ON TEACHERS’ RESPONSE TO INNOVATION
YASMINE ELAINE S. MANITI
In June 2012, the Philippines has undergone yet another milestone on its educational system with the implementation of K to 12 Basic Education Program. Such implementation lifted the country from being one of the very countries in the world, which offered a 10-year cycle for their pre-university level. This educational reform was met with fierce criticisms from students, parents, and other stakeholders. Some even filed a case to the Supreme Court calling the program’s unconstitutionality (though a recent resolution from the highest court validates that the program does not violate any provision in the constitution). Furthermore, even more pressing issues have unfolded in the course of the implementation of this innovation, which range from adequacy of resources such as instructional materials to student preparedness and everything that comes in between.
And at the center of all these are the teachers who are given the Herculean task of translating this curricular innovation to the level of the classrooms. I must admit; I am in one with the other teachers who share the sentiments regarding the implementation of this program. How ready was the Department of Education to roll out this program? How ready were the teachers? During the first year of implementation, teachers noted the lack of incomplete learning modules which were supposed to address the issue on time-consuming preparation of lesson plans and the one-time-big-time mass training for teachers which were supposed to ensure readiness among teachers, among ot her s.
However, in light with all these issues and concerns, one must not forget that a true teacher is creative, innovative, and resourceful such that he/ she is able to gradually adjust and eventually adapt to the changes of time.
How did the teachers eventually recalibrate themselves in the implementation of the Revised Secondary Education Program in 1974 – 1989, of the New Secondary Educational Curriculum in 1989 – 2002, of the Basic Education Curriculum in 2002 – 2010, and of the Secondary Education Curriculum in 2010 – 2014? How often have there been new strategies introduced in the delivery of instruction for certain courses? How were they able to revise all of their detailed lesson plans to daily log sheets to later on learning modules? How were they able to adjust their then paper-and-pencil tests to performance-based assessment using rubrics?
All these they were able to triumph because of their right attitude towards change. Cliché as it may sound but still change is only permanent thing in this world. And a teacher is expected to be able to welcome regular changes in this ever-dynamic scheme of teaching. A true lover of learning, a teacher keeps an open mind, which like a sponge absorbs every learning opportunity he is given. Not allowing the inadequacies or delay in learning materials to hinder the teaching-learning process, a teacher knows how to make the most out of the resources that he/ she has to achieve the objectives of the course.
The K to 12 curriculum is a work in progress, that it still has some many areas to improve on, and that it will still encounter different problems. But to all these, there are Filipino teachers whose passion and dedication to nurture the minds of the young citizens of this country are bigger than any other challengers that this new curricular program may bring.
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The author is SST I at Dr. Clemente N. Dayrit Sr. Memorial High School