Challenges in Kindergarten Classes in the New Normal Setup

Rhona May F. Sahagun

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way educators deliver education among their learners. Teachers, students, and parents experience difficulties in the new educational system. Teachers have a difficult time in providing feedback among their learners. Students could not fulfil some of the demands in the modules because they are not used to not having face-to-face instruction, and parents are not that knowledgeable about the lessons presented in the modules.

These are just some of the challenges in today’s context. This is also true especially in Kindergarten classes. Basically, this first level in the K to 12 curriculum is play-based. Kindergarten teachers assess their pupils through their practical skills and their aptitude about the basics. However, knowing how these learners actually perform poses a big dilemma among teachers. What’s more challenging is, they are in the entry level, leaving teachers clueless as to whom these children are, and how they perform in classes.

The kindergarten classroom provides a great environment among its learners. The materials, setup, atmosphere, space, and camaraderie that pupils experience and feel in the kindergarten classroom are impossibilities during the pandemic. Instead of having the “feel” of being a learner, these pupils answered the modules prepared by the teachers. However, answering the modules alone does not assure the learning of these pupils. There is a probability that they will still do not understand the lesson even if it is discussed in the module.

Another issue hampering the quality of learning today is the illiteracy and innumeracy of the parents themselves. How can you expect someone who could not read to teach reading to his or her children? How can you expect someone who could not write to teach writing to a pupil? How can you expect someone who could not count to teach counting to a pupil? These questions have been baffling the teachers’ reasoning when confronted these questions. While the higher ups easily say that parents must have a large involvement for their children to be successful, they must also consider that every pupil’s life is different from one another.

For example, Pupil A could afford gadgets and other learning resources. Pupil B has barely enough to buy anything. He does not have a gadget to help him search for information in other assignments. If Pupil A and B are classmates and they have the same level of academic performance, who between them will have a more difficult time? The Department of Education must consider all of these things before coming up with a decision that might change the name of the game.

The author is Teacher

--oOo-

I at Lara Integrated School, City of San Fernando,

Pampanga.