#practice teaching

           This week has given me lots of things to learn: from handling a class, managing one’s time, being creative and extending help to others. I know that I have been experiencing so many circumstances on the course of my journey, but I believe everything will be paid off in the end.

          With the seven weeks of exposure in the field, I must say that I can now handle a high school English class, especially in the higher levels. My training in both in- and off-campus are helpful in building the foundations of this career.

          Time management was also an issue this week. I learned to balance my time more efficiently and prioritize things wisely. Even if my body felt that I had to rest, I really made sure that I could accomplish all the tasks before the due. Of course, I wouldn’t want to compromise my health, that’s why I always look for ample time for relaxation and recreation.

          During my teaching demonstrations, I was able to create an effective motivational activity which made my students get hooked. Since my lesson was all about first time experiences, I gave them this activity which let them share some of their memorable and valuable first time experiences. What I did was I cut rolls of paper with scenarios written on them (e.g. first time you fell in love). Then, I asked somebody (one learner for every paper) to answer what was written on the paper. The entire class, especially in G-10 Archimedes, was really out of control when a classmate shared her experience when she met her first love. With their laughter and merriness at the onset of the class, I was then able to establish a fun lesson all the way through.

         On the other hand, assessments were done using both written works and performance tasks. These written works include short tests, pre-tests and assignments that will assess their knowledge and understanding of the topic. Performance tasks (PT’s) include a variety of activities beyond writing: role play, creative illustrations, recitations and many more. As of this week, I differentiated the product so as to come up with assorted outputs. So, I am expecting that by Monday, I can already witness their tasks accordingly.

            The duties of a teacher do not only cover one single job, but a lot. Aside from the usual lectures and discussions done in the classroom, it is the teacher’s job also to conduct assessments. This includes exams given to students at the end of a term or quarter. For this week, I gained some learning that will certainly help me to embrace this profession more.

           One very important thing I have learned is to love what I am doing. I really agree that a teacher can do his job effectively only if he has given his heart for the profession he has chosen. As for me, my passion for teaching is still on fire and for many reasons, I don’t want to lose this eagerness and dedication. I definitely want to keep the flames burning to ignite my students with the knowledge, skills and values they need.

           Another thing I have realized is upholding the pride and nobility of this profession. How does this work? Well, even in little things we teachers can keep our dignities and pride by maintaining utmost professionalism at all times. And by saying professional, it does not just mean that a person has earned a degree in college nor is he renowned for his meritorious deeds. To be professional in a simple manner and understanding is to stand for integrity at all times. I may have an average performance in my practice teaching, but it does not make me less of a person especially if I have displayed the right disposition of working with my colleagues and within my workplace.

           Many times I hear how the teaching profession has been degraded. As a student teacher who is likened to an apprentice still learning his trade, I can embody the spirit and sense of pride in this profession even in the way I look. Every time I go out from my house, there are people who will really look at me from head to toe as if a lawyer has just passed by their premises. Sometimes I just laugh about it, but in reality our appearance speaks a lot to the people surrounding us. I realized that even through the uniform I am wearing, I am already carrying the name of the noblest profession, and I ought to be accountable to whatever happens to my exterior look. This is only a simple reminder, yet a serious one.

Today we went to Aurora Quezon Elem at Quirino in hopes of the MoA finally getting signed, but when we arrived, the principal was not around.

The group then just had a quick tour around the campus.

Theories were an almost regular menu for us, education students and metaphorically speaking, we love to eat these theories because eating is pleasure and what we do with pleasure, we learn from it. But sometimes theories don’t digest properly. We can only know if we are absorbing it right if we can put this theory-based skill into practice, and one of which is through practice teaching.

When I heard that it’s time for us to start our training as student teachers, most of my classmates’ initial reaction were a mix of excitement and nervousness. Surprisingly, it was not a feeling that deluged me to react but rather a question in my head - “Am I Ready?”. I asked myself this question many a times and I realized that I was not ready at all because practice teaching isn’t the thing you do once you’re ready. It’s the thing you do that makes you ready.

My first on-the-job teaching assignment was in MSEUF Basic Education Department. I was given the opportunity to be mentored by the science committee head, Mr. Victor Rea Oribe. I sure learned a lot from him from building my personality, establishing authority, managing classroom set-up, handling misbehavior, making test papers, and being dynamic in my strategies.

He entrusted me three of his sections. I was glad to handle Grade IX students – Platinum, Gold and Silver. I was instructed to teach two subjects which were Science and Araling Panlipunan. At first, it was a challenge for me to teach Araling Panlipunan especially the focus of the subject was Economics. I have to exert extra effort to learn the lesson because everything to me was gray area and perplexing. It was like learning a foreign language and I guess that is what being flexible is for.

In a different note, my every day contact with my students was not always a merry-go-round, sometimes it was a roller coaster. I can really say that gaining the attention of your students was a challenging task to do. With that, you have to be consistent in making your activities fun and engaging. You also have to be creative. Either way, everything that you do would be like herding cats, your students not paying attention and following you. Learning the situation, I have to do these things to become effective.

When I finished my practice teaching in MSEUF-BED, I was assigned to Lucena Dalahican National High School. Now, I have to batten down my hatches for the real thing because public school is different from that of private. From the school climate, to the culture, to the system, to the facilities and to the students, you can spot on spectra of differences.

The science department head, Ma’am Aires Jimenez assigned me to Sir Richard Ingente. When I entered his class, I was a bit shocked because the students were very noisy and unruly. Then on the next section, the students were also like that. It felt like surviving storm after storm. After that experience, I told to myself that I have to find the eye in those sections.

I held three sections in Grade VII – Ilang-Ilang, Waling-Waling and Rosal. On the very first day, I gave my house rules. I was glad that they were cooperating with me. They were doing what I told them to do but every now and then, I still keep my eyes peeled for those students who will attempt to misbehave. It really tested my classroom management skills and how I would build a good relation with them. In their “chaos”, it breeds an opportunity. It offers me something to be good about.

As time goes by, I became used to the ways in LDNHS. My cooperating teacher and Ma’am Aires helped me a ton. They taught me how to make lesson plans, and to improve my instructional materials. They also told me that we don’t tell students, we don’t teach them the lesson, we involve them. But most importantly, what I learned from them is discipline. The class starts at 6 am (the sad truth about public schools) and I have to wake up earlier than 4 because it was far away from our house.