FOR teachers Joseph and Ivy Estorba of the Maniki Central Elementary School Special Education Center in Davao del Norte, teaching children with special needs is their greatest achievement.

“My greatest achievement as a teacher, as a parent, sa mga estudyante ko, is breaking the barriers of communication. Sign language [teaching] has become a profession where you can earn from it, but para sa akin, we are free to hear, to express what we feel kaya dapat free din siya,” Ivy said.

Meanwhile, Joseph shared that he learned to teach students with hearing impairment even though it was a challenge for him at first because they could not understand each other. His students cannot hear while he has vision problems.

Joseph said he solved the problem with the help of tactile sign language.

“Para mas matulungan ang blind learners, nagtayo kami ni [Teacher Ivy] ng massage clinic. Kapag ready na silang i-employ, ina-absorb namin sila sa clinic. Nagiging masaya na rin kami makita silang kumikita ng pera. Sa clinic, tuloy pa rin ang pagdevelop ng skills,” Joseph said.

“Sa [mga learners with] intellectual disability naman, tinuturuan ko rin silang mag-needle craft, at magluto ng simpleng pagkain. Natutuwa [rin] akong [makita silang] nagbebenta ng mga sariling gawa nila,” he added.