student teaching portfolio.pdf

Republic of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Quezon City Campus

Prepared by:

Tony Rose B. Dolera

Bachelor in Business Teacher Education 4-1

Submitted to:

Prof. Sheryl Morales

Table of Contents

Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prayers for Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Polytechnic University of the Philippines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brief Synopsis of Professional Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Professional Development Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Narrative Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Issues in Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Curriculum Vitae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Attachments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

B Memorandum of Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C Daily Time Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

D

Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dedication

This is lovingly dedicated to

those who become part of this

piece of work.

AcknowledgmentGrateful acknowledgment is due to some people who were instrumental in the completion of this

student teaching portfolio:

To all my students, for being good and their utmost cooperation during my final demonstration and

allowing me to be part of their family;

To my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Jennifer R. Alecha, for her undying guidance and support during my

student teaching period;

My Sintang Paaralan, Polytechnic University of the Philippines for its pursuit of excellence in the field

education to make students competent;

To my advisers, Prof. Sheryl Morales and Prof. Marilyn Isip for spending their time attending our

final demonstration;

To my parents, for their support;

To my classmates and co-student teachers with their help, support and for being my companion

during my stay in Lagro High School.

And certainly not the least, God Almighty for being a true example of what it means to be a teacher.

Prayers for Teachers

A Teachers Prayer

Lord, let me be just what they need.

If they need someone to trust, let me be

trustworthy.

If they need sympathy, let me sympathize.

If they need love, (and they do need love), let me

love, in full measure.

Let me not anger easily, Lord but let me be just.

Permit my justice to be tempered in your mercy.

When I stand before them, Lord, let me look strong

and good and honest and loving.

And let me be as strong and good and honest and

loving as I look to them.

Help me to counsel the anxious, crack the covering

of the shy, temper the

rambunctious with a gentle attitude.

Permit me to teach only the truth.

Help me to inspire them so that learning will not

cease at the classroom door.

Let the lessons they learn make their lives fruitful

and happy.

And, Lord, let me bring them to You.

Teach them through me to love You.

Finally, permit me to learn the lessons they teach.

Introduction

The focus of Student Teaching Portfolio is observation of the learners, school structure

and the community. The student teachers have been exposed to the school environment, they are

expected to take note of the school and classroom facilities, and the organizational set-up of the

school. The PSTs shall observe the behavior of the learners in the actual learning environment.

Based on their observations of learners, PSTs shall develop their understanding on feasible

approaches to facilitate learning considering the various phases of growth and development. This

includes the enhancement of the students’ communication skills since they are expected to be

adequate in the language they will be using during their hands-on teaching in the remaining field

studies.

The portfolio is a collection of documents that tells a story about you, illustrating your

professional growth and teaching achievements. It is a way of promoting yourself that is

dramatically increasing in popularity and which, if used correctly, will work to your advantage.

Portfolios are used for a variety of reasons. A well-organized portfolio is an important resource

when you are conducting a job search. Educators who want to stand out from the crowd use a

portfolio as an added tool to secure a job offer - not just any job offer, but an excellent offer.

It also showcases your relevant accomplishments, skills and experience - to indicate the value you offer to the school districts you have targeted.

Demonstrates that you understand the needs and priorities of the school district - as you tailor your portfolio toward the requirements your research identifies.

Illustrates your dedication to excellence - as you present a well thought out, well-organized, concise display of your best work.

Complements your job interview - because it provides documentation or other proof of your experience and skills.

Practicum is the core of pre-service teacher education program. This model uses a

graded, developmental, and sequential approach. It captures the essence of CHED

Memorandum Order No. 30 where Field Study 1 is the first in a series of six field study

courses. This one unit courses, Field Study 1, is linked to a professional subject at the

university. It is focused on observation of the learner’s development and school

environment, the school community, the teaching profession, and interpersonal

communication. It is geared to guide the PSTs in the suitability of teaching as a career

path. To quote then Sec. Florencio Abad, commencement speech, UP College of

Education (Apr. 22, 2005) “A central strategy we are developing is to transform our

DepED regional offices as orchestrators of teacher professional development that links

teacher education institutions with exemplary teacher practitioners in public schools.

What we might want to build are networks of master teachers in public schools who take

on student apprentices enrolled in TEI’s. Such networks can then accelerate the

development of the teacher craft in ways that use the best practices combining formal

instruction and field practice that starts while teachers are still in the teacher education

courses but continues when they work in day-to-day instruction at public schools.” Its

purpose is to connect the theories learned at the university and their application in the

field. Starting Field Study early will guide PSTs to decide whether teaching is an

appropriate career choice.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Philosophy

As a state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines believes that:

Education is an instrument for the development of the citizenry and for the enhancement

of nation building;

Meaningful growth and transformation of the country are best achieved in an atmosphere

of brotherhood, peace, freedom, justice and a nationalist-oriented education imbued with

the spirit of humanist internationalism.

Goals

Reflective of the great emphasis being given by the country's leadership aimed at providing

appropriate attention to the alleviation of the plight of the poor, the development of the citizens,

and of the national economy to become globally competitive, the University shall commit its

academic resources and manpower to achieve its goals through:

1. Provision of undergraduate and graduate education which meet international standards of

quality and excellence;

2. Generation and transmission of knowledge in the broad range of disciplines relevant and

responsive to the dynamically changing domestic and international environment;

3. Provision of more equitable access to higher education opportunities to deserving and qualified

Filipinos; and

4. Optimization, through efficiency and effectiveness, of social, institutional, and individual returns

and benefits derived from the utilization of higher education resources.

Vision

Towards a Total University

Mission

The mission of PUP in the 21st Century is to provide the highest quality of comprehensive and

global education and community services accessible to all students, Filipinos and foreigners

alike.

It shall offer high quality undergraduate and graduate programs that are responsive to the

changing needs of the students to enable them to lead productive and meaningful lives.

PUP commits itself to:

1. Democratize access to educational opportunities;

2. Promote science and technology consciousness and develop relevant expertise and

competence among all members of the academe, stressing their importance in building a

truly independent and sovereign Philippines;

3. Emphasize the unrestrained and unremitting search for truth and its defense, as well as

the advancement of moral and spiritual values;

4. Promote awareness of our beneficial and relevant cultural heritage;

5. Develop in the students and faculty the values of self-discipline, love of country and

social consciousness and the need to defend human rights;

6. Provide its students and faculty with a liberal arts-based education essential to a broader

understanding and appreciation of life and to the total development of the individual;

7. Make the students and faculty aware of technological, social as well as political and

economic problems and encourage them to contribute to the realization of nationalist

industrialization and economic development of the country;

8. Use and propagate the national language and other Philippine languages and develop

proficiency in English and other foreign languages required by the students’ fields of

specialization;

9. Promote intellectual leadership and sustain a humane and technologically advanced

academic community where people of diverse ideologies work and learn together to

attain academic, research and service excellence in a continually changing world; and

10. Build a learning community in touch with the main currents of political, economic and

cultural life throughout the world; a community enriched by the presence of a significant

number of international students; and a community supported by new technologies that

facilitate active participation in the creation and use of information and knowledge on a

global scale.

Lagro High School

History

Let us reminisce history….

In the early seventies, the growing number of people in the GSIS La Mesa Homeowners

Association (GLAMEHA) triggered the need for a high school in Lagro Subdivision. The

officers of GLAMEHA requested fervently for an establishment of a high school next to

Lagro Elementary School. With the aid of the city government and the education bureau,

Novaliches High School with Mr. Florencio Dumlao as principal started accepting

students. This high school annex started on June 13, 1974 with 87 students and a facility,

which were humbly two housing units in Block 59 and chairs the students provided

themselves.

