Back to school mode

June 12, 2019 Educator's Corner Opinion

“Back to reality!” Some teachers utter this statement as a greeting to fellow teachers during the first day of school. The real life of a teacher is now back as the new school year opens.
The new school year has started, so teachers are now on school mode. First week of the school year is usually an adjustment period for teachers after having a vacation mode.
First day in school usually starts with the flag-raising ceremony. As observed, attendance of students is at its peak during the first flag-raising ceremony but usually declines as the school days count because of tardiness or absenteeism.
As revealed in the study of Enriquez (2014), the number one reason why students do not attend flag-raising ceremony is that they are exposed to the heat of the sun, tardy and are just tired of having the ceremony.
In a big school like Baguio City National High School (BCMHS), the ceremony is done on a year level basis because all students cannot be accommodated in one setting.
Teachers assume the responsibility of ensuring that students are properly behaving at their designated sections. The school head and head teachers are present looking up to teachers’ punctuality and
attendance and to meet students.
Policemen are also present to ensure that the school vicinity is secured and that the first day of school is peaceful.
There are also a few parents who are present during the first week, especially parents of students who are in the lower years, transferees or those who are yet to enroll.
Teachers are back to dealing with diverse students who have varied ethnicity, religion, behavior, educational needs, and gender.
According to Dussault (2018), one of the challenges faced by teachers is working too many roles at the same time. Social worker, psycho-educator and counselor represent only a few of the hats that teachers are expected to wear throughout the day.
In order to help their students, they feel compelled to adopt these roles even though they don’t have the proper training. They still do it, though, because they care.
Teachers are tasked to handle a maximum of six teaching loads. As stated in DepEd Memorandum No. 291, s. 2008, the six hours of actual classroom teaching shall cover the full teaching load of a teacher as indicated in the class program.
Teaching loads including advisorship and/or special assignments for the entire school year combined shall be considered as one
teaching load.
Those who have lesser teaching loads handle appended duties such as class advisorship and coordinatorship of school programs and activities such as “gulayan sa paaralan”, basic education information system, clubs, physical facilities, disaster and risk reduction management, child protection, gender and development and research.
Teachers are again facing the usual routine of making daily lesson log on a weekly basis, preparing instructional materials, constructing performance and written assessment, recording and computing grades structuring and maintaining classrooms, and doing some paperwork.
 
by: Jonalyn C. Ambrona
Baguio City National High School