OBSERVATION

Observation is the core of Field Study. Observation experiences will make you aware of teaching attitudes, beliefs, and, classroom practices that
are effective in teaching and learning, by witnessing up close, experienced teachers in the actual teaching-learning situations.
 
In this course, you focus on the three major objects of observation which are the:

1. Environment, which serves as the context (classrooms, learning spaces, activities) in which teaching and learning occur.
2. Learners, whose growth and development, characteristics and diversity influence how they interact, how they respond to teaching, shown in
their on-task on or off-task behavior.
3. Teachers, who are the guide and facilitators, managers of learning, the techniques they use, their philosophy of education, their personal and
professional characteristics that influence their teaching and learning strategies.
Before and During Observation
As you go to the field to learn about the environment, the teacher and the learners. Remember that OBSERVING is NOT simply SEEING NOR
LOOKING. A skilled observer learns with a purpose, focus, and intentionality.
 
Purpose. Before starting any field observation activity, make sure you clearly understand the intended outcomes of the activity. Remember that
you are a non-participant observer. You need to remain unobtrusive meaning, you should be as “invisible” as you can, and not to attract attention
to yourself. Strive not to cause any unintended effect on the environment, learners and teachers.
 
Focus. As a Field Study student, you are often overwhelmed in the many things going on as you observe. There is just too much to see and you do
not know what to observe, at one time. When your purpose is clear, it is easier to tune in and select what to observe. For example, if you are
observing the behavior of the students in class, focus your observation on specific rows of learners at a time, rather than attempting to observe
everyone at the same time. When you specify your focus, you can pay close attention to details.
Make your observation multi-sensorial. Use your senses. Look closely. Listen intently. Note the smell of the surroundings, even the learners and
teachers. (Discreetly, of course)
 
Intentionality. In every step of the way, you are guided by the purpose as you consider details of how you will go about your observation. Crucial
here is distinctly knowing how you will record and document your observations. Choose the best strategy from among the following to  record
and document efficiently:

1. Use tables/matrices, checklists that you can fill out with data as you are observing.
2. Write brief notes of details you see while using a checklist.
3. Have a small notebook, pad or, sticky notes ready for jotting additional notes.
4. Use apps to record your observation data.
5. Draw sketches or observational drawings.
6. Tally behaviors. An example would be noting how many times a learner got up from his or her chair within the whole class period.
7. Make lists. An example would be making a list of the words that a toddler used within a specified time.
8. Write transcripts. This strategy is useful when you pair your observation with interview or when or you are documenting what you observed in
a specific incident and you are writing an anecdotal record.
9. Use audio or video gadget/equipment to record data with permission from the teacher and the learner/s. Some schools require parents’
consent.
10. Take pictures with permission as well.
 
After Observation
Once you have collected your observation data, you are now ready to analyze the data. Be guided by the analysis questions. Remember to be
objective and non-judgmental. While it is important to connect what you observed with your prior knowledge and experience, it is vital to be
aware of your own biases that may affect your analysis.
After you have analyzed, you must now reflect on what you learned from your observation. Ponder and contemplate and derive insights on how
the experience connects to you. Express how your perspectives have been reinforced or have been changed. Share how your Field Study
experience links to your future role as a teacher.
 
OBSERVE - I shall look and see and listen and hear. I should be able to record what I see and hear.
ANALYZE - I shall examine closely what I observed, relate it to the theories, principles and concepts that I already know.
REFLECT - I shall think deeply of what I have observed, connect it to my past experiences, present undertakings and future goals and plans as a
teacher.
TOWARDS TEACHER QUALITY: DEVELOPING A GLOBAL TEACHER OF THE 21ST CENTURY

n 2013, a Global Status Index was determined by Varkey GEMS Foundation and revealed significant findings. There were 21 counties surveyed
that represented the major continents of the world. In most countries that participated, it was found out that like the Philippines, teaching is the
most sought profession. It was comparable to being a social worker, librarian, nursing, and even doctors. Majority of the parents asked, answers
that they encourage their children to become teachers. To them, teaching is one of the most respected and trusted professions.
However, with the change in the global landscape, the 21st-century teachers must have the competence to address the new learning environment,
the new learning contest, the processes of learning and how these are facilitated and the new types of learners,
Hence, we need the new type of teachers, a global 21st-century Filipino teacher.
(Global Teacher Status Index p. 123 Teaching Profession)
 
