REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

Service learning is a method of teaching that combines formal instruction with a related

service in the community. Advocates claim that learning is enhanced through direct application

in appropriate social contexts of principles and practices taught through formal instruction

concurrent with guided reflection of the student's experiences. Service learning is frequently

implemented as youth service. As a teaching method, service learning is best categorized as a

form of experiential education.

Service learning offers students immediate opportunities to apply classroom learning to

support or enhance the work of local agencies that often exist to effect positive change in the

community.

Before my service learning experience, I expected to be able to teach my tutees well in

the specific subject that they are having hard time learning. Not only that they have to learn but

to reinforce what they have and will learn. They should also be able to make connections

between our previous discussions or what they have already learned during their class

discussions and the new topics that we will be undertake and also be able to have a meaningful

class questioning and answering during our sessions. I expected them to be present as well

during our sessions so we won’t have a waste of time and make the most of the short period of

the time we will have. I have thought of this service learning as not only something that is worth

the time but I have also opened my mind to the changes and tough times that I will have to deal

with.

REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

At some point my expectations were met however, we just cannot avoid situations that

will make us feel discouraged and disappointed. Not all the things we have planned out and

prepared for will be accomplished in the time and schedule that we have prepared it for because

there situations that we cannot control. So, in order to get us back on tract we have to do more

and a lot of thinking to figure another way to solve it. What I mean is that there may be

distractions that my tutees are going through which is why there are times that they don’t get so

interested to what we are doing. They may have personal concerns and as a tutor I would like for

them to know that we can talk it over and that thing will be just fine. As part of what I want to

achieve, is to develop a relationship with them not only as someone who can teach them but also

as a friend. I think that if they feel comfortable with their tutor they will much more willing to

attend the sessions and to learn because they know that they can be open and free to ask

whatever it is that they don’t know because I, myself don’t know all the things in the world.

They don’t have to feel intimidated especially when they have already established trust in their

tutor.

This experience did not only teach me lessons in school subjects but lessons in life. I

gained the skill of teaching in proper ways. I learned how to organize and look for lessons and

activities and how to think of possible alternatives in case if something does not go with my

planned schedule. I have learned how important it was to have a background of what I will be

doing so when I am already in the field I will know what to do. It taught me to know what is

important and has to be prioritized with what is not especially in not taking things for granted or

not taking things lightly because there will be so much regret in the end. After all there is a

reason why we go through what we are going through because we can use it as firm foundation

of a life we want worth living or just not mind it and always get confused of what to do. For me

REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

it is important for an individual to have a foundation so he or she cannot only know where and

what to start on but also to use that foundation so they can figure out where they are heading-

where would they want to go and what would they want to be.

This has also made me discover myself and I realized that there are things that I am

capable of. Sometimes we discourage ourselves in doing new things and taking risks because we

think that we are not responsible enough to handle it. We remain in our comfort zone even if

there has always been a deep urge inside of us that wants to step out of the box and try to explore

what other thing are out there that is waiting for us. That is why people tend to get stuck in a life

that they feel is not really for them, get confused and feel not contented because they hold

themselves from taking new steps and change. As the saying goes that the enemy of success is

the average. People remain in a life that makes them feel just comfortable. In addition, I saw that

I am able to adjust to the behaviors of children and that I can control myself, my temper. I was

able teach them Math, English and Science, they learned so I have seen how I was able to

influence them. I realized that I am responsible enough, that I am understanding and patient, that

I can handle things my way, that I can do what I am asked and supposed to do, and that I can

trust myself.

Knowing what different and great many things our situations can teach us and being able

to realize the things that I am capable of this experience did not only made me see things clearly

but it also made me see things in a different light. As I tried to establish a good relationship with

my tutees I also got to know them more. My first impressions about them were changed. An

article I have read online mentions that service learning will require a diversity of different

people for it to be accomplished and a person has to face the challenge of fighting against

stereotyping:

REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

Stereotyping is something that everyone can be guilty of. We all have preconceived

notions about how someone should or shouldn't act. When we are working with someone

for the very first time, we sometime can be guilty of judging them based on appearance

or previous interaction with someone with the same personality. This is wrong; we must

never assume how a person should act by their life circumstances or religious preference.

By taking the time to get to know them, then we can overcome the urge to make

assumptions and wait to pass judgment on them until we know their character.

