Stories from Guahan teachers to launch Saturday at GCC 3 p.m.

Non-profit organization Ta Tuge' Mo'na is launching their newest publication, A Window Unobscured: Stories from Guahan teachers at the Guam Community College (GCC) tomorrow afternoon.

Eight middle and high school language arts and reading teachers put pen to paper in Ta Tuge' Mo'na’s newest publication.

Ta Tuge Mo’na is a non-profit dedicated to supporting literacy communities in the region. 

Simone Efigenia Perez Bollinger is their Vice President and one of the book editors. 

Bollinger shared, “One of the major themes in this book is that before the teachers can focus on content, like writing and reading strategies, they really have to set up an environment where the students feel comfortable and safe. And there’s a lot of work that goes into that.”

The authors dig deep, writing personal narrative essays about the challenges and triumphs that come with the job, especially while navigating one of the deadliest pandemics in history. 

Bollinger shared that for some, like first year teacher Marcy Ermitanio writes, “The successes aren’t there to comfort the adversity.”

“She asks herself at the end of the essay, she said veteran teachers of 15 years or 20 years, when they have bad days, they have all these good experiences to balance them out. But when you’re just starting and all you have are the challenges, it becomes very difficult. So teachers have to ask themselves, is this profession for them? Is this what they really want to do?” Bollinger said. 

She admits it’s a stark opening to the book, but a realistic perspective of first year teachers faced with a sharp learning curve.  

The book also includes profile essays about other teachers they look up to. Bollinger shared that’s where the title comes from. 

“Christine Mallari wrote about one of the teachers that works at JFK who went through the rebuild of JFK and kind of led that effort, Mr. Andres. She describes him teaching in his classroom in this one scene, and he’s got windows around his classroom and he’s sitting at his desk. He’s gesturing, teaching and the students are engaged. She just notes that his curtains were open. His window was unobscured and they could see what was going on,” She said.

She also says the stories are windows showing a glimpse into these educator’s experiences. 

The public can hear more at a free book launch this Saturday at the Guam Community College multipurpose auditorium at 3 p.m.

There will be live readings and copies of the book will be sold for $10. 

“There's never been anything like this where we’re really getting stories from teachers on Guahan,” Bollinger said.

The authors include Renee Julia D. Blancaflor, Sarah Damian, Pamela Yamashita DeVera, Marcy Ermitanio, Leah Fuentes Llegado, Christine Joy Borja Mallari, Andrealline Fajardo Mayoyo-Buan, and Piyamas “PJ” Sablan-Jalique.

The book is edited by GCC professor and Program Developer Simone Efigenia Perez Bollinger and UOG professor and Co-Teacher Trainer Teresita Lourdes Perez.

The project was funded primarily by the US Department of Education CARES Act through the Governor’s Education Assistance and Youth Empowerment Grant Program