When I learned that our class will have to render 5 hours of community visit and apprenticeship as part of our requirement in ICLiP, prior to our demo teaching, I cant really describe whether I'm excited or thrilled or overwhelmed with the amount of time we need to complete the requirements, and with the new experience we have yet to see.

My whole experience with ICLiP was superb, as compared to UPIS. Well, the latter was not bad at all, but the intensity of how much I enjoyed my stay with the children in ICLiP was way more better. And I guess I evidently showed my sheer excitement and joy during my apprenticeship and my demo teaching. I want to share my experience with these children during: the community visit, the apprenticeship, and the demo teaching.

The community visit allowed me to see and, somehow, feel the current situation my students are in. Just by passing through the different areas inside the community, I got to condition myself on how I will act towards them, and how much understanding and patience I should give them. The place we visited is not my, your or anyone's dream place, sad to say. The entrance welcomed me with a foul smell I can barely explain. But I was sensitive enough not to cover my nose, or act offensively to the people there. And then, there was this narrow alley, beside a creek, a meter or two that is entirely dark; it blinded and paralyzed me for a couple of seconds. As we continued our walk, I noticed that some of the houses are made of light materials, while some are made of cement. Maybe, some with cement houses found a way to at least uplift their lives despite being informal settlers. But, what about those who haven't found a way to uplift their lives? They stay in a small place, dark, with bad air ventilation, seven days a week. Given this kind of situation, there is no wonder the children love to stay in the center. The center provides them with enough space to wander around, and can make them feel clean and safe.

After our community service, my group was first to do the apprenticeship. For three days, one hour each day, we had to teach the students who are assigned to us the lesson plan already prepared for that session. The first session was more on skills development, writing a sentence in its proper form. I didn't have a hard time because the students were well aware of the things they need to remember. Although, I needed to watch over them because they forget sometimes. Also for the first day, we had to establish our relationship with them. We asked them to give a "tara na!" clap every time they accomplished something. It made them energetic and be interested in the class. It made them remember us. For the succeeding meetings, they became comfortable to us. They remembered our names, and participated in class discussions. I felt happy and I enjoyed the experience far more than being tired managing the class.

On the demo teaching itself, my group mates and I can already connect with our students. The apprenticeship helped a lot in creating good relationships with them. The students were engaging. You can see some of them really excited to share their thoughts, but there were some who weren't as extrovert as the others. But we noticed that later on in our discussion, that one shy student didn't feel left out because, through out the class, we encouraged everybody to participate and gave opportunity for everyone to contribute in the discussion. Another thing that made the students very excited with the class are the activities we prepared for them. There were group and individual activities. I am so happy to have taken part in making these students learn and have fun at the same time.

I am really new in the teaching profession. I never thought teaching would require much practice, or it would require practice before the formal class itself. My knowledge about teaching was shallow. I thought that teachers will just prepare lesson plans, materials, and execute it everyday. I thought wrong. Teachers have a tedious job in preparing all the things necessary in teaching, even the way he/she will interact with students, and how he/she can make the class fruitful for everyone (noting that each student is different from the others). There is something about teachers that make their teaching looks so natural and flows smoothly. This I guess I have to discover myself as I walk through my journey in Education.

My group has had a couple of practices prior to micro-teaching. I find it quite funny, and incomparable to micro-teaching and extremely far from the actual demo teaching. During our group practice, we take turns in becoming the teacher and the student. However, it seemed like watching a theater play because almost everything is scripted, the answers and reactions. There's nothing else we can think of as answers and reactions. We were limited by our knowledge of what our students will do.

Our class micro-teaching was more realistic, as expected, and, will really help you show your hidden teaching skills. For me, the experience was fun and really helpful. All the materials you prepared were used. Your classmates were your students. There were expected and unexpected answers and reactions from them. The part that was assigned to me was a bit challenging because I will have to think fast, on the spot where questions and answers will be thrown at me. With the presence of my classmates-students, I got to hear more answers and questions that my real students will probably give. The micro-teaching helped me prepare for my act

A teacher asked me how was my demo teaching, and I answered "it was a new experience."

I have no doubts with my answer. It was really a new experience that I had teaching in UPIS. I didn't mean to sound it negatively, if it sounded negatively. It is just me being honest about how I felt. Considering that was my first time to really teach a formal class, that was a new experience I know had an effect on me.