On August 26 of the same year, Lagro Annex was transferred to the Lagro Elementary

School compound and occupied the sawali-walled makeshift building. The high school

was then headed by Mr. Crispulo A. Pilar with Mr. Narciso M. Caingat, Mrs. Nilfa C.

Caingat and Mrs. Greta Manlapig as pioneer teachers.

Two years after, the enrolment rose to 249 from the former 87 with three sections in first

year, two in second year, and one in third year. They were all managed to stay in just four

classrooms guided by nine teachers.

The first graduation from this high school happened two years after with an increased

enrolment of 461 with Mrs. Josefa Q. Maglipon, head of the Home Economics

Department in Novaliches High School, who replaced Mr. Pilar(who left for the United

States).

The School Year 1977-1978 reached 774 with 15 sections occupying seven classrooms.

With this problem on accommodation, Mr. Florencio Dumlao appealed to the national

government for a Lagro Annex Building. Through the unrelenting efforts of the

department head-in-charge and with the PTA lobbying behind, the 1.3 hectare present

school site, and building became a reality.

At the opening of classes on June 11, 1978, 923 students flocked the newly constructed

building which was a two-story 18-room structure standing proudly with Mrs. Maglipon

as head of the school. She was replaced with Mr. Silverio Reinoso. Mr. Reinoso had to

continue with the challenge to manage 19 sections of students with just 32 teachers.

It was the significant day of September 1, 1978 that Lagro High School was inaugurated

by Mrs. Commemoracion M. Concepcion, the former schools division superintendent.

Thus, it has become its foundation day.

Hand in hand with the influx of residents in Lagro Subdivision is the continuous increase

of student population. And to accommodate this increasing population, a six-room

building on the southern site of the campus was constructed. The school then also

improved with the completion of concrete fences surrounding the campus, construction of

the stage and the new steel flagpole, all to house and educate the community.

Mr. Reinoso was replaced by Mrs. Virginia H. Cerrudo on September of 1981.

Mrs. Cerrudo was replaced with Ms. Felicidad C. Gutierrez in 1987 bringing another

building funded by the city government. The same year created the Lagro High School-

Payatas Annex with 257 students. This annex was assigned to Mrs. Sheridan Evangelista,

who was then the Social Studies Department Head of the Main School.

Promoted as Principal IV, Ms. Gutierres was transferred to E. Rodriguez Jr. High School.

Mr. William S. Barcena took her place as the principal of Lagro High School on June

1991.

Three years after, Mr. Barcena was replaced by Mrs. Cristina C. Monis, the General

Education Supervisor I-English, as Officer-In-Charge on January 8, 1993.

Mr. Gil T. Magbanua replaced Mrs. Monis on June 13, 1993

To accommodate the continuous increasing enrollees, the three-story building funded by

the Quezon City Government was constructed. The third Annex in Fairview was finally

opened with Mrs. Justina A. Farolan as the Teacher-In-Charge.

Dr. Consolacion C. Montano replaced Dr. Gil Magbanua later on with more

improvements.

Mrs. Sheridan Evangelista made her comeback as the principal of Lagro High School in

1998 with improved facilities and technology advancements for the school.

The dawn of more improvements was realized when Dr. Fernando C. Javier became the

principal in April 2003. The construction of the new building previously applied by Mrs.

Sheridan Evangelista was built and inaugurated by the successor, Dr. Javier. The SB

Building and the full renovation of the formerly called Social Hall was transformed into a

multi-purpose conference room conveniently equipped with multimedia projectors and

modern sound technology now being utilized for events, seminars, workshops by the

whole division. The construction of the new gate, renovations of all facilities and the

covered court; Lagro High School now boasts of not only its talents but it’s conducive

learning ambience sure to provide every learner more motivation to pursue his dreams.

Lagro High School reaped achievements in the district, division, regional and national

competition under Dr. Javier. The Bureau of Alternative Learning System was

established and soon after the Open High School. The Special Education Program was

established accepting deaf and blind students. The Guidance Program was also enhanced

and improved with the administration of Dr. Javier. International competitions, speech

and debate contests sponsored by the government and private companies, Palarong

Pambansa, National Schools Press Conference and the creation of the Special Program in

the Arts which annually showcases talents in its culminating activities.

Today, as we speak, Lagro High School does not only have a growing number of

enrollees but also consistently develops as a community that consists of highly

competitive and productive members.

Philosophy

The development of the young into an intelligent, morally upright, responsible and productive

member of the society is the main focus of education. For this reason, Lagro High School

believes that every Filipino high school age youth must be given the right to quality instruction

in a compassionate and caring environment.

Vision

Lagro High School is an educational institution that produces academically competent, morally

upright and vocationally prepared citizens of the society.

Mission

To ensure the maximum intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth of the child and

strengthen moral foundations through relevant and adequate learning experiences in a nurturing

and caring school environment.

Map

Organizational Chart

Policies and Procedures Handbook forStudent Teaching and Internships

POLICIES and PROCEDURES HANDBOOKfor

STUDENT TEACHING and INTERNSHIPS

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES HANDBOOK: Student Teaching and Internships

STUDENT TEACHING GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

Overview of Roles

Student Teacher

• Check the Field Services website (http://education.byu.edu/fieldservices) to obtain the followinginformation:

1. District Assignments2. Locations for first day of semester orientationsThis information will be available after the following dates:Fall Semester assignments: March 31Winter Semester assignments: November 30

• Attend the mandatory first day of semester orientation. Failure to report may necessitate adelay in student teaching until a later semester.• Report to the assigned partnership school to begin student teaching on the second day of thesemester.

• Successfully complete student teaching, including:1. INTASC portfolio2. Teacher work samples3. Satisfactory evaluations from the mentor teacher, the university supervisor and otherassigned mentors.

• Review professional progress and discuss any concerns with the mentor teacher and theuniversity supervisor; contact the Field Services Office regarding any unresolved concerns.

• Participate with the mentor teacher and the university supervisor in the final evaluation of theteaching experience; sign the mentor teacher’s and the supervisor’s final evaluation forms.(Both evaluation forms will be submitted to Field Services, 120 MCKB, by the universitysupervisor.)

• Establish an employment file in the Education Placement Office, 2400 WSC; the finalevaluation forms for student teaching will be forwarded to Placement by Field Services for

inclusion in the file.

Mentor Teachers

• Conference with the student teacher and the university supervisor at the beginning, midpoint andend of the experience and as often as possible during other visits by the university supervisor.• Follow mentoring suggestions found at: http://education.byu.edu/fieldservices/mentoring.html1. Guidelines for Effective Mentoring2. Stages of Student Teaching• Provide regular formative and summative evaluations and submit the final evaluation form to theBYU supervisor; follow the guidelines under Evaluation Procedures.

BYU Supervisors

• Approve student teaching candidates based on teaching and academic performance andprofessionalism; sign application forms.• Notify Field Services regarding placement recommendations for the upcoming semester.• Conduct an orientation on the first day of the semester.7• Direct students to report to their respective schools on the second day of the semester.• Provide regular seminars (a minimum of 6 during the semester).• Conduct classroom observations (a minimum of 8) and meet regularly with the student teacherand the mentor teacher to discuss progress.• Conduct a midterm evaluation with the student teacher and mentor teacher and report anyunresolved concerns to the Field Services Office.• Request the assistance of the Field Services Office as needed; all concerns which could result inunsuccessful completion of student teaching must be reported to the Director of Field Servicesimmediately: 422-4625.• Obtain, review and sign the mentor teacher’s completed and signed final evaluation form; attachit to the supervisor’s final evaluation form; have the student sign both forms and submit them tothe Field Services Office.

