BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Lourdes L. Gopez

On this time of pandemic,how can teachers impart quality education to the learners without being in the normal classroom setting? It’s really difficult on both parts of the teacher and learners. But we can’t stop our mission to teach our students.We have to think of ways to help them learn. As teachers in the new normal,what is our vision of our roles in the 21st century?Are we equipped enough with teaching strategies for the new learning? We play a key role in training the learners to develop their skills.We are also their guide from their early childhood and throughout the learning process.It’s not easy to be a teacher in the new normal.So we have to be learner-centered,open to learning,flexible,innovators and connected to the learners.

According to Barbousas,2020,”A teacher needs to be able to formulate,construct,arrange,modify and make sense of information so that it can be understood as knowledge.” Teachers really need to be skillful to make complex lessons to easy ones.Although there are threats in the new normal learning like the threat of the unseen enemy,COVID-19,physical distancing and closure of some private schools,companies and businesses,this is the very reason why the DepEd has prepared the Learning Continuity Plan(LCP) The DepEd learning delivery options under the LCP S.Y.2020-2021 are the Blended Learning,Modular Distance Learning,Home Schooling,Apprenticeship for Senior High School and the Face to Face Learning.The Modular Distance Learning is the widely used learning delivery because the learners will not use internet connection,cellphone or any gadget to answer the modules.Parents or guardians will get the modules of their child in school on the scheduled date and time,the same with the retrieval of the modules.I think this is really a safe way for learners as well as teachers and parents to be infected with the corona virus.The parents or guardians will help their child in understanding the lessons in the modules.Everyone is really adjusting to this new way of education.Many parents have difficulty now in teaching their children as what I have observed,but teachers are always available to assist through text or chat. Using this mode of learning,students can set their own schedule in finishing the tasks in the module.Although there’s an abrupt change in lifestyle it has left many students struggling with how to succeed academically.Let’s hope and pray that we can overcome the difficulties we are facing in this pandemic in order to deliver quality education to our dear learners.

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The author is Secondary School Teacher III at Angeles City National High

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