For the two days of demo teaching, I was assigned in post-reading (first day), and independent practice and evaluation (second day). Before our group divided the tasks, I was thinking what task is the most difficult, for lit and skills. But then I ignored the question because as a future teacher, I will basically do all of that without any assistance from others. Whatever my tasks will be, accept it and do the best that I could.

As my group mate handed to me the next activity for the class, there was a bit of nervousness in me. I was ready for my lines but not for their, supposed to be, expected answers. Some answers were not expected. "What should I do?" Luckily, before I said something else, one gave an expected answer. But something in me, my curiosity, made me ask that question again later on. Almost all said the opposite of the expected answer. I asked one of the students why, and I didn't give a follow-up question. I know I can't force them to give me the answer that I wanted. There was no right or wrong answer. I just need to be more ready next time in handling such situation.

The next day was more tiring compared to the first day. I can remember later that night, my throat was itchy and achy. My challenge on the second day was proper classroom management. I should have grouped the class according to their groupings. The smaller the group size, the more manageable the class will be. Aside from that, the class was becoming noisy every so often. I got no more tricks up my sleeves. I should learn more on how to manage the class.

This is why

This is a sequel to my previous post entitled, "The Challenge," but in a different grade level and different subject. Indeed, this experience made me see teaching as even more challenging. Our class was tasked to observe Grade 6 - Diamond, specifically during their English class under Teach Emmanuel.

I came to the class early enough to see students come in class, one-by-one, since they were out for some activities before their English class. I got to compare and contrast, anticipate the attitudes of the students, and reminisce the class I had when I was once a Grade 6 student. As far as I can remember, in general, my Grade 6 life was fun and I loved my classmates and teachers. Well, that's in my point of view, but what about the teachers'. So now, I can see it.

The Grade 6-DIamond class was a bit far from what I expected. Maybe because I expected too much on them given the school they are in. But after all, they are comparable to other high schools. Or should I say, because children are children (some can still be naughty, easily get bored at that age, or children are really like that).

Before the class started, during the class, and after the class, the students were noisy and seemed so unmanageable. It was like if the 30+ students want to say something or ask their teacher, they will talk simultaneously. As for the teacher, he had to change his managing techniques quite often depending on whatever is effective for the class at the given moment. He would tell the class to keep quiet; if he's being ignored, he would be silent and somehow the class will feel the need to be quiet as well.

Nevertheless, during the class, the students were cooperative and responsive to their teacher. Amazingly, students were able to unlock difficult words (I assume are difficult for their level) like uncoiled and thrashing, based on their prior knowledge or how they understand the words given its use in the sentence. Not all gave the right answers immediately, but later figured it out. For the teacher, all through out the pre-reading part, he mentioned a number of "comments" (can't think of a better word for it) like "gather your thoughts first" if the student is taking too long to give his answer, "say it in English" since it is an English class, "settle down" or "I know [pertaining to the class] you're excited to share your thoughts, but settle down first" if the class gets unmanageable. And if the class gets noisy, he would change his tone voice to loud to caught his class' attention, or just be silent.

It was only when the class started the reading part that the class became silent. And that is for seven minutes. Although there were some students who are still reading aloud,  but not so disturbingly loud. After reading, a video clip was shown. The class was familiar to it and they seemed to be interested with it because I can see them with their full attention to it. I think it was a good effort for the teacher to choose and prepare the lessons that is not only educational but also interesting for the students.

Lastly, for the group activities, I observed that some members of the groups were not participating. Some members were talking about other stuffs not related to the activity, while some students were dependent on their other members. On the teacher's part, making the students busy is not the time for him to rest because, like teacher Emmanuel, he roamed around the different groups and checked on their progress.

For me, it was a tiring one hour and a half class. Imagine doing it for a whole day and countless days in a year. It was exhausting. It made me thinking if I still want to teach elementary level or high school level or kinder level (at least their cuteness will motivate me :)) or college level (hopefully, they will act more maturely). Kudos to teachers out there!

