FITNESS AMONG TEACHERS
We are too busy preparing our lesson plan, instructional materials, accomplishing our reports, narratives, school forms and computing grades. Our time is being spent much on the preparation of classroom instruction but forgot to take care of ourselves and our well-being. Most of the teachers suffer from health conditions that sadly is taken for granted. Until it was too late for them to take care of themselves because time had passed and proper attention was not given. They retire feeling physically weak because of low regards on their physical fitness. Too sorry to know that there are some teachers who surrendered and meet their creator even before retirement because of weak body condition or an illness.
Some agencies and companies are already aware on the need of wellness program for their employees. They even hire someone to handle a program focus on the well being of their employees on aspects such as physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual. It is not only to make sure that they are healthy but also to improve performance and production. Provision of diet menu, preparing healthy activities or projects and even regular schedule for an exercise or dance activity were being done to ensure that workers are in good condition.
Some of the reasons behind absenteeism and low performance among teachers are associated with physical, emotional and even mental conditions. If these needs will not be given attention, low performance is like a curse resulted by the incapacity to promote a wellness program for the teachers. I hope that DepEd will take some time to pay attention on the health and well-being of its manpower. There might be some reasons behind low performance in the context of sound mind paired up with sound body.
— oOo— The author is Teacher I at Northville Elementary School, Division of City of San Fernando
Teaching and learning provide leadership, service, and support in the development, implementation, and dissemination of learning standards in all curriculum areas. To ensure that learners achieve at high levels of quality education, educators are constantly looking for the best techniques that would provide effective teaching and at the same time make learning more appealing and functional to the learners. Clarity of communication, collaborative, coordination, and commitment are core values that guide our work. Since the goal of education has become more complex this task has become more difficult. Thus, the vital role that the school has to play in achieving quality education and uplifting human kind is the main reason why there is a great demand for innovation.
No other change in our nation has offered greater challenges than the emergence of modern technology. In a developing and improving society, all people should have the right to access to information that can enhance their lives. Our evolving world includes an incredible growth of knowledge, an explosion of technology, and media resources. Keeping abreast to access, comprehend, and use information have become the skills, for teachers and even to learners to develop and function in our current world as well as in the future.
The video-based instruction strengthens and improves the teaching and learning process in the school by developing in learners’lifelong skills. It is in this light, that the researcher attempted to describe the utilization of video lessons in teaching MAPEH among the public high schools in Bamban, Tarlac Province during the school year 2014-2015. The descriptive type of research was utilized where in a descriptive questionnaire was distributed to teachers to obtain the data pertinent to the study. Statistical tools used to analyze gathered data were simple frequency counts and weighted mean. The utilization of video lessons was determined in terms of adequacy and functionality of video devices; frequency and competence of teachers in the utilization of video devices; extent of the use of video lessons and the problems encountered in the utilization of video lessons for instructional purposes. The respondents of this study were the MAPEH teachers coming from the two public high schools in the town of Bamban. Problems were encountered like; there are an inadequate number of video devices; as to the functionality, majority of the devices are not that frequently used because of the limited number and the availability of the schedule. Only laptop can seldom be used because most of the teachers have their own laptop. As a whole, in terms of frequency on the use of devices, the teachers use them rarely. The teachers need to share with the limited resource that is why they cannot do other thing than to wait for their turn. There are five major problems to be focused and faced by the MAPEH teachers as to the utilization of video materials. In view of the findings of this study, the following are recommended:1. The inadequacy of video devices must be addressed to school administrators by the teachers to provide sufficient instructional media in order to expose the students with new and meaningful learning experience. Absolutely, when there is sufficient video devices, the teachers could use video lessons more frequently in teaching. 2. Principals must encourage the teachers on the frequent use of video lessons in teaching. 3. MAPEH teachers should be resourceful in the selection and utilization of video-materials that are useful in the concepts that they teach in each lesson.4. The teachers who are competent enough in using video facilities/softwares must train those who are not knowledgeable to fully implement in the school the video-based instruction.5. MAPEH teachers should be made to update their knowledge and skills in improvisation of instructional materials like videos through seminars, trainings, workshops and conference organized by government, professional and school administrators. 6.MAPEH teachers should develop positive attitudes towards the use of video materials for teaching/learning.
— oOo— The author s Teacher III (MAPEH) at Dapdap High School, Bamban, Tarlac Division Of Tarlac Province