What it means to go back to school today

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, going back to school gets so exciting. Missing the school and everything in it—classmates, friends, crushes, teachers, the school environment—is something real that we look forward to it.

Student life has just two seasons—school time and summer time. And when there’s nothing to do during summer, the twomonth vacation becomes too long and mind-numbing.

No social media and mobile phones yet. No scary and threatening viruses. No technological advances. Just a simple life holding the essentials—to be with family and friends, to learn and get a diploma for a promising future.

But these were also the times when multiple intelligences were not so recognized yet. The rule of thumb is to just listen to the teacher, wait for instructions, take the test and wait for the Reading of Honors.

I remember we needed to prepare and study hard for the NCEE (National College Entrance Examination). Our class targeted a grade not less than 95 percent. So, we needed to study together with our teachers, understand the concepts and apply some strategies to answer all questions on time.

Those were the days. Everything has made a 360-degree turn. We have to change with the times.

Communication lines are just a click away and we no longer miss our classmates and friends that much. We can see them every day on screen or get to talk to them. We can easily ask our teachers through text and chat messages.

Everything seems so instant. The answers to our questions are available online. All the information we need is just a few keystrokes on the keyboard. There is this deluge of information and all we have to do is to equip ourselves.

The schools too have adjusted to becoming a student-centered institution.

The 21st century teaching and learning have placed the students in the center and the teachers become facilitators of learning. This entails learning that goes beyond the confines of the classroom. It has become more engaged and has evolved from rote learning to more interaction and collaborative learning.

With the onset of the pandemic, our schools in the country adopted different learning modalities from modular to online. Learning has become self-paced and parents and guardians become involved.

Now, we are slowly returning to normal after the twoyear major changes in the education system to see to it that learning must continue.

Normalcy here means students are seen in the classroom together with classmates and teachers. They learn together, do more projects together, share ideas and new learnings, learn new skills and all other relevant learning experiences. So, what does it mean to go back to school today? It means we are allowing all opportunities and possibilities. We can showcase our skills and talents as we develop them more. This holds true for both teachers and students.

It’s not all about the diploma anymore. It’s also about collecting the best memories and experiences in our lives. It’s about discovering ourselves, especially those that we are capable of. It’s all about growing with people who will later become important personalities in our life.

Going back to school today is creating opportunities.

What does it mean to go back to school today? It means we are allowing all opportunities and possibilities. We can showcase our skills and talents as we develop them more