Last Thursday's activity, our class had an observation in UP-IS, in Teacher Rica's class Kinder-Sampaguita. It was my first time to do a fieldwork I haven't done before as a Management student, and that is for the purpose of being a teacher as a profession. There are two points that I want to reflect on: 1) how being a teacher can be really challenging, and 2) how students can make the challenging part of being a teacher becomes a teacher's pursuit of happiness.
To be in a class with not less than twenty students, who are tiny little creatures, young (around 5 to 6 years old), and at the transition of staying in a class setting away from the comforts of their homes, toys and mommies, intense passion, patience, creativity, humor, and management skills are some of the skills that I find highly needed in order to cease each day. These little, cute students have tendencies to become naughty and unmanageable, but I'm so fascinated on how Teach Rica was able to caught their attention and make these students listen to her.

Also, I'm so impressed at how Teach Rica prepared all those creative and striking materials, and plentiful of worksheets and games for her class. I mean, you discuss different lessons each day right? and for how many hours, right? How tedious it seems to prepare lesson plans, and activities on each lessons for each day. Preparing materials requires a sense of creativity and humor so to caught your students attention to the lesson and to you. Another thing, during reading, there seemed to be a talent that I need to learn in reading books to kids. Like how Teach Rica read the book, she re-lived the story through her storytelling: her voice, expressions, and all about her. She is amazing. I want her to read to me some bedtime stories. Haha.

Furthermore, another funny and amazing thing about Teach Rica was how she manages her class. She used reinforcements to her students to make them participate in class, stay on their places, and listen to her lessons. It is quite funny because I can see in the students how badly they want to be seen as good by their teacher, despite their naughtiness. For me, I think this is quite a challenge because I need to be cautious in acting silly things that are not appropriate to students, maybe like shouting or embarrass a student in front of his/her classmates.

Given these kinds of challenges a teacher could encounter, why are there still teachers and would want to become teachers? I questioned myself and answered it as well. In my opinion, it is simply because they see their students' holistic growth as way more "rewarding" that they can bear any kinds of challenges. Especially for a teacher that is not profit/money-oriented, but rather someone who truly cares about children and children at heart. Their students become their purpose in life. That is why there are some teachers who lived their life teaching, and didn't get the chance to form their own family because they already have their family, their students. But I want to have my own family. Haha. And I want to share with them the purpose I'm living now as a soon to be teacher.

Ilang taon na rin ang lumipas,

Nang huli kitang makita.

Inalala mga tula mong sinulat

Noong dati'y tayo pa.

Ngayo'y wala ng pag-iibigan,

Wala na ring pagkakaibigan.

Paminsang kamustahan

Nauuwi sa hintayan,

Hintayang walang hinihintay.

Tayo'y magkaibang landas ang tinahak,

Di malaman kung pagtatagpuin pa;

At kung sakali man, paano kaya

Luluha ba o magagalak nalang?

Bakit pagpilian ang pagluha,

Ilang taon na rin ang lumipas.

As tasked to research on the problems in reading education in the Philippines, I found and chose these three problems, namely: 1) Philippines is a nation of non readers, 2) insufficient structural supports like reading materials and teachers, and 3) malnourished students. These problems were said to be contributing factors, in the long run, to Filipinos in being incompetent workers, locally or globally, and majority of Filipinos to remain below or in the poverty line.

A nation of non readers. I stumbled upon an article about Filipinos, marked by its history, as being storytellers as opposed to being readers. Based on the article "A nation of non readers by Juan Luz" (2007), Filipinos' culture was mainly passed on through word of mouth and not through written works. A survey conducted in 2003 by the Philippine government said that the two main sources of information for Filipinos were from television (62 percent) and radio (57 percent); while a low percentage read newspaper and magazines. Although Filipinos have been regarded as highly literate people, Luz posed a question on how true is it. Literacy is a measure of competence, and reading is a skill. Filipinos in rural or urban areas showed low literacy rate (that might also be overstated because of limited ways of acquiring information), and thus comes with poor reading skill, and then poor learning. Luz also saw poor reading as a reflection of poor language proficiency by public school teachers, may it be in English or Filipino. Despite these challenges faced by the Philippines, government and non-government sectors started acting in improving the level of competency of Filipinos that can help individuals and the nation in becoming competent globally.

