A child success in school is a teacher behind!

by: Gella Tapay

A child success in school is a teacher behind. I remembered when our college professor told us a story of a teacher and an engineer, that if an engineer got failed in planning to build a house he just ruined the whole house, but if the teacher got failed in planning the curriculum and in teaching he is ruining the future of the students. It is true that teachers have a great impact to influence student’s life. And that’s what happened to me. My teacher influences me in many ways. And because of him I got to used to be in education. He gives me an inspiration in life, and that quite a year of being his student, I’ve learned a lot and I really enjoyed the moment he was teaching us.

Many teachers I’ve encountered during my elementary and high school days. Thou most of them I got to know with, but this unique teacher is I really like the most. I really much appreciated the way he teaches us. In the four corners of the room, he never let us to leave without learning anything. Once you enter the classroom, you will feel like you were in the battle. Everyone should have stock knowledge, information about the topic, props like books, and communication. Communication in your group mates, because the class set up is groupings. Every group will be competing with each other. And in every success there is a reward, so thus, once your group got correct answer your group will be earning a point. That’s set up our AP teacher always want. Yeah! It was like a battle, and yet it was exciting for us. We really enjoyed the pressure, but we used to manage it, because he teaches us how to appreciate the things we encountered and emotion we felt.

How do he teach us?

Our AP teacher is just entering the class with just his whiteboard marker, as if it is very important rather than his books. He don’t have anything props like laptop, tablet, books or even a visual aids. It looks like very traditional, right? But no! His teaching is not traditional one. Though he is not using any gadgets or modern technology, his teaching is very student-centered ever since. He always does brainstorming. He let us first to explore everything.  He asks and asks, and let the information came from us. And I was thinking that his curriculum designed was mostly learner centered design. Afterwards, it is now his turn to write those answers using his magical whiteboard marker.

It’s pretty cool the way he teaches us. He let us be out on a box. How? He loves role playing, so thus our talent will be exposed. By group, he gives us a particular topic to be acted. I was remembered when he gave my group a topic to portray the role of God and Goddess. Of course, we should be creative in playing those role with matching props and etc., and we acted it with a twist. Of course, that role playing has a rubric that serves for him as criteria for judging and also it was criterion referenced assessment that he has a standard on his grading system, and that was his curriculum evaluation that time. . And that makes us won. He never let us feels like we should be a genius that every time we need to study.  He let us play, enjoy, and treasure the happiest moment of learning. And thanks to him, I really enjoyed my 3^rd year high school life.

The teacher I’ve been talking about is no other than Mr. Dennis Gutierrez, my 3^rd year AP (Araling Panlipunan) teacher back then in Col. Lauro D. Dizon MNHS, and now a Research teacher in San Jose Senior High.

Now he is teaching Field Research in grade 12 senior high. Just like us, he still divided his class into groups. As I observed the class, they are enjoying the company of their teacher. I ask Mr. Gutierrez what is his strategies in teaching research and he said to me that, “Since G12 Laurel is major in Social Science, I allow them to use technology like cellphones for them to search possible title for their research. It is more on technological based. I also allow them to get out of the room because it is field research and it should have product or project or program.”

His approaches are still the same like he approached us, his former students before. Though there are some changes, but he is still our teacher we learned a lot with. His curriculum design is aligned in what is needed by his students. His evaluation is matched to his subject and topic. And he also said that after  all the hard work of his students there will be a final defense, and that serves as their evaluation because there are many questions be involve in their research.

Clandestine of a Professional

by: Jaycel Gesmundo

Someone told me her one of a kind secret. It’s very complicated, crucial, sensitive and essential. She told me this because she wants me to be one of the best professionals in the near future. She opened my eyes to see the tiny details that surround me, my mind to figure out what’s wrong inside the four walls of the room and my heart that will inspire and will touch the hearts of my future learners. She gave me this important ingredient in her classroom recipe. And guess what, she also told me to share this ingredient with you.

Teaching is not only about the transmission of knowledge, beliefs, and ideas to students. Teachers who do the talking, talking, and talking and students who listen, daydream and even slumber are not the trend anymore. Before telling you the secret, let me tour you to what school is really like based on what she told me.