At the end of the lesson, the learners must be able to describe the personal qualities and competencies of global classroom teachers of the
21st century; and design a learner-centered classroom for the 21st-century learners with learning spaces that are safe, that allows creativity and use
of ICT.
 
Filipino Global Teacher
 A survey of the ASEAN countries and beyond tends to show that there are three major responsibilities of teachers. These are (1) Actual Teaching.
(2) Management of Learning and (3) Administrative Work.
While the number of actual teaching hours per day varies all over the world, in our country, teaching in the public schools requires six hours of
actual teaching, which includes administrative work such as management of learning per day. The two hours of the working day are allotted to
administrative work such as scoring and recording learners’ outputs, making reports, filling forms, preparing for the next day’s activity, and
performing other administrative tasks. The previous lesson on the teacher reminded us of the qualities and competencies mentioned earlier.
Teachers should be multi-literate, multi-cultural, multi-talented, innovative, and creative. The future Filipino teacher like you shall act locally but
think globally.
“Teach local, reach global” means that the teacher brings diverse experiences in the classroom with the various skills to live and work as citizens
of a global society. What teachers do in the local communities impacts the larger community. As global citizens, the work begins, where the
teachers are, thus a “global” teacher.
 
Towards Quality Global Teachers
 Quality teachers are characterized by different attributes and skills needed in the 21st-century education. Partnership 21 identified (1) Global
awareness, (2) Financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy, and (4) Civic and Health Literacy which require:

1. Learning and Innovative skills

2. Information, Media, and Technology Skills
3. Life and Career Skills
 
More specifically, quality teachers are competent teachers who can demonstrate exemplary mastery of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions,
relative to the following characteristics:

1. Understands one’s own cultural identity and rootedness

2. Knows and integrates global dimensions in the subject area
3. Engages learners in the learning processes
4. Uses real-life local and global examples
5. Values the inputs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners
6. Models social responsibilities in local and global content
7. Encourages learners to find appropriate actions to improve local and global conditions, and
8. Creates a learning environment that encourages creativity and innovations,
 
The Challenges of the Quality Global Teachers for the 21st Century
 One of the major challenges of quality teachers is to “create a learning environment that encourages creativity and innovation among learners.”
With it, comes the management of learning in such an environment. These are the required skills for a global teacher.
Majority of the current classrooms provide learning spaces that can hardly prepare the 21st-century learners for the development of the 21st-
century skills
Since the 21st-century classroom is learner-centered, the teacher acts as a facilitator of learning. Students no longer study each subject in isolation,
but they work on interdisciplinary projects that cover several subject areas. Learning is no longer for memorizing and recalling of information but
on learning how to learn. Thus classroom designs should respond to 21st-century learning. More so, quality teachers should be changing their roles
from teaching in isolation to co-teaching, team teaching, and collaboration with students and peers.
A new and creative design of classrooms by the teachers is needed as well as the management of learning. These are the two teacher qualities
needed to address the new roles of teachers.
How should a new classroom be? Here are some suggestions on the six elements of a new classroom:

1. Flexibility of furniture and space

2. Collaborative learning
3. Facilitation of movement
4. Foster creativity
5. Use of technology
6. Provision of light and bright colors
 
With the classroom structure, a quality teacher should be able to manage to learn in a very conducive learning environment. Teacher should use
effective classroom management strategies that will ensure productive learning.

