Cebu teacher has unique way of rewarding students

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Teachers would go the extra mile just to make sure that their students will learn and eventually succeed in life.

They are many ways teachers achieve their goals for their students.

But here’s one in Cebu who’s making waves for taking it a notch higher.

Meet Clinton P. Toting, 22, a senior high school teacher from the University of Cebu (UC)-Banilad Campus.

Toting, a newbie teacher from Ronda town southern Cebu, paid it forward to his students as he surprised them with a full meal after their examinations.

This isn’t the first time this was done, for sure. In fact, Toting said he got the idea when his students told him about a teacher in Manila who surprised his class with an entire meal after their exams.

Still, his post of the surprise is going viral on social media, as it has been shared 1,700 times since it was published last September 27, 2019.

The reason could be the deed itself. After all, it’s not everyday we hear of a teacher who’ll feed a class of 45 students after the exams.

It’s inspiring, too.

“After all that they’ve been through, despite their shortcomings— financial, family, academics, and even pressure among their peers, I salute them for showing up,” Toting said.

The surprise was pulled off on September 19.

Toting said he felt that  students strive harder if they feel appreciated and if they know that someone is there to back them up whenever the going gets rough.

So how did he pull it off successfully?

“During our break time I hurried down to the faculty room to contact the nearest McDonald’s to call for my order. In about 30 minutes, I received a call from the delivery guy that he was already waiting [for me] at the ground floor,” he said.

“When we reached classroom, they were all shocked. All they could do was clap and yell in delight. They were all smiles!  It was a good thing that there was no other class having their exams at that time because it was almost dismissal time.”

According to Toting, seeing the reaction of the whole class was priceless.

“It was [a] fulfilling [experience]. They really had no clue what I was going to do,” Toting said.

While the act isn’t something new, it still is an interesting story to share.

It’s because Toring’s deed is a perfect reminder that learning can indeed be fun. And gastronomic. /bmjo