To plan in our outing is like planning in curriculum. You should know the details of your destination and the route going there. Just like in school, she said that you should know first your students’ behaviour, capabilities, understanding and the like before entering the process.  You tend to plan days, a week or even a month before the trip. In school curriculum as what she said, teachers should have a daily or even a weekly lesson plan to be a guide in the teaching and learning process.  It is for you to not mislead to your destination.

Teachers are former drivers on our route. Before, they are the manipulators of the lesson. They are the one who lead. They are the crux of the process. But nowadays, teachers let their students into driver’s seat. They are now the operator of their own journey. They are the one who understood themselves. They could step on the break if they thought of being too fast. Step on the gas for being too slow.

          “Itapon ang idea sa mga bata at sila na ang bahalang mag-discover,” she said. Ever since she started in her profession, she used student-centered approach. The strategy she used adapts the levels of the students. She thought as if she’s in the student’s shoes. She always used collaborative strategy. But she make sure that every time she used this method, she disseminate the learners very well that every expertise of the students are distributed equally between groups. Aside from this methodology, she made used of inquiry-based method and peer-tutoring. In peer-tutoring, she preferred them to be partner with their close friend because she believed that, “ Ang magkaibigan ay hindi nag-iiwanan. Hindi sila nagdadamutan ng sagot sa isa’t isa.”

Every teacher has so many methods that can be used. She also did panel discussion, debate and interactive method. She also make used of discussion method for which she gave questions and students will give ideas and perceptions regarding the topic. She put in the picture that all answers should be accepted but not all the time that answers that they gave are right. It is on the premise that teachers has a tremendous value that they are in the classroom to correct the wrong beliefs of the students about certain matter.

Back to your journey, every trip has its ending. Whenever the outing finally comes to an end, the thing you did is that you evaluate your expedition. Did you feel satisfied on your trip? Did you enjoy on your journey? Did you wish to come back? All of these are answerable. Based on the curriculum, you also evaluate with varied methods that are also liable. She make used of written examinations and activities to assess the knowledge of the students. She also used oral method and she did it one-by-one with the student sitting beside her. She didn’t particularly used assignment as an assessment for which she believed that not all assignments are made by the student alone because most of the time, they are made by the parent or their siblings.

          Turning back to the year she handled me, I experienced all of what she told me. She didn’t delete the strategy she used before but she actually improved it for the future.

Did you know the role of the educator nowadays? Now, do you want to know the secret? It is the secret that even changing of curriculum or the change on the arrangement of the school happen, this one of a kind technique she used will remain unchanged.

 “Mahalin mo ang batang ibinibigay sa iyo nang walang limit, hindi napuputol at unlimited dapat ang pagmamahal. Walang mabaho, walang mabango, walang pangit, walang maganda, walang mayaman at walang mahirap at the same time, ituturing mo ang mga bata na walang favoritism. Having favoritism is the worst action in the profession. May maling ginawa, pagalitan mo. May tamang ginawa, purihin mo. Walang ginawa, tulungan mong gumawa,” she said. “You should love your student and teach your student to love you.” This word of wisdom she gave opened my inner self. This is one of the ingredients in her top secret recipe. This is the clandestine of a professional. And therefore she told me,

 “Teaching is sharing of God’s love.” –Mrs. Nemia Sales Lane

“BUILDER: NOT A CARPENTER BUT A TEACHER”

by: John Rick Baltazar

They are defined as: “Our second mothers and fathers who teaches us what we know.” In my high school days, I always get low grades in my Mathematics subject. Yes, that’s true! But in the present, I am taking education course specializing Mathematics. It is somewhat funny but that is the truth and it’s because of my Math teacher in high school who happens to be my favorite teacher up to the present. I want you to know who “she” is as a teacher to me/us and what are her ways in teaching doing during class hours.

