Marjim Marc C. Arafiles, Cherished Moments School (Bari, Mangaldan, Pangasinan)
“When you grow up, you should pursue medicine. You’ll earn lots of money when you become a doctor.” These were the words of my mother when I was still in elementary school. My favorite subject then was Mathematics and I hated Science because of my very strict Science teacher. I even entered several Mathematics competitions, both inside and outside the school campus, and won some of them. But you have to admit, the thought of getting rich is a very tempting one. I just shrugged the idea of becoming a doctor and thought that maybe a better and higher-paying career will be available by the time I get older. Science, then, would still be my least favorite subject.
High school came and something happened that would steer my path towards the Sciences. My aunt suffered from Dengue fever and no one else was available to take care of her. They entrusted me – of all people – to watch over and take care of her while she stayed in the hospital. I thought it was going to be simple – sit down, watch some television programs, and give the needed medicine when the time came – but I soon found out that it was going to be more complicated than that. Because she was weary all the time, I needed to assist her in everything she does. I would feed her, bathe her, carry her in and out of bed, clean the room, arrange and organize her medicines, and many more tasks that were tiring for me to do. I was so tired that one time when my parents visited, they mistook me as the patient as I was lying down on the bed while my aunt was having a diagnostic test somewhere in the hospital. But as I pondered on that fateful experience at the hospital, I felt a sense of confidence that I can take care of others. That I can learn things I did not know before and apply them. That I can, one day, become a nurse. This experience eventually led to my decision to take up Nursing instead of Engineering when I enrolled in college. From then on, I was exposed to the sciences of nursing. It helped me to answer problems, to think critically, and to choose practices that were evidenced-based.
During one of our Nursing Care Management classes, our instructor asked for a volunteer to explain some concepts in front of the class. I did so and my instructor and classmates were all impressed. My instructor even said that when I graduate, I should try to apply in the academe. There were also times when I would hold tutorial sessions for my classmates who were having difficulty in certain nursing subjects. All of these would gradually mold my teaching skills. When I earned my license in Nursing, I eventually decided that I would not be working inside the hospital but that I would dedicate my time to imparting what I know to others. When the Senior High School program started in the Philippines, the school where I was working assigned me to be a Chemistry teacher. I’ve been teaching science subjects since then.
When I started teaching as a Chemistry teacher, I imagined classrooms full of equations on the board and messy activities inside the laboratory. I was excited to reinforce topics that were already discussed during their Junior High School days. I even imagined myself being praised by future scientists, nurses, doctors, engineers, and many other professionals thanking me for being their teacher once. But I found out that it would take a lot of effort to make my expectations a reality. As days went by, I would transition from a teacher-centered pedagogy to a student-centered one. Many times I’ve encountered students not knowing the prerequisite knowledge to learn a more advanced topic in chemistry and other fields of science. I would then make adjustments to my learning plan to review the students catching up while letting those who are ready to learn and apply new knowledge. I would assess my students using different forms of assessment. A mixture of classroom and laboratory activities is beneficial in reinforcing the knowledge garnered by the students.
The availability of facilities and paraphernalia are very essential in reinforcing learning for our students. Observation is a key skill for learning science subjects; therefore, students should be constantly observing in real life what the teacher is teaching. This was a challenge for me during my very first year of teaching because I never allowed my students to work in the laboratory. This is because of the lack of equipment, but also because I do not feel confident in my laboratory skills back then. When I transferred to a school with sufficient equipment, things changed dramatically because I was able to let students perform laboratory activities on a monthly and even weekly basis. The availability of the equipment boosted my confidence because I was able to find time to conduct the activity first before letting my students do them. One thing I did to solve this problem was to just talk openly to your superiors. I was fortunate enough to have superiors who were understanding enough to grant my requests when it comes to laboratory equipment and other learning resources.
As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to make the classroom experience lively and engaging. I would insert a few comments jokingly now and then and it would ease up the tension inside the classroom. Activities and assessments would not only be limited to written works but I would let my students choose from a variety of outputs. This technique helps both learners and teachers. Teachers should know how to involve every student in every lesson. We need to reach out to students by knowing their strengths and empowering them to use these strengths to help them to learn. Teachers should also be innovative by embracing changes and advancements in technology and other disciplines.
To my fellow teachers, be your student. A school is a place of learning – both for students and teachers. Never limit yourselves to activities and assessments that are available in only one source, rather, go out of your comfort zones and explore how you can help your students grasp the concepts being introduced to them.
Let us remember also that we are teachers not just in the classroom but everywhere we go. We are looked up to by society, so we should set good behaviors and examples for everyone. When we constantly improve ourselves, we would be able to look back and see that we do have the potential to be great. I may not be the doctor that my mother wanted me to become. But I know that I will be a great influence on several doctors and other professionals in the future.