I also got to know myself more and saw myself through them. I can relate to the feeling of acting

out as a kid because of the burden and problems in the family, in school and with friends. Each

person has their own story and we should not generalize our impressions just because we know

that all people have problems. We must also understand that individuals have different ways of

dealing with it. Through my tutees I saw that I can be able to handle my problems because I’m

much more matured compared to them. I should not act as if I’m still a kid that needs to be told

what to do. I understand them if they do things that may seem stupid for matured people because

they’re still at a young age and are still trying to figure themselves out. Through them I was

reminded that I’m the only person in this world that needs help and encouragement, that I’m not

the only one in pain and with family problems and that the world is not unfair because there are

people somewhere with deeper burden than mine. I’m not the only one with insecurities.

Overcoming such feeling is important for me so could and would know how to deal with people

with or without the same problems but my experience in service learning also helped.

Overall, I would say my expectations were not only met, but they were exceeded

compared to what I wanted to get from this course.

REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

I think the real advantage of this course is that I had the time to plan my own to-do list.

There is really no better teacher than hands-on experience; being able to discuss lessons in my

own way, do activities that I have not only wanted to do but my tutees as well. In short, be there

and, in doing so, be better able to imagine myself into what I can possibly do in the future. There

was another saying that says that one of the ways to gain knowledge is through experience.

Having the service learning a course requirement also was a good factor because we had the

motive to really comply and which I am also thankful for.

If I were to do another schoolwork like this, I would be much more prepared with my

materials, with my lessons and with my activities. I had some materials but I wasn’t able to have

more ideas of using it in a way that would make my tutees be interested more and our activities

were only few.

To effectively do my part as a tutor I have researched some online articles that can

somehow help in my teaching strategies. As for my Grade 3 tutee’s who does not know how to

read, I had the idea of teaching them the alphabet first. According to an online article, How to

Introduce the Alphabet to Children, as their tutor I have to determine in what order will I teach

the letters. Would I teach them the vowels first then the consonants or introduce a specific

sequence. For example, show the “A” alphabet, say the letter’s name and then say the sound.

Then demonstrate the correct way to write the letter. This method teaches children that letters

have corresponding shapes in print. As we progressed, I had the idea of associating a familiar

item or an animal to each letter. For this situation I have used Jerome Bruner’s Discovery

Learning Theory. According to Bruner learning is an active process in which learners construct

new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge. The learner selects and

transforms information, constructs hypotheses, and makes decisions, relying on a cognitive

REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

structure to do so. Cognitive structure (i.e., schema, mental models) provides meaning and

organization to experiences and allows the individual to "go beyond the information given". As

their instructor i should try and encourage students to discover principles by themselves. The

instructor and student should engage in an active dialog. The task of the instructor is to translate

information to be learned into a format appropriate to the learner's current state of understanding.

When the tutees will be taught that “A” is a letter that sounds “ah” and that Apple can be

associated with letter “A” because its first letter sounds “ah,” then they will know that Apple

starts with the letter “A.” If they are able to determine the rules and relationships in the given

example then they can be able to associate other things that they know which starts with the

letter “A.” knowing this will also give them the idea of associating items to the rest of the other

letters once they learn what it sounds like.

In addition, I have also used dual coding theory. It suggests that an individual is able to

remember when two processes are engaged such as visual and verbal learning. In teaching the

alphabet, I guided them through writing the letters in my own sheet of paper and at the same time

I gave verbal instruction. In that way they will not only follow what I have written but also

repeat the sound I have associated with the specific letter. Thus, they will not only know how to

write and recognize the letters but also know what its sounds are.

On the other hand, for my Grade 6 tutee’s I had to teach three subjects, Math, Science

and English. Since much of the concerns with kids of this age are just trying to understand

concepts and knowing other ways of learning, my ways of helping them is through activities and

question-answer and read-explain kind of discussions. I have read an online article that mentions

about how important it is to encourage discussions among my tutees. It says that I should try to

REGINA Q. MUNOZ III - BS PSYCHOLOGY

encourage them to participate and fish for some answers. I should talk very little, except to

prompt and clarify. As I ended the sessions, I tried to ensure that my tutees walk away with one

or two skills or tools to aid in successfully completing what I taught. In some of our sessions,

like Math, I used the threshold method from Edwin Guthrie’s Contiguity Theory. I introduced

Math lessons through making my tutees solve easy equations, three items each and I gradually

gave another three equations until it gradually got harder. I also used the Sidetracking method to

avoid or help my tutees minimize their fear in Math problems through the use of the Threshold

method- giving them those equations to solve in small numbers from easy, moderate to

moderately hard.

To both my tutees in Grade 3 and Grade 6 I have applied the Cognitive Theory of

Multimedia Learning. With the use of videos, students are able to learn more and be more

interested because of the presence of pictures, words, animations, movies rather than from words

alone.