          As my experience with her way back 2014, it was really remarkable. I enjoy our class with her every after lunch. Such a dizzy time that needs to break with an exciting ride. She makes our class a meaningful learning.   The way she teach goes with traditional way of teaching. She prepare lesson plan each day to be synchronized and as sort of requirements to their head teacher. She write down the details, strategies and also the activities and the type of assessment which the content of this activities and assessment are in line with the lesson objectives. Since it is planned, it will be followed (pero kalimitan ay hindi ito nasusunod at iyan ang katotohanan). She uses books and other reference materials to have variety of ideas which she connects to come up with the better and accurate concepts. Since our subject is geometry on that time, she shows figures of shapes, 2D or 3D objects. She always say that “according this book, it goes like this but in the other books, there’s another way they need to consider etc.” She makes everyone in the class to be participative by not giving the real thing but just a hint. She gives problems for board works. Giving each one of us are own problem to solve and to be explain in front of the class. She always assure that all of us will learn the lesson she taught and use it as our pre-knowledge for next higher mathematics that we’ll going to encounter in the future. All she wants for us is to be good and productive citizen of this community even that time we are in our 2nd step to success to be a professional or maybe a person with stable life.

That's not the end of the story. On my last year in high school, she became our class adviser so that's why I know her better.  Since we are graduating students on that time, she lends opportunities to us. She makes every to boost our self-esteem because in the near future we are warriors of own will. The will that we need to pass the term and make our family to be proud on what we attain. She teaches us to treasure the knowledge, the values, the memories even if it’s good or bad, the lesson or discipline and especially the things that will makes us happy.

 There is an integration of technology in teaching. She begin all is work by planning what to do and what to be done. She write her objectives on what they called DLL or daily Lesson Log. It is different from Lesson Plan. Lesson plans is a manuscript that includes all the things to happen in delivering a certain lesson but DLL comes in tables which sum up the lesson. There is space for the objective of the lesson, the topics to discuss, the kind of evaluation to use in assessing the learning of the students and etc. She also uses technology to teach the lesson.

          The way she teach was didn’t change but she only add some more for the student to learn meaningfully. The new trends affect the way she teach. It goes with spiral approarch. Letting the student to discover things by their knowledge, capability and ability. "Hayaan natin sila na gumawa on their own, doon sila mas matuto. Kahit na paunti-unti atleast nagagawa nila nang batay sa alam nilang tama which is maganda naman kasi nagtatry sila kahit pa sabihing mali. Andito naman ako para icorrect sila", she said and believe that there is always a room for improvement. If she think that it will be hard for a single student to learn, she allows the collaboration inside the classroom but making sure that everyone will learn. She assess not only in written examination but also uses performance-based assessment to test the mastery of the lesson. So that’s the meaningful one in the sense that on a single thing that she will do, learning of the students and the values they get are the most important thing to be a successful men of this society.

          The curriculum change as the time pass by. It is only for the improvement of the school, it is about the good changes that will to success. The nature of the teacher in teaching will not change but instead, there will be an additional to what is practice.

          “Kung maaari at kaya mo pang magturo, gawin mo. Marami pang bata dyan na nangangailangan ng tulong mo.” This quote of her encourages me to pursue my dreams to be like her, a teacher believing that this profession will serve as the foundation of other profession. A teacher that will build and enrich the good character of each students.

“Ang mahalaga naman sa lahat ay ang matuto”

          -Arshiela Baliwag         

          In the present, she was teaching Grade 9 students in high school were we graduated and I’m sure that those students are enjoying their class with her!

“AN INFINITE LOVE OF A HERO”

by. Arlene Tamayo

“A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart.”

            Teaching is the one profession that creates and teaches all other professions. Being a teacher is a profession with the biggest responsibility in touching and changing the lives of the people. The goals of the teacher are to give knowledge to the students and to mold students with their skills and abilities for better future.

            “To teach is to touch the lives of the students and make a difference.” This is a very inspirational quote from my teacher way back in high school that inspired me so much. She is the teacher who really had a heart in teaching and a very dedicated person when it comes to her career. She is the reason why I chose to be one of those people who will feed information and transmit knowledge to the students and the reason why I chose being a teacher someday and keep on studying hard to follow her path. I want to be like her and be a good reflection for my students.

            Way back in high school, Mrs. Jennelyn Aranguren Samsaman, is one of the best teacher in Mathematics for me. When I was in my freshmen days, I’ve experienced the difficulty in Mathematics in a way that I can’t even solve a problem independently and it made me confused every time I am solving a particular problem in Mathematics. I don’t appreciate Mathematics that time but when she became our teacher in our Algebra, I am amazed on the way she teaches and deliver the topics. She ensures that her students will understand her lesson and she made every session productive and meaningful even though she made the class silent and all you can hear is her voice. Other says that she is strict but she is actually not. You can see the serious and strict face when she entered the classroom but eventually she will joke around. She was once our adviser and all I can say is she is very approachable and also a good leader. She is not only a teacher for us but also a second mother and a friend. She is not only a good teacher in Mathematics but she is also good in dancing and she is good in everything. She is the best teacher for her students, the best mother for her two daughters and the best wife for her husband. She is a very talented teacher indeed.

