THE EXPERIENCES OF BEING A STUDENT TEACHER!

 

               Okay it's over. As I sit here sorting through the conflicting emotions of sadness and relief, I have one last pertinent question. Where is my “I survived”! Teaching as a career? What was I thinking?

 

               I certainly have a newfound respect for teachers. I am in awe of their numerous abilities. After all, hadn't I just finished four years of schooling designed to prepare me for the real world of teaching? Let's just say all of the myths I had regarding teaching were dispelled in my first few days in the classroom.

On our first day, we are told to observe our cooperating teacher. I was assigned from Ms. Fe Joan Sinfuego as my cooperating teacher who handles Grade 8 Emerald,Grade 8 Opal, Grade 9 Mahogany. IV Aristotle and IV Socrates. She is a cum luade during her college day so I’m so pressure because she hold a degree. We have given a chance to observe our cooperating teacher. Watching my cooperating teacher on how to maneuver her day in the classroom was like watching a sophisticated dance that had been well choreographed and many times rehearsed. While writing lessons on the board, she simultaneously stopped the note passing, desk pushing, and other not-on-task-behaviors with a single glance. She asked and answered student questions, voiced comments to interruptions and maintained an energetic and enthusiastic appearance in the face of adversity. Mainly my two eyes boring a whole in her back observing and taking notes on everything she did and said. Can you say Amazing! But wait there's more! She also had to remember because she would be out for the week, turn in grades for report cards, check science projects for completeness, check homework, remember to send home signed papers on Wednesdays, etc. she did this over the course of teaching five different subjects EVERY DAY!

                 During my first day of off-campus teaching, fortunately, when it was my turn at the chalkboard, I just had to focus on remembering my lesson plans and not falling down. In the beginning, when I was still living in fantasyland, I had an imaginary picture painted in the back of my mind. My lessons would be so inspiring and wonderful that the children would fall at my feet when the bell rang asking me to stay and teach them more. I agonized over each little detail in every lesson. Would this problem be too hard for one student and not challenging enough for another? Would the activity be as exciting to the class in reality as it was to me on paper? What if they just didn't get it? How could I keep 26 students motivated for an hour?!? I planned lessons by the week, as I had been taught, and each one, I thought, was better than the one before. How could the students help but be motivated and ready for class each day, coming in complete with supplies and homework and neatly sitting with hands folded on their desks awaiting my words of wisdom. Let's just say that when reality hits, it hits hard and leaves bruises.

Specifically outlining routines, rules, and behaviors from the beginning and explaining and sticking to the consequences puts the students in control of their own behavior and provides a well-structured class management system that they can depend on and adapt too. Makes complicated sense to me.

Homework? What is that? We had homework? Josh please turns to the page we are on. Kate quit visiting with your neighbor. Can I get any clearer? Suddenly, I was faced with the dawning knowledge that what goes on in the real world of teaching is far different and more complicated than what is taught in the classroom. Those beautiful lesson plans that I had spent hours on were modified on the spot or thrown out entirely without even a wave goodbye. I found myself pacing the lessons to the student's abilities instead of pacing the students to the lessons I had created. I learned that not every student would understand every concept and through the frustration of that, I learned not to take it as a sign of failure on my part as the teacher.Sometimes you just have to push on through the material and hope that for those who don't understand, it will be covered again at a later date. Most importantly, I found that teaching involved not only the ability to recognize the strengths and limitations of each student but also the patience and commitment to help the students recognize those features in themselves.

They made me so happy that I can't help but cry whenever the day of goodbye is getting nearer. I don't want to go. I want to stay and teach for a bit longer. But there is nothing I can do now but freshen up the glimpse of happiness I shared with my students. I will really miss them so much. In fact I really love to be with them. They are the best reasons in my life why I wake up every morning just to go to school. They just change me a lot. I learned so much from them as they learn from me.

              In more than two months staying at EPAMNHS is during my final demo. This is the most awaited part of us so that we can complete the requirements needed in our course. During that time, I feel nervous, clumsy; I don’t know what to do for many times. I always go to CR. I am the first who will showcase my expertise in demo-teaching excited yet pressured. Before I take the floor, I’ve prayed that whatever is the result of this I will accept. At the end of every hardship I successfully do it because of the help of my CT Ms. Fe Joan. I will also add in my lists the moment when I admire a guy. He is a teacher at EPAMNHS who are very serious, his voice will makes you afraid to greet him but when the time goes by I realized that he is not kind of guy that I am think of. I admire him because he is good in teaching. This guy makes me pursue to finish this course.

