As I've promised, I will share with you my journey as a pre-service teacher. Since we don't have classes yet, I will share first a glimpse of what happened during the first sem. So before the academic year started, we drew lots to which grade which grade we will be assigned to. Fortunately for me, it was Grade 5-St. Raphael.
Since a lot happened during last semester, I will just first share with you what happened during my observation with Grade 5- St Raphael of CCTC in the month of July.
During my first day observing Grade 5-St Raphael ma'am Jen (my cooperating teacher) rearranged their sit plan because mostly of their subject teachers were saying that Grade 5 is very talkative. But the strategy of Ma'am Jen did not work because no matter whom their sitting with, they always had a topic to talk about, which is why their class is very noisy. Aside from being noisy, they were not so good at keeping the classroom clean. So, from time to time, I remind them to throw their trash and keep away the unnecessary things in their table and to throw the trash bin if it's full already. As what ma'am said that even though they're turning teens already but sometimes they don't act their age so that's why we still have to instruct them on what to do.
There are times that some of them don't feel well, so I accompany them to the clinic to get checked by ma'am nurse. Most cases are stomach aches or head aches. They are very cute because eventhough it's an easy task they still ask for your help which is very fulfilling for me that they need me.
One thing that is very noticeable to them is that they're fluent in English. But because of their fluency in English, they find it hard to understand Filipino, even simple words. The Filipino teacher, which is ma'am Joy Adlawan, even their Aral. Pan. teacher ma'am Andree, who uses Filipino as medium they still have to translate the words in Filipino to vernacular or English for them to understand the lesson.
it really amazed me that the elementary in CCTC offers robotics class. During their first class, their teacher recalled what they did in their robotics class last school year with their past teacher. Even though he is still new as a robotics teacher, he really knows how to capture the interest of the students. He showed how to make a game, and soon, the students will develop their game themselves.
One day, one of the student have a sore eyes, so Ma'am immediately contacted the mother to fetch the student. So in the meantime, ma'am will go to the clinic and wait for her mom to arrive. I was tasked by ma'am Jen to discuss a topic impromptu. At first I was scared and hesitant because I don't have the time to study the topic but I know that I have to do my best so that the class will still be productive even though ma'am Jen is not around. So I stand in front and discuss it with all of my heart. I am so proud of myself because I delivered it clearly, and I have answered their questions or clarification regarding the lesson.I know that I did my part, and it’s very fulfilling for me. I am so honored that I have given a chance to do it even though it's on the spot, but through it aside that I learned a lot, we created a stronger bond within the Grade 5-St. Raphael.
During the last day, July, the culmination of nutrition month takes place. It started with the mass and an event in the afternoon. During lunch time, the students prepared food to be shared in class. I was also invited to their lunch get-together. The lunch was very heartwarming cause there was a lot of food, and I discovered that the Grade 5 St. Raphael is fun of fruits. They love fruits, and they even ask from the neighbouring classroom.
Eventhough in that short period of time I learned a lot of strategies from their different subject teachers like how to discipline them without them feeling suffocated or they can just be themselves and enjoy learning but at the same time they have to know what is the right thing to do. Every student is different, and I can see it very clearly on them, and I realized that it is really important to meet in the middle so that all of their needs will be attained.
Reminiscing my first moment with them brings butterfly to me. It humbled me that I had come a long way for this, and up until now, it seems surreal that each day I'm closer to my dream.
Stay tuned for my next blog for the month of August.