School Administrators

• Monitor progress of the student teacher by observing in the classroom a minimum of one timeand consulting with the mentor teacher and university supervisor as appropriate.• Involve the student teacher in school activities (staff meetings, social functions, professionaldevelopment opportunities, etc.).

Field Services Office• Forward relevant application information, student autobiographies, etc. to the appropriate

supervisor.• Clear placement requests through school district personnel directors and/or principals. (ForElementary Education majors, Liaisons will clear placements in the districts/schools.)• Assist students, school personnel and university faculty with special needs and issues as they arereported throughout the semester.• Receive final evaluations from the supervisors and forward them to the Education PlacementCenter.• Request honoraria payments for mentor teachers after receipt of all final evaluation formsfrom the supervisor.Student Teaching Placement ProceduresPlacements for student teachers are the joint responsibility of the major department, the Field ServicesOffice and school partners. A student teacher must not attempt to make arrangements directly witha school or to contact a teacher until notified of the specific assignment. Every effort is made toprovide each student teacher with a professionally appropriate setting that includes variations in gradelevel, location and cultural and ethnic diversity. Placements are not based on future employmentconsiderations. Specific assignments within the various teaching majors are made as follows:

• Early Childhood and Elementary Education Student TeachersApplications for student teaching are received in 120 MCKB. Supervisors make classroomassignments and inform students regarding placements and first day of semester orientations.

• Secondary Education Student TeachersApplications for student teaching are received in 120 MCKB. Field Services forwardsapplication information, autobiographies, etc. to supervisors in the various Secondary Educationdepartments. Supervisors, in consultation with partners in the schools, establish placementrecommendations and notify the Field Services Office. Field Services forwards placementrequests to district personnel directors; the directors arrange placements in the schools and notifyField Services that placements have been approved. Field Services notifies departmentsupervisors; supervisors inform students regarding placement and first day of semesterorientations.

Professional StandardsStudent teachers are expected to:• Engage in the same responsibilities and experiences as the mentor teacher.• Arrive and depart the school at least at the same time as the mentor teacher, extending time atthe school as needed to be fully prepared for teaching.• Attend faculty and grade-level meetings, parent conferences, parent association meetings,etc.• Assist with the preparation of student reports and records, grading of assignments and otherteacher responsibilities such as bus and playground duty, club sponsorship, etc. asappropriate.• Become familiar with all applicable policies and regulations of the school and district within

the first week of the experience.• Using a seating chart or other means learn the names of all students the first week of school.• Complete all planning and preparation for instruction prior to the beginning of school eachday.• Maintain professional standards of appearance and behavior that conform to establishedpolicies of the school and the BYU Honor Code.Student teachers are expected to participate as full time teachers while assigned at the school site.Therefore, student teachers should refrain from employment, additional coursework or otherdistractions. Many responsibilities and professional opportunities occur outside the regular school dayschedule and active participation in these events is required. Also, the demands of teaching require analert and well-prepared person who is not dividing his or her energies between teaching and otherresponsibilities. Students who feel they need special consideration on this issue should contact theirsupervisor.

Evaluation ProceduresThose responsible for evaluation of the student teaching experience include:• Student teacher• Mentor teacher• University supervisor• School administrators (administrative support)• Field Services Office (administrative support)The student teacher, mentor teacher and the university supervisor form a team to provide ongoingassessment of student teaching performance, fulfilling the requirements listed under Overview of Rolesabove. The student teacher has the responsibility to review all assessment by the team and requestfurther evaluation or clarification as needed. This process will result in the following evaluations:Daily: Written and/or oral advice and suggestions on classroom management, curriculumplanning, learning activities and strategies, etc. is provided by the mentor teacher.Weekly: The student teacher and the mentor teacher conference to review progress, make plansand set goals. Results of these conferences should be recorded by the mentor teacher and/or thestudent teacher.University observation/conferencing: The university supervisor will observe a minimum of 6times during the semester to evaluate teaching and to conference with the mentor teacher and thestudent. In addition, the supervisor will meet with the mentor teacher and the student teacher atthe beginning of the semester to establish that all arrangements for successful student teachingappear to be in place and again at the conclusion for final evaluation (making a total of 8 visits).Midpoint Evaluation: Near the midpoint of the experience, the three team members willreview teaching performance based on criteria listed on the final evaluation form. The midpointevaluation is not part of the student’s permanent file; however, information from the conferenceshould be preserved by the student teacher and the supervisor. If there are indications that the

student teaching experience may not come to a successful conclusion, the Field Services Officemust be notified.

Final Evaluation: If two placements are completed during the student teaching semester, thefinal evaluation for the first experience occurs at the conclusion of the first block. The mentorteacher’s final evaluation is reviewed and signed by the student teacher and the supervisor; thesupervisor’s final evaluation completed at the end of the semester is also reviewed and signed bythe student teacher. All final evaluation forms are submitted to the Field Services Office bythe supervisor. The forms are forwarded to the Education Placement Office by Field Servicesto become part of the employment file established by the student teacher. Final evaluation formscan be accessed, completed and then downloaded for signature from:www.byu.edu/fieldservices.NOTE: Supervisors submit all final evaluation forms to the Field Services Office with a list oftheir students attached. Mentor teacher honoraria will be paid after final evaluation formsare received by the Field Services Office.

Paired Student Teaching PlacementsBYU faculty and teachers in partnership schools have piloted program designs which place two studentteachers in a classroom. This variously termed “peer teaching, paired, or partner teaching approach” tostudent teaching is currently being used in a variety of settings in both elementary and secondaryschools. Research supports the use of this model. For example, studies done within the BYUPartnership found that:• Mentor teachers in the studies supported the continued use of the model.• Paired teaching had a positive effect on children.• Student teachers felt better supported in a paired model than with the traditional model.

Caveats for Student TeachersStudent teachers must avoid:• Being late and, if at all possible, being absent.• Trying to be one of the students. Remember that you are the teacher!• Counseling students one-on-one behind closed doors• Gossiping or complaining.• Touching students in any way that could be questioned by students, parents, or administrators.• Having a serious conversation (phone call or written communication) with a parent without thepresence or express permission of the mentor teacher.• Substitute teaching during your student teaching assignment.Student teaching will be terminated early if it is determined by the major supervisor in consultation withschool partners and with the Field Services Office that the situation of a particular placement isdamaging to young students or the student teacher, is against school/district or universitypolicies/procedures, or compromises the quality and effectiveness of BYU teacher education programs.