Quality teachers should manage learning in an enhanced classroom by seeing to it that learners are
∙ organized,
∙ orderly,
∙ focused,
∙ attentive,
∙ on task, and
∙ are learning
 
This will take much of your skill, experience, and patience. The two important factors that may affect learning management are the use of
technology and the diversity of learners.
THE TEACHER AS A PERSON AND AS A PROFESSIONAL

At the end of the lesson, the learners must be able to describe the personal qualities and competence of effective classroom teachers; and,
enumerate the professional characteristics of practicing teachers observed as based on the professional standards and code of ethics for the
profession
 
“My Teacher, My Hero” was a banner during the World Teachers’ Day celebration in the Philippines in the years past. Are Filipino teachers, real
heroes? What do you think? Why?
 

Personal Qualities of Filipino Teachers

 
To be a teacher in the Philippines is a challenging profession. Teachers serve the country just like any other hero. To be a teacher requires a lot of
personal and professional qualities. These qualities make an excellent Filipino teacher an exceptional professional.
 
First, the teacher must have innate qualities or attributes that are exemplary and are fitted to be teachers. These are natural tendencies of a person.
Here are some of the qualities and attributes that distinctly characterize a teacher.
 
Personal Qualities of Teachers and the Descriptors
 

Personal Qualities What the teacher IS and DOES

Lives with dignity that exemplifies self-respect, integrity, and self- This teacher is honest, has integrity, self-respect, and self-disciple.
discipline Likewise, respected by students, peers, and the community.

This teacher is physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy. Clean

Takes care of one’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being
and neat, dresses appropriately, and pleasant in words and in action.

This teacher behaves according to the personal spiritual beliefs that

Lives a life inspired by spiritual principles and beliefs. are not contrary to the norms, mores, and traditions of the
community.

This teacher is mentally alert, makes correct decisions, intelligent to

Exhibits deep knowledge and understanding across disciplines be able to acquire new knowledge, skills, and values needed in order
to teach. She/he has the ability to learn new things, re-learn old
  knowledge in new ways, and un-learn knowledge, skills, and values
that are no longer applicable to the current times.

This teacher sets high goals for himself/herself but remains humble
Recognizes own strength with humility and willing to share success. He/She is confident of doing tasks but
does not consider self to be better than others all the time.

Perseveres in challenging situations This teacher is calm in the midst of chaos, remains steadfast under
  pressure, does not easily give up, and adjusts to different situations.

This teacher volunteers’ tasks for others, always willing to share,

Demonstrates a natural action to work together with others. extends help willingly, accepts responsibility, tolerant of other
people, and gives up time for the group.

Not everyone has these qualities, hence not everyone can be a good teacher. As the old saying goes: “Teachers are born but good teachers are both
born and made”
 
Professional Competences of Filipino Teachers
 
Going to teacher training institutions and earning a teaching degree mean developing a professional teacher like you. You can only become a
professional teacher if you earn a degree to teach in either elementary level or high school level. You should also earn a license to teach by passing
a licensure examination for teachers. While studying in college you are learning the ropes of becoming a professional teacher. You learn the
content courses including the major or specialization and the professional courses including the pedagogy courses. Your professional courses
include experiential learning courses. These are important in your preparation to become professional teachers.
 
So what are the professional competencies that every teacher should have? You will find these in the matrix that follow
 

Professional Competencies What the teacher DOES

Abides by the code of ethics for the profession This teacher practices the rules and conduct of professional teachers

This teacher masters and updates himself/herself with subject matter

Masters the subject matter to be taught
content to be taught

This teacher keeps abreast with educational trends, policies and

Updates oneself on educational trends, policies and curricula curricula by taking up graduate studies, attending seminars and
workshops

This teacher practices different ways of teaching appropriate to the

Uses teaching methods to facilitate student learning
learners and the subject matter

This teacher engages the cooperation of parents and stakeholders in

Builds a support network with parents and community
educating the learners

Demonstrates knowledge, understanding of the characteristics This teacher has substantial knowledge of the characteristics and
and needs of diverse learners needs of the learners

This teacher plans, prepares, implements and innovates the day-to-day

Plans, prepares and implements school curriculum responsible
curriculum with the view in mind that learners will learn

Designs, selects and utilize appropriate assessment strategies and This teacher designs, selects, and uses appropriate assessment tools
tools for, as, and of learning
Provides safe, secure, fail physical and psychological learning This teacher arranges the classroom to provide safe, secure
environment that supports learning psychological environment that supports and encourages learning

This teacher does task and works even beyond the official time when
Serves beyond the call of duty
needed

So, it is not easy to become a professional teacher. The demand is great. A qualified professional teacher then is like a HERO.

