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Introduction

This e-portfolio contains a compilation of all my meaningful learnings and experiences from Field Study 2. This course provided us the opportunity to observe in the real world of battlefield. Unlike with Field Study 1 which I have already completed last school year, Field Study 2 gave us the best of both worlds when the government started to allow limited face-to-face classes. However, a lot of educational institutions such as the University of the East, are still implementing Blended Learning, a combination of in person classes and Online Distance Learning to give some students the grace period to adjust to new normal. This was a huge challenge for pre-service teachers like who were incarcerated at home for 2 years because even us are not exempted from the similar predicaments and challenges that our students undergo through. As you go along with my digital portfolio, you will be able to witness how both the students and teacher behave in a highly emotional era of their lives. 

I am very optimistic that we will not forever stay in this kind of heartbreaking and agonizing situation because the recorded cases of covid19 patients are continuously decreasing. I am constantly praying that the government will restore the full blown face-to-face classes next semester because the general welfare of the students are at great risks.

 All of the educational theories and pertinent concepts that we learned during the course of our career as a pre-service teacher served as a guiding principle for our observation and assistance with our Resource Teachers to be successful. I was distributed to different Resource Teachers which made my journey to reality as a pre-service teacher more adventurous and exciting because I was able to adopt their best practices, classroom and behavioral management and most importantly, their pedagogical methods. My worksheets are a product of my own blood and sweat because I spent sleepless nights and skipped the most important celebrations of my life just to provide a logical, rational, and extensive output. In addition to that, I was able to hone my critical and creative thinking skills when we were asked to criticize erroneous classroom practices. Through our Action Research, we were tasked to formulate a relevant and timely solution to address emerging classroom problems. 

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Learn More About Teacher Patricia

Basic Information

Hello. My birth name is Patrick Emmanuel M. Cave but you can call me Pat or Patricia. I was born in Sampaloc, Manila but I was raised and grew up in Bani, Pangasinan. Probably, I am the eldest from the rest because I am already 24 years of age. I am a product of the old curriculum that is why I never got the chance to experience 12 years of basic education. Honestly, this is not my first degree program because the first time I entered college, I took up Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication. Due to personal matters, I was not able to finish it but the Teaching Profession gave me a new sense of direction. It has never been my ultimate dream to become a teacher someday but thanks to my well-intentioned professors who ignited my intrinsic passion for teaching.

Why Teaching Profession?

Due to family influence, I was compelled to enter the teaching field but I never regret my decision. Without hesitations, I took up Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English. You might be wondering why I chose to be in the English Department? English is the medium of instruction being used in many professional disciplines. It is also the language of Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. I strongly believe that communication is common to all professions especially to teachers. You need to have facility over the language so you can effectively deliver your lessons. Having facility over the worldwide lingua franca enable you to become globally competent in the job market due to high demands brought by globalization. Perhaps, English does not define the effectiveness of a teacher to teach but being eloquent teacher gives you an edge to other teachers.I also believe that I was destined to this noble profession because God sees me as a teacher figure who can touch the lives of as many people as I can for the greater glory of humanity. 

My Gender Identity.

What sets me apart from all the FS students is my Gender Identity. In a conservative, heteronormative and a Christian-dominated country like the  Philippines, It is very seldom that you would encounter transgender woman in the professional settings. Despite the lack of inclusivity, I am more than thankful for the acceptance, support and love I received from UE Family. I was given a safe space and platform to excel and show what I can offer to the society regardless of my Gender Identity. I hope that UE will continue to embrace diversity and empower the LGBT Community because our gender preferences do not define our capabilities. This is also one of the reasons why I have this strong will and driving force to pursue my education since a degree is regarded to be a ticket to success. Therefore, in a meritocratic and capitalist society, success has become the basis of acceptance and respect. To end the stigma and discrimination in all forms, sizes, and shapes is my primary teaching philosophy. I would like to uplift the socio-economic status of the historically marginalizes sectors by inculcating to the mind of the next generation how important humanism is because I  strongly believe that lack of education is the root cause of discrimination.

Life of a working student.