When it comes in planning the lessons to be discussed in every session, she prepares lesson plan where she plans and organize her lessons weekly or a week before the session. She uses different methods and strategies in teaching Mathematics which is according to her, it depends on the use of the teacher of which is the most effective strategy for the students to learn. In implementing these strategies into classroom setting, she always considered the time bound of the strategy being used in every session and the appropriateness of these strategies with regards to the topic being discussed. When it comes to evaluation, she also used different style in assessing the students. She prepared activities after every session to test if the students understand what she taught and at the end of the quarter she made every student to create a mathfolio which contains the compilation of outputs and activities of the student.

Her way of teaching now is different compared to how she taught us way back to the year 2012. Even though it is teacher-dominated when she taught us, there are parts where she let her students to think outside the box. As the curriculum change, her way of instruction is also changing like for example in the use of different strategies in teaching specifically the cooperative learning strategy. She also used    different styles in assessing the student like paper and pencil exams, performance-based assessment and recitations. There is no difference in her way of planning her lessons which is also based on the curriculum guide given by the Department of Education.

  “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”, as it was stated by Aristotle. Great teachers teach with all their hearts and all their best. They teach with all their efforts not only to give knowledge and mold student’s ability but also teach them good manners. They teach not only because of salaries or promotions but they teach with all their hearts and fight for their students’ future and success. To the world, they may be just a teacher but to the students, they are a HERO. 

“Memoire”

by: Andrea Villa

I can still hear the music you created every time you pluck your guitar. I can still feel the sun's lingering kiss and the wind's blowing breeze everytime you take us to the fields. I can still smell the coffee's sweet scent every morning. I can still remember the song you usually played with your cassette player. I can still visualize your beautiful smile telling us a good luck. And I can still hear those words, those words telling us to fight and not to give up.

Many years had passed, but still, everything, every little thing, every memory that we've shared is stuck in my mind. They keep on playing like a scene in a movie. It feels like I don't have the strength and rights to forget them all.

Because how could I? How could I forget those memories that I've shared with such a wonderful person. You’re one of the persons that inspire me to walk along this path and travel within this journey of becoming a teacher. You're one of the teachers that I admire the most. One of my second mother that I salute.

We,your former students know and feel how you love your profession. You're one of the effective teacher that I know. You didn't just read,write,read,write but rather you bring your lessons into life. You didn't just put all the knowledge in your student's mind but instead you let them discover. You didn't let your students be alone, you always give them a companion everytime they experience a new thing. You integrate one subject to another, from values to music, from music to science and from science to arts. You love your students to work in group because for you collaboration is a great way of learning. You test your students’ knowledge and understanding not only through exams and quizzes but rather you make it more interesting and exciting. You let them perform through group activities,role playing and reporting. Despite of this, you still make sure that all of the activities are based on a specific curriculum guide.

And now,look where your hardships brought you. You are now a principal, a great principal indeed. They are lucky to have you for they have such an amazing person.

I, and your other former students are the living proof of all of these. We can still remember how you sang and taught us the dendrites song during our science period. During Arts class in MAPEH, you won't show us a picture of a field to draw, instead you bring us to a real rice field, feeling it's heat from the sun and the cold from the wind. Then, the moment we saw you placed your cassette tape in the cassette player, we already know what to do. We are all ready to sing "Magkaisa," "Handogng Pilipino saMundo," and "Kapaligiran." Before that year ends we already memorize those songs.

We know how dedicated you are. You even bring your students in your home to review for an upcoming contest. I can still recall those nights, those sleepless but unforgettable nights. And then, every morning, the first thing that will greet us is the aroma of the coffee waiting for us in the table.

You're not just a teacher, an adviser,a mother,a friend, you are more than everything.  You didn't just filled our minds with knowledge but also our hearts with those experiences. Ma'am Liza Castillo, you are indeed one of the best teacher that I’ve ever met.

