Teachers and the pandemic teacher’s nook
IN THE military, a nation cannot be superior if it lacks men and ammunitions. In medicine, doctors cannot heal if a hospital doesn’t have proper facilities and medicine. A construction firm cannot be successful if the firm has no equipment to complete a certain projects. So are teachers, they cannot teach if an element in the teaching-learning process is not present. It is an irony specifically to public schools for it is known that they lack facilities. Now, the pandemic has taken one of the most important factor in the teaching-learning process. The “face to face learning.”
Teaching as we all know is done in order to improve the mental and skill capabilities of the learner. Teachers can do this if they can discover the strength and weaknesses of learners. To do this, a teacher must observe a learner in class. This was taken away by the pandemic. Now, most are engaged in modular study or not in online learning. We must admit the fact that learning is not possible if communication is limited. Learning is not only focused in listening, it involves interaction, competition and actual presentation. It is also obvious that our campus experiences had taught us how to deal with people. Successful businessmen, politicians and professionals in other fields became efficient because of the experiences brought about by campus activities. These campus activities contribute in the learning of students. One cannot achieve a goal without good interaction among clients and peers.
Now, this factor is in danger of falling in the clef. Leadership skill training also is at a loss. Leadership training can only be effective if these two elements are present, interaction and competition. Individuals with leadership skills love challenges therefore competition is very significant. This will prove that a learner really have a leadership skill. Without it, it will only be a belief. Actual demonstration is also significant to the learning process.
One might say, they can do it at home. With the attitude of most youths of today, they cannot be trusted. It is a fact that they would rather spend more time in social media than doing their required exercises. Most parents cannot supervise them for the reason that they need to work. If this kind of situation continue, it is possible that bullions of incapable graduates will be produced.
As a member of educators in this country, allow me to re-state these suggestions. If we cannot avail vaccines that can make face to face learning possible. It is better to suspend classes until vaccines are available. Let us not waste time and effort in this unproductive method of learning. Places with no or less cases of Covid infection should be allowed to conduct face to face learning. They only need to comply with the wearing of the PPE. But the most important solution for this problem is self- discipline especially for secondary and college students.
The virus is here already, vaccines can be developed but in reality. The virus cannot be quenched. It is the responsibility of every thinking individual to protect themselves. Let us not test the limits of ourselves, observe the proper safety protocols. It is not the vaccine that can help us but us. After all, problems in health, security and food will surely occur and we cannot do anything about it. The world is getting old and all of these problems will come. And our only best solution is, proper thinking and selfdiscipline. Dionesia Antonio