Because of the unfortunate circumstances, I decided to work as a full time Call Center Agent in a prestigious BPO Company in Manila and attend school at the same time so I may be able to support my financial needs independently. Let us admit that college is not a privilege that everyone can have. The expenses in college would cost you a fortune especially if you study in a reputable and autonomous university. Of course, It is extremely difficult to devote your undivided attention to both work and studies but self-regulation and a fighting spirit have saved me from years of torments. Luckily, I fall under the bucket of a very considerate and compassionate manager that is why my requested schedule was approved so I may be able to attend my classes. I am also grateful that my professors like Mam Nina Era, Dr. Mildred Jimenez, Dr. Guia and Dean Callueng tried their best to extend their utmost consideration and helping hands to working students like me. My journey as a working students is like a bumpy road because there are so many roadblocks along the way but as I continue with my journey, I will eventually find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

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My Teaching & Learning Philosophy

(Beliefs on Teaching and Learning)

Before Field Study 1 and 2, I was under the impression that teaching was one of the easiest profession because it has been belittled and degraded by society for a very long period of time. In fact, I was discouraged to pursue a profession in teaching when I graduated from high school since many people that I know told me that teaching is an undeniably not a lucrative profession. No one gets financially rich by just being a teacher. Moreover, teaching was regarded a trash bin of other dignified professions because many students who failed to enter law school or medicine found it less daunting and challenging to be in the teaching profession. I carried this erroneous belief with me for a very long period of time but my naïve perspective had changed when I was able to experience myself the intricacies of my profession. Lastly, since we are living in a fast-changing world, I was also able to compare and contrast how students behave in the digital era. 

My perspective as a pre-service teacher changed when I saw the reality of life in the teaching field. In fact, the workloads of a teacher are already extremely demanding and time consuming such as writing lesson plans, table of specification, studying the content, designing on what instructional materials to be used, checking quizzes and test papers, etc. but I realized that these are just the challenges of a teacher on the surface level inside the four corners of the room. The underlying more complex and sophisticated adversities of a teacher stem from the burden of her students that divert their attention from their academic life. I believe that teaching is not only concerned with the cognitive side of learning, however, external factors such as the lack of motivation, financial constraints, health issues, and various personal circumstances that impede the learners to perform shall be taken into consideration. Remember, according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, success is attainable if the person is able to satisfy the basic needs. Therefore, it is paramount for a teacher to prioritize the general welfare and well-being of the students before pushing them to reach the peak of their academic success because our students are diverse in so many ways. Apart from that, we are regarded to be the locus parentis of our students. Should they knock on our doors, as secondary caregivers, we should always make them feel welcome because their home may not be a safe haven for them. This was evident when I observed and handled my students in Field Study 2. Some students failed to comply with school requirements and there were students who were hesitant to participate because they were emotionally disturbed about what was happening behind the scene. With these observations, I therefore conclude that teaching is a noble-calling we should be proud of because we don’t only transfer knowledge or hone their skills but we nurture the students holistically, touch their lives, and advocate for them  Exactly the reason why teachers are the root of all professions because without us, the community will not prosper. You cannot be an effective teacher if you just simply do your job and be done for the day. Teaching is a mission. Therefore, it is a commitment to a lifetime service. What a teacher is, is more important than what she teaches( Karl Menninger). My personal goal as an aspiring teacher is for all the learners to reach the finish line so they may all become contributing members of the society.  We can only measure our effectiveness as teachers if we finally see that no one is left behind. That is why the Teaching Profession is believed to be a transformative and impactful profession because the society looks highly on us. The moment I join the teaching force, I already inculcate in my mind the huge responsibility that awaits me. I know that I have to relinquish all sense of me to my profession. May I succeed in my future endeavors.

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Disclaimer: For the sake of organization, I decided to compile all the worksheets in google drive because the size of the files are too large and I find it impossible to attach the worksheets in this platform considering the number of worksheets. Should be there any technical errors, feel free to get in touch with me so I can find another way to show the compilation of worksheets.

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Disclaimer:  Since the file is too large, allow me to insert the google doc link instead that will direct you to my Daily Time Record.

