“Kamusta na, TEACHER?”

Marilou C. Esguerra

Teaching is not an easy job even in ideal conditions, so one can imagine how the new Coronavirus pandemic has made it more challenging for our local schoolteachers to carry out their tasks.

The switch to modular learning from face-to-face instruction for public schools is not without glitches, as teachers try to adjust to the “new normal” with little preparation time. From the shortage of printed modules or learning materials to the seemingly increasing demands on their time by some parents and learners needing more attention, our local schoolteachers have been trying to solve problems as they arise and learn on the fly. Having been trained -- and having immersed themselves for years – with a much different method of teaching, they are now being asked to modify their mind-set and adapt to the changes and social restrictions imposed on the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Mas mapagal ing tuturu ngeni kesa keng dating face-to-face (Teaching is more tiring now than face-to-face instruction),” says one schoolteacher. “Tapos, atin ka pa ababasa na ala la kanung gagawan deng mestra (Then you read comments that teachers aren’t doing anything).”

One public schoolteacher, talks of having to prepare and complete modules for the learners’ use week in and week out. On top of that, she says, she needs to answer queries and complaints from parents.

In this regard, she is not alone. Most public schoolteachers have the same experiences. Some complaints or inquiries are more technical in nature, and are therefore easier to deal with: poorly printed or incomplete modules, questions about the schedule of returning the assigned work and getting the modules for the following week, and clarifications about the questions or tasks in the modules.

But others involve deeper problems, including some for which the schoolteachers have no ready answer: Why is there so much schoolwork? How can parents properly assist in learning when they have three or more kids at home?

An additional problem is economics: some can’t access CLTV36 – a source of supplementary programs for learning – because they don’t have android phones and internet connections.

As for the modules, “we adapt by reporting to school three times a week and at times almost the entire week, even using our own printers to prepare at home,” another public schoolteacher says. “We also answer queries as much as possible from early in the morning to night time.”

There’s a different approach too to dealing with schoolchildren and those who are older and are in a higher grade level.

One of the kindergarten teacher, has briefed parents beforehand to not pressure their children and let them answer only the questions within their capabilities. “Lagi ku la po kokomustan at guide through GC mi po (I always communicate with the parents and guide them through our group chat),” she adds.

But those in a higher grade level naturally have more tasks to accomplish, she adds. They get by with the assistance, of course, of teachers and parents. She says it’s important to maintain constant communication with parents and praise them when they’re doing a good job.

Despite the challenges, our local schoolteachers are embracing their new roles. Teaching for them, after all, is more than a job – it’s a vocation. And, as in the past, even when feeling underappreciated, they continue to soldier on.

In fact, the new conditions under which the schoolteachers find themselves in may be a blessing in disguise. “Parents find a hard time in guiding their children in answering the modules,” says one schoolteacher. “And realize how hard the work of a teacher is.”

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The author is Teacher III at Talba Elementary School, Bacolor North District

DepEd, Division of Pampanga