Dear Student Teacher: You are about to begin the capstone course in your teacher education program. Student teaching is an opportunity to apply the theory and concepts you have learned in previous classes. You will gain experience working with diverse student populations, meeting the challenges of planning and implementing curriculum, and developing the skills of a self-reflective teacher. This handbook is intended to help guide you toward a rewarding and successful experience. Please be mindful of the following instructions: • Carefully read the student teaching procedures, objectives, and recommended experiences outlined in this handbook. • On the first day at your assigned school, please give your cooperating teacher a copy of the handbook since it contains a section addressed to him or her regarding our presence and work in the classroom. • While the cooperating teacher is the person in charge of your classroom experience and will play a role in deciding your readiness to teach lessons and work with students, do participate in the classroom early in the semester. Show initiative and responsibility. Observe carefully. Keep a journal. • Review the cooperating teacher’s evaluation form. Your teacher will use this form at times designated by your supervising professor. Be sure the teacher sees it in advance so he or she can become familiar with the criteria of the evaluation. When completed, give the form to your professor. During conferences with your professor and your cooperating teacher your strengths will be discussed and recommendations made to enhance your development as a teacher candidate. • You are required to attend weekly seminars with your Brooklyn College supervising faculty. You will need to also attend Child Abuse and Violence Prevention workshops or complete this requirement on-line. • Keep accurate records of your attendance in the school. A sheet will be provided. You must complete 40 days or 300 hours. • The Brooklyn College faculty members are confident in your ability as a professional, as a representative of the Childhood Education program, and as a role model for children. You are encouraged to discuss any concerns or questions with your supervising faculty. Best wishes for a successful student teaching experience! Student Teacher Handbook/Childhood Education 4

BROOKLYN COLLEGE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORKGUIDELINES FOR STUDENT TEACHING

Becoming an effective educator is developmental in scope and a variety of field and student teaching experiences in diverse settings will influence this part of the teacher candidate’s journey. Student teaching provides the most intensive supervision, feedback and experience of the pre-service teacher education program. Student teaching presents varied opportunities to acquire and further refine the knowledge, skills and dispositions you have acquired and developed as a teacher candidate in the School of Education at Brooklyn College. By the end of student teaching candidates should be able to demonstrate the abilities and competencies that are needed to enter the teaching profession and to teach diverse students in urban settings. The student teaching experience is carefully designed and aligned with the School of Education’s Conceptual Framework themes: Diversity - Collaboration - Social-Justice and Critical Self-Reflection & Reflective Practice The student teaching experience is developed in close collaboration with schools that embrace values and beliefs similar to the Conceptual Framework themes as expressed in their school mission and vision statements and evident in the behaviors of teachers and school building leaders. These schools are chosen as settings where the candidate will see and teach diverse students, observe collaboration between educators and parents, understand the importance of collaboration with community resources and organizations, observe collaboration among teachers and with their administrators to ensure fairness and equity in the educational opportunities offered to all students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, language, religion, sexuality, exceptionality and socio-economic origin. Student teacher candidates must follow the rules and accepted procedures of both the college and the assigned school. In addition, specific regulations governing Initial New York State certification have been established by the New York State Education Department and must be adhered to strictly.

Student Teaching Schedule

Student teaching takes place during one semester. Student teachers are required to complete experiences in two grade levels relative to the Childhood certificate: grades 1-3 and 4-6. A weekly two-hour seminar with your Brooklyn College faculty supervisor is required. Student teachers are expected to be present at the student teaching site every day in order to experience the daily activities and events that take place within classrooms, to understand the life of classroom teachers, and to understand school and community cultures and their relationship to one another. All together, the experience complies with the 300 hours or 40 days of student teaching that are mandated by the New Student Teacher Handbook/Childhood Education 5

York State Education Department. Student teachers are expected to attend professional development workshops in the public schools where they are assigned. It is recommended that they attend events such as parent-teacher conferences. Experiences that offer the opportunity to understand the many roles and responsibilities of a teacher in and outside the classroom can be coordinated in collaboration with the student teacher, the cooperating teacher and the Brooklyn College faculty supervisor. Student teachers must report to their assigned school on days when Brooklyn College is closed, but the public school is open. Attendance and participation at assigned school functions are required through the last day of the Brooklyn College semester. Student teachers are excused from student teaching during final exam periods at the college but may, if they wish and with their supervisor’s permission, return to student teaching after final exams and continue until the end of the school term. Student teachers must dress professionally and comply with the assigned school’s rules and regulations regarding professional and ethical conduct. They must contact their cooperating teacher if will be late or when they cannot attend on a given day. They must also inform their college supervisor. Student teachers must arrange with their cooperating teachers to make up all absences.

Time Sheet/ Record of Attendance

A set of time sheets will be provided by the instructor to keep track of contact hours. Contact hours include time spent at the school from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding a half-hour lunch. Hours spent at staff development workshops or parent-teacher conferences should be included. Many school schedules reflect regional policies for extended day hours and student teachers should discuss with their Brooklyn College faculty supervisor whether they may, or are expected to, be present in the school during those hours. Student teachers are required to arrive at the school punctually at the time designated by their college supervisor in collaboration with the cooperating teacher and they are strongly encouraged to arrive earlier to prepare for the school day.

Student Teacher Responsibilities in the Public Schools

In collaboration with Brooklyn College, the public schools usually provide an orientation for student teachers at the school building. At this time, school policies, curriculum, and class assignments are given. After a few days of observing, the cooperating teachers should increase the student teachers’ responsibilities slowly and incrementally, and if possible, in collaboration with the college supervisor. Student teachers should ask the cooperating teacher to discuss their expectations of the candidate in the classroom, and for the entire experience. Aim for clear understanding of the classroom teaching responsibilities that will be taken on by the student teacher, including the number of classes and the subject matter that will be taught. The experience should include opportunities to work with individual children, small Student Teacher Handbook/Childhood Education 6

groups and the entire class, and include opportunities to teach all content areas. By the end of the experience, student teachers should be allowed to teach the full class for extended periods of time, even a full day. Student teachers are responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating a variety of pedagogical and curricular activities. The student teacher should have the opportunity to discuss and plan classroom lessons and activities with the cooperating teacher on a regular basis. They should ask the cooperating teacher for suggestions, feedback and guidance on lesson planning and lesson implementation.

Collaborative and Reflective Practice

Student teaching is designed to enable the teacher candidate to collaborate with professionals and to develop their ability to engage in reflective practice. For example, such experiences as planning in consultation with the cooperating teacher, receiving feedback on classroom activities the candidate is involved in, and collaboration with classmates in seminar discussions all provide opportunities to develop a reflective, self analytical approach to pedagogy and practice. In addition, consultation with school leaders, visits to other teachers’ classrooms, talking with school support staff, e.g. the school psychologist, guidance counselor, parent coordinator, and others as well as attendance at professional development workshops, faculty meetings and community events, all serve as rich opportunities for reflection and for personal and professional growth and development. Reflective behaviors include conferring with the college supervisor, seminar instructor and cooperating teacher, keeping a journal with questions, problems and successes that occur during the experience, tape recording or video recording lessons, walking through the community and talking with people in the community, and debriefing with the cooperating teacher after lesson implementation.

Journal Reflections

It is important to engage in reflection even if no immediate opportunity exists to discuss thoughts and experiences. A journal facilitates reflection in personal and ongoing ways. The journal provides the opportunity to raise questions, concerns, and alternative approaches in understanding the relationship between theory and practice. A minimum of two journal entries should be written each week. The following illustrates topics that may be included: 1. Observations about the growth and development of individual children 2. Descriptions of children who puzzle or concern you 3. New accomplishments or progress in student teaching, class work or in seminar 4. Issues or questions about classroom practices, interactions or management 5. Realizations or insights about teaching/learning processes 6. Reflections about issues that need to be discussed in seminar 7. Reflections about how decisions and choices were made and reflection on their implementation and outcome 8. Disappointment or frustration with performance 9. The joys, successes and surprises that are experienced 10. The small steps that lead to increased confidence and growth Student Teacher Handbook/Childhood Education 7

The student teacher should demonstrate respect to the cooperating, students and parents. Disagreements over teaching methods and teaching style should be discussed with the college supervisor in seminar or in collaborative planning meetings where the student teacher, the cooperating teacher and the college supervisor are present. Discussion of students, school personnel and school business should only be conducted in private and in a professional manner. At the end of the student teaching experience it is important to prepare the children for the impending departure of the teacher candidate and this time can be an opportunity to express mutual appreciation for the experience.

