The Conceptual Approach in Teaching Mathematics

Conceptual approach

It is choosing and defining content of a certain discipline to be taught through the use of big and pervasive ideas

It is using the content as a means of leading the students to discover the laws and principles or generalizations that govern a particular subject or discipline

Fact- A simple statement of truth

Concept- Synthesis of facts

Generalization  - General statement relating two concepts

Principle - Statement of fundamental processes

Conceptual scheme- The main pervasive theme underlying a major field

A. conceptual attainment

- Is the process of defining concepts by finding those attributes that are absolutely essential to the meaning and disregarding those that are not

It also involves learning to discriminate between what is and is not an example of the concepts

It helps the learners attain the meaning of concepts through the inductive process of comparing examples and non-examples until a definition is derived

Step in the concept attainment method

1. select and define concepts..

2. select the attributes

3. develop positive and negative examples

4. introduce the process to the students

5. present the examples and list the attributes

6. develop concept definition

7. give additional example

8. discuss the process with the class

9. evaluate

B. Concept Formation

- The important principle underlying this method is that understandings are built, not acquired

It helps students think effectively, refining and extending students’ understanding to approach new information they encounter

Steps in concept formation method

1. list as many items as possible that are associated with the subject

2. Group the items because they are alike in some ways

3. label the groups by defining the reasons for grouping

4. regroup or subsume individual items or whole group under other groups

5. synthesize the information by summarizing the data and forming generalizations

6. evaluate students’ progress

C. Inductive  Method

Induction is that form of reasoning in which a general law is derived from a study of

particular objects or specific processes. Students use measurements, manipulators or constructive activities and patterns etc to discover a relationship. They later formulate a law or rule about that relationship based on their observations, experiences, inferences and conclusions.

Example 1: Ask pupils to draw a number of triangles. Ask them to measure the three

angles of each triangle and find their sum. They will find that the sum of the three

angles of all triangles is 180o.

Example 2: Ask pupils to find the sum of two odd numbers like 3+5=8, 5+7=12,

9+11=20, etc. They will find that the sum of two odd numbers is an even number.

Steps in the inductive method:

1) The first step is clear recognition of the problem. It should be clearly understood

and defined by the pupils.

2) Once the problem has been defined, the child should start searching for data from all possible sources like books, magazines, journals, making visits to certain places etc.

3) Under the guidance of the teacher, the pupils organize the data which they have collected from various sources. They select relevant data and discard irrelevant material.

4) By studying particular instances, the pupils frame possible solutions.

5) These solutions are discussed, argued and judged. Thus tentative solutions are

eliminated and only the probable solutions remain.

6) The solutions are applied to the situation and results are verified.

Merits of Inductive method

1) This method is psychological. The student feels interested in experiments,

experiences and discoveries.

2) This method fosters independence and self-confidence in the pupil which proves

very useful in later life.

3) In this method, children discover the solution themselves. Hence it develops and

encourages initiative and creative thinking.

4) All that is learnt using inductive method is remembered easily as it is self-acquired.5) In this method, the pupils observe and analyze particular objects of similar and different nature and try to arrive at general truth.

6) Inductive method takes into consideration all the maxims of good teaching. The

process of induction calls for perception, reasoning, judgment and generalization.

D. Deductive Method

Deduction is the method in which the law is accepted and then applied to a number of

specific examples. The child does not discover the law but develops skills in applying

the same, proceeds from general to particular or abstract to concrete.

Steps involved in deductive method

1) Like the inductive method, the first step is the clear understanding of the problem.

2) It may involve the study of a particular thing and phenomenon.

3) Principles and generalizations are reviewed to find the one which may be

applicable to find a solution.

3) Principles and generalizations are reviewed to find the one which may be

applicable to find a solution.

5) Verification of the inference is done by applying it to a case. If it solves the

problem then it is accepted otherwise the procedure is repeated to find the correct one.

Merits of deductive method

1) Deductive method is short and time-saving. It takes little time to solve the problem

by predetermined formulae.

2) In the deductive method, the teacher’s work is very much simplified. He/she simply gives a rule and asks the pupils to verify it by application to several concrete examples. For example, students are told that the area of rectangle = Length x Breadth. Then a few sums are solved before the students. The students apply thes eformulae to solve these problems and they memorize it for future use.

