A student-teacher from Oriental Mindoro captivated the netizen's attention with his controversial presentation that veered away from the typical visual aids such as Manila paper, cardboard, or materials affixed to a blackboard.
Instead, Jonar Lanot, a student-teacher, opted for a theme that could be described as a "wake setup."
Jonar, a Filipino major in Education, gained viral fame and sparked various reactions after incorporating a funeral theme into his teaching demonstration.
Utilizing props such as a casket, curtains, lights, flowers, and other funeral paraphernalia, Jonar created a distinctive ambiance.
However, during his first media interview with DZRH Digital, Jonar clarified that his intention was not to mock or make light of mourning and death.
The topic of his final demo was "Tekstong Nagsasalaysay," so in order to effectively teach the subject matter, he drew inspiration from his personal experience — the loss of his beloved pet dog named Migz.
"'Yung character po sa final demo ko na namatay ay 'yung aso ko. Ginawan ko po siya ng kwento at kinwento ko po ro'n kung ano po 'yung mga nangyari no'ng namatay 'yung aso ko," Jonar shared.
"Ang topic ko po no'n ay tekstong nagsasalaysay, kumbaga po, nagkukwento o nagsasalaysay ng impormasyon at gumamit po ako ng mga bagay na ginagamit sa mismong kapag may burol," he explained.
"Pero po bago ko po gamitin 'yung mga bagay sa aking demo teaching, may consent po muna 'yon ng aking cooperating teacher at pinaalam ko muna po sa aking mga estudyante kung okay lang 'yung concept na 'yon kung 'di po sila madi-distract or wala po silang trauma," Jonar added.
Migz' death
He also shared the story behind his pet's demise. Jonar expressed his desire to bring Migz along with him and his classmates for a swimming outing, but his mother advised against it.
"Gusto po kasi niyang sumama sa amin kasi po may swimming po kami nung mga classmates ko. Kaso sabi po ng mama ko 'wag na raw po isama 'yung aso," Jonar opened up.
Upon returning home, Jonar learned that Migz had chased after them and tragically got hit by a six-wheeler truck while crossing the road.
"Pag-uwi ko do'n po nalaman ko na tumawid daw po 'yung aso kasi hinahabol niya kami [noong paalis]. Kaya pagtawid po nung aso, nabunggo po siya ng 6-wheeler truck," he added.
On negative comments
Despite the challenges faced by Jonar and the criticisms he received, his final demo turned out to be a resounding success.
In response to the negative comments and backlash he received, Jonar had a message for them.
"Wala naman po sila (bashers) ro'n at lalo't higit hindi naman po nila alam 'yung nangyari doon. Kaya ang masasabi ko lang po sa mga taong nambabash sa akin [ay] bago po sila mgakomento ay alamin muna nila ang istorya sa likod nito," he expressed.
He also shared two valuable lessons he learned from the experience.
"May dalawang bagay po akong natutunan, gawin mo man ang lahat ay may masasabi pa rin ang ibang tao sa 'yo. At pangalawa, ang lahat ng pagbabagal at paghihirap ay nagbubunga ng tagumpay," the student-teacher explained.
Addressing other student-teachers, Jonar offered words of advice.
"Ang masasabi ko lang po sa mga susunod na student-teacher, be ready sa lahat ng mga plano at gagawin nila, pag-isipan nila nang maayos at think outside the box," he said.
