Teaching Araling Panlipunan in the Age of Coronavirus

ROSALIE J. MERCADO

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it", George Santayana, a Spanish Philosopher and novelist, said. Thus, history is knitted in our lives. We may not know how much and what is its importance but undoubtedly, it has the power to define and give us a better understanding and insight as a human being, who we were, who we are and who we will be. With the absence of learning our history, we would not be able to perceive what we have and what we are right now. It is necessary to know the stories happened before us to know our existence and to be enlighten.

Araling Panlipunan subject not only deals with history but also politics, the government itself, economics, different constitutions and also what is inside the society. It is an unfortunate truth that the students find the subject Araling Panlipunan as a boring one because the lessons are complex as it involves highly objective information that it should be learned in a precise and thorough way that makes the students uninterested with the subject.

As we are experiencing pandemic right now, the traditional way of learning hastily switched to modular distance learning. Giving instruction and teaching will be more critical for the teacher and the grasp for learning will also be hard for the students. This difficult combination is what our current situation (Covid-19) delivered to education. On the other hand, with the subject Araling Panlipunan, it will also be hard for the students to be familiarized with the lessons because they are only learning by themselves (some with parents). Most of the teachers are actually struggling right now to find out how to motivate their students to learn and enjoy the subject. Motivating will help them to have an urge to focus and be concern, it will also ignite their interest on studying Araling Panlipunan which is quite serious and historical.

Students and learners usually don’t have an online meeting so the best way to connect with them is through their parents. Every week of passing answered worksheets and giving of new modules is an opportunity to push the students to be serious answering the subject. Talking one by one to their parents and giving feedbacks to their child’s work and performance is a big help to know what they could do to support or assist their children when answering their respective modules. It is also a way of being aware to the student’s way of accomplishing their task. Next is one at a time online meeting, it is important to have a “check-in” to them as we all know, some of them might having difficulties to their home because of the situation we have right now. This could also help them to have an outlet for support is no one is supporting them to their modular learning. Elementary students are easy to sway because they are only kids, the best way to connect with them is to talk to them and ask the students about their studies. It is also to know if they have questions about a certain lesson and in that moment, a teacher should answer their queries for clarifications and elaboration.

Furthermore, as it was stated, the mode of learning is now only through printed modules (activity/ work sheets and self-learning materials) that are being picked up by parents at specific places on scheduled time. It is understandable that this mode of learning could be exhausting especially for elementary students as these pupils need more attention because they are young. Supporting them especially at this vulnerable time is a must.

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THE AUTHOR IS TEACHER III AT BICAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL