Simply Teacher Cherry

08/02/2026

GOOD READ: A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

A fourteen-year-old boy, tired of what he believed was his parents’ “constant nagging,” taped a bold sign to his bedroom door:

“Leave me alone!”

And so, for the first time, his parents did exactly that.

The next morning, the world felt… different.
The kitchen was spotless — except for one dirty plate.
His plate.

His usual packed leftovers? Gone.
The clean socks that magically appeared in his drawer? Also gone.
The button dangling from his favorite hoodie? Still dangling.
The ten-dollar bill for school lunch? Nowhere to be found.

That night, his parents didn’t remind him about homework.
They didn’t ask where he was going.
They didn’t even comment when he walked barefoot on the cold floor.
They simply lived their lives — without the usual orbit around him.

What he thought he wanted — independence, freedom, no reminders — suddenly felt lonely.
He realized that doing everything on his own wasn’t as cool as it sounded.
And wandering outside without anyone wondering where he was… didn’t feel like freedom at all.

By the next morning, he quietly placed a new note on his door:

“I’m sorry… and please don’t ever leave me on my own like that again.”

Nothing terrible had happened.
He washed his own plate, found his own socks, fixed his own hoodie, did his homework.
And in doing these simple things, he finally understood:

His parents weren’t nagging him.
They were taking care of him.
Loving him in the everyday ways he never noticed.

Sometimes, it takes the absence of care… for us to recognize how deeply we are cared for.

08/02/2026

Once upon a time, there was an Ant whose greatest passion was working.

Every morning, as soon as the sun came up, she got straight to it — cheerful, energetic, tireless. Her dedication seemed endless.

One day, a Bumblebee flew by. He watched the happy Ant working nonstop and thought, “There’s no way she should just be doing this on her own. This needs structure. Management. Organization.”

So he started a “company” — and appointed himself CEO.

The Ant kept working. And honestly, she was doing a great job.
But the Bumblebee decided she needed supervision. So he hired a Supervisor — a Dung Beetle.

From then on, the Ant’s work was “monitored.” The Beetle required daily reports. So now, in addition to her actual job, she had to fill out piles of paperwork.

When the paperwork became overwhelming, they hired an Administrative Assistant — a Spider. The Spider organized files and answered calls.
And the Ant kept working… and working.

Seeing the growing stacks of reports, the Bumblebee wanted even more: forecasts, analytics, performance metrics. So the Beetle got an assistant — a Cockroach.
They bought computers, a color printer, and all the latest office equipment.

But something changed.
The Ant slowly lost her spark. She stopped humming while she worked. The smile faded, replaced by exhaustion and frustration.

The Bumblebee decided it was time to expand further.
Where the happy Ant once worked alone, a whole Department was created. A Grasshopper was hired to run it. He immediately set up a large office with brand-new furniture and high-end tech.

The new boss needed a Deputy — someone focused on strategy and budgeting.
Meanwhile, the Ant was still there: hardworking, dependable… but no longer happy.

Eventually, the Bumblebee reviewed the numbers and noticed the Ant’s department wasn’t performing like it used to.

To figure out why, they brought in a Wise Owl consultant.
For three months, she analyzed data, ran reports, and reviewed operations. Finally, she delivered her conclusion:

“You have too many employees.”

Cuts had to be made.
And the first name on the layoff list was… the Ant.
Because lately, she “had a negative attitude.”

07/08/2025

Yes, the entire ed system!

07/08/2025

09/05/2025

The Dejected Goat

In a rugged hill village where the rocks were sharp and the air sang of dust and wildflowers, lived a goat named Bako. His horns were bent, his fur was patchy, and his bleat was soft—barely more than a sigh. The other goats leapt high on stones, wrestled for fun, and strutted like kings.

But Bako kept to himself.

“He’s too timid,” they said.
“He’s no use to the herd.”
“He was born to follow, not to lead.”

Bako didn’t argue. He simply wandered alone, climbing paths no one noticed, finding quiet streams and forgotten trails, memorizing the land like a poem.

One scorching summer, disaster struck.

A great wildfire broke out on the southern ridge, sweeping toward the valley. The animals panicked, running blindly through smoke and flame. The paths they knew were blocked. The air choked with ash.

The herd gathered in chaos. The strongest goats tried to charge downhill, but flames blocked the way. The clever ones tried to leap the cliffs, but the stones crumbled beneath them.

Then Bako stepped forward.

“I know a way,” he said quietly. “A hidden trail above the fire.”

The herd hesitated.

“You? Lead us?”

But there was no time to argue. And something in Bako’s eyes—calm, clear, certain—made them follow.

He led them through narrow passes, behind thorny brush, across a stream no one else knew still flowed. When they emerged on the far hilltop, the fire behind them roared like a beast defeated.

They were safe.

From that day on, the herd no longer mocked Bako’s silence or softness. They followed him not because he was loud—but because he had listened when no one else did.

The twist? Bako had always been the son of the oldest leader—the one who mapped the hills before fire ever kissed them. But he chose humility over heritage… until the earth called his name.

⸻

Lessons:
1. Leadership is not inherited through noise—it is earned in quiet knowing.
2. Being overlooked doesn’t mean you are unworthy—it might mean you are watching.
3. Those who walk alone often carry the map for those who wander lost.

CttO

30/01/2025

Patience visited me
And it reminded me
That good things take time to come to fruition
And grow slowly with stability

Peace visited me
And it reminded me
That I may remain calm through the storms of life
Regardless of the chaos surrounding me

Hope visited me
And it reminded me
That better times lay ahead
And it would always be there to guide and uplift me

Humility visited me
And it reminded me
That I may achieve it
Not by trying to shrink myself and make myself less
But by focusing on serving the world and uplifting those around me

Kindness visited me
And it reminded me
To be more gentle, forgiving and compassionate toward myself
And those surrounding me

Confidence visited me
And it reminded me
To not conceal or suppress my gifts and talents
In order to make others feel more comfortable
But to embrace what makes me me

Focus visited me
And it reminded me
That other people’s insecurities and judgements about me
Are not my problem
And I should redirect my attention
From others back to me

Freedom visited me
And it reminded me
That no one has control over my mindset, thoughts and wellbeing
But me

And love visited me
And it reminded me
That I need not search for it in others
As it lies within me.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Elspeth Young
💛

28/01/2025

Word for the day

27/01/2025

Words for the day

26/01/2025

Kids, take note.

✨𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝟕,𝟔𝟒𝟏 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟳,𝟭𝟬𝟳!

✅ The Philippines officially has 7,641 islands, a number that increased from the previously recognized 7,107 islands after advanced mapping study using high-resolution satellite imaging. This update came after a more detailed mapping study conducted by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).

Discovery: New, mostly tiny and uninhabited islands were identified.

This cements the Philippines as a stunning archipelago with endless opportunities for exploration!