START OF SCHOOL YEAR

Horticulture as a school subject is taught continuously from elementary to high school. Students practice landscape observation and forestry skills, farming placement, experience the busy lives of farmers, gardening, ecology and the analytical study of life sciences.

Horticulture is an important contribution to young people’s holistic understanding of nature and the world as a whole. This understanding can provide a real basis for life, especially in the current age of digital media, no matter how realistic the “secondary” computer worlds and social networks might appear to be. People, as biological beings, are part of and dependent on the whole of nature’s cosmos. Children need to experience, enjoy and observe their natural surroundings in order to gain a positive inner attitude towards the environment.

Horticulture supports the adolescent’s development. It creates a balanced foundation on which thinking, feeling and willing are harmoniously developed in the human being.

Horticulture enables an encounter with the world and trains the will. The inter-connectedness of the world is visible in the garden, in the individual activities of human beings and the land. Educational horticulture calls the student to actively connect with the garden’s organism, to become aware of the necessity of gardening work and to learn its techniques. Gardening aims to develop awareness, to differentiate and deepen the perception of living organisms, and to use willpower in meaningful activities.

Horticulture as the basis for responsible ecology. Developing the students’ ecological awareness should therefore aim to inspire a positive inner attitude towards nature and the environment. In order to achieve this, it is important for the students to learn to perceive and enjoy the environment, to observe and investigate it, and to cautiously work on and care for the land.

— oOo— The author is Master Teacher I at Justino Sevilla High School, Arayat, Pampanga

Summer flies and June is drawing near. Back to school is fast approaching. As a student you don’t want summer to end while others are feeling excited about the fresh start of the school year. Look around you. Where are the students? Many are exploring the beautiful beaches of the Philippines, having so much fun and spending quality time with their loved ones. Some are in the malls bonding with their peers, watching movies and go shopping. Others are already busy buying their school supplies. And some who stayed at home reading their favorite book or browsing the net. While some are relaxed and still enjoying their remaining days of vacation in the provinces. All are excited for the start of the class. Look around you. Where are the teachers? They are spending their vacation on attending trainings and seminars. They are not tired of improving and innovating their teaching skills just to share it with their students. Reading teaching books to embrace the new trends of teaching-learning process, to have a fresh ideas like using of PowerPoint presentations, multimedia, audio-visual presentation, videos, movies, excel in computing grades. They are busy preparing their classroom management plan or other called it “Oplan Balik Eskwela”. Teachers’ want their classroom to be ready and conducive for learning. They started cleaning before the start of the class. It doesn’t matter what she looks like sweeping the floor, removing cobweb, wiping the windows, cleaning the electric fans. Most of the time teachers set up their classroom as welcoming and cozy. It is like a home away from home for the entire school year. You will want your classroom reflect your personality. Creating interesting bulletin boards based on the subject and topics to be covered is a very good idea.

Another section in the classroom that exhibits students’ characteristic is placing “Best work”. Posting trivia’s and pictures in the walls is one way to keep students eyes amazed and interested. Set up the classroom chairs depending on your own teaching style and strategies. Teachers are energized to create something new to the eyes of students. She is not tired of exploring new methods, techniques and strategies. She makes her summer vacation worthwhile to be efficient and effective teacher. Preparing daily lesson log, teacher’s guide, learner’s materials and class record is a must on the checklist. You feel a lot better if you already prepared Daily Lesson Logs at least for 2 weeks so that you won’t have to scramble the rest of the week. You need to prepare as well your work plan and budget of work to guide you and help you stay on the possible number of teaching days. If you are a newbie teacher take the initiative to seek advice to veteran teachers. It is very helpful because they have a lot of experience in teaching. Prepare yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. Relax, breathe and bathed the entire school year in a prayer that includes your school, students, colleagues. Pray for wisdom, strength, patience and guidance.

The author is Teacher — oOo— II at Pampanga High School