CHALLENGES OF TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES

PRINCESS MARJORIE D. CANLAS

Many social studies teachers look for opportunities where they can reflect on their practice in teaching the subject who are hoping that the class will go well, which lesson their learners will get excited for, and how they will plan or revise their lessons putting into account the individual differences of learners. However, this is the time to make possible changes alongside the traditional way of teaching every content in Social Studies. We can say that the subject uses universal skills speaking, writing, and reading that is already applied by learners and are being practiced everyday in the classroom. But as a teacher, assigning learners to talk or read about a topic is not enough but instead, they should also be taught how to take notes and at the same time annotate on these notes with the use of critical thinking. The most important skills a teacher could teach in Social Studies should be how to summarize, analyze, explain, quote, and paraphrase whatever has been taken down. These may be difficult to some extent for both teachers and learners but through consistent practice, the learners will be able to master these skills in Social Studies because there is always a rich opportunity for skill development. With this, the learners will be able to think, speak, and write critically, and at the same time search for sources and be able to defend any argument. This may not come handy for the Social Studies teachers because there are many distractions to our learners in this lifetime but as we patiently and continuously share our expertise to the learners, there will always be a bright light giving us hope at the end of every session that passes by every day in our classroom.

-oOoTHE AUTHOR IS TEACHER III AT PAMPANGA HIGH SCHOOL