STANDARDS FOR TEACHER’S PERFORMANCE

MA. CRISTINA MERCADO

Teachers play a crucial role in nation building. Through quality teachers, the Philippines can develop holistic learners who are steeped in values, equipped with 21st century skills, and able to propel the country to development and progress.

This is according to the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST).

This is similar to Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 36, s. 2013 stating that “Filipinos who passionately love their country and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.”

Because evidence show unequivocally that good teachers are vital to raising student achievement, i.e., quality learning is contingent upon quality teaching, enhancing teacher quality becomes of utmost importance for long-term and sustainable nation building, the document continues.

The document takes into consideration the changes brought about by various national and global frameworks such as the K to 12 Reform and the Asean integration, globalization, and the changing character of the 21st century learners necessitate improvement and adaptability of education, and a call for the rethinking of the current teacher standards.

But the enactment into law by the K to 12 Reform (R.A. 10533) in 2013 has changed the landscape of teacher quality requirements in the Philippines. The reform process warrants an equivalent supportive focus on teacher quality – high quality teachers who are properly equipped and prepared to assume the roles and functions of a K to 12 teacher.

Thus, the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, which is built on NCBTS, complements the reform initiatives on teacher quality from pre-service education to inservice training. The PPST, the document states, articulates what constitutes teacher quality in the K to 12 Reform through well-defined domains, strands, and indicators that provide measures of professional learning, competent practice, and effective engagement.

In line with the new professional standards for teachers, the Department of Education led by DepEd Secretary Leonor M. Briones, through the Teacher Education Council (TEC), issues DepEd Order 42, s. 2017, entitled National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST).

The issuance states the PPST aims which are as follows: a. set out clear expectations of teachers along well-defined career stages of professional development from beginning to distinguished practice; b. engage teachers to actively embrace a continuing effort in attaining proficiency; and c. apply a uniform measure to assess teacher performance, identify needs, and provide support for professional development.

It was further mandated in the DepEd Order that the PPST shall be used as a basis for all learning and development programs for teachers to ensure that teachers are properly equipped to effectively implement the K to 12 Program. It can also be used for the selection and promotion of teachers. All performance appraisals for teachers shall be based on this set of standards.

With the national roll out of PPST as standards for teachers and the Results Based Performance Management System (RPMS) aligned with PPST as basis for rating the teachers’ performance, the teachers are expected to really be rewarded for their efforts of providing the highest standards of teaching and learning towards their profession and their clienteles – the learners.

MARICEL J. GUINA

As defined and regarded by many, education is the process of delivering and acquiring systematic information and instruction formally from educational institutions. It has three essential components: the teacher, the learners and the curriculum. These three components interact in the so called “teaching – learning process”. However, the nature, principles and practices in education has continuously evolved from the traditional way of teaching using “chalk-talk approach” where the teacher does all the talking and explaining in class. Probably, a couple of decades ago, there was use of other IMs like, pictures, concrete pictures and manila paper, until in the recent years, there is already the incorporation of multi-media and IT equipment. The current practices are clear demonstration of 21st Century education where collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creative thinking through differentiated instruction/activities, localized and contextualized, to fit the needs of specific group of l ear ner s.

From the traditional practices of treating learners as passive learners, merely listening and receiving information, to the more dynamic participants, involved in the teaching-learning process who contribute much towards the discovery of concepts that leads to the acquisition and demonstration of skills and competencies. Objectively, Twenty-First Century Education promotes delivery of 21st Century Learning which include the core competencies such as: collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that would prepare students live with the demands of the world. With such types of education, how does it directly affects the teachers and learners? What is its impact to the teachers, as well as the learners?

For decades, teachers are identified as fountains of information. But with the 21st Century Education, teachers act as facilitators and guide during the teaching-learning activities which integrates the use of IT and mulit-media, for the development of the core competencies/ skills identified to be under the 21st Century Education. Moreover, the impact of 21st Century Education to the learners is indeed significant, since this so called global education, is geared towards the development of global learners equipped with the so called 21st Century Skills to make the learners prepared for global competition. With these significant impact of Twenty-First Education to teachers and learners, it automatically follow that the curriculum is improved, enhanced or modified. Currently, the use of K to 12 Curriculum in the Philippine Basic Education addresses the demands of global education. For the past few years, a significant transformation in the teaching-learning process in the basic education in the country is evident, starting with the teaching practices and strategies to the types of learners and curriculum employed. As recorded, there was an increased use of IT equipment and utilization of group activities and performance tasks/ assessment among schools. Learners today become more engaged with their learning process, thus, developing their deeper understanding, creative and critical thinking skills.

There is no doubt that Twenty-First Century Education is truly the answer to the demand of the world today in terms of preparing the learners for global competence. Its significant impact is observed with the types of teachers manning the instruction to the types of graduates the Philippine education has produced. In conclusion, 21st Century Education benefits both the teachers and the learners. It benefits the country and the world as well, since it produces a competitive workforce.

— oOo—

The author is Teacher III at San Pablo Integrated School

Through school-to-school partnerships, high-performing schools can be instruments for reform by sharing their best practices and helping other schools improve their school performance using Learning Action Cells (LAC), the Continuous Improvement (CI) Program, and School-Based Management (SBM).

This requires that high-performing schools become Leader Schools with active leadership roles, initiating partnerships with other schools and taking on broader responsibilities to help elevate the performance of other schools within their District or Division.

To cultivate partnerships between Leader Schools and nearby schools, DepEd has appropriated funds to enable school-to-school partnerships. Leader Schools shall receive funds to provide technical support and assistance to nearby schools that have not yet reached their full potential in school performance. These school funds shall be used by Leader Schools for sharing their best practices and for partnership activities with their nearby Partner Schools.

Leader schools are mandated to share best practices on curriculum which include the best practices on Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment such as contextualization of learning materials and teaching guides, creation of teacher-made learning materials for use in differentiated and innovative instruction, capacity-building for teachers on content, pedagogy, classroom management, differentiated instruction, and inclusive education, conduct of activities for teaching and assessment including the purchase of supplies and materials necessary to conduct them, tapping Indigenous People (IP) resource persons from the community to share their knowledge and practices, implementation of LAC projects particularly for Special Education (SPED), Multigrade Education, and SHS; and organization, mobilization, and other supporting activities LAC Project Teams. Other best practices that may be transferred include programs and activities on leadership and governance and disaster risk reduction.

The DepEd Regional Office, through its Field Technical Assistance Division has given technical assistance services to division offices who have conducted their respective orientations to all their school leaders and partner schools which were preidentified by the School Effectiveness Division (SED) of the Bureau of Human Resource Organization Division (BHROD) at Deped Central Office.

— oOo—

The author is Teacher III at Eliseo Belen Elementary School