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Daily Experiences & Documentations

October 3 to October 7, 2023: Today is the first day of my observation. I prepared early so I could meet my Resource Teacher on time. I know I never failed on that aspect. From the looks of her face, I already knew that we will get along with each other.  I was able to meet her students and it felt so fulfilling when the students started to address me based on my preferred gender pronoun. My Resource Teacher set the expectations about the do’s and dont’s  and she was very polite, respectful, and friendly. The first few days of my observation were truly a dream come true because my Resource Teacher gave me the authority to act on her behalf. Despite my birth name, I was introduced to the students with appropriate gender pronoun and preferred name without demanding for it. They were very welcoming and accommodating. At this point of time, I was only able to meet them online since face-to-face classes were still not allowed. One thing that I learned during the 1st week was to deal professionally with my Resource Teacher since she will act as my mentor  as I embark on my entire FS journey. This is not only applicable on this dimension but establishing a harmonious relationship with colleagues and superiors is very vital for the professional development of a teacher because they will be the concerned individuals who will help you succeed in our professional endeavors. 

October 11 to 14, 2022:  Since Mam Villaluna, my original Resource Teacher, did not maximize the allotted hours for synchronous sessions, I had to find ways on how I will be able to complete the 120 hours of assistanceship and observation. Good thing that I was able to establish a cordial and harmonious relationship with Sir Danduan during the Field Study 1 since he was also one of my Resource Teachers. I had to wait for almost a week to get the approval of Dean Callueng and Professor Agati to observe on his classes. Sir Danduan has been one of the excellent teachers in Senior High School. I have learned so much from him in terms of enticing the learning appetite of your students until the very end of the class session. Perhaps, some students may get intimidated if a teacher is very eloquent with the worldwide lingua franca. However, Sir Danduan was able to greatly increase students’ engagement and participation in an online learning environment by asking questions to assess their understanding about the topic. Apart from that, he was also very gentle when providing feedbacks to his students in order to decrease anxiety and fear from from humiliation and ridicule. From here, I was able to realize the importance of asking questions and creating an anxiety-free learning atmosphere. 

October 17 to 21, 2022: Finally, after more than 2 years of being incarcerated at home, I was able to see the beautiful smiles of these students when they had their first in person class. Since UE is a private educational institution, a lot of teachers were able to support hybrid classes where some students can stay at the comfort of their humble abodes while others may opt to attend face-to-face classes. I have noticed that students were more participative in a face-to-face set up since the teacher can monitor their actions while students in a virtual set up were easily distracted by environmental variables at home. With the advent of hybrid set up, teachers were pushed to their limits because they had to be strategic in facilitating a discussion such as the modulation of their voice, ensuring students’ active engagement in both modalities, applying classroom management, etc. However, technology still plays a crucial role in the learning process because it elevates the learning experiences of the students. According to some students that I was able to interview, it was awkward to meet their classmates in person because their digital personality might be different from how they actually behave. To be part of their first in person learning experience, I was able to notice their challenges of creating bond with each other. However, as their Resource Teacher, I was able to break the wall that isolates them from each other. 

October 24 to 28, 2022: This week, I am proud to say that I had my first assistanceship. Honestly speaking, Mam Villaluna was very reluctant in giving me tasks but as part of FS 2 requirements, it was also a must to help the teacher with classroom workloads. Therefore, I really offered her my assistance to help her in my own little way. Checking their quizzes were not a complicated task but it required lots of brain powers in order to gauge your students subjectively and provide relevant and helpful feedbacks. Since this was just a formative assessment to measure their conceptual knowledge about the topic, no rubrics were created. However, as English teachers, we had the most demanding tasks because we do not just check the content but also the grammar and profoundness of idea. It took me 2 hours to check 15 papers because I had to carefully spot all the grammatical errors so they may not commit the same blunders in their future activities. 

