As a teacher I considered teaching as our calling because we have the freedom to choose any profession we want but still we are here serving and exploring the field of education. I believe that God has a purpose why He chose us among others to become His education teachers for his young learners.  

This is a great blessing. Let us value and love our profession. 

Hello  Prime Movers of Education!

I am Rezalita H. Gravoso, a kindergarten teacher from Don Vicente Quintero Memorial School, Tacloban City Division, Region VIII. 
I believe that being a teacher is my calling. 
Teaching is my commitment to inspire learners to make a difference in their lives. I also believe that parental involvement improves my performance as a passionate teacher. 
This means I'm not just inspiring my learners but also empowering their parents to engage in the educational success of their children.
With this, I am fulfilled and satisfied to do things with greater purpose.

  For me, the ideal classroom environment is learner-centered. I strive to create learning scenarios where the learners are undertaking group projects while I move between groups facilitating discussions. I embrace a Constructivist pedagogy that emphasizes active discovery learning on the part of my learners. All my lessons are designed to have learners learning through doing: trial-and-error, solving problems, and creating new solutions. My classrooms are spaces for exploration and discovery. I favor practical lessons in which learners get hands-on experience of the subjects under analysis. learners learn best when they are actively engaged in their own learning. Passive approaches where learners take notes and listen during teacher-centered lessons are not as conducive to deep learning as lessons in which learners are learning through discovery. 

  One example teaching strategy that I often employ is the guide practice or ‘I do, we do, you do method. This approach starts with teacher modelling a practice but involves the gradual release of responsibility to the learner until the learner can undertake tasks on their own. While I like to see learners enjoying themselves in class, I also insist on hard work and focus on the task at hand. I set high standards and high expectations by promoting growth mindsets among my learners. All my learners know that I expect them to try their hardest and strive for improvement every day.

I always expect my learners to come to class ready to focus and engage. I often ask my learners to set their own goals and take steps toward achieving their goals every day. I encourage learners to walk into the classroom with a positive attitude toward learning. The best classes occur when learners know that they are expected to do their best each and every day.

Learners enter my classroom with the knowledge that I expect them to engage with the learning materials. I keep a strong focus on creating a serious learning environment. This starts with me insisting on focus and engagement from the minute learners walk in the door. I strive to develop connections between learners and the school community. When community members come into the classroom, learners not only learn about people from various walks of life. They also get to see role models of different shapes and sizes around the community. I like to invite parents into my classrooms so they can feel that they are a partner in teaching. I set myself goals to contact all parents throughout the school term to listen to them and learn from their deep knowledge of their own children. In this culturally diverse area, I make every effort to expose my learners to community members from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is important to me that learners feel a connection to the rich local community in which they learn. I aim to create learning environments that are rich in resources so that learners can learn through practical learning scenarios. I create classrooms that empower learners to make decisions for themselves so that they develop self-confidence and thinking skills. I develop learning environments that have multiple workstations in which learners can work in groups to solve problems. I find group-based classroom layouts (through table seating) help learners to communicate and learn from one another while learning. 

  I follow a holistic approach to learner development. Teachers need to pay attention to learners’ social, physical, emotional and cognitive development equally to help raise balanced learners for the 21st Century. I do my best to get to know my learners so I can best meet their needs. I focus on not only their cognitive development but also their emotional and social wellbeing, which is equally necessary for learning to occur.

  My teaching philosophy is strongly influenced by Abraham Maslow’s humanist approach and in particular his Hierarchy of Needs. I aim to ensure learners’ basic needs are met in the classroom so that they feel happy, comfortable, safe and welcomed into the classroom. When learners’ basic needs are met, they can focus on learning and personal development.

  I write my lessons to target higher-order thinking skills from Bloom’s Taxonomy such as ‘creating’, ‘inquiring’ and ‘critiquing’. I aim to have all my learners think critically about themselves and the world around them. It is my goal to have my learners think outside the box, critique the everyday assumptions they take for granted, and leave my classes with more questions than answers. I believe learners of the 21st Century need more than just knowledge. Learners need to have critical and creative thinking skills so that they can compete for the jobs of the future. To encourage a critical thinking approach, I consistently ask my learners to analyze concepts that I teach from multiple competing perspectives. I help my learners to develop metacognitive skills so they can reflect on their own learning and identify ways they can learn more effectively and efficiently. 

  I prioritize authentic learning situations where learners learn through solving real-world problems. In this way, I help my learners understand the connection between what they’re learning and life beyond the four walls of the classroom. I believe learners learn best when they learn in authentic contexts. By learning through real-world problem solving, they discover the value in knowledge. To me, learners should learn through experience. I aim to create experiences in the classroom that are as authentic as possible to mimic real-life application of knowledge. I encourage learners to learn in groups because I believe conversation with others helps learners to express, challenge and refine their thought processes. By listening to peers, learners can also hear new perspectives that may broaden their horizons and deepen their own knowledge. I follow a sociocultural teaching philosophy inspired by Lev Vygotsky. This philosophy is heavily focused on having learners communicate with more knowledgeable others and learn challenging but achievable tasks that are within their Zone of Proximal Development.

  I embrace a situated learning theory approach to teaching. This theory emphasizes the importance of learning from experts in the contexts in which learning is applied. To this end, I encourage learners to take up apprenticeships and go on many field trips so my learners can learn by working with professionals. In the 21st Century, it is more important than ever for learners to develop effective communication skills. I help learners develop communication skills such as teamwork, negotiation and self-expression in every lesson through the consistent use of guided group work lessons. Learners need to become clear and confident communicators of their knowledge. I often create assessments that require learners to express themselves in written and verbal formats to help them develop their communication capacities. Communication skills are vital for learners to become effective self-advocates. I aim to teach learners to become confident communicators by giving ample opportunities to work in groups, report their research to their classmates, and perform in front of their families. 

  Education is the foundation for a learner’s future. As a teacher, I take pride in my profession as someone who shepherds the future generations. To do this effectively, I strive to … Teaching is one of the most important professions in the world. Teachers need to work hard to produce ethically and critically thinking leaders of tomorrow… I aspire to be a teacher who instils a love of learning, analysis and critical thinking in all the learners I encounter. I shortened that to: "Relationships rule." "Despite my best efforts, if learners are not connected with the school, each other, and their teacher, they may have problems in learning."

 

I am Ritchie Salamante Peroy, Teacher II of Pedro Acharon Sr. Central Elementary School from General Santos City Division. I’ve been teaching for twenty (20) years and two (2) months. I am a Grade 3 SSES teacher, assigned as  School Needs Data Sytem (SNDS) Coordinator, PASCESTA President, Science Laboratory In-Charge, Gymnastics Coach, Dancesport Coach, Vice President of District School Partnership Focal Person (SPFP) ,Special Program for the Arts Coordinator, PTA Board of Director, Brigada Coordinator which was awarded in Region XII as 3^rd Placer Megalarge School Category in Koronadal City last November 18, 2019. Teaching has always been my passion since I was young.