GLOBAL EDUCATION: SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH MANY LENSES

Global Education: Seeing the World Through Many Lenses

Tim Dove
When Apollo 11 first touched down on the surface of the moon in 1969, it was hailed by many Americans as a spectacular achievement of modern
science—many Americans who were U.S. citizens, that is. For those who lived further north on the continent, news of the lunar landing was
received with a decidedly less enthusiastic response. I was 11 years old at the time, visiting Canada with my parents, and I remember the
uncertainty and anger expressed by some of our Canadian hosts: How dare the United States go to the moon. What if the astronauts bring some
kind of organism back that kills everyone, something that we don't know anything about? That experience forced me, for the first time in my
young life, to see an international event through different lenses. I was beginning to view people, places, and happenings through a global
perspective.
Defining Global Education
A global perspective helps us reflect on our own points of view and reminds us about the importance of understanding those of other people.
Furthermore, global education is not a distinct course; it's a skill of being able to see events and activities in different ways. As teachers, we need
to help our students develop that skill. We need to help students understand that we don't exist in isolation, that our actions affect others around the
world. As a middle school teacher, I need to help my students see that what they think of as “exotic” is different, not strange or weird. There are
many ways to infuse your teaching with a global perspective. Some teachers bring the world into the classroom by emphasizing environmental
concerns, for example. Other teachers may point out the global nature of economic systems. Still others use the stories of their own travels and
nonfiction accounts of other people from around the world to help students learn about cultures other than their own. Many teachers have begun to
recognize a great resource sitting in their own classroom—the diverse students they serve. All of these approaches are valid, so long as the teacher
strives to teach students about real-world problems, multiple perspectives, and interconnectedness.
Following are a few examples of how I strive to nurture my students' global mindset.
Through Lesson Planning
Look to your students to help you start planning lessons with a global perspective. The students in your classroom have different backgrounds.
Find out where they've traveled and what they've read. Determine what your students already know about the subjects you teach. Then, connect
what you're studying with the lives of the students that are in your room.
When I teach, I try to interject global perspectives in all my lessons, but I start with my students and their community. Then, I make connections to
the rest of the world.
When we study geography, for example, I open the unit with a discussion about why Ohio is considered part of the Great Lakes region but West
Virginia isn't. I ask my students to examine stereotypes they have about their peers in other states. What is interesting is to invite conversation
from those students who have extended family in West Virginia. This discussion helps set a context for further research regarding the different
cultural components in the regions across the United States.
When the class begins to talk about Africa, the discussion centers on the fact that although many Americans tend to think of all people from that
continent as Africans, there is a lot of variety. For example, a new understanding can be as basic as the fact that people of Ghana speak a different
language than South Africans. During the unit, the class studies other differences and similarities in the geography, history, music, and languages
of different countries of Africa and the regions of the United States.
Taking this approach creates a learning community that's more open to differences. Instead of thinking, “I'm a very different person than you, and
we don't really need to talk about this,” my students begin to see the similarities between themselves and others—in the classroom and around the
world. More important, students come to accept some universal truths. They learn that people all over the world have similar values and core
beliefs about the things that are important in their lives. This is an important step toward becoming a global citizen.
Through Media Literacy
Many of my students recognize the limitations of certain media outlets. They know they have images and stereotypes that aren't accurate, but they
have nothing to replace these ideas with. This gives me an opportunity. Analyzing the ways in which different media report on world events is a
great way to introduce students to different perspectives. I ask students to locate different news services that are available online, such as the
Associated Press and international press Web sites, and to make a list of the top news events being covered. Through this exercise, students get a
sense of the major events occurring around the world, as reported by the many different people involved in providing news coverage.
Students then predict what stories might make the national news that evening on television. I then break the students into groups and ask each
group to watch a different national network or cable news program and note which key events are reported.
In class the next day, we talk about television news and its limitations. Students see that, in certain situations, more information is available in the
print media and online. This leads to an even deeper discussion about differing perspectives—not only among local and national news people, but
also among journalists and reporters in other countries. Students begin to think about information and how it's presented, to look critically at
what's being reported, and to question the point of view. They learn not to say “that opinion isn't worthwhile,” but rather, “this is what she said,
and these are some reasons why she might think that.”
Through Comparing and Contrasting
Students don't really know how much they have in common with people of different ethnicities, cultures, or generations. Through a fun research
project, I call Compare Yourself to History (or CYTH as the kids call it), students have a chance to explore the important commonalties and
differences among us.
I assign students a historical figure—assignments which are not based on a specific geographical area, time period, gender, ethnicity, or religion.
Students then research their person and must find three positive character traits that they share with the person. These character traits are
discovered through a variety of reading, writing, reflective, and organizational activities. Students then write a compare-and-contrast paper
summarizing their research findings and create a project to share these character traits in another way.
This project has positive results. One student was assigned a Chinese empress from the 19th century. Initially, the student thought she had nothing
in common with the empress. As she finished her research, however, and began to identify the likenesses and differences, the student discovered
that writing the contrast part of her paper became her toughest challenge. The student now feels she has a great deal in common with this 19th
century woman. And the other wonderful result: When the student presents her paper and project in class, the other students want to know more
about life in 19th century China as they study the best-known people of American history during that time period. This project helps students
realize that in the 19th century, there were things going on in places other than just the eastern United States.

