Lead us on (combined).pdf

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Part of Philippine Educator

extracted text: D. Give five names of a woman, Give five names of a man. Give five names of a girl. Give five names of a boy. E. Collect the papers and correct the spelling of the names given. Lesson 5. A. This is a continuation of Lesson 4. We aim to introduce now to the children, the other and more commonly used pattern of a Tagalog sentence, where the ay is omitted and the positions of the subject and the predicate are exchanged. Emphasize the similarity in meaning of these two sentence patterns: Ito ay si Maria. Si Maria ito. (Sketch: a hand pointing to a woman very near.) lyan ay si Pedro. Si Pedro iyan. (Sketch: a hand pointing to a man farther away.)Si Maria ay babae. Babae si Maida. Si Pedro ay lalaki. Lalaki si Pedro. Si Naty ay batang babae. Batang babae si Nati. Both these forms are used but the form without the ay is a more popular pattern in oral Tagalog. We shall use both forms. B. Give one sentence pattern and call on the pupils to give the other, an<;l vice versa. C. Give the children opportunities to make their own sentences. As a general review, ask each to give one sentence in any form similar to those taken up during the whole week. Lead Us On ... ! By Carlos G. Beltran npHE teacher must have to go on; plodding a A chartered path '. . . some with light buoyant steps, others with leaden feet. There are those who tarry and stagnate while the rest lengthen their strides with each passing moment. Sòme view their task from a hazy and limited perspèctive while others regard it with a missionary zeal born out of love, devotion, and sacrifice. The pace, extent, and direc tion of gearing the teachers’ mental and professional competencies to meet the exigencies of the service and the call of the times 4æst on the type and quality of leadership at the helm especially available on the local level. The influence of the school administrator or su pervisor upon his teachers cannot be minimized; his very outlook and even his disposition cannot fail to register a telling effect on those who look up to him for guidance. His is the hand that shall either make or unmake the teachers; his powers are vast and farreaching. The progressive school administrator of today is well conversant with the needs and problems of the -■ This article is a part of a series bearing on certain sit uations in the field, as based on the writer’s personal observa tions. times, ever alert to exploit newer trends and avenues to effect the optimum growth of his teachers; his line of thinking is a departure from the “fossilized” con cepts of a fast disappearing era and whose course of action is a far hue-and-cry from the stereotyped patterns of the past decades. Ib is a common knowledge that there are some school administrators who are marking time in the field; who haven’t had refresher courses for almost a decade. It is a forgone conclusion that new ideas rehabilitate man; enhance his personality and sharpen the intellect often dulled by the humdrum and mono tony of daily routine. All that there is to be learned is not done at one setting or in a single leap or bound. New and fresh theories, products of evolutionized thinking and experimentation, crop up now and then . . . rendering obsolete certain fads and practices. In the wake of these changes; social, mental and professional rejuvenation is the antidote to set back the creeping hands of age over youth . . . with the flowering of the heart, the mind and the talents with in reach of the sunset years! While the classroom teacher is often being prodded to grow horizontally and vertically in the profession, FEBRUARY, 1958 PAGE 35 his superior can not likewise remain complacent and oblivious of the changing times . . .continuing to dish out the same moth-eaten ideas to the tune of the same old refrain. In such a situation, one cannot help discerning a vacillating vacuum, a hollow shell upon which the teacher is obliged to draw on . . . for counsel and inspiration! If the faith of the teachers must have to be justified, there must be a common quest for professional growth and the ac quisition of better competencies. It is not a one sided venture only on the part of the teachers but the school administrator or supervisor must take the responsibility unto himself to set the pace toward a more dynamic and progressive thinking not only for self-improvement but as a model of well-knit effi ciency. There are those who seek refuge in the “I know-more-than-you,” attitude, backed up by the authority of their positions ... an untenable stand that bears the unerring marks of suppression and un democratic supervision. Effective professional guidance cannot be lifted all the time from mere reading; poring over the pages of a professional book or delving into an article isn’t always a sure-fire guarantee for imbibing a wellrounded growth or experience. Something within the lines of print is sadly missing. The minute details which can only be functionally evaluated in the light of experiences gleaned from the field adapted to pre vailing local conditions remain to be threshed out in the individual’s own line of thinking and reasoning. A certain concept or theory can well become a bone of contention .. .hence, the battle of terminologies! A handwriting on the wall reflecting the strength or weakness of the hand that steers the helm and which constitute a significant aspect of teacher growth and guidance is the in-service meeting. Some school administrators and supervisors have taken the utmost pain and effort to infuse life and vigor and inject into its proceedings uninhibited yet intelligent ap praisal of subject areas that form the core of com mon interest. On the other hand, there are many in-service meet ings that are not only flat and boring but dull and lifeless as well. A more radical verdict will return a diagnosis of: “anemic!” Among the glaring defects are: lack of organization and sensible planning, lack of direction and guidance, lack of coordination and group inter-action. Above all, some principals and supervisors are more interested in talking about con tributions, reports, and a lot of unrelated topics, rather than improving the teaching-learning situation and the teachers’ competencies. The teachers do not feel fully compensated when, for the time and effort spent, only a lot of suppositions and glib-talk is their recom pense. At the Baguio Vacation Normal School, a class in Audio-Visual Education was asked: “What is your greatest problem in the field?” A young lady teacher from way down south graciously replied:” After the last summer I went back to my assignment loaded up with a lot of new trends and techniques which I was so eager to try in my class in order to give my young wards the maximum benefit of what I have learned. The irony of it, was that my principal was indifferent and pessimistic.” That could mean one of two things: the school official did not, know entirely what it was all about, or he was egotistic and did not relish the idea of a subordinate showing him new wares and tricks. In either case, the consensus of the class was: the of ficial concerned and his “kind” should be sent to school. In the same school (the Baguio Vacation Normal School) many principals, district supervisors, and even division supervisors find themselves in the same classroom with the average teacher. Where superiors and subordinates come to a'plausible agreement aris ing from the same plane of thinking is one aspect that should be transplanted to the field . . . where the average teacher can freely speak out his mind and his views without fear of censure yet within ethical limits and where authority invokes respect but not sacred privileges. Vacation time is just around the corner; the school days are nujnbered like the falling leaves of the trees. It will soon be time for teachers to roll down their sleeves and take up their books. What about those immediately above the teacher-level? Will they do the same and match the pace toward better and pro gressive teaching on which their subordinates are de finitely heading . . .or, ensconced in their official sanctuary, they are way above the drift of the clouds and far from the reach of the creeping hands of time ? In retrospection, come this lingering refrain from the rank and file, fragment of a song that breathbs of hope and inspiration . . . “0, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom . . . lead us on!” PAGE 36 THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATOR
Date: 1958
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