3) This method is very useful for small children because with small children we

generally use story or telling method.

4) This method glorifies memory, as the students have to memorize a considerable

number of formulae and definitions.

5) This method is adequate and advantageous during practice and revision stage.

Prepared and reported by:

Reynaldo, Alma V.

III-7 BEEd

Tsunami

****Reference to Science 5

A tsunami  is a series of water waves (called a tsunami wave train^]) caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, usually an ocean. Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded. Due to the immense volumes of water and energy involved, tsunamis can devastate coastal regions.

The Word Tsunami:
The word tsunami comes from the Japanese word meaning "harbor wave." Tsunamis are sometimes incorrectly called "tidal waves" -- tsunamis are not caused by the tides (tides are caused by the gravitational force of the moon on the sea). Regular waves are caused by the wind. 

Causes of Tsunami

·         Earthquakes,- an earthquake has to be over about magnitude 6.75 on the Richter scale for it to cause a tsunami.

·         volcanic eruptions 

·          underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), 

·         meteorite ocean impacts or similar impact events, and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.

The Size of a Tsunami:
Tsunamis have an extremely long wavelength (wavelength is the distance between the crest (top) of one wave and the crest of the next wave) -- up to several hundred miles long. The period (the time between two successive waves) is also very long -- about an hour in deep water.

In the deep sea, a tsunami's height can be only about 1 m (3 feet) tall. Tsunamis are often barely visible when they are in the deep sea. This makes tsunami detection in the deep sea very difficult.

The Speed of a Tsunami:
A tsunami can travel at well over 970 kph (600 mph) in the open ocean - as fast as a jet flies. It can take only a few hours for a tsunami to travel across an entire ocean. A regular wave (generated by the wind) travels at up to about 90 km/hr.

Facts about tsunami:

·         Tsunami is should not be known as tidal waves. Tsunamis are sometimes incorrectly called "tidal waves" -- tsunamis are not caused by the tides (tides are caused by the gravitational force of the moon on the sea). Regular waves are caused by the wind. 

·         The Greek historian Thucydides was the first to relate tsunami to submarine earthquakes, but understanding of tsunami's nature remained slim until the 20th century and is the subject of ongoing research. Many early geological, geographical, and oceanographic texts refer to tsunamis as "seismic sea waves."

·         Most tsunamis, about 80 percent, happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes common.

·         A tsunami may be less than a foot (30 centimeters) in height on the surface of the open ocean, which is why they are not noticed by sailors. But the powerful shock wave of energy travels rapidly through the ocean as fast as a commercial jet. Once a tsunami reaches shallow water near the coast, it is slowed down. The top of the wave moves faster than the bottom, causing the sea to rise dramatically.

·         Geological features such as reefs, bays, river entrances, and undersea formations may dissipate the energy of a tsunami. In some places a tsunami may cause the sea to rise vertically only a few inches or feet

·         Flooding can extend inland by a thousand feet (300 meters) or more. The enormous energy of a tsunami can lift giant boulders, flip vehicles, and demolish houses. Knowledge of the history of tsunamis in your area is a good indicator of what is likely to happen in a future tsunami event.

·         The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami could rank as the most devastating on record. More than 200,000 people lost their lives, many of them washed out to sea.

·         The most damaging tsunami on record before 2004 was the one that killed an estimated 40,000 people in 1782 following an earthquake in the South China Sea. In 1883 some 36,500 people were killed by tsunamis in the South Java Sea, following the eruption of Indonesia's Krakatoa volcano. In northern Chile more than 25,000 people were killed by a tsunami in 1868.

·         The Pacific is by far the most active tsunami zone, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But tsunamis have been generated in other bodies of water, including the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, and the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. North Atlantic tsunamis included the tsunami associated with the 1775 Lisbon earthquake that killed as many as 60,000 people in Portugal, Spain, and North Africa. This quake caused a tsunami as high as 23 feet (7 meters) in the Caribbean.

