First, foremost and always

Teaching is a calling where so little is given and so much is asked, according to the quintessential teacher Dr. Onofre Pagsanghan.

However, it is also true that not all teachers are created equal. Some speak a whole lot better in front of their learners. Others exhibit such an infectious level of enthusiasm that their students cannot help but imbibe a great love for learning. Then there are those who have the uncanny ability of making any classroom activity so much fun that their pupils sometimes wish the class would never end. These are the teachers that have made school life very memorable.

But what about the ordinary ones, especially those that teach in our public schools? Under certain circumstances, their entry-level salaries might be a bit higher than their private school counterparts. But if you’ve ever visited a Philippine public school in any of our densely populated cities, you will agree that these teachers have to contend with formidable odds as they try to make learning happen among their students.

How do these teachers cope with the learning demand?

All things being equal, teachers rely on two things to do their job well: their training and the learning materials available to them.

In her doctoral study, Dr. Celia Adriano—former vice president for academic affairs of the University of the Philippines—points out that training is “the most important predictor of performance.” Indeed, our Teacher Education Institutions have come a long way with regard to training programs for aspiring teachers. The Department of Education itself has a slew of training regimens and short-term courses designed to address various aspects of teaching.

Dr. Adriano says that “training should be focused on skills essential for effective instruction.” One of these skills—and perhaps the most critical one—is the ability of the teacher to communicate in a language that her learners understand.

Starting from where the learners are is an essential first step toward a journey of lifelong learning.

To do this effectively, the teacher needs to choose the materials that she will use in her classroom carefully. If the teacher wishes to see her students perform well and even excel in their academics, she needs to produce materials that are both contextually relevant to them as well as responsive to their cultural sensibilities.

In this vein, teachers will be glad to know that St. Louis University in Baguio and the Eggie Apostol Foundation are putting together the finishing touches to a five-day materials development training regimen. Aside from SLU itself, academic guidance comes from the UP Department of Linguistics through Dr. Ricky Nolasco and Dr. Francisco Datar of the UP Department of Anthropology. Slated for January 2013, the training sessions are aimed at getting participants started on producing materials on their own for the language communities in the region (e.g., Iloko, Kankanaey, Bago, Kalanguya, etc.). Sessions will again be held in February 2013, this time for the language communities in Southern Philippines.

Having the capacity to develop materials locally is known as site-based decision-making. Here’s a helpful guideline from the Department of Education and Children’s Services of the government of South Australia:

“Site-based decision-making about teaching and learning materials should take into account the range of home backgrounds and the environments of children and students, the diversity of value and belief systems in the general community, the changing nature of our democratic and pluralistic society, the need to pursue equitable learning outcomes for all children and students within preschools and schools, and the range of media and multimedia materials to which today’s young people have access via, for instance, television, videos, computer games and the Internet.”

It may be true that not all teachers are created equal, but the best ones put the interest of their learners first, foremost and always. Taking the time and the effort to produce materials that start from where your learners are is a great way to affirm this commitment.

By the way, in celebration of Philippine Book Development Month, the DepEd and the National Book Development Board are holding a first-ever exhibition of Highly Recommended Supplementary Materials on Nov. 27-28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Mega Trade Hall 1 in SM Megamall. The exhibition will feature about 1,600 award-winning book titles and other books endorsed by the NBDB. About 20 publishers are participating.

The event is meant to help teachers and administrators from both public and private schools in selecting Philippine titles for supplementary reading and library collections. There will also be lectures on Textbook Development in the Mother Tongue, Translating Textbooks, Teaching with a Local Cultural Perspective, and Choosing Supplementary Materials and other related topics. National Artist Virgilio Almario leads the roster of speakers. The DepEd will be represented by Education Secretary Armin Luistro and Undersecretary Francis Varela.

All are welcome to attend. The exhibit and the workshops are free of charge.

For more information, call the NBDB at 920-9853, 929-3677, 929-3887, or visitwww.nbdb.gov.ph

Butch Hernandez (butchhernandez@gmail.com) is the executive director of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.