To be assigned in Minalabac National High School makes me complain at first due to the distance from my home, because technically I am from Balatan Camarines Sur but then, the department of our school says that they cannot longer assigned pre-service teachers at Balatan area due to its distance and safety of the student teachers, to make the story short I was unexpectedly assigned in MNHS.
New environment means new faces and new beginning for me. I am prepared for the worst scenario to come; from the saying goes you should “expect the unexpected”.
Handling Grade 7 is a big challenge for new student teachers because when we say Grade 7, their emotions are overflowing and curiosity itself in everything they saw, hear feel, and ideas. I handle 4 section of Grade 7 in Miinalabac National High School for the mean time it lasted about 2 weeks and imagine that each section is composed of sixty-five or less students; I am only one versus sixty-five but thanks to the arrival of student teachers from BISCAST namely Ma’am Mona who were also assigned to my cooperating teacher Ma’am Christine, I am able to just handle two section. It was hard; you cannot sleep well due to the preparation for the lesson plan, checking of their quizzes and projects, TOS and questionnaires well, that is already given but when you teach in front and you know that your student learned the subject matter with the bonus subject of good moral and right conduct. That is an achievement to my part. Just to see some students who are not active before and cannot even raise their hands and at the end of the day you saw some improvements to them for being actively participating in class that is already an achievement to the part of a teacher being able to boost their confidence, motivate and inspire them to strive harder.
Being a teacher is not a difficult job, as long as it is your passion to educate people and you educate them not because you are required to do so but educate them because it is what you want, to impart your knowledge to them who can be leaders of the future.
One thing is for sure this off-campus teaching experience will always be remembered and I really appreciate all the guidance, advices and unending support of the MNHS family even for a short period of time, it was all worth it! It is a pleasure indeed to be one of the Pre-service teachers assigned in Minalabac National High School.