·         The Caribbean has been hit by 37 verified tsunamis since 1498. Some were generated locally and others were the result of events far away, such as the earthquake near Portugal. The combined death toll from these Caribbean tsunamis is about 9,500.

·         Large tsunami waves were generated in the Marmara Sea in Turkey after the Izmit earthquake of 1999.

Warning Signs

·         • An earthquake is a natural tsunami warning. If you feel a strong quake do not stay in a place where you are exposed to a tsunami. If you hear of an earthquake be aware of the possibility of a tsunami and listen to the radio or television for additional information. Remember that an earthquake can trigger killer waves thousands of miles across the ocean many hours after the event generated a tsunami.

·         Witnesses have reported that an approaching tsunami is sometimes preceded by a noticeable fall or rise in the water level. If you see the ocean receding unusually rapidly or far it's a good sign that a big wave is on its way. Go to high ground immediately.

·         Many people were killed by the Indian Ocean tsunami because they went down to the beach to view the retreating ocean exposing the seafloor. Experts believe that a receding ocean may give people as much as five minutes' warning to evacuate the area.

·         • Remember that a tsunami is a series of waves and that the first wave may not be the most dangerous. The danger from a tsunami can last for several hours after the arrival of the first wave. A tsunami wave train may come as a series of surges that are five minutes to an hour apart. The cycle may be marked by a repeated retreat and advance of the ocean. Stay out of danger until you hear it is safe.

·         Survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami reported that the sea surged out as fast and as powerfully as it came ashore. Many people were seen being swept out to sea when the ocean retreated.

·         A tsunami surge may be small at one point of the shore and large at another point a short distance away. Do not assume that because there is minimal sign of a tsunami in one place it will be like that everywhere else.

·          Tsunamis can travel up rivers and streams that lead to the ocean. Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean as you would stay away from the beach and ocean if there is a tsunami.

·          It's always a good idea to keep a store of emergency supplies that include sufficient medications, water, and other essentials sufficient for at least 72 hours. Tsunami, earthquake, hurricane—an emergency can develop with little or no warning.

Plan for a Tsunami

Develop a Family Disaster Plan. Please see the "Family Disaster Plan" section for general family planning information. Tsunami-specific planning should include the following:

·         Learn about tsunami risk in your community. Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter. Find out if your home, school, workplace or other frequently visited locations are in tsunami hazard areas. Know the height of your street above sea level and the distance of your street from the coast or other high-risk waters. Evacuation orders may be based on these numbers.

·         If you are visiting an area at risk from tsunamis, check with the hotel, motel, or campground operators for tsunami evacuation information and how you would be warned. It is important to know designated escape routes before a warning is issued.
If you are at risk from tsunamis, do the following:

·         Plan an evacuation route from your home, school, workplace, or any other place you'll be where tsunamis present a risk. If possible, pick an area 100 feet above sea level or go up to two miles inland, away from the coastline. If you can't get this high or far, go as high as you can. Every foot inland or upwards may make a difference. You should be able to reach your safe location on foot within 15 minutes. After a disaster, roads may become impassable or blocked. Be prepared to evacuate by foot if necessary. Footpaths normally lead uphill and inland, while many roads parallel coastlines. Follow posted tsunami evacuation routes; these will lead to safety. Local emergency management officials can help advise you as to the best route to safety and likely shelter locations.

·         Practice your evacuation route. Familiarity may save your life. Be able to follow your escape route at night and during inclement weather. Practicing your plan makes the appropriate response more of a reaction, requiring less thinking during an actual emergency situation.

·         Use a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone-alert feature to keep you informed of local watches and warnings. The tone alert feature will warn you of potential danger even if you are not currently listening to local radio or television stations.

·         Talk to your insurance agent. Homeowners' policies do not cover flooding from a tsunami. Ask about the National Flood Insurance Program.

·         Discuss tsunami with your family. Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing tsunamis ahead of time will help reduce fear and anxiety, and let everyone know how to respond. Review flood safety and preparedness measures with your family.

Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit Please see the section "Disaster Supplies Kit" for general supplies kit information. Tsunami-specific supplies should include the following:

·            -Evacuation Supplies Kit in an easy-to-carry contanier (backpack) near your door.
   - Disaster Suplies Kit basics. 