In general, I became happy staying at EPAMNHS because of my students who make me laugh despite of bombarded requirements. Simple smile and greet of my students can relieve my stress and tiredness of the whole day.

But the most sad part of our off- campus teaching is saying goodbye to our students. Before we left, my students requested to take some pictures from me. They also give me letters and hug me and say “Maam, hwag ka na pong umalis, mamimiss ka namin eh” my tear slowly flow. I also hug them and I said that sooner or later I will be come back and I will be your teacher in science, just pray for me to graduate and pass the LET.

Surely by now you can see that student teaching is more than just another CLASS designed to prepare you for the real thing. It is as essential as the Materials and Methods courses that you have taken and is as important as the basic lower division requirements. We have all been taught how ineffective lecture is and how important hands-on learning is. Through hands-on learning, it dispels all of the idealistic values and presumptuous viewpoints that you have built your imaginary teaching career around. It is intended to instruct you in the finer points of finessing the angry parent, dealing with the administration, instructing the difficult child, preparing report cards, practicing classroom management techniques, preparing real-world lesson plans, learning to work as a team with fellow teachers, recognizing that Johnny lives in a car, Suzy doesn't have lunch money again, and Lisa has bruises where she shouldn't. In short, it is to humble you towards the profession you are about to enter. I would suggest you start taking vitamins.

 

              I would not change or alter my experience for anything. The bumps and bruises that I acquired as a part of my learning experience were invaluable tools that provided insight and enhanced my own personal growth and professional development. I hope that in the future, I will bestow as much patience and kindness in teaching my students as my cooperating teacher used to teach me.

 

                “Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs and that is the risk of doing nothing”

                                                                                                                                                 --DEVIN HENRY WAITLEY

                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES

               As we enter in our cooperating school different activities are conducted. We don’t only focus in the field of teaching but also expose ourselves in different activities which will help us on how to socialize with other people. The following are the activities where CBSUA student-teachers are involved:

1. BOOK WEEK and CAREER GUIDANCE WEEK

            We are the one who facilitated during this activity. The event was held at EPAMNHS last November 28, 2014. With a theme: “ Nasa Pag Asa ang Pagbasa”. This events composed of different activities like quiz bee, poster – making contest, spelling bee, math quiz. In the afternoon, a 4th year students presented their professional attire and it ends with a very informative message coming from the principal Mrs. Evelyn B. Fabrigas.

2. 4TH REGIONAL PATIRIBAYAN FESTIVAL

            EPAMNHS is the billeting during the said activity. The school heads, faculty and staff are all busy preparing for this coming event. We are also involved during this event. Again we are the facilitator; we are assigned to prepare the foods that are going to eat by the visitors coming from the City and Province of Sorsogon. The said event has different activities like street dance competition, chorale, music, dance and the like. We also assigned to have documentation and narrative report on the said activity.

3. Caroling with DLC members

Another activity was joined by student teachers with DLC coordinator Mr. Arjay Andrew Botor. This activity was done last December 17 at the nearby barangay in Buluang. Before the caroling was conducted, we sent them a letter to inform that we will be having a caroling and the money will proceed in buying the instruments.

 

 

4. LOVERUN 2015

            Loverun is another event of all faculties in different school. We are assigned to distribute the shirts to the participants. February 14, 2015 it is the day where the event is being conducted. The program started at 5:30 in the morning. The starting line is from Capitol to Marcos stadium. We ran together with the faculty and students.

5. SECONDARY SCHOOLS FESTIVAL OF CULTURE AND ARTS

Students, teachers and CBSUA teachers are all busy. We are preparing for the incoming event which is the secondary schools festival. The highlighted in this event are the art contest, musical and dance contest like vocal solo, solo flute, solo guitar, banduria solo, rondalla,flute ensemble, mixed duet, folk dance and choir. Some teacher are participated in this activity.

 

5. JUNIORS and SENIORS PROMENADE

            This is the most awaited events of every students as well as the teacher. Fortunately, we are invited to attend this event at Baao Municipal Covered court. But before the events come, we are assigned to make and designed the souvenir. We are there to have fun and relieve stress. We dance together with the juniors and seniors and EPAMNHS family. We dance, dance and dance with students and faculty. This is the most treasured moment that we will keep in our heart.

6. MAPEH DAY CELEBRATION

            Students and teachers are all busy a day before the said event. They are preparing for the event. It is expected that every grade level should present their prepared performance to showcase their talents like singing, dancing both folk and modern, acting/drama. We also facilitate during this event.