Assessment and evaluation of the student teaching experience

Evaluation of the student teacher is a collaborative process that involves the college supervisor, the cooperating teacher, and most importantly, the student teacher’s own ability to reflect on his or her actions. Each person judges the extent to which the objectives stated in lessons, and in collaborative meetings, are fulfilled. This handbook includes the rubric that the cooperating teacher and the college supervisor use to assess and evaluate the performance of the teacher candidate at different points in time during the experience. The rubric is aligned with the School of Education’s Conceptual Framework and the Association of Childhood Educators International (ACEI) professional and pedagogical standards for teachers.

The cumulative evaluation of the college supervisor is based upon:

• Observation of student teacher lessons • Post observation conferences • Discussions with cooperating teachers and school administrators • Student teacher performance during weekly seminars • Assessment of the professional quality of all written work and artifacts created by the student teacher

The evaluation of the Cooperating Teacher is based upon:

• Regular discussions with the student teacher regarding all classroom curricular and personnel issues and decisions • Observation of student teacher behaviors and interactions with students • How well the student teacher engages in collaborative work • Overall performance of the student teacher regarding such school activities as staff development meetings, grade level team meetings, parent conferences, and other activities

The student teachers’ self evaluation is also important and includes:

• Analysis of his or her own strengths and needs in teaching • Conferences and discussions with the college supervisor and cooperating teacher • Self analysis of audio or video taped teaching • Analysis of written work • A completed teaching portfolio Student Teacher Handbook/Childhood Education 8

Responsibilities of the Cooperating Teacher Legal responsibility for the student teacher rests in the public school. The cooperating teacher is responsible for: • Providing a space for journal writing and personal belongings. • Familiarizing the student teacher with the instructional program of the school. • Modeling best practice and effective teaching for the student teacher. • Suggesting visiting other classrooms to observe other teaching styles and assist with introductions to other teachers in the building. • Explaining in detail the policies and philosophy/mission of the school. Providing a handbook or school publications where this information is written. • Orienting the student teacher to the background of the students, the weekly and daily class schedules, materials and equipment in the room, school regulations, the school calendar, typical examples of reports to parents and any extra-curricular activities that take place in the building for students. • Working with the college supervisor in planning a well-balanced program of learning activities for the student teacher to participate in that will increase their readiness for whole class teaching for extended periods of time. • Planning with the student teacher the steps to demonstrate readiness and for assuming responsibility in the classroom. • Involving student teachers in faculty conferences, parent-teacher conferences and other non-teaching activities.

Classroom Activities

The following recommendations for participation during the student teaching experience should be applied flexibly, taking into account the specific school situation, the persons involved, and the strengths of the individual student teacher. Arrange to meet with the cooperating teacher at a convenient time when the students are not in the classroom. You should initiate participation in all classroom activities, in coordination with the cooperating teacher, and should take on increased responsibility as the semester progresses. Student teachers, under the supervision of their cooperating teachers will: Keep informed of long-term curriculum plans. Know the instructional plan and assignments for students each day, so they can assume the role of teacher at any time. Plan specific lessons of various types and submit them to the cooperating teacher and college supervisor for critical discussion and informal evaluation. Teach selected lessons or conduct classroom activities based on careful planning with the cooperating teacher. Participate in classroom routines such as checking students’ work and preparing attendance reports. Participate in instruction by assisting individual students, helping to administer tests, supervising work periods, conducting brief drills, etc. Student Teacher Handbook/Childhood Education 9

Participate in locating and setting up materials for class use, such as overhead projectors, VCR’s , and computer materials. Check students’ worksheets and a variety of work samples when instructed on how to use grading rubrics. Work with a number of pupils on a short-term basis to teach specific skills or supervise their work in cooperative groups and in special projects. Assist in planning and/or supervising field trips.

Guided Observation

Student teachers should: Observe from a variety of vantage points rather than from only the back of the room. Observe instruction in all major curriculum areas. Discuss with the cooperating teacher the class session observed, and seek opportunities to discuss observations with the college supervisor. Come to conferences with the cooperating teacher and/or college supervisor prepared to ask questions, present ideas, and receive advice, suggestions and assistance. Arrange to observe several successful teachers other than the cooperating teacher, with the permission of the cooperating teacher and the school administrator. After teaching and receiving suggestions for improvement, observe the cooperating teacher’s demonstration of recommended procedures and apply these procedures in you own teaching.

Planning and Instruction

Student teachers should: Analyze their own teaching in conferences with the cooperating teacher and the college supervisor; consider suggestions for improvement and set new goals accordingly. Sustain a continuous process of reflection and analysis. Teach two or more pre-planned consecutive lessons daily, and teach a sequence of lessons or facilitate whole class activities. Plan units or comparable blocks of work or as much of this as is feasible within the time schedule of the student teaching experience. Teach entire mornings from time to time, gradually moving toward an entire week of teaching by the end of the semester.

Keeping and Using Records

Student teachers should request the opportunity to keep an attendance register for an extended period of time and should become familiar with all pertinent attendance records. Student teachers should become familiar with other routine record keeping procedures.

Policy on Academic Integrity

Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism, is unacceptable at Brooklyn College. Cheating is any misrepresentation in academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another person’s work, words, or ideas as your own. Students should consult the Brooklyn College Student Handbook for a fuller, more specific discussion of related academic integrity standards. Faculty members are encouraged to discuss with students the application of these standards to work in each course. Academic dishonesty is punishable by failure of the “test, examination, term paper, or other assignment on which cheating occurred.” (Faculty Council, May 18, 1954). In addition, disciplinary proceedings in cases of academic dishonesty may result in penalties of admonition, warning, censure, disciplinary probation, restitution, suspension, expulsion, complaint to civil authorities, or ejection.

The Badger Area School District serves a growing student population ofapproximately four thousand students. The district has a well-defined and

well-developed educational system for all students, including those with

special needs, gifted and talented, and children with diverse ethnic and

socioeconomic backgrounds. The four elementary schools have

welldeveloped

family involvement and outreach activities, but these diminish

in the middle and high schools. Pupil services staff provide some limited

small group and individual counseling for students with personal challenges

that interfere with their school performance and progress.

Over the past several years, there has been a slow but steady increase

in the number of adolescent suicide attempts and completions in the

school district. The district does have a functioning crisis response team.

Suicide prevention instruction is incorporated into the required health

education class offered at the high school. Last semester, the school district

administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to the students

at the high school. Similar to the state YRBS results, our district’s survey

found that 22 percent of our students had seriously considered committing

suicide in the past year.

I currently work as a school counselor and have been in this position

for the past six years. One of my schools is the high school, which has an

enrollment of approximately 1,100 students. The high school has two

additional school counselors, a half-time school psychologist, a half-time

school social worker, and a half-time school nurse. An in-school alterna

alternative

program is provided for students that have difficulty functioning

within the traditional high school structure.

