Work’s Recent Lessons: A Debt to Remember

In the past two weeks, two important dates have been overcome and that was the seminar about the utilization of lesson scripts of the National Math Program (NMP) and Catch-Up Friday (CUF). These two programs are under the new DepEd Curriculum which is MATATAG Curriculum. Another date marked was the General Parent-Teacher Association (GPTA) Meeting and the Homeroom PTA Meeting (HPTA).

Orientation about the utilization of lesson scripts is very important for us teachers to be guided with what we are going to do in front of the students. It also serves us a reminder that we are really supported by the government when it comes to the material that should be used in teaching so that everyone is learning in unison, I mean the materials are already unified where every learner here in Cebu would be learning the same with a learner in Luzon paddling on the same canoe.

These lesson scripts, anyways, are meant to support teachers and mainly the National Learning Recovery Programs of DepEd which are the NRP, NMP, and CUF, ensuring that learners can learn more about reading and math more effectively, knowing the gaps they had encountered during the time of pandemic.

The said scripts are great to picture out in the classroom. The activities adhere to the prescribed effective format and there is an integration between other disciplines. However, it was too ideal realizing the population we have recently in our classroom (which is 59 in a class under my advisory), having diverse and mostly challenged learners.

Moreover, demonstrations by the master teachers were done in order for the teachers to witness how a lesson should be done in the classroom. From these, it even helped me more gain new strategies pertaining to technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. It amazed me how these teachers shared expertise in the field.

For my CUF’s, sometimes, I modified some difficult activities for my students to handle and skip the most ideal ones to cater the main content of the lesson for one session. Skipping the lesson is avoided but I beg to disagree at this point because I also need to hear my students’ side in case, they have questions or needed my assistance. So, what time is left if I will be following all the activities given.

Because of the modifications and skipping thingy I made, I have come up with these realizations. Sometimes, the voices of our constituents which are the students matter the most than the ideal advises from the higher ranks. It’s true that they have the greatest power but what more power and learning is left if the students learn nothing from the teacher’s rap of explanation and heavy activities thrown to them.

It's okay to disobey for better reasons not for lazy seasons. Sometimes, we felt lazy in mind but let us be reminded to be busy at hands because the salary differential and PBB are waving. AHAHA. This gets me reminded of my past sharing to my colleague that every time blessings are coming, system changes or report demands are also crawling. Happiness and pain are indeed two inseparable things. It always comes along at the same time.

On the other hand, the general parents’ assembly for this school year taught and reminded me a lot of things- listen to your students and to their parents, connect to the parents more, be fair to all the learners.

Listening to our student’s voice during class discussions is what teachers mostly want to look after so that we can accurately see who the best or good performers in the classroom is. But, listening to their behaviors when they fail to answer and patiently encouraging them to answer is what we mostly fail to exercise. Only few of us can render this type of exceptional service, giving differentiated activities for these students to withstand their learning difficulty.

I have a student who is very attention-seeker. Sometimes, he talks by himself or talks to us out of the topic. He will ponder by himself or steals and sells what he steals to his classmates/friends. He is aware of that and even shared about stealing an egg from his neighbors during our ESP Class. I was saddened about his situation and ended saying, “We love you, man.” Then, asked his classmates to tell the same, “We love you, man.”

At first, I thought this student was financially challenged because of what he did but as I was being shared by his aunt during the meeting the entire story of the student, I was surprised. He was very well-supported with all the silver spoon and garments. From that conversation, his aunt also begged our patience and understanding about their nephew. He even saved my number to contact me for concerns.

At this point, I was no longer hesitant to share my contact number to the parents of my students. I could not take time to home visit them more because of distance and security issues. That is why I was just leaving them my number and their number as well for me to follow up things or share any concerns.

Lastly, I have also been reminded to be fair with all my students even though, space and time sucks. Sometimes, I felt stressed with the crowded room and their hardworking mouth. So, I need to stretch my patience more to be calm enough in dealing with all the problems that might occur in the future.

Now, teachers, how’s orientation and your PTA Meeting? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Thank you for reading.

See you in the next rosealign.