Practice Teaching: Not a closure, but a beginning

I was in Kindergarten when I first dreamed of becoming a teacher. No matter what my parents would tell me that being a teacher is a tiresome job, and that nobody ever got rich because of it, this dream never faded. I was not moved by their persuasive speeches during family meetings after dinner. I really wanted to become a teacher – I want to mold lives of young children, and I want to touch the future. And so that’s it. I took up education, and I’m very happy about it.

Now I’m on my last semester as an education student. This means that I have to undergo Practice Teaching. This is finally it! I’m fifty percent excited, fifty percent nervous. Excited because finally, I will not just teach in front of my classmates pretending to be the target learners of my lesson, but I will be standing in front of high school students, hungry for knowledge and eager to learn. I’m excited to fill their cups with knowledge, and learn from them as well. However, I am also nervous because I’m afraid my students will bully me, or talk behind my back because of my skin complexion and gender preference. Furthermore, I also experienced a lot of teaching-demo bloopers for the past years of my educ-student life. One of them was when I taught Lit1 to Computer Science students for our Teaching of Literature class. I am oblivious of the fact that my zippers were open, and a student of mine told me about it. Some of the students giggled, and I turned red. It was a very embarrassing experience, that when every time I do demo-teachings, I’m afraid the same experience will happen again. Not about my zipper being opened again, but the giggling of my students. What if I’ll mispronounce a word and laugh at me again?

Despite the negative moments I had when it comes to teaching, I still look forward that my practice teaching will be as awesome, satisfying, and life-changing like what my friendly Ates and Kuyas told me. I look at practice teaching positively that it will not be the end of my journey as an education student, but an avenue to start something new. In other words, I view practice teaching as an opportunity to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom, from the mistakes that I’ve done, and from what I’ve learned from the experiences that experience itself taught me. 

If only ...

When I am with my friends and classmates, I am very comical. I joke a lot, and laugh as if no one is watching me. However, when I am on the platform inside the rooms of the Ateneo de Davao High School, I frown and wear a strict impression on my face. I want this to be my trademark. I want to be known as “the strict but effective teacher” in the future.

I find this strategy effective (and amusing) way of managing the class, because from what I have noticed, whenever I put my things on the table and look at the whole class with a serious face, the students became silent, and all their eyes are on me. My cooperating teacher even told me “pang PAASCU Level ang tindig mo, Jeff” and I considered it as a complement.

As time went by, my strictness and seriousness started to fade. I started to smile at them when they greeted me “good morning” (because before, I just look at them and nod). I started to make little conversations to them during my motivational activities, and I formulated activities in my lesson plan that they relate. My mood continued until my last day of duty, when Ma’am Galvez observed me in my teaching demo.

Yes, I can say that they were actively participating

When the exchange of schools happened, I am already assigned at DCNHS Madapo Campus, and my classmates slash friends took over my class in the Ateneo High School. I felt happy for my students because they will be taught by good student teachers – fluent speakers of the English language, and good classroom managers. I know they will learn a lot from them.

During our Social Dimensions class, I asked my friends how my class was. Were they good to them? Were they fantastic? Participative? Their reply was amazing. They said that they were making “hi fives” to them after class, they even shared jokes together. Although I wasn’t there to observe my classamtes teach, it seems that their class was really happy and engaging. Open communication is present inside the classroom, and the students are not afraid to express their ideas.

By the time I got home, I reviewed my lesson plans, and realized that my class was also engaging, for I always encourage my students to ask questions for clarifications every after my discussion. I can say that my students were not afraid to express their ideas because a lot of them raised their hands whenever I ask their opinion about something. So why is this? Is it because of my activities? Are my visual aids too boring? Or is it because of my strict impression? Because I am not that friendly to my students?

I regretted the days when I frowned and raised my left eyebrow while I am sitting at the back of the room and observing the class. I regretted the days when I wore serious impression on my face while teaching. The strictness faded, yes, but it was too late. I could have made a stronger student-teacher and teacher-student bond if I just frowned only in the first day of class. 

