The second week of classes had begun, and Jose Rizal High School hummed with energy—not the chaotic kind, but the kind that builds momentum. Classrooms were now more settled, students were adjusting to their routines, and the scent of chalk, alcohol spray, and old books filled the air.
In the TLE wing, Sir Emman stood by the doorway of Room TLE 103, watching his students file in. He could already predict which ones had studied their circuit diagrams and which were bluffing with sleepy eyes and undone neckties.
"Good morning, future electricians!" he greeted.
A chorus of voices echoed back. Some were bright, some groggy, but they answered.
As Emman stepped inside, his eyes landed on Noel, the quiet student from the first day. He was still seated at the back, head low, his fingers tugging nervously at the frayed edge of his bag. Mariel was already flipping her notebook, full of tabs and sketches of outlets. And Bryce—the tall, athletic one—was tossing a balled-up paper at his seatmate, who looked annoyed.
"Bryce, unless that paper ball can conduct electricity, I suggest you keep it in your bag," Emman said without raising his voice.
Laughter rippled, but Bryce just grinned and nodded. "Yes, sir. No resistance here."
Emman smirked. Witty and trouble—this one's going to be a breaker or a fuse.
Activity: The Circuit That Fails
Today's activity was a simulation: Identify, Diagnose, and Correct a Faulty Circuit.
On the simulation wall, Emman had deliberately set up several common wiring errors—open circuits, reversed polarity, missing ground wires, and even a hidden loose connection.
"You will be divided into teams," Emman instructed, "and your task is not just to fix the problem—but to explain why it happened."
This was the true test—not just technical skills, but communication and teamwork.
Each group was given 45 minutes.
Mariel's group worked in quiet collaboration, pointing out potential failure points, using their multimeter properly, and even taking notes as they worked.
Bryce's group, on the other hand, was disorganized. They argued. One student kept turning the power source on before confirming the connections.
"Stop," Emman said, stepping in. "I don't care how fast you fix it if someone gets shocked."
That got their attention. Emman took a deep breath, then offered them a tip.
"Electricity doesn't forgive mistakes. So neither should we—not when it comes to safety."
Unexpected Spark
Halfway through the activity, a sudden clatter echoed at the back. Noel had dropped his screwdriver.
Emman walked over calmly and crouched beside him. "Everything alright?"
Noel hesitated. "Sir, I—I don't understand this part. I always get confused between the live and neutral when wiring a two-way switch."
Emman gently pulled up a chair beside him.
"Okay. Let's take this slow. Think of electricity like water. The live wire is the pressurized pipe pushing water forward. Neutral is where the water drains. If the pipes are reversed, the flow's disrupted—and sometimes dangerous."
He grabbed a small whiteboard and began sketching.
As he explained, Noel's eyes began to follow.
"Now try again. I'm right here."
Noel gave it another attempt—and this time, his connection held.
The test bulb lit.
And Emman smiled.
Lunch Hour Storm
At lunch, clouds began to gather. The school buzzed with rumors of a pending typhoon.
Inside the faculty room, teachers gathered with their meals. Emman sat beside Mrs. Santos, while across the table, Mr. Cruz the Araling Panlipunan teacher updated them with news.
"Signal #1 na raw tayo, baka may class suspension bukas," he said.
Mrs. De Jesus entered the room just then, damp from the light drizzle, umbrella still dripping. Her presence immediately brought a wave of quiet respect.
"I just came from the division office," she said, placing her files on the table. "Confirmed: If Signal #2 is raised by 4 AM, classes will be suspended."
She looked at Emman.
"If tomorrow's class gets canceled, will your practical assessments be affected?"
Emman nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. But I've prepared alternate home-based tasks they can do safely."
Mrs. De Jesus gave an approving nod. "That's what I like about you. Always two steps ahead."
"Comes with the job," he replied humbly.
Afternoon Miswire
Back in the workshop, tension was rising.
Bryce's group still hadn't fixed their circuit, and frustration had begun to show. Voices were rising.
"Let me do it!" Bryce snapped. "You're slowing us down."
"No, you're the one who keeps skipping steps!" another replied.
Before Emman could intervene, a small flash and a pop came from their panel. One of the wires had burned out due to a short circuit.
The room went dead silent.
Emman immediately approached. "Everyone step back. Bryce, turn off the power source—now."
Bryce looked pale as he complied.
After securing the board, Emman addressed the class.
"This… is exactly why we respect every wire. Every decision. Every moment in this room."
He turned to Bryce. "You alright?"
The boy nodded, ashamed.
"Good. Because mistakes happen. But we must learn from them."
Emman then asked them to write an incident reflection report—not to shame them, but to engrain the lesson.
A Visit in the Rain
Later that evening, as the rain poured in sheets over Emman's apartment window, there was a knock on his door.
He opened it to find—Bryce.
"S-Sir," he said, shivering under a thin hoodie. "Can I come in?"
Emman let him in quickly, offering a towel.
"What brings you here?"
Bryce looked nervous. "Sir… I just… I never had a teacher who didn't yell at me when I messed up."
Emman sat down. "Why would I yell? You already know you made a mistake. My job is to help you avoid making it again."
Bryce sat, eyes heavy.
"My older brother dropped out. My dad keeps saying I'm wasting my time. I guess I just wanted to prove I could do something right... but I keep rushing."
Emman leaned forward. "You ever hear the saying, 'Fast is fine, but accuracy is final'?"
Bryce shook his head.
"It means there's no shame in slowing down. What matters is getting it right."
He handed Bryce a small book from his shelf—Basic Electrical Wiring and Troubleshooting.
"Read this. Highlight it. Come to class five minutes early every day. I'll help you."
Bryce's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Really. But you have to meet me halfway."
Bryce nodded.
Reflection Log
That night, Emman opened his journal and wrote:
Chapter 24 – Tangled Wires
Every class has its mess. Every mess holds a lesson.
Today, I saw wires spark—but more importantly, I saw a student spark from within.
I don't need perfect students. I need willing ones.
And Bryce… just might be one of them.
The rain continues. But in here, it's dry. Safe. And full of charge.
Emman