Importance of Teachers in the New Normal Education

The author is Teacher I at Lubao National High School Liza Lacandola Narciso

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought an eminent change to everyone particularly for the students. Most educational institutions had to cease to operate in order to protect the learners to the dangers associated with the pandemic. In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) had utilized the blended learning for the students to enable them to continue their education despite the ongoing crisis. From the onset of the pandemic and the sudden change in the modality of the learning of the students, we could wonder and respect what it takes to be a teacher in these trying times. With this new setting, the teachers are suddenly forced to learn and be equipped with technology devices and ICT skills to communicate, engage, teach and motivate the students. Nonetheless, the teachers stay resilient and cooperated with DepEd in relation to the sudden shift of the educational system, developing and making self-built modules for the students and engaging in online classes (for online learning of different students) in order to help the learners in the new normal of education. In addition, despite the challenging situation everyone faces due to Covid-19 and the different modality of learning of the students, teachers remain strong to the situation. They make time, expend effort and energy to reach every student on a regular basis and still educate them within the time allocated. There is no doubt that the pandemic has made a lot of changes in the lives of every individual especially for the students as well as the education sector of the nation. It really pushes the educational institution to reform the schooling of the students from face-to-face classes into blended learning. In line with this, the teachers consistently stand with their responsibility as an educator of the students. Teachers can be considered as a superhero because amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the challenges of blended learning, poor internet connection, technological inaccessibility and with difficulties that arise to modular learning, they continue to teach the students and endeavor to produce quality education. The contribution of the teachers during the pandemic is extremely significant and beneficial not just for the students per se, but to the parents as well as to the country. And they play an important role in the educational progress of the students not just in the traditional classroom but also with the modality of learning that students use this time in the new normal education.--oOo-The author is Teacher III at Sto.Domingo Elementary School