Features / New Stories

SERVE Each Soul

We have five challenging days to immerse in the school and in the community. But the day of Demonstration teaching was one of my experiences I will never forget during our Community Immersion at Jaycon Elementary School. Brgy. Libot, Calinog, Iloilo last January 6-12, 2013.

It was a tiring day because the day before that, we made and prepared our lesson plan in the subject mathematics, and at night, we made the visual materials we needed for our demonstration teaching.

After the demonstration teaching, I realized that if you are a math teacher, first, simplify the given problems, show understanding of the subject Mathematics for better approach and encourage the poorly performing learners to actively participate in class discussions. These will align to the students for them to be able to learn the lesson on that day.

A complicated and hard problem will easily be understood if it is translated into a simple and more creative one. Simplifying approach to the given problem is like lifting lightly the lesson for the whole class.

But, while Ms. Venus Tanate, the math teacher, was in front, one student interrupt her, “Ma‘am, how are we going to solve that? I don’t even know what will be the possible solution.” Mark said an impulsive Grade V student. So, I gave him encouraging words by saying, “We will guide you in solving the problem, that’s why we are just here, right beside you, okay?” And Mark just nodded his head.

To teach the subject mathematics, the teacher needs a deeper understanding about this concept and ideas so that you will know what techniques or methods (either problem solving method, demonstration method, guided discovery approach or process approach) should be used. Because you understand the certain topic, for sure you could make a well-prepared and life-changing lesson plan.

Before we conducted our demonstration teaching, we decided that we will have a game as our motivation to encourage the students to show participation for the new lesson to be discussed. We put paper cupcakes under the armchair of the selected chairs before the class entered the room. “Class, check under your armchair if there is a cupcake.” Ms. Venus said as she started the lesson. Then, everybody hurriedly checked if there really are cupcakes, but soon, they found out these were just paper cupcakes and Rona, one of their older classmate said” I thought it was a real cupcake!” and everyone laughed.

“Patience is one of the virtues that the teacher should really possess.” Try to understand the chaotic world of each student, the heart-melting situation where they are in, their struggles and eagerness to go to school despite not having eaten breakfast yet, they pursue their schooling just to get an education. It was there that I feel that what I had was enough compared to what they had and I realized, those students need not only their parents or their family but also a teacher with a big heart, not just to teach them but to love them and build their future.

For the five days of Community Immersion, I should say, “Life is worth living for.” If those children have hopes and dreams, who are you to stop it?

During the last day of our stay in Jaycon Elementary School, we were felt so sad because they were emotionally attached to our hearts. As we left the peaceful and scenic view of the school, our precious gold marble-like tears fell from our eyes. Our community immersion doesn’t end there, especially our bond with our students.

- Coulee Cacho

visit: wvsubeed3a