The same week, I also had my first teaching demonstration. It was very chaotic and catastrophic because there was a sudden power outage in our area. However, I didn’t want to provide a negative impression to Mam Villaluna because it was my first teaching demonstration in the real world of battlefield. I came in to class very late but thanks god because I was still able to meet them. I was at Starbucks during that time because I had to use their socket for my devices to operate. There were lots of background noises and technical issues that negatively impacted the discussion. However, I was able to bounce back in the middle when I began to generate the interests of my students. Since this was not the star section, there were only few students who participated. I got disappointed at first because they were code-switching from English to Filipino especially when they couldn’t compose their thoughts properly. However, I didn’t want to project an intimidating impression to my students. Therefore, I had no choice but to allow them to speak with the language that they were comfortable with. From here, I was able to personally experience the challenges of a teacher in getting the attention and interest of the students in a virtual learning environment. It was not a very satisfactory teaching experience but I expected this to happen on my first teaching demonstration. Lastly, I was also able to realize the importance of understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your students before setting an educational goals and benchmarks. The tasks, questions, and even the language shall always be complimentary with their level of intelligence. 

November 07 to 11, 2022: After a long academic break, I was again tasked to have my 2nd teaching demonstration. However, this time, it was more seamless because I already prepared a back up plan in the event that unexpected occurrences will happen along the way. Since I taught the same section, it was a little bit advantageous for me because I already knew the characteristics of my students. Apart from that, I was more confident in delivering the lesson because it was something very close to my heart. Mam Villaluna really allowed me to own the stage because I was able to execute all the components outlined in my learning plan without her intervention. In my 2nd teaching demonstration, the only major challenge that I encountered was to formulate a question. From here, I realize that not all students will be able to capture the intended meaning of your message. Therefore, we need to modify our communication style to make it more comprehensible to other people because the presence of ambiguity can truly defeat the purpose of communication. What may be understandable for you may not be the same for the others. Another realization that I had was the importance of language as a tool for communication. A lot of people underestimate language teachers like me but little do they know that having a strong command of the language will increase the effectiveness of a teacher? Lastly, mastery of the content and pedagogy alone do not save a teacher in the classroom but the soft skills are also something we should bank on.

November 14 to 18, 2022: This week, I was invited by Sir Danduan to observe in his first face-to-face classes. He was displaying an exemplary teaching technique in the virtual learning environment but he was more adept in the face-to-face classes. Sir Danduan always had the brightest students because he always made sure to unleash their optimum potential. As a future teacher, I aspire to be like him but I also have to make sure to strike a perfect balance because not all students have fortunate circumstances. Since I was able to compare and contrast how he teaches in both modalities, I realized that gestures, eye contact, and demeanors determine how your students behave towards the teacher. Therefore, if you give your best to your students, expect that they will also give their best. 

November 21 to 25, 2022: This week was just an ordinary week but we went back again to online classes. As a student, I felt the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion of Sir Danduan’s students because perhaps, they were adjusting to new normal and bombarded with so much workloads. I started to have that intuition by looking at their faces. With the presentation of their asynchronous tasks, I was able to witness their creative juices. You see? These generation of minds behave and think differently because they are able to exploit technology to learn in the best way possible and embrace various cultural perspectives since social media platforms unlock borderless communication worldwide. Being at the tail of the analogue era, I was amazed by their demonstrated competencies. Indeed, technology is truly beneficial for teaching and learning but we shall not also placed excessive importance on technological tools because Artificial Intelligence might replace humans from performing their jobs. Lastly, as a future teacher, I will be extra sensitive with my students by putting myself on their shoes. Some students might not have the audacity to express their grievances to their teachers. Therefore, an open communication with them is vital to meet them halfway because we can only understand their true intentions if we open our ears, heart, and mind to them. 

November 28 to December 2, 2022:  This was the first and final teaching demonstration that I had with Sir Danduan. Luckily, he allowed me to observe in his star section where the cream of the crops can be found. I was so nervous at that time because Sir Danduan had truly raised the bar for them. Therefore, I might not be able to surpass their expectations since I was only a novice teacher. Fortunately, receiving outstanding feedback from Sir Duan was the best feeling in the world because of your sleepless nights and undeniable effort were finally appreciated and recognized. All of the students tried their best effort to participate in the activity. My heart was filled with joy when I witnessed how I was able to enrich their knowledge and skills. Perhaps, once I join the teaching force a year from now, I will have the similar driving force despite the lack of government support in uplifting the teachers’ socio-economic status. 