The school board, alarmed by the increase in suicide attempts and

completions by students over the past several years and the high number

of students that reported on the YRBS having seriously considered suicide,

has directed the administration to expand the school district’s suicide

prevention efforts, including having community members in the planning

effort. In addition to wanting to take steps for the safety of our students,

the school board also believes that students so distraught as to consider or

attempt suicide are not mentally and emotionally ready to learn. A minority

of school board members and school administrators are concerned additional

suicide prevention activities may actually increase some students’

propensity to attempt suicide. I have been asked to serve on the

team that will organize and implement these new efforts.

B. Description of the Goal(s) to Be Addressed

Based upon the clear need for more effective suicide prevention efforts

and the school district’s stated desire to expand these activities, I want to

become a skilled and effective member of the newly established suicide

prevention work group, taking care to ensure that all of our activities will

make suicide attempts by all students less likely.

C. Rationale for the Goal(s) and Link to Self-Reflection,

Educational Situation, and

Standard(s)

Though I do have some expertise in this area, it is not as extensive or current

as I believe it should be. Also, at times I feel frustrated when trying

to diplomatically negotiate team or committee decisions [self-reflection].

Considerations by the work group for program improvement will include

such issues as classroom instruction, individual screening for suicide risk,

universal screening for depression, school climate, student engagement in

school activities, parent education, emergency first aid, crisis response

team performance and preparation, targeted prevention activities for

high-risk groups of students, and linkages to community mental health,

emergency medical services, and law enforcement for referral and

assistance.

Team members will take responsibility for investigating professional

development opportunities and available resources in different

areas.

Review of the individual records of students who attempted or completed

a suicide over the past few years indicate a few experienced a

noticeable drop in attendance and/or academic performance prior to the

suicide attempt or completion. A higher-than-proportional percentage of

these students are currently or previously involved in the high school’s

alternative education or special education programs (school situation).

My goal addresses pupil services standards #2, #5, #6, and #7.

D. Plan for Assessing and Documenting Achievement of the

Goal(s)

I have requested the school-based suicide prevention materials available

through the Department of Public Instruction to be sent to us at Badger

High. I have an appointment to meet with a local clinical psychologist to

discuss opportunities for training regarding adolescent suicide risk

screening, including a review of appropriate screening tools. In addition,

we will examine the possibility of using such benchmarks as student

Sample Plans 41

grades, test scores, attendance, and homework completion to identify

students

who are potentially depressed and/or suicidal and may need intervention.

We will use these same benchmarks to determine any change

following our intervention. A representative from our CESA will be meeting

with our team to discuss crisis response plans and procedures. A community

mental health care provider will meet with our team to discuss

coordinated community services. The number of suicide attempts and

completions will be tracked each school year, as well as students’

responses related to depression and suicide on the YRBS.

E. Plan to Meet the Goal(s): Objectives, Activities and Timelines,

and Collaboration

GOAL: To improve my skills and knowledge related to school-based suicide

prevention to help ensure students at Badger High School are safe

and ready to learn. This work will be done as part of a collaborative pupil

services team with formally established linkages with community-based

services, that is, mental health and law enforcement.

Week One (December 06 - 10)

My cooperating teacher introduced me to her class. During my first week of stay,

they were doing their practical laboratory which is cooking about ‘native delicacies’. My

first week was purely observation of the daily routines of the class. To know them more, I

let my class to write their first impression about me and also let them asked some questions

about me.

Week Two (December 13 - 16)

I was able to learn some of their dishes about native delicacies, such as maja blanca

and biko. I considered it as an achievement to my self. Since, I know now about the dishes,

my cooperating teacher let me handle and supervised the class while during their practical

laboratory. Another thing that I have learned this week is when Ma’am Ramirez taught as

how to make a brownies. Making brownies with our cooperating teachers was fun.

Week Three (January 03 -07)

First time of teaching with lesson plan. My topic was about noodles and pasta. After

all the discussion, I prepared a 15 item quiz.

Week Four (January 10 - 14)

We started their practical laboratory about cooking noodles/ pasta dishes such as

carabonara, spaghetti, pancit, baked macaroni etc.

Week Five (January 17 - 21)

They had a quiz regarding the ingredients and procedures of the assigned pasta

noodles to their group.

This week also is their 3rd periodical examination.

Week Six (January 24 - 28)

Week of checking their periodical exams and also item analysis.

Week Seven (January 31 – February 04)

Discussed their topic for fourth grading which is about food preservation. After the

discussion, I assigned each group for a group activity.

Week Eight (February 07 - 11 )

Continuation of the discussion and quiz. Also, preparation for the final demo next

week.

Week Nine (February 14 - 18)

Start of the final demonstration week. February 16, Wednesday was my final demo.

Week Ten (February 21 - 25)

Laboratory about the food preservation of nuts and cereals.

Week Eleven (February 28 – March 02 )

Continuation of practical laboratories.

Week Twelve (March 07 -11)

Last week of stay at Lagro High School.

Education in the Philippines

What has become of education in the Philippines?

The state of the educational system in the Philippines is a great cause for worry. We used to produce students who were well-rounded and ready for the challenges of the real world. Today, for every 10 children who start their primary education, only 6 go on to continue with their secondary education, and 4 will manage to enter college. What happened? Other countries used to send their students to the Philippines to learn, now they've overtaken us and are the experts. Isn't that frustrating?

I hope to be able to make some sense about the decline in the quality of education, and with the help of people as concerned as I, do something to change for the better.

Key Issues in Philippine Education

Literacy rate in the Philippines has improved a lot over the last few years- from 72 percent in 1960 to 94 percent in 1990. This is attributed to the increase in both the number of schools built and the level of enrollment in these schools.

The number of schools grew rapidly in all three levels - elementary, secondary, and tertiary. From the mid-1960s up to the early 1990, there was an increase of 58 percent in the elementary schools and 362 percent in the tertiary schools. For the same period, enrollment in all three levels also rose by 120 percent. More than 90 percent of the elementary schools and 60 percent of the secondary schools are publicly owned. However, only 28 percent of the tertiary schools are publicly owned.

A big percentage of tertiary-level students enroll in and finish commerce and business management courses. Table 1 shows the distribution of courses taken, based on School Year 1990-1991. Note that the difference between the number of enrollees in the commerce and business courses and in the engineering and technology courses may be small - 29.2 percent for commerce and business and 20.3 percent for engineering and technology. However, the gap widens in terms of the number of graduates for the said courses.

On gender distribution, female students have very high representation in all three levels. At the elementary level, male and female students are almost equally represented. But female enrollment exceeds that of the male at the secondary and tertiary levels . Also, boys have higher rates of failures, dropouts, and repetition in both elementary and secondary levels.

Aside from the numbers presented above, which are impressive, there is also a need to look closely and resolve the following important issues: 1) quality of education 2) affordability of education 3) goverment budget for education; and 4) education mismatch.

1. Quality - There was a decline in the quality of the Philippine education, especially at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, the results of standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students, as well as in the National College of Entrance Examination for college students, were way below the target mean score.

2. Affordability - There is also a big disparity in educational achievements across social groups.

For example, the socioeconomically disadvantaged students have higher dropout rates, especially in the elementary level. And most of the freshmen students at the tertiary level come from relatively well-off families.

3. Budget - The Philippine Constitution has mandated the goverment to allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education. However, the Philippines still has one of the lowest budget allocations to education among the ASEAN countries.

4. Mismatch - There is a large proportion of "mismatch" between training and actual jobs. This is the major problem at the tertiary level and it is also the cause of the existence of a large group of educated unemployed or underemployed.