Ready for a Changing World

Most global education programs have the same goal: to prepare children and young adults to participate intelligently in the changing world. Global
education helps students realize that they are global citizens who must try to understand the varied perspectives of people in different countries. In
helping students develop such a global perspective, educators are helping to also break down artificial boundaries between nations, and help
prepare young people around the world to work together to safeguard planet Earth and its populace.

THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

At the end of the lesson, the learners must be able to determine the characteristics of a school environment that is safe, secure, and is supportive of
learning.
 

1. A physical environment conducive for learning is one that has consistent practices that:
o keep the school safe, clean, orderly, and free from distraction;
o maintain facilities that provide challenging activities; and
o address the physical, social and psychological needs of the students.

2. Display boards can be powerful in communicating information about the learning environment. They help in building and establishing the
school culture. These boards become one way for everyone to learn about the vision-mission, goals, and values that the school upholds.
 

3. As a basic part of the school’s visual environment, display boards have four general purposes:
o Decorative – They offer visual stimulation and appeal to aesthetics. They set the social and psychological atmosphere of the school.
o Motivational – They encourage students to perform better and have greater confidence. An example would be the display of students’
outputs that show that each output is recognized and valued. The bulletin boards help celebrate the learners’ growth and progress.
o Informational – They are used as a strategy to readily disseminate information.
o Instructional – They move students to respond and participate through interactive displays. They get students to think about and
communicate their learning.
 

4. The set of criteria for evaluating bulletin board displays includes effective communication, attractiveness, balance, unity, interactivity,
legibility, correctness, and durability.

CREATING AN APPROPRIATE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

This provides an opportunity to examine how classrooms are structured or designed to allow everyone's maximum participation for effective
learning. you should be able to examine [recall] how classroom management practices affect learning.
 
At the end of this lesson, the learners must be able to plan on how to manage time, space, and resources; and provide a learning environment
appropriate to the learners and conducive to learning.
The classroom climate that is conducive for learning is one that is non-threatening yet business-like. it is a classroom where, when creating audio-
visual presentations, the following are observed:

 Specific classroom rules and procedures are clear

 Classroom rules and procedures are discussed within the first few days of the school
 Students are involved in the design of rules and procedures
 Techniques to acknowledge and reinforce acceptable behavior are employed.
 Clear limits for unacceptable behavior are established and negative consequences for such are communicated
 Classroom processes are democratic.

