ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF BEING A LEADER

RITCHIE C. LAPUZ Leaders possessed peculiar traits which are exemplary because they should be morally upright in all aspects specifically moral integrity. Their sense of purpose defined what are their reasons in leading a team; their competencies dictated them to achieve common goal and their authority exercised them to influence authority.

Being a leader means I should know everything first. I should be more focused on my teachers’potentials rather than looking for their flaws. I believed that leadership means you are developing people, growing people, and building good administration for your people. As John Maxwell said: Right attitude leads to learning from others and believing in them means bringing the best out of them.

As a leader, it is not enough to call that you are busy all day. Doing paper works and more. The question is, what are you busy at? Are you busy thinking all the problems and ways on how to solve them? Or busy on the task that your teachers need to perform? It is not enough to complain why your teachers do not act the way you want them to be. As leader, did you serve as a silent witness to your teachers’never ending stories of pains and hard works? Probably they are complaining of their workloads, but the question is, did you see them stopping from their work? Being a leader, you should not be the reason of being a burden to your teachers instead you are their primary inspiration to survive a long and tiring day.

Always remember, before you became their LEADER, you were once a TEACHER.

--oOo— The author is OIC/ School Head of Dela Paz Libutad High School

ROWENA T. MANIPON Understanding and Appreciating Araling Panlipunan Curriculum, under Republic Act 10533 which is the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 states that “The State shall create a functional basic education system that will develop productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies, skills and values for both life-long learning and employment”, with this premise, a new content for grade 10 learners has been introduced for this school year 2017-2018.Contemporary issues are defining the present landscape of educational pedagogy. They help us understand the different cultures that people have all around the world. They also help us know our rights, and what side we should stand for. Furthermore contemporary issues give us the opportunity to take responsibility for each other and take action for a brighter future where we stand united.

Maybe you are wondering, why is there a need to study contemporary issues?

Teaching about world, national, state and local events needs to involve active, participative learning. Learners become more interested on different topics because these talks about what is happening around them. They can relate to a particular issue because they too are experiencing it. They have many ideas to and even have their own views or opinion on sensitive issues. More than ever, teachers recognize the usefulness and importance of contemporary issues and of developing learners’social awareness wherein it is very timely for them to get involved with many issues whether environmental, political, economic and even social issues. Learners will use inquiry skills to examine the issues that impact the contemporary world to better understand and assess significant current issues where they will develop proficiency in using the skills and tools of inquiry. Among other benefits learners can cite, contemporary issue cover a wide range of topics and connect to all areas of learning; build critical thinking, oral expression and problem solving; help learner understand the importance of people, events and issues in the news, stimulate learners to explore and learn more of what’s happening around him, pay attention to the issues they see and hear outside of school; open up communications between learners and parents.

Learners are often eager to emulate their parents’news reading behaviours and talking about an issue is one way for parents to engage learners in adult conversation. This offers ideal opportunities for cooperative group instruction, classroom discussions and debates.

Our world has grown increasingly complex and interconnected and the planet’s diverse peoples are facing common issues that will have tremendous impacts on our future.

This content begins with the premise that it is the job of historians and educators to provide our millennials with the tools to address contemporary issues in mature, reasoned ways using empirical evidence, critical thinking and effective written and oral communication skills that will for them to face challenges today and in the coming years.

--oOo— The author is Head Teacher III (Araling Panlipunan Department) at Dapdap High School, Division of Tarlac Province