The following are some of the reforms proposed:

1. Upgrade the teachers' salary scale. Teachers have been underpaid; thus there is very little incentive for most of them to take up advanced trainings.

2. Amend the current system of budgeting for education across regions, which is based on participation rates and units costs. This clearly favors the more developed regions. There is a need to provide more allocation to lagging regions to narrow the disparity across regions.

3. Stop the current practice of subsidizing state universities and colleges to enhance access. This may not be the best way to promote equity. An expanded scholarship program, giving more focus and priority to the poor, maybe more equitable.

4. Get all the leaders in business and industry to become actively involved in higher education; this is aimed at addressing the mismatch problem. In addition, carry out a selective admission policy, i.e., installing mechanisms to reduce enrollment in oversubscribed courses and promoting enrollment in undersubscribed ones.

5. Develop a rationalized apprenticeship program with heavy inputs from the private sector. Furthermore, transfer the control of technical training to industry groups which are more attuned to the needs of business and industry.

Read more: http://www.ph.net/htdocs/education/issue.htm

Woes of a FIlipino Teacher

Imagine yourself a Filipino teacher. Imagine yourself a teacher in a public school. Imagine yourself handling a class of 60 to 70 students. Imagine yourself handling two shifts of classes with 60 to 70 students.

Yes, it is a nightmare. And yes it happens in real life within the public school system. It is a manifestation of the two most prevalent problems in the educational system: lack of classrooms and lack of teachers.

In fairness, most private school teachers, especially those in small private schools, will admit that public school mentors earn more than they do. But even with the relatively higher wages, it does not seem to compensate for the daily travails of public school teachers.

The ideal ratio of teacher to student is 1:25. The less number of children handled by one mentor, the more attention can be given to each individual, especially if their learning competencies are not equal. With 25 students in a class, the teacher is likely to know each of her students, not only by face but by name and how they are actually performing in class.

But with 60 children in a classroom, it is a miracle how teachers are able to stay sane every single day. They hardly know their pupils, save for the excellent ones or unfortunately, the notorious. She does not even bother to remember them. How can she? Classrooms are cramped, if there are any at all. Many classes are held in makeshift rooms meaning a multi-purpose covered court with partitions where 4 or 5 classes are merely separated by thin plywood walls. With 60 kids north, east, south and west, it's a wonder teachers can hear themselves over the din.

And how do you tailor lessons with so many competencies to consider? Often, the result is children are left to cope on their own. If they get the lesson, well and good. Otherwise, they are lucky to pass at the end of the year.

Yes, students are still divided into sections and they are grouped into the level of their academic skills. Which leaves those who are academically challenged lumped together and their teacher to stretch her skills, patience, resources and dedication to addressing the need of her students.

Resources are another matter. Many public school classrooms are equipped with the most basic of equipment: a blackboard, chalk and eraser. Some are fortunate to have visual aids, either donated or purchased by the school. But many times, a teacher will not only have to be creative, but will dig into her own pocket to produce the kind of materials she needs and wants to teach class.

It used to be that rolls of Manila paper were adequate to write down the lesson for the day. But this can get to be very expensive, especially if the lessons are long. And with a class so huge, children are barely able to see small handwriting from the back, so you need to write bigger, and use more paper. Children always welcome additional and unique visual aids, and woe to the teacher who has to create them if she wants her subject or lesson to be more interesting.

Which brings us to the budget for visual aids. It is non-existent, except if you choose to shell out on your own. Teachers still have to make ends meet. And often, their pay is simply not enough to cover their needs, as well as their families.

The Department of Education just announced that so many millions of pesos have been released for the construction and repair of classrooms around the country. I believe this will only cover those included in a priority list. But there are many more schools which lack classrooms, and more communities that lack schools.

When additional classrooms are built, will there be additional teachers? If new teachers will be

hired, will there be a budget to support their wages?

It's a never-ending cycle, because the government has yet to come up with a plan that will finally address these problems.

In the meantime, Ma'm or Sir will have to suffer through their public school experience.

Blast from the Past

My paternal grandparents were teachers. My father's sister was also a teacher, and in fact, worked her way up the ranks to later become a public school principal. Since my grandparents have both passed on, my aunt and dad never fail to regale us with stories of how it was in public schools during their time.

If I remember correctly, everything was simplified. The curriculum was the basics or the 3 Rs -- Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. By the time children completed each year level, they would at least know how to read, write and do simple math, and progress a bit more after every grade level.

I say great! To my mind, armed with these skills, you can fend for yourself even at a young age because you'd understand simple written instructions, you can jot down important things, and you'd be a little savvy about simple trade.

Back then, they had simple books -- ones that really honed a student's skill by familiarizing him with the alphabet, phonetics and simple definitions. Unless you've mastered the addition table, you were nowhere near progressing to multiplication. And even if teachers ended up "terrorizing" their students or resorting to punishment, the bottomline was to inculcate in them the necessary skills to make them competent individuals in the future.

Sure they had books and notebooks but not enough to break a child's back or dislocate the shoulders. They were the essentials. A pencil, some writing paper and a notebook or two were all they needed to come to class.

Boys were not exempt from home economics classes, which included learning to cook, sew, and keep house. Neither were girls excluded from practical arts classes which had them gardening, doing basic carpentry or even learning handyman skills.

It's been quite some time since I, too, was in school. But I do recall that things weren't as complicated as they are now -- especially in the public school system here in the Philippines. Yet, the graduates that were produced could go toe-to-toe with children who were products of private schools. In fact, public school educated children were often better than their private school counterparts. The only difference is their economic status and the opportunities available to them.

So what went wrong? When had things become different? Why did they suddenly change a system that was working?

I'll have to keep looking...

KEY ISSUES IN PHILIPPINE EDUCATION

Literacy rate in the Philippines has improved a lot over the last few years- from 72 percent in 1960 to 94 percent in 1990. This is attributed to the increase in both the number of schools built and the level of enrollment in these schools. The number of schools grew rapidly in all three levels - elementary, secondary, and tertiary. From the mid-1960s up to the early 1990, there was an increase of 58 percent in the elementary schools and 362 percent in the tertiary schools. For the same period, enrollment in all three levels also rose by 120 percent. More than 90 percent of the elementary schools and 60 percent of the secondary schools are publicly owned. However, only 28 percent of the tertiary schools are publicly owned. A big percentage of tertiary-level students enroll in and finish commerce and business management courses. Table 1 shows the distribution of courses taken, based on School Year 1990-1991. Note that the difference between the number of enrollees in the commerce and business courses and in the engineering and technology courses may be small - 29.2 percent for commerce and business and 20.3 percent for engineering and technology. However, the gap widens in terms of the number of graduates for the said courses.

TABLE 1: TERTIARY ENROLLMENT AND GRADUATION BY FIELD OF STUDY. SY 1990-1991

FIELD OF STUDY ENROLLMENT GRADUATION

No. % No. %

Arts and Sciences 196,711 14.6 29,961 13.6

Teacher Training & Education

242,828 18.0 34,279 15.5

Engineering & Technology

273,408 20.3 32,402 14.7

Medical and Health - related Programs

176,252 13.1 34,868 15.8

Commerce/Business Management

392,958 29.2 79,827 36.1

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery,and Veterinary Medicine

43,458 3.2 7,390 3.3

Law 20,405 1.5 2,111 1.0

Religion / Theology 1,695 0.1 209 0.1

TOTAL 1,347,715 100.0 221,047 100.0

On gender distribution, female students have very high representation in all three levels. At the elementary level, male and female students are almost equally represented. But female enrollment exceeds that of the male at the secondary and tertiary levels . Also, boys have higher rates of failures, dropouts, and repetition in both elementary and secondary levels. Aside from the numbers presented above, which are impressive, there is also a need to look closely and resolve the following important issues: 1) quality of education 2) affordability of education 3) goverment budget for education; and 4) education mismatch.