PHYSICAL AND PERSONAL ASPECTS OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

The lesson tackles classroom management and discipline. It focuses on the personal and physical aspects of classroom management which are
central to teaching and therefore must be consistently implemented
 
At the end of this lesson, the learners must be able to identify the two aspects of classroom management and determine the classroom management
strategies that the Resource Teacher employed in his/her class.
 
Classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive
on tasks and academically productive in class.
 
Importance of Effective Classroom Management

 increases chance of student success

 paves the way for the teacher to engage students in learning
 helps create an organized classroom environment
 increases instructional time
 creates consistency in the employment of rules and regulations
 aligns management strategies with school-wide standards
 decreases misbehavior in the classroom
 gives student boundaries as well as consequences

Two aspects of Classroom Management

1. Personal Classroom Management consists of managing your own self to ensure order and discipline in your class. it includes:

 voice
 personal grooming
 attendance
 punctuality
 personal graciousness
    Managing yourself as a teacher contributes to the order and well-being of your class
2. Physical Classroom Management consists of managing the learning environment. Attending to these physical elements of the learning
environment ensures the safety, security, and order in the class. It includes:

 ventilation
 lighting
 acoustices
 seating arrangement
 structure/design of the classroom
 physical space/learning stations
Some Effective Classroom Management Strategies
1. Model to the students how to act in different situations
2. Establish classroom guidelines
3. Document the rules
4. Refrain from punishing the entire class
5. Encourage initiative from class
6. Offer praise and rewards
7. Use non-verbal communication
8. Take time to celebrate group effort
9. Let students work in groups
10. Interview students to assess their needs
11. Address bad behavior quickly
12. Consider peer teaching
13. Continuously engage the students
14. Assign open-ended project
15. Write group contracts

ASSESSMENT FOR, AS, AND OF LEARNING

Assessment is an essential part of the instructional cycle. The instruction cycle consists of:
1) setting the intended learning outcome
2) selecting a teaching methodology, strategy and activity that are aligned to the learning outcome and topic which are developmentally-
appropriate to the learners
3) assessment itself.
Assessment is the part of the instructional cycle that determines whether or not the intended learning outcome has been attained and so necessarily,
the assessment task must be aligned to the intended learning outcome.
In a lesson on assessment, we can speak of assessment for learning, assessment of learning, and assessment as learning
At the end of the lesson, the learners must be able to demonstrate knowledge of the design and use of formative assessment and explain the
importance of formative assessment.
 In Outcome-based Teaching-Learning/Competency-based Teaching/Teaching by Objective, we ensure that the intended
outcome/competency/objective is attained at the end of the lesson and so while we are still in the process of teaching, we do not check
learners' understanding and progress
 If we find out that the learners failed to understand prerequisite knowledge and skills, we reteach until learners' master them. This is called
FORMATIVE assessment, assessment while the learners are being formed or taught. It is assessment in the midst of instruction.
 Formative assessment is also referred to as assessment for learning. Assessment for learning simply means we do assessment to ensure
learning.
 We do not wait for the end of the lesson to find out if learners understood the lesson or not because if it only at the end of the lesson that we
discover that the learners did not understand the lesson,  we have wasted so much time and energy teaching presuming that everything was
clear, only to find out at the end of the lesson that the learners did not understand at all. This means that we have to reteach from the very
beginning, something that we could have saved ourselves from doing had we given time to find out if the lesson was understood while still
teaching.
 Assessment for learning encourage peer assessment