When I assessed the article, its information may have come from surveys and test results, but it showed a realistic overview of the Philippine's situation. For me, the main problem in reading education that I garnered in the article is the lack of importance given in reading skill. Filipinos, as provided by history, have been dependent on oral transmission of information. While the habit of reading was not fully honed to its people. And, as evidently pointed out in the article, aside from writing and arithmetic, reading skill is also important in learning because it would affect one's comprehension. Learning is a key factor in being globally competitive, as much as reading skill (and anything that goes with it like language proficiency). Fortunately, some people have already begun taking actions in promoting the importance of forming a reading habit to students. It would be even more better if it will be continued from now onwards.

Lack of structural support. Other articles I read centered on, despite education having the biggest share in the national budget (approximately 15% from the proposed 2013 budget, according to Beltran, J., Alvarez, K., and Sunnex in 2012), the lack of structural support, like teachers, training, classrooms, textbooks and reading materials as a problem in reading education. According to Madge Kho, in the article "Status of Philippine Education System - 2004", students had low scores in High School Readiness Test, and the Philippines ranked low in the International Mathematics and Science Study due to contributing factors, such as national budget, lack of structural support and malnutrition.  The lack of structural support was the inadequacy in the number of books,classrooms, school materials, educators, and training of teachers. While there was also a problem in the competency of teachers in the English language where only 10,000 out of 51,000 teachers passed a test in assessing the English language. In another article by Ama Abeberese, Todd J. Kumler, and Leigh L. Linden, they mentioned that the Philippine National Budget for education was spent mostly on staff salaries, and little left for training, textbooks or buildings, and scarce reading resources are common in public primary schools.

With great conviction, I affirm to what the authors in the above two articles had mentioned. Aside from those articles, there are documentary films that would present the condition of the Philippine education like an award winning documentary film by Kara David in I-Witness: Piggy Bank (a story of a boy living in a far-flung area of Eastern Samar who endangers himself in the depth of the sea to earn a penny and fulfill his dream through education)(UNICEF, 2013). Seeing that film, it showed me that poverty does not limit an individual in pursuing education. Government, on the other hand, has a part in making education worthy of each seconds risked by individuals. But knowing that most of the budget are allocated to staff salaries, education will not be enticing to students, especially if there are no classrooms conducive for learning, trained teachers, and books and other reading materials helpful on their process of learning. 

Malnourished readers. Lastly, in the same article by Madge Kho, malnutrition of students was seen as a contributing factor in the poor quality education in the Philippines. Children are not learning because of physical deficiencies caused by the lack of food to sustain their health. According to the article, the Education Department together with Social Welfare Department will provide food for families that are in need of it. Malnourished students that are having difficulty in learning were evident as well in studies conducted in developing countries.

Malnourishment, in my opinion, affects children's education in general, not only in reading education, and it is brought about by poverty. Poverty is a hefty topic to be discussed, and still inconclusive on how to be effectively addressed, so I will not focus on  that. Malnutrition does not only alter children's learning capabilities but also hinders them from attending school. Some children would rather chose to stay at home and help with their family's financial needs, even at an early age. Fortunately, as cited by Lim (2013), government has been consistently developing programs in creating malnutrition awareness and aiding in need students and their families. Just like the "2013 Nutrition Month Celebration" Program of Department of Education, in partnership with other sectors.

REFERENCES:
Abeberese, A., Kumlerm T., and Linden, L. "Improving Reading Skills by Encouraging Children to Read: A Randomized Evaluation of the Sa Aklat Sisikat Reading Program in the Philippines." Working Paper, Columbia University, February 2013. Retrieved from http://www.povertyactionlab.org        /evaluation/enabling-young-readers-primary-school-reading-program-philippines

Beltran, J., Alvarez, K., and Sunnex. (2012, July 24).  Aquino submits 2013 budget to                congress. Retrieved from http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/07/24            /aquino-submits-2013-budget-congress-233828

Kho, M. (2004). Status of Philippine Education System -2004. Retrieved from http://bkpinc.org                     /education-in-the-philippines.html

Lim, D. (2013). 2013 Nutrition month celebration, theme: gutom at malnutrition, sama-sama nating wakasan. Retrieved from http://scoopboy.com/2013-nutrition-month-celebration-theme-gutom-at-malnutrition-sama-sama-nating-wakasan/

Luz, J.M. (2007). A nation of nonreaders. Retrieved from http://pcij.org/stories/a-nation-        of-nonreaders/

UNICEF. (2012). Philippine documentary on education wins 2012 Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/philippines/mediacentre_19774.html#.UbRQMNgSbyo