Teachers doesn’t only provide our minds with the knowledge that we need but rather they also filled our hearts with their infinite wisdom. They take our hands to the right path, opens our mind with the truth and touches our heart with the values that we all need.   

Grooving Everlastingly

by: Mayce Gutierrez

Dances gracefully as she goes on the aisle. Making her moves that can capture all the attention of her audience.

Every single step she takes, snap she makes and move she shakes leaves a mark on everyone. Her smooth sway that touches all our heart. Every bit of her action reflects on us.

Different rhythm, but with one melody will result to a perfect music. Fast, moderate, or slow any rhythm can be beautiful and useful to that unique melody. Those rhythm are a way meaningful to the melody. At times the melody adjusts just to support the rhythm. Slowing down just to assure that all the rhythm can be place at the right spot.
Playing the part of the melody with her non-stop grooves which makes her more elegant and leads to be a respectful one. She moves carefully in front of us making sure that we can remember all she does and let our attention on her. Every bit of her arms followed by her own unique expression molds our day. With that small props swaying along with her hand, we recollect things. Her smiles on every performance she takes showing her bubbly face lift up the mood and increases the fun leaving memories that we can count on in.

As time passes by, sharing and staring a moment, her grooves remains the same but now she dances with everyone. Dancing through the years that shares a smile on the heart of each one. On the aisle, she is not alone, now dancing together is her new drill. Work as a team while sharing all the attention altogether. Learn from each other while having practice. And create a graceful dance full of hearts.

 Bringing not just a small props for only one but a more visualize that everyone can enjoy. Cooperation of each one following instruction given to them. Placing a swag in the performance confidently with a smile adoring her. In front, everyone has a part, every one can show what they got and everyone can dances what they feel to.

Changes do occur, we cant do anything to stop it but rather we need to adopt to this changes and make our own choreography in this another music.

Having a great teacher like her as a part of my school life is a blessed one. Her way of teaching when I was her student really motivates me as well as my classmates. She treated us like her own daughters and sons. As she walks inside the classroom with that small chalk in her hand wearing her smile gets our attention easily. We do respect her. Now dealing with a new set of students, her act doesn’t change rather she puts an adds on showing cooperation in the group. Letting her students in front and discuss, with her as their guide.
Shifting from one to another is quit hard but with all your love and passion on whatever you do things will flow smoothly.

Notable Experiences from One of a Kind Teacher

by. Maria Kate Banayo

As we always say, teachers are the second parents of the students. They can influence us through their words and actions. We encountered a lot of teachers and we will encounter various teachers as we continue our studies. Of all teachers we had, there’s always one teacher that we will never forget and will always remain not only in our mind but also in our heart. And this one has surely a big impact in our life.

In my high school days, there are numerous teachers teach different subject. All of them are good and fair, but I have this Filipino teacher whom I admire the most. She has the most pleasing personality that I have ever come across. Every time she teaches, I feel that she really loves what she’s doing. She’s very passionate in her work. She has a great combination of kindness and strictness. She never showed bias action because she treated all of her students in a fairly manner. She made every discussion interesting so we have no time to find the space for monotony. When she discussed something she assured that all of us will learned something from her. She encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try to do different things and discover something new. I still remember how she told me that I can also be a good leader. Before, I don’t have any guts to stand in front of many people and speak out. But she did something to make me face my fear. She chose me to be one of the performers in poetic competition when we had a program in our school. From that day, my confidence was boosted gradually. She is not just a teacher but also a mother, listener, speaker and a friend. She did a lot of things for her students with full of efforts. Her in-depth knowledge, inspiring words, doubtless actions and good manners inspired and motivated me. And by the way, her name is Mrs. Irene Libit

