying, replying to emails, etc. I consider them the BEST of my working day.
If you could turn back time, what would you tell your 2019 self?
2021: I would tell HELEN 2019, I miss the set-up we have. I miss the laughter, the noise in the
hallway, kids, and parents coming to see me, holding meetings and fellowship with teachers face to face. I miss the office pantry wherein we just enjoy the food after a tiring day. Oh, I miss my office.
Woven into this article are two pictures—two snapshots. One dated early 2019 and another, late 2021. Traced in these two photographs is the day-to-day life of our principal, Mrs. Villanueva with some changes more visible than others between frames. Each stilled portrait reflects its counterpart with foreign familiarity—both seemingly similar, yet vastly different. Taken with the same lens, with the exact same subject, this has been two interviews: two years apart.
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