Name extensions as an inspiration

Since high school, I always wanted to be a doctor, a priest, a lawyer, and a teacher. I am envious of these professions because they have titles or “name extensions” – Ph.D., Atty., SJ, Ma.Ed. Whenever I send letters to my ninongs and ninangs during Christmas, I usually put Ph.D. after my name. This habit of mine continued until I reached college. My mom laughed at me for doing so. She told me that I must not continue to do that because I might be sued. It’s simply inappropriate, and I am aware of it. But I love doing it!

            I was sad after my mom forbid me to put Ph.D. after my name. Besides, I only sent the letters to my relatives, not in a formal letter to the principal of Ateneo High School. But still my mom told me to stop doing it. Since I am an obedient child, I followed my mother’s orders. I did not place Ph.D. after my name even if it’s just a friendly letter to a relative.

            One moment when I was alone in the kitchen, she approached me and told me that I can be a Ph.D. if I want. I can write it after my name, if and only if I s

            That heart-to-heart talk with my mother inspired me to achieve my dreams, and the “name extension” that I want. I studied hard, I persevered to meet the teacher’s expectations, and I made sure that projects are finished at least two days before the deadline. From second year college until now, I am still trying hard to become the perfect student – perfect enough to receive a bachelor’s degree. Graduating from college is a step closer to my dream of becoming a Ph.D.

            As of now, I still have a lot of things to accomplish. I still need to pass my subjects, do assignments, and do practice teaching at the high school department. I am thankful for these tasks because these make me stronger as I enter the world of work. They say that journey of a thousand miles begins with a one step. The tasks that I need to accomplish are part of these steps. I believe I can reach my dreams with the help of my mentors who already posses these “name extensions.” All I need to do is to believe in myself and make use of “name extensions” as an inspiration. 

Do not be afraid to fall in love with your students

Falling in love is a normal feeling for all humans. Teachers, as human beings, also fall in love. Some teachers find their romantic mate inside the faculty lounge, some on their way home, and some inside the malls. In addition, other teachers find romantic love with their students, which I consider very disgusting and inappropriate. A teacher must avoid falling in love with his/her student because he/she can be sued for it. It’s very unethical and unprofessional. However, this does not mean that a teacher must not love his or her students. This love must purely be parental love and/or love for sharing knowledge and teaching young learners to become better citizens in the future.

            During the PAFTE Seminar, the speaker discussed about the qualities of a creative teacher. According to her, to be a creative teacher, one must not be afraid to fall in love with his/her students. She clearly explained to us that the love she was referring was not about romantic love like a teacher and a student engaging in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. The love that she was referring was parental love, and love for children’s learning.

            Is it necessary for a teacher to love his/her students? Yes. Because if the teacher loves his/her students, he/she will be able to teach the lessons with the desire to change the lives of the students, and to make learning meaningful for the students. Furthermore, the teacher will be able to create a non-threatening classroom environment where learning is fun and enjoyable.

            As a future teacher, it is important for me to have knowledge of the subject matter, and the delivery skills. Aside from these, I must also have love for my students. Not romantic love, but parental love, and love of children. In this way, I will become an effective and creative teacher. I should not be afraid to fall in love with my students. 

Do not be afraid to fall in love with your students

Falling in love is a normal feeling for all humans. Teachers, as human beings, also fall in love. Some teachers find their romantic mate inside the faculty lounge, some on their way home, and some inside the malls. In addition, other teachers find romantic love with their students, which I consider very disgusting and inappropriate. A teacher must avoid falling in love with his/her student because he/she can be sued for it. It’s very unethical and unprofessional. However, this does not mean that a teacher must not love his or her students. This love must purely be parental love and/or love for sharing knowledge and teaching young learners to become better citizens in the future.

            During the PAFTE Seminar, the speaker discussed about the qualities of a creative teacher. According to her, to be a creative teacher, one must not be afraid to fall in love with his/her students. She clearly explained to us that the love she was referring was not about romantic love like a teacher and a student engaging in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. The love that she was referring was parental love, and love for children’s learning.

