NEW NORMAL ENGLISH CLASSROOM

Maria Cecilia A. Bundalian

Teaching language became more challenging in the “new normal” setting that both teachers and learners face at the present time. It calls for more motivation and great passion on the part of an English teacher for interaction with learners is lesser than the normal one.

Before the strike of pandemic, I observed that most of my learners are more focused on utilizing their phones, taking photos and updating their social media accounts. They are more active in our group chats than in our class discussion. They prefer watching Youtube videos than watching my prepared presentations of my lessons. This may be seen as the downside of the use of technology in education, but for me, I thought of using these platforms to reach my learners’ interests and teach my subject to them.

The pandemic taught me how to develop video lessons using Youtube and Facebook as my platforms. Since these two Apps are the common applications my learners open and browse, so I decide to upload all the video lessons I created just to strengthen my learners’ mastery on the lessons we had. With these video lessons, not only my learners benefitted but all learners and viewers who get to watch my videos. I even made some reading lessons which can be used by parents or teachers in teaching their children and learners to read. I received comments from some working mothers who are so thankful of my video lessons for they really engaged their children into reading. They said that the video lessons are useful especially for working moms like them who sometimes have limited time to teach their children at home.

Aside from the reading lessons, the videos uploaded are more of grammar lessons that would help the viewers use English language in communication.

Four viewers whom I considered professionals commented that my videos are really refreshing for they get to review the rules on how to write and use English sentences correctly. One viewer said that she was able to understand the use of modals after I uploaded the video on it.

The number of positive comments may not be enough to prove how well my video lessons go but these comments served as my drive to create more. I know it is not easy but it is worth it even just for a single viewer who believed in my “New Normal” English classroom.

--oOo-The author is Teacher III at Dapdap High School