In teaching, the teacher should know the appropriate strategies and tools to be used in her class. Before the classes started, Ma’am Libit prepared a lesson plan so that she can easily manage the discussion in a sequence manner. In curriculum implementing, we have various strategies and method that we can used in order to have a successful learning. Ma’am Libit used different strategies that suited in the topic. Since she is also English teacher, one of the strategies that she used is what we called Read Post Categorizes.  Her main objective why she is using this kind of strategy is to enhance the vocabulary of the students and practice on how to speak in English fluently. In this strategy, each student was given three different words then the teacher let the students to explore and search its meaning, tagalog word, origin and such and then the students will construct their own sentence using those words so they know how to apply it and the use of the certain word. And they will present it in front of the class. Through that, the student will able to share the knowledge that they gathered. Another strategy of Ma’am Libit is Directed Reading Thinking Activity. Here, the teacher will group her class and each group has five members wherein every member has a role like summarizer, leader, evaluator, checker and predictor. This strategy aims to develop the reading skills of the students. Ma’am Libit also let her students to report a certain topic that was assigned to them since the curriculum that we are using is student centered and the teacher is just a facilitator inside the classroom. And in evaluating the used curriculum, Ma’am Libit used several tools in assessing the students. She did not focused in just one type of assessment but rather she used some kind of test that can measure the target outcomes she planned for the students.

As we all know, K-12 curriculum is the new curriculum that we have right now. Wherein the students will explore and construct their own ideas while the teacher is the facilitator and will serve as a guide. The teacher will be the one who will lead the planning, designing, implementing and evaluating curriculum. For me, in order to make these four stages of curriculum successful, the teacher should know the needs of his students.

MASTERPIECE

by Giselle Madrilejo

     K-12 Curriculum has been implemented for about six (6) years. Looking at our educational system, the said implementation was made in attempt to produce a positive change. This brought several changes on the teaching and learning process. The question is; are we already prepared in facing this new program?

Let us see the insights of my former teacher regarding how she implements this new curriculum. As she mentioned, it is really a challenge to everyone to meet the new standards provided in the program. The teachers and students have no backgrounds with the K-12 program and it is difficult to adjust with abrupt changes. She further stated that our government is not yet ready to implement this kind of program in terms of facilities and equipment. Despite of this, she is still hoping to a successful result to students and to our country. According to her, following DepEd Memorandums and requirements is one of the most effective ways in implementing this curriculum.

Educators used different approaches in teaching; it is not just intended to develop the cognitive skills of the students but rather to touch their lives. She cited several methods in order to make her career a meaningful one. These include the following: small group discussion, team project, buddy system, and collaborative learning. These are all under the student-centered approach. It is not really new to her since she already used these in her past years of teaching. I’ve already witnessed on how she delivers the lesson, manage the classroom and be a role model in every class that she handled.

My former teachers are the reason why I am in this field of teaching. They keep on pushing me away from this profession but I insist. They keep on commenting how difficult to be a teacher but I continue to take this path. These are all because I see how dedicated they are not just to teach but to give motivation, encouragement, love and care to those who are in needs. My teachers do not only teach me to write, read and count but they serve as my second family. As much as I wanted to mention all those teachers who teach, mold, motivate, encourage and loved me but this requirement is limited to only one educator. Let me share my message to one of my inspirations why I am aiming to be a future teacher.

“For them, you are ordinary but for me you’re definitely an extraordinary. Experiences with you are worth remembering. A picture of devoted teacher can be seen unto you from the way you walk up to how you communicate. Your smiles say how much you love what you are doing. In spite of these, no one knows how much you suffered from a serious illness but you still manage to go on just like nothing’s happened. You are my mathematics teacher but it doesn’t end there, you are my great adviser in everything and a friend whenever I need.

 Can you still recall our first interface? Can you still remember the various competitions we’ve joined? How about the seminars we’ve attended? Or the camping and field trips that we participated? Who will forgot the issues of our section? Have you enjoyed our present during your birthday celebration? There are lots of memories we’ve shared which I always bring wherever I am. It may be a success or a failure, laughter or tears. I can still see you teaching and training me for quiz bees’, I can still remember your strategies inside the classroom, I can still figure out how your laugh brings joy to us, and I can still feel how you love and care for your students.

You never failed to inspire and motivate your students. You may not know how much I valued and admired you for being a great person but I know I’m not the only one. There are living proofs on how you turned their lives into different perspectives. Continue molding and creating students to be the best that they can be --- your MASTERPIECE in education.”

This message shows how a teacher implements the curriculum; it is not just about how the students’ learned the subject but how a teacher builds the relationship with the students. Whatever changes occur, remember that educators are always an implementer of the curriculum. They have the power to change and encourage everyone to be a better learner.

The teacher behind the MASTERPIECE is my former 2^nd year adviser and mathematics trainer. My teacher, my mom, and my friend, Ma’am LOIDA G. BORJA.