December 5 to 9, 2022:  This week finally marked the completion of my 120 hours and my final teaching demonstration in Mam Villaluna’s class. I was again assigned to teach in her star section. This time, I really made sure to set my best foot forward and invited my greatest mentors to witness my magnum opus. However, I think that I was not able to yield the outcome I was aiming for because I was not in the best mental state due to lack of sleep. From here, I was able to realize that teachers are humans too who are prone to commit errors despite the amount of preparation we genuinely pour on our teaching crafts. While it may be true that teaching is a devotion and commitment, however, we shall also oversee our overall wellbeing. We need to be emotionally, physically, and mentally healthy for the students and for ourselves. Exactly the reason why my heart breaks when I witness how the teachers’ dedication to service are being underappreciated and undercompensated. However, I did not regret to choose this path because I know that I am predestined to this profession. 

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Reflection of the Entire Experience for Field Study 2

Field Study 1 and 2 are prelude courses to our teaching internship. This provides us a meaningful experience in the teaching arena to observe how the theoretical and philosophical foundation of education are being applied and test their validity and effectiveness. My overall experience in Field Study was one hell of a fight because as opposed to Field Study 2, both assistance and observation are mandatory to pass the course. However, this gave me a hands on experience on how to deal with students in terms of content delivery, classroom management, creation of authentic assessments and instructional materials, deal with various types of behaviors, etc. to achieve the educational benchmarks. 

When we were asked to observe, I was under the impression that this was going to be a very interesting activity infused with worthwhile learning. However, the first few weeks of our distribution were truly stressful and anxiety filled. There were Resource Teachers who were so uncooperative and unaccommodating. One of them was my first Resource Teacher. Despite the amount of effort I poured so I can just attend her classes as early as I can, she still remained so neglectful and thoughtless. She even gave me a google meet link that was not working. I remained hopeful that she would provide me the correct link when I sent her a message but no response at all. The first quarter quickly passed by and it was great relief for me when I was distributed to a different RT. Finally, I got out of hell. I was given a chance to observe in her classes but only a couple of times. Honestly, I was so disappointed with how she treated her students and her student teacher. If I will have the same opportunity when I become a Resource Teacher someday, I will not inflict my student teacher emotionally and mentally  because this is supposed to be the most awaited moment of a pre-service teacher’s life. The experience that we will obtain from Field Study will equip us with our future teaching endeavors. Moving forward, It was only then when I began to experience the moment of truth. I was even given the opportunity to choose my preferred schedule of observation. Everything moved so fast but what was important are the important takeaways I had from my observation classes on a regular basis. Every class interaction yielded a fruitful learning for me. When I was assigned to my permanent RT, I was tasked to do teaching demonstration 3 times in a row. My first teaching demonstration was a huge success. From here, I was able to gain the trust of my Resource Teacher and students. Studying the content was the most challenging part in the game since students nowadays behave and think differently. In  addition to that, I had to spend sleepless nights just to have an in depth understanding of the subject matter I was assigned to teach. Otherwise, my credibility will be questionable in the eyes of the students should they spot any signs of vulnerabilities. Therefore, I had to project myself as someone all-knowing especially that the class that I handled was a star section in the senior high school. From here, I encountered bright students who truly challenged my expertise. I began to realize that I had to teach new building blocks of knowledge that they have not learned elsewhere because knowledge in the digital era is accessible anywhere. Moreover, the demeanors, speech style, gestures, and even the manner I dress myself determine the kind of treatment I received from my students. Therefore, I had to face the students with enthusiasm and conviction to catch their interest, respect, and attention because this generation of learners are believed to possess a shorter attention span. If these 3 important ingredients are not well established, the students might take the teacher for granted.

With everything that I shared, I therefore conclude that teaching is a vocation because we need to devote ourselves to this noble mission by changing everything about ourselves. In fact, when I had my teaching demonstration, it was completely a culture shock because I had to adjust myself based on the characters and needs of my students. While it may be true that teachers are not exempted from anxiety, however, our students expect their teachers to be strong because we are their secondary caregivers.