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“Education is the only treasure that our parents can give”, indeed, is a fact. We usually
hear these words uttered by our dear parents. Questions run into my mind as this saying speaks
to me, how can we survive in this educational system amidst the challenges of this pandemic?
How can we fill in the gaps? And then I shut my eyes as my mind still runs.
Academic development should never stop in the four corners of our classroom! Yes, this
should be our first step to survive and be literate. As we clamor for what will be our survival kit,
let’s learn the fact that this will not be easy, but this will pass. It may be unusual, yet we will
learn to dance in the right tune. Reality check, everyone is a survivor of this pandemic. However,
everyone wants to strive more despite these challenges in our educational system. Everyday is a
battle we keep on fighting — a trial and error to acquire new knowledge, to have proper and
holistic academic achievements, quality and efficient learning that our parents yearn for us. We
always aim for the best.
An insight about education during the pandemic
Teaching is part of my routine as an educator in a government educational institution. It
is not a walk in the park for both students and their parents, as well as for us teachers — how
can we finish a day of learning, exploring, and teaching, and expect in a snap students will have
retention, ready and equipped with proper knowledge, good manners, and a more responsible
citizen.
When we started this online educational system, the gaps between learners and
learning are far from the standards given to us which are based on our curriculum maps,
content standards, learning approach and others, wherein sometimes you will ask yourself
about the so-called “Expectation versus Reality” concept. You will eventually realize that some
learners can read, and some can not. Some can compose sentences, while some can not even
construct a phrase. Some know how to reply in a Facebook chat but don’t know the spelling. Yet
most of them know how to operate a computer or laptop (lucky if they have one) and the
easiest and most convenient tool they have is their cell phone. And that skill is the key in filling
in the gaps.
We evolved the old school techniques to be modernized for everyone to fit in and
reach the gaps as a one way step closer to the reality and the learners’ determination. Instead of
face-to-face reading, we do it via Facebook Messenger or Google Meeting, still on a one-on-one basis. Rather than paper and pen writing, we let them compose sentences via Google Docs,
Microsoft Word, or even through plain chats. In that simple way, we were able to regain the old
techniques of teaching in a modernized way.
As we make progress, little by little, we see that the struggle in our educational system that we are fighting has a chance to survive, even in its worst case scenario. And the sound of comforting words expressed as they say “thank you for teaching us today”– simple yet meaningful, a word of encouragement for us educators that we can do more, that it is not only a profession but more of a mission.
Coping up with the new normal
As an educator in this new normal, we should be equipped, and very open and willing to
adapt to changes. As every day is not a promise that new learning will be attained, but as long
as we have the determination to do more is enough encouragement for us to teach and educate
them more. Standards in education should always be present as our tool and guide, despite that
we should also learn how to adjust and modify these so-called “standards” to the needs of our
learners—remember that our main goal is to provide learning and educate them to be ready
and equipped for their future endeavors. And this should always be our mantra as educators, to
regain their lost hopes through education.
As we are now in our second year of this online distance way of education, we are now
more flexible and familiar with the routines. We are ahead from what and who we were last
year. Always remember that a positive mind will always give us a positive attitude towards
everything. Let’s make yesterday our standard to what we need to accomplish today and the
coming days. Make our self fit the needs and the standard of everyday life.
