Foundation Builder

by: Gnet Sabandal

Actually, she is not my favorite teacher, instead the most influential one.

It’s been a decade since the first time I stood in front of her classroom shaking with fear due to different rumors about how she taught her pupils. Most of them speak of her as the strictest teacher in the school. Another thing that added to my fear is that she is our family friend. A friend of my mom, a former teacher of my cousins and our Sunday School teacher. It is not the fear of the unknown nor the fear of her attitude but rather the fear due to great pressure and expectations.

As I walk in looking at her face I can reminisce all my memories in the third grade, not because of the place but because of her face. That face that made my third grade a roller coaster ride. The face that almost make me cry while doing our project which she didn’t accept because I didn’t follow the instruction and I have to repeat twice, the face that make me feel rattle for the first time due to my acads, that make my heart almost burst because I fail and also the face that thought me to get up and keep on fighting. Well, I can say I am here today taking the course I am in because of her.

“Greet teacher Jeanette” that was a heartwarming one from my dearest previous teacher.

“Feel free to ask anything you want. Feel free to observe and roam around. This is still a second home for my students”. Well, that answer made me realize that she never change she is still my second mom.

            Now I am ready to observe her class. This is not to compare the students of yesterday and today but to notice the improvements in the school where I grew up.

            Observation 101: The table is now spacious. During our time, a bunch of large notebooks occupies her table. Every afternoon she wrote her semi-detailed lesson plan in those notebooks. That time she is teaching eight subjects in our class everyday meaning eight lesson plans were also prepared. She is using different books as her reference. One thing that I appreciate now about her is she never copied her previous lesson plan from the previous year just to fulfill the planning. Well now, Lesson plans doesn’t exist anymore. They do have DLL and the lessons are provided by the DepEd. She said that she still modify it since not all are applicable for the students.

            Observation 102: There are some science equipments. Well I really feel good when I’ve notice that there are manipulative science models in her classrooms. The anatomy of human body which I can only picture in my imagination when I was in grade 3 is already present there. I really am glad for those students because that was my dream back them. While I am living in imagination, they are now learning with manipulations.

Observation 103: The use of video presentation. This is another thing that I feel envy with. As I have mention earlier my elementary days are learning through imagination. Now, aside from manipulative models they are already watching videos. How I also wish we had. During our time she was just using manila papers and picture of those which I will figure out how they are moving again in my imagination.

Observation 104: Group and individual works. Now the students are really thinking. Don’t get me wrong. During our days, the teacher will feed us all the information, memorize it then quiz. Well today is really different. They do group and individual works. Students really tend to think first just like what the K-12 is suggesting.

Observation 105: The schedule in her table never change. The class starts with 7 am but she starts teaching at 6 am. This is allotted for those students who are having a hard time to read. She dismissed her student at 3:30 pm but still stay up till 5 pm to 6 pm. During our time this is allotted for her lesson plans and other preparation but today this is allotted for remedial.

Well in case I haven’t mentioned, she is the one who developed my speaking skills in English. A spelling drill every morning, that never ending story reading and retelling assignments, book reports as project every quarter, are her favorite things for us to do the whole school year.

One period has ended and they are now having recess, one thing I miss in this school, not the food but the playground which is no longer existing due to this new building.

“Ma’am I just have one question, how do you evaluate your students, your teaching and even yourself as teacher?”

“Well evaluating the students today is different from your time. We are now focusing on their performance unlike during your time we are simply using the quizzes and exams. Your time is more on paper and pencil while now according to K-12 curriculum mandated for us to do so. In terms of teaching strategies, the way I teach, I am evaluating the performance as a whole. Every school year is different, actually every quarter, students are constantly changing. But me as a teacher, I am just doing my job in God’s guidance, it our principal who evaluates us and if she suggest improvements I will do it with my very best with consideration of my students.”

And that conversation ended my observation. It is good to be back and I feel better upon seeing the improvements in this school.

Why my elementary teacher? Simply because I believe that elementary days particularly the first three years are the foundation of the child’s mind and a good foundation greatly contributes to development of the child.

Why my teacher in third Grade? Because she taught us not to be competitive but to be competent.