Gateway to Horizon

Loyola Heights is known for its exclusive subdivisions. The community visit we have conducted however gave me a perspective contrary to this place’s fancy image. Most of its population is likely affluent but some are clearly not. Seeing this caused discomfort within me. I started asking myself, how can children living in such condition reach the fullness of their potential if even their basic needs are not met? I am not rich myself, but these people are obviously facing real problems that require concrete solutions, poverty is not a state of mind. Sadly, I have not really done anything as a future teacher or even as a pastor’s kid. I may have rendered community service in various places and participated in our church’s several outreach programs, yet have done nothing that actually empowers. I since then looked forward to personally meeting some kids who happened to be part of the communities we have visited.

Zooming in to our stint as apprentices, classroom management is still the biggest challenge. I bet it will always be since students have different preoccupations, establishing authority in your class while befriending your students at the same time requires patience and self-control. I equate passion and hard work to classroom management skills, something I will have to develop by gaining more experience. There is nonetheless a particular technique which I find very effective, that is task delegation. Giving the students some responsibilities will help them divert their extra energy. Additionally, kids will likely reciprocate your belief to their capacity to deliver and being entrusted with due diligence.

A key learning for me, I realize through our apprenticeship that both reward system and point system are ineffective. Both point and reward systems encourage competition which I consider unhealthy. This may not be true in all circumstance but is my general observation. Instead of unnecessary competition, teamwork is one of the many things students should work on.

To effectively launch a lesson, teachers should tap to the students’ schema. Activating their prior knowledge is possible by letting them share their personal experiences. I can then use it as leverage to eventually achieve the desired learning competencies. Another takeaway for my professional development, it is always best to conduct an interactive discussion especially that kids’ attention span is very short. Despite of slim experience, I have noticed that discussion becomes lively if the teacher maximizes the students’ reactions. To keep the high energy level, I should let the kids talk. Focus on the objectives should nevertheless be maintained. In my point of view, it is important to promote academic freedom and collaboration with the learners. Also, every teacher should render a listening ear.

Difficulty of activities must also be calibrated depending on the kids’ skills. Once their abilities have been gauged, their assigned tasks should be adjusted accordingly. This is where sensitivity is showcased. Finally, it is an absolute best to commend even the smallest successes of students particularly those we have covered during our apprenticeship. These kids according to Teacher Julie are often considered inferior thus expressing confidence for them will positively boost their morale. Simple recognitions may even become their childhood’s turning point; I deemed this crucial given the context of these children’s situation.

In conclusion, our community visit and apprenticeship made me realize a lot of things, there is in fact so much to say. However, I wish to end this article by expressing gratitude to the participants of iCLIP -the kids. It is amazing that I have been thinking of empowering them but it is me whom I found empowered at the end of the day.