How to Protect Your Property

·         Avoid building or living in buildings within several hundred feet of the coastline. These areas are more likely to experience damage from tsunamis, strong winds, or coastal storms.

Make a list of items to bring inside in the event of a tsunami. A list will help you remember anything that can be swept away by tsunami waters.

·         Elevate coastal homes. Most tsunami waves are less than 10 feet. Elevating your house will help reduce damage to your property from most tsunamis.

·         Follow flood preparedness precautions. Tsunamis are large amounts of water that crash onto the coastline, creating floods.

·         Have an engineer check your home and advise about ways to make it more resistant to tsunami water. There may be ways to divert waves away from your property. Improperly built walls could make your situation worse. Consult with a professional for advice. 

What to Do After a Tsunami

·         Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency frequency station, or other reliable source for emergency information. The tsunami may have damaged roads, bridges, or other places that may be unsafe.

Help injured or trapped persons. Give first aid where appropriate. Call for help. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.

·         Help a neighbor who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Elderly people and people with disabilities may require additional assistance. People who care for them or who have large families may need additional assistance in emergency situations.

·         Use the telephone only for emergency calls. Telephone lines are frequently overwhelmed in disaster situations. They need to be clear for emergency calls to get through.

·         Stay out of the building if waters remain around it. Tsunami waters, like flood waters, can undermine foundations, causing buildings to sink, floors to crack, or walls to collapse.

·         When re-entering buildings or homes, use extreme caution. Tsunami-driven flood waters may have damaged buildings where you least expect it. Carefully watch every step you take.

·         Wear sturdy shoes. The most common injury following a disaster is cut feet.

·         Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings. Battery-powered lighting is the safest and easiest, preventing fire hazard for the user, occupants, and building.

·         Examine walls, floors, doors, staircases, and windows to make sure that the building is not in danger of collapsing.

·         Inspect foundations for cracks or other damage. Cracks and damage to a foundation can render a building uninhabitable.

·         Look for fire hazards. There may be broken or leaking gas lines, flooded electrical circuits, or submerged furnaces or electrical appliances. Flammable or explosive materials may come from upstream. Fire is the most frequent hazard following floods.

·         Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas using the outside main valve if you can, and call the gas company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.

·         Look for electrical system damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician first for advice. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried before being returned to service.

·         Check for sewage and water line damage. If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid using the toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company and avoid using water from the tap. You can obtain safe water from undamaged water heaters or by melting ice cubes.

·         Use tap water if local health officials advise it is safe.

·         Watch out for animals, especially poisonous snakes, that may have come into buildings with the water.Use a stick to poke through debris. Tsunami flood waters flush snakes and animals out of their homes.

·         Watch for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings that could fall.

·         Take pictures of the damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance claims.

·         Open the windows and doors to help dry the building.

·         Shovel mud while it is still moist to give walls and floors an opportunity to dry.

·         Check food supplies. Any food that has come in contact with flood waters may be contaminated and should be thrown out. 

Some meteorological conditions, such as deep depressions that cause tropical cyclones, can generate a storm surge, called a meteotsunami, which can raise tides several metres above normal levels. The displacement comes from low atmospheric pressure within the centre of the depression. As these storm surges reach shore, they may resemble (though are not) tsunamis, inundating vast areas of land. Such a storm surge inundated Burma in May 2008.

  ****Credits to the Authors of the various reference/ article

Prepared by:

Reynaldo, Alma V.

III-7 BEEd

Assessing Written language for Special Children (Sped 02- Assessment)

Written Language

Role of written language

·         Written language is a basic method of communication on today’s society.

·         Writing skills are a requirement for most occupations, and some jobs demand a high degree of proficiency in written language.

·         Writing is an important skill during school years to express their thoughts.

·         In special education assessment, written language skills are studied to gather information for instructional planning

Considerations in Assessment of Written Language

Purposes

·         Written language skills maybe investigated at the start of assessment to determine the student’s eligibility for special education services.

·         Several measures of written language are currently available to assist the assessment team in identifying skills deficiencies.