            Is it necessary for a teacher to love his/her students? Yes. Because if the teacher loves his/her students, he/she will be able to teach the lessons with the desire to change the lives of the students, and to make learning meaningful for the students. Furthermore, the teacher will be able to create a non-threatening classroom environment where learning is fun and enjoyable.

            As a future teacher, it is important for me to have knowledge of the subject matter, and the delivery skills. Aside from these, I must also have love for my students. Not romantic love, but parental love, and love of children. In this way, I will become an effective and creative teacher. I should not be afraid to fall in love with my students. 

Make learning fun, not funny

I am always comical when delivering speeches, doing reports, and even when teaching.  Every time I am on the platform, my listeners are always laughing as I crack jokes, and I like it. I usually crack jokes during my reports and teaching demonstrations because I think it’s the best way to catch my listeners’ attention. However, after I did my report on a professional education course, my teacher told me that my listeners were not laughing because of my joke. Rather, they laugh because of the manner I present the joke. In other words, they are not laughing because of the joke; they are laughing at me.

            My teacher suggested that during reports, especially during a graded teaching demonstration, I must be serious because my grade is at stake. Worse, the learning of my students is at stake. My teacher also said that the discussion was already good, but a joke cracked in the middle of the discussion seemed to be distracting the students in the learning process. The teaching profession must be taken seriously.

            Being a serious teacher does not really mean that you will not make your topic fun and interesting. It is a skill that a teacher must master in order for his/her lesson to be fun. Students, if they know that you are a good and skilled teacher will not laugh at you when you crack a joke. Rather, they will laugh because they find it interesting, and that they understood your joke, which is of course, related to the lesson of the day.

            As a 21^st century teacher, I must not only consider the learning environment and the learning styles of my students. I must also consider myself as a teacher – the manner I deliver my lesson, and my teaching pedagogies that will make the students understand the lessons I teach. I must deliver and discuss the subject matter in a manner which the students will not make fun of me. I should be a good and skillful teacher, so that the students will find my lesson interesting and amusing. In this way, I will be able to make the learning process fun, and not funny. 

“I thought it was a mistake, but I was mistaken.”

My decision to be one of the people who mold the children’s bright future emerged when I was in Kindergarten. As early as 6 years old, I am already certain and decided that I want to be a teacher. That dream never faded, until I graduated from high school. Finally, when I was about to enroll myself in the Education program of the Ateneo, I was faced with a dilemma: what field of specialization will I choose?

            Since I like reading novels, appreciating how words were used in a poem, and because I hate Math, I have decided to take English as my major.

            During my first two years of study as an English major, there had been problems encountered and I successfully survived it all. I even became a dean’s list student. However, when I was already in third year, and started to make lesson plans and tasked to demo-teach lessons in English, I discovered that I have difficulties in teaching language and literature. I stutter while I teach, and I am not confident that I can answer all the students’ questions about my lesson. “I should have taken Biology, instead!” I said to myself. I even posted on Facebook that one of the greatest mistake that I’ve done in my crazy and happy life was when I chose to become and English major. Because we are not rich, I don’t have a choice but to continue to study and to teach English. I carried this problem every day as I enter higher English and Literature classes. Being English major was a burden on my part as student teacher. One day, the students of mine inspired me to love and accept my course. On that very day, I have learned to love and accept my major.

            My students in City High do not belong to the honor’s class. Instead, they belong to the greater majority in the general section. When my cooperating teacher gave them a reading activity, some of them, unfortunately, have difficulty reading. Others know how to correctly pronounce words in a text, but do not understand what they have read. This struck me most, because I know that one must be fluent in oral and written English to survive in the modern world. They must be taught the proper ways of reading, and help them comprehend the English language as soon as possible.

            Because of that incident, my students became my inspiration in doing my reading program in our Remedial Instructions subject. The fire of determination inside me rekindled, and I became more and more enthusiastic. I realized that it was really God’s plan to be an English major because there are a lot of learners who really need my help.