1. Quality - There was a decline in the quality of the Philippine education, especially at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, the results of standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students, as well as in the National College of Entrance Examination for college students, were way below the target mean score.

2. Affordability - There is also a big disparity in educational achievements across social groups. For example, the socioeconomically disadvantaged students have higher dropout rates, especially in the elementary level. And most of the freshmen students at the tertiary level come from relatively well-off families.

3. Budget - The Philippine Constitution has mandated the goverment to allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education. However, the Philippines still has one of the lowest budget allocations to education among the ASEAN countries.

4. Mismatch - There is a large proportion of "mismatch" between training and actual jobs. This is the major problem at the tertiary level and it is also the cause of the existence of a large group of educated unemployed or underemployed.

The following are some of the reforms proposed:

1. Upgrade the teachers' salary scale. Teachers have been underpaid; thus there is very little incentive for most of them to take up advanced trainings.

2. Amend the current system of budgeting for education across regions, which is based on participation rates and units costs. This clearly favors the more developed regions. There is a need to provide more allocation to lagging regions to narrow the disparity across regions.

3. Stop the current practice of subsidizing state universities and colleges to enhance access. This may not be the best way to promote equity. An expanded scholarship program, giving more focus and priority to the poor, maybe more equitable.

4. Get all the leaders in business and industry to become actively involved in higher education; this is aimed at addressing the mismatch problem. In addition, carry out a selective admission policy, i.e.,

installing mechanisms to reduce enrollment in oversubscribed courses and promoting enrollment in undersubscribed ones.

5. Develop a rationalized apprenticeship program with heavy inputs from the private sector. Furthermore, transfer the control of technical training to industry groups which are more attuned to the needs of business and industry.

MS. TONY ROSE B. [email protected]

Job Objective: Be able to perform my duty as a student teacher that would allow me to professionally my knowledge and leadership skills with enthusiasm and discipline.

Skills:

Strong values orientation

Effective communication skills

mailto:[email protected]

Human relation skills

Computer literate

Office procedures

Basic Stenography (English and Filipino) and Machine Shorthand

Education:

Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Quezon City CampusBachelor in Business Teacher Education2007-present

Holy Child High SchoolClarin, Misamis OccidentalYear Graduated – 2007

Bagbag Elementary SchoolBrgy. Bagbag, Novaliches, Quezon CityYear Graduated – 2003

Seminars Attended:

Enhancing Skills Towards ProfessionalismPolytechnic University of the Philippines, Quezon City

Empowering the Youth Towards a Sustainable EnvironmentPolytechnic University of the Philippines, Quezon City

Jobstreet Career Congress 2010SMX Mall of Asia

Personal Background:

Birthday : March 09, 1991Birthplace : Pan-ay, Clarin, Misamis Occidental

Religion : CatholicFather;s Name : Antonio DoleraOccupation : OFWMother’s Name : Rosemarie DoleraOccupation : Brgy. Employee

Lagro High School

Final Demonstration

Treasures

My Students

With our Cooperating Teachers

TIME SUMMARY

MONTH OF DECEMBERDATE IN OUT HOURS

12/06/2010 6:00 12:35 6 hrs. 35 mins.12/07/2010 6:00 12:30 6 hrs. 30 mins.12/08/2010 5:55 1:00 7 hrs. 5 mins.12/09/2010 5:55 12:30 7 hrs. 35 mins.12/10/2010 6:15 12:30 6 hrs. 15 mins12/13/2010 6:00 12:45 6 hrs. 50 mins.12/14/2010 6:00 12:30 6 hrs. 30 mins.12/15/2010 6:00 12:30 6 hrs. 30 mins.12/16/2010 5:20 12:10 6 hrs. 50 mins.

TOTAL 61 hrs. 6 mins.

MONTH OF JANUARY 2011DATE IN OUT HOURS

01/03/2011 5:30 1:00 7 hrs. 30 mins01/04/2011 5:30 1:00 7 hrs. 30 mins.01/05/2011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs.

01/06/2011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs.01/07/2011 5:30 1:00 7 hrs. 30 mins.01/10/2011 5:45 1:00 7 hrs. 15 mins.01/11/2011 6:00 1:00 701/12/2011 6:00 1:00 701/13/2011 6:00 1:00 701/14/2011 6:30 1:00 6 hrs. 30 mins01/17/2011 6:00 1:00 701/18/2011 5:50 12:15 6 hrs. 25 mins.01/19/2011 5:30 12:00 6 hrs. 30 mins.01/20/2011 6:00 12:20 6 hrs.01/21/2011 6:00 2:00 8 hrs.01/24/2011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs.01/25/2011 5:45 1:00 7 hrs. 15 mins.01/27/2011 5:45 1:00 7 hrs. 15 mins.01/28/2011 5:45 1:00 7 hrs. 15 mins.01/31/2011 6:00 2:30 8 hrs. 30 mins.

TOTAL 142 hrs. 41 mins.

MONTH OF FEBRUARYDATE IN OUT HOURS

02/01/2011 6:00 1:30 7 hrs. 30 mins.02/02/2011 5:45 12:30 6 hrs. 45 mins.02/03/2011 5:50 1:00 7 hrs. 10 mins.02/04/2011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs. 02/07/2011 5:50 1:00 7 hrs. 10 mins02/08/2011 5:45 2:30 9 hrs. 45 mins.02/09/2011 5:45 12:30 6 hrs. 45 mins.02/10/2011 5:57 2:00 8 hrs. 3 mins.02/11/2011 6:00 1:30 7 hrs. 30 mins02/14/2011 6:00 12:00 602/15/2011 6:00 12:30 6 hrs. 30 mins.02/16/2011 6:15 4:00 10 hrs. 45 mins.02/17/2011 6:00 3:30 10 hrs. 30 mins.02/18/2011 6:25 12:00 5 hrs. 35 mins.02/21/2011 5:50 12:15 6 hrs. 25 mins.02/22/2011 6:00 4:30 11 hrs. 35 mins.02/23/2011 5:55 4:30 11 hrs. 35 mins.02/24/2011 6:15 1:00 6 hrs. 45 mins.

02/28/2011 5:50 1:00 7 hrs.TOTAL 150 hrs. 3mins.

MONTH OF MARCH 2011DATE IN OUT HOURS

03/01/2011 6:10 1:00 6 hrs. 50 mins03/022011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs. 03/07/2011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs.03/08/2011 6:15 10:15 4 hrs.03/09/2011 6:00 1:00 7 hrs.

TOTAL 32 hrs. 35 mins

Month of December, 2010 = 61 hrs. 6 mins.Month of January, 2011 = 142 hrs. 41 mins.Month of February. 2011 = 150 hrs. 3mins.Month of March, 2011 = 32 hrs. 35 mins

386 hrs. 25 mins.

Prepared by:

Ms. Tony Rose B. Dolera

Noted by:

Dr. Carina A. Ortiz – Luis Mrs. Jennifer R. Alecha TLE Department Head Cooperating Teacher

For the Month of December

For the Month of January

For the Month of February

For the Month of March