Skill areas

·         Spelling. It is usually assessed with a paper-and-pencil test. The tester reads a word to the student, the word is again read in the context of a phrase or sentence, and the student responds by writing the words. Students can also be asked to spell the words orally, or spelling task can be designed in a multiple-choice format. Multiple choice tests usually present the students with several words, and the students selects the one that is correctly or incorrectly stated.

·         Handwriting. T is generally informally assessed by comparing a sample of the student’s writing with a set of performance criteria.

·         Composition.  It can be defined as the process by which a writer creates a written product. On measures of composition, students are typically presented with a writing task; the sample that the student produces is the subjected to analysis. Several aspects of the sample can be evaluated: content, vocabulary, organization, logic, writing style, productivity, creativity and the more mechanical dimensions such as handwriting and spelling.

·          

Current Practices

·         Some of the measures that are currently available are survey instruments.

·         Informal strategies are a necessity in the assessment of writing skills because of the limited number of formal tools and the narrowness of the scope

STRATEGIES FOR ASSESING SPELLING

Formal Techniques

1.  Wide Range Achievement Test – Revised. It uses recall tasks where the student is required to remember and then write the correct spelling of words.

2. Peabody Individual Achievement Test – Revised. It employs the recognition tasks where the students must identify the correctly spelled word.

3. Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery – Revised.  It offers measures of both types of spelling skills in dictation and proofing subtests.

4. Test of Written Spelling – 2. It is a norm-referenced test that contains two subtests: Predictable words, a test of skill in spelling words that conform to the rule of phonics (e.g. bed, him) and Unpredictable Words, a measure of skill in spelling irregular words (e.g. people, knew).

Informal Techniques

1. Work Sample Analysis. Sample analysis: student’s essays, book reports, test papers (including spelling test) daily homework assignments, workbooks. Error analysis procedures can be used to evaluate the spelling samples.

2. Informal inventories.

·         Selecting representative words from the basal spelling series on a classroom

·         Designing an inventory around specific spelling skills.

3. Criterion-referenced test.  This measure can help professionals indentify which spelling skills have been mastered and which remain in need of instruction.

4. Clinical interviews.  They can be questioned about the ways they coped with the spelling demands of the writing task.

STRATEGIES IN ASSESSING HANDWRITING

1. Rating scales. It provides a method for judging whether a student’s handwriting is poor enough to be considered an area of educational need.

            Zaner-Bloser evaluation Scales provide teachers with a standard method of collecting and rating handwriting samples.

            Five factors to be considered:

·         Letter formation

·         Vertical quality in manuscript, slant in cursive

·         Spacing

·         Alignment and proportion

·         Line quality

2. Observation and Error Analysis. A student can be observed during an activity requires writing and the error analysis proceedings can be applied in writing sample.

            Features of student’s manuscript writing:

·         Position of hand, arm, body

·         Size of letter: too small, large, etc.

·         Proportion of one letter or word to another

·         Quality of the pencil line: too heavy or too light

·         Slant: too much or irregular

·         Letter formation: poor circles, or straight lines, lines disconnected

·         Letter alignment: off the line

·         Spacing: letters or words crowded or too scattered

·         Speed: too fast or too slow

3. Inventories and criterion-referenced test.

           

STRATEGIES IN ASSESSING COMPOSITION

1. Test of written Language – 2 is designed to accomplish several purposes:

            a. to identify students who perform significantly more poorly than their peers in written expression and who as a result need special help.

            b. to determine a student’s particular strength and weaknesses in various writing abilities

            c. to document a student’s progress in a special writing program

            d. to conduct research in writing

Contrived format subtests:

·         Vocabulary- the student read each word, then writes a meaningful sentence that includes the word.

·         Spelling – the tester dictates sentences, and the students write them with attention to spelling (and capitalization and punctuation.

·         Logical sentence – the student reads sentences with errors in logic

·         Sentences combining – the student reads two sentences and must write one new sentence that combines the original sentences.

Spontaneous format subtests:

·         Thematic maturity – the content is evaluated among the criteria

·         Contextual vocabulary – the sample is examined to determine the number of unique words with seven or more letters included in the student’s story.

