By Nicasio L. Calde
School Year 2015-2016, I was designated as Teacher In-Charge (TIC) at the same time a grade four classroom teacher at Binaka Elementary School –Bauko II District, Division of Mountain Province.
At first, I was hesitant and faced difficulties in performing my duties and responsibilities. As if I could not do it. Doing lots of school reports, lesson plans/daily lesson log and instructional materials to be used in my daily teachings caused me many sleepless nights that aggravated my health problems and I had to be hospitalized many times.
But with all the difficulties, these challenged me to do better for I realized that this was the time for the application of knowledge, skills and theories gained from mentors and superiors for many years.
My stay in this school for almost two years boasted my confidence. I learned a lot from my co-teachers, school heads in the district, my superiors who extended technical assistance and from stakeholders who were ever ready to extend their moral and financial support for the school’s improvement.
Thus, we were able to accomplish the following which assured and consequently proved the delivery of quality education: Installation of steel gates, steel doors, riprapping of the sides of the school ground and the back of the school building and other physical improvements which made the environment wholesome and conducive to learning; the school MPS within two years was improved, partly as a result of the participation of pupils in different activities such as sports, scouting, academic and other non-academic activities which were supported by the school and financially backed up by stakeholders.
To me these paid off in terms of professional contentment as I was part of, or was instrumental, in improving the academic performance of the pupils and I gained a lot of practical lessons for my career as a teacher, not to mention my having improved my human resources management skills.
Above all, I gained a lot of friends and I developed a more balanced personality—perhaps as a result of my newfound confidence out of my having learned a lot and my having proved that I can be instrumental in delivering quality education.
For those who might be new in the field and are as hesitant as I was when I was given the position or work assignment, learn from my experience. Take it as a challenge, be industrious but be humble enough to learn from the situation or from colleagues or superiors, and you must be cooperative with stakeholders who are always too willing to help and sacrifice for the improvement of the quality of education the kids in the community are getting.**