·         Syntactic maturity – clauses the writing sample that contain errors in syntax

·         Contextual spelling – the core of this subtest is the number of words spelled correctly in the student’s story.

·         Contextual style – the students earn points for each punctuation and capitalization rule used correctly in the story.

2. Picture- Story Language Test –  a norm-referenced measure in which students write a story about a standard stimulus picture.

3. Woodcock language Proficiency Battery – Revised – the dictation and proofing subtests evaluate the student’s knowledge of the rules of punctuation, capitalization, spelling and usage.

4. Test of Adolescent Language – 2 – it contains two subtests that assess written language:

·         Writing/Vocabulary – the student is given a word and asked to write a meaningful sentence that includes the word.

·         Writing /Grammar – two sentences are presented. The student must write a new sentence that combines the meaning of the original sentences.

Informal Techniques

1. Rating scales and checklists – the teacher selects several samples of student’s writing and then analyzes the content, vocabulary, sentences, paragraphs, mechanics, handwriting, and spelling.

2. Writing sample analysis – in the use of this procedure, students are asked to write an autobiography and other forms of writing and then are studied to identify errors that may indicate the need for instruction.

3. Criterion-referenced tests

4. Observation and clinical interview

5. Portfolio assessment

Practices on spelling (Miller et.al)

1. The presentation of spelling words in lists or columns to focus the student’s attention on each word.

2. Use of test-study-test method in which the students study only the words that they are unable to spell.

3. Writing words several times to ensure spelling retention.

Recommendations for an effective program in handwriting

1. Handwriting instruction is direct and not incidental

2. Handwriting is taught in short daily learning periods during which desirable habits are established.

3. Skills in handwriting are over learned in isolation and then applied in meaningful context assignments.

4. Teachers stress the importance of handwriting and do not accept, condone or encourage slovenly work

5. Although students do develop personal idiosyncrasies, the teacher  helps them maintain a consistent, legible handwriting style throughout the grades.

Techniques in teaching composition skills

1. Students should be exposed to broad range of writing task.

2. Strategies for reducing the number of cognitive demands inherent in the act of writing should be an integral part of a remedial composition program.

3. Writing error should not be overemphasizing.

4. The composition program should be pleasant and encouraging.

5. The composition program should be planned, monitored and evaluated on the basis of assessment information

  ***Credits to the references

Compiled and Prepared by:

REYNALDO, Alma V.

III-7 BEEd

Starting Point of Stress

I'm staring to have some teaching depessions. it feels like hell when the class is noisy then it gets even worst when it is the time of assessment and neither of them even get 50% the quiz. Do I have to lower my standards? Or am i That not effective? Anong problema sa akin? Ang alam ko lang, it's my voice because it doesnt sound authoritative. But, I see to it Im implementing the class rules to make sure that the class is well-regulated. I even get tired easily. Is it nutritional problems or it's just that I can't handle teaching anymore? Lord please, I love this job, give me more strength, skills and determination to surpass these unlikely  things that's happening on my teaching experience. I know the reality of being a teacher but it;s getting my nerves. I feel frustrated on myself, and on my students. Lord, please, give me more enthusiasm. Make my students feel and apprecite the importance of education in their lives. Give me more motivation so that I could stand all those problems Im encountering and tye ones i have to encounter. Lord please, teaching is really my life. I do'nt want to reach the point where I would regret what I have entered. Lord, you put me here so let me stay here. 

Ang Una kong Araw Bilang isang Guro sa Filipino

(In Filipino Language)

Ang pagiging guro ang pinakadakilang propesyon. Alam na alam na nating lahat iyan. At lalong alam na alam na rin natin kung bakit. Kumbaga sa damo, ang kasabihang ito,   ay maituturing na perennial weed,  damong kahit ilang araw, linggo o taon man ang lumipas, umulan man o umaraw, humaba man ang gabi, at unti-unti mang maagnas ang mga bahagi ng ating katawan, naroon parin sila, matatatag na nakatindig, at hindi nabubuwal. At, habang nandiyan ang mga guro na katulad din ng isang damo, ang kasabihan ito ay di mawawala sa mundo.

Nagsisimula pa lang akong tumubo. Sariwa pa ang aking mga ugat. Umuusbong pa lang ang aking mga talbos. Kaunti pa lang ang aking naabot ngunit sagana ako sa mga plano at pangarap bilang isang guro. Nariyang lagi kong pinapangarap na ang kagigiliwan  ako ng aking mga mag-aaral, mabibigyan ako ng regalo, magiging masaya ang aking  unang araw, at mapapangaralan ako ng buong kaguruan. Sabi nga ni Mr Rentoy, ang mga bagong guro ay nasa baitang pa lamang ng pagpapantasya at normal lang na isipin ang mga ganito.

Hindi naman lahat ng pantasya at pangarap  ay nagaganap. Minsan, ang pag-iisip ng pantasya ang sasampal sa iyo na hindi nakukuha ang lahat sa pagtulog. Kailangan mo ding magising at lumabas mula sa ilalim.

Ang unang araw ko ng pagtuturo sa SPCM ay masasabi kong bitter-sweet. Kung tutuusin, ang pagtubo ko ay hindi kahinu-hinuha, di gaya ng iba na sigurado na sila na maisiyahan sila sa kanilang pagtuturo pagsapit pa lamang ng unang araw. Para sa akin, na mas gamay ang pagtuturo ng siyensiya, hindi madaling magturo ng Filipino lalo na sa mga batang ang unang wika ay Ingles. Kahit pa sabihin kong mahilig akong magsulat sa Filipino, hindi ganoon kadaling ipaintindi na ang pang-uri at pang-abay ay magkaiba kahit pa sabihing sila ay mga salitang naglalarawan, at ang Filipino ay hindi madaling sabjek, lalo na sa kanila na iba ang katayuan sa lipunan, mga sosyal kumbaga.

Naalala ko, may isang estudyanteng nagtanong sa akin: “Teacher, what is Miyerkules?”. “Teacher am I gonna write this on my Diary?” Oo nga pala, nasa lunduyan ako ng mga hindi sanay sa mag-Filipino. Lagi ko ngang ipinapaala sa kanila na magsalita ng purong filipino sa aking klase. Mayroon pa akong mag-aaral na di nakakaintindi ng Filipino. Pero kailangan kong ipilit na kailangan niyang matutuo ng maraming salita sa Filipino. Minsan, hindi na sila nakikinig sa akin. Kailanagn mo pa ng instrumentong sinasabi nina B.F. Skinner, ang mga reinforcements at punishments.

Pero, ang nakapagpatibay sa akin noong una kong araw ay ang mga ekspektasyon o inaasahan nila sa aking klase. Sana raw ay maging masaya ang aking klase. Sana daw ay matuto pa sila ng “malalim” na pagtatagalog. At ang pinakanakapagpagana sa akin ng pagtuturo ay ang pagsasabi nila na gusto nilang matutong magsulat ng mga tula at kwento. Makukulit, maarte at pasaway man sila, ngunit naroon din pala ang kanilang dedikasyong matuto.

Sana nga, maabot ko ang kanilang ekspektasyon. Gusto kong pahalagahan nila ang Filipino, hindi dahil ito ang pambansang wika ng Pilipinas kundi ito ang tatak ng ating pagka-Filipino at dito tayo lubusang nagkakaintindihan.

Mahirap sa [arte ko ang magturo ng Filipino at mahirap din sa parte nila ang magtuto ng Filipino. Pero natitiyak ko, kung naroon ang dedikasyon na aming mga panig sa pagkatuto at pagtuturo, magiging masaya ang boung taong ng pag-aaral nang magkakasama.

Sana, makaligtas ako sa mga milyong bagyo, ipo-ipo, baha, sunog at mabibigat na  yapak ng iba. Pinili kong maging bahagi ng mga espesyal na halamang ito, kaya kakayanin ko anumang hamon ng pagtuturo. Okay lang. Ito pa lang naman ang unang araw ko. May ikalawa, ikatlo, ikaaapat at maraming-marami-maraming-maraming araw pa ng aking pagtuturo at pagkatuto. Sa tulong ng Diyos, hindi ako magsasawang umusbong at magparami pa ng talbos upang lumago.