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Formal education begins in school. Schools are institutions established to design total learning activities appropriate for each learner in each grade
level. Thus, schools have recommended curriculum which is the enhanced K to 12 curriculum. The recommended curriculum was translated
into written curriculum like books, modules, teachers' guides and lesson plans which are the basis of the taught curriculum. A teacher who
implements the curricula needs support materials (support curriculum) to enhance teaching and learning so that the written and the taught curricula
can be assessed (assessed curriculum) in order to determine if learning took place (learned curriculum). However, there are so many activities that
happen in schools but are not deliberately planned. This refers to the hidden curriculum.
A classroom teacher plans, implements and evaluates school learning activities by preparing a minuscule curriculum called a lesson plan or a
learning plan. The teacher then puts life to a lesson plan by using it as a guide in the teaching-learning process where different strategies can be
used to achieve the learning objectives or outcomes. There are many styles of writing a lesson plan, but the necessary parts or elements such as (1)
Learning Outcomes (b) Subject Matter (c) Teacher-Learning Strategies, and (d) Evaluation or Assessment should always be included.
At the end of the lesson, the learners must be able to identify the different curricula that prevail in the school setting; describe how the teacher
manages the school curriculum by planning, implementing lessons through different strategies and assessment of learning outcome; and analyze if
the teacher aligns the objectives to subject matter, to teaching strategies and assessment.
SCHOOL CURRICULUM: WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

From a broad perspective, the curriculum is defined as the total learning process and outcomes as in lifelong learning. However, the school
curriculum in this course limits such definition of total learning outcomes to confine to a specific learning space called school. Schools are formal
institutions of learning where the two major stakeholders are the learners and the teachers.
Basic education in the Philippines is under the Department of Education or DepEd and the recommended curriculum is the K-12 or Enhanced
Basic Education Curricula of 2013. All basic education schools offering kindergarten (K) elementary (grades 1 to 6) and secondary (grades 7 - 12)
adhere to this national curriculum as a guide in the implementation of the formal education for K to 12.
What are the salient features of the K to 12 Curriculum? Here are the features. It is a curriculum that:

1. strengthens the early childhood education with the use of the mother tongue
2. makes the curriculum relevant to the learners. The use of contextualized lessons and addition of issues like disaster preparedness, climate
change and information and communication technology (ICT) are included in the curriculum. This, in-depth knowledge, skills and values,
attitude through continuity and consistency across every level and subject.
3. builds skills in literacy. With the use of Mother Tongue as the main language in studying and learning tools from K to Grade 3, learners will
become ready for higher level skills.
4. ensures unified and seamless learning. The curriculum is designed in a spiral progression where the students learn first the basic concepts,
while they study the complex ones in the next grade level. The progression of topics matches with the developmental and cognitive skills. This
process strengthens the mastery and retention.
5. gears up for the future. It is expected that those who finish basic education in Grade 12 will be ready for college for tech voc careers. Their
choice of careers will be defined when they go to Grade 11 and 12
6. nurtures a fully developed youth. Beyond the K to 12 graduate the learner will be ready to embark on different career paths for a lifetime.
You will recall that a school curriculum is of many types for the K 12 in the country:

 the enhanced curriculum K to 12 curriculum is the Recommended Curriculum. It is to be used nationwide as mandated by Republic Act
10533
 when the curriculum writers began to write the content and competency standards of the K to 12 Curriculum it became a  Written
Curriculum. It reflects the substance of RA 10533. In the teacher's class it is the lesson plan. A  lesson plan is a written curriculum in
minuscule.
 what has been written in a lesson plan has to be implemented. It is putting life to the written curriculum, which is referred to as the  Taught
Curriculum. The guidance of the teacher is very crucial
 a curriculum that has been planned, and taught needs materials, objects, gadgets, laboratory and many more that will help the teacher
implement the curriculum. This is referred to as the Supported Curriculum
 in order to find out if the teacher has succeeded in implementing the lesson plan, an assessment shall be made. It can be done in the middle or
end of the lesson. The curriculum is now called the Assessed Curriculum
 the result of the assessment when successful is termed as Learned Curriculum. Learned curriculum whether small or big indicates
accomplishment of learning outcomes.
 however, there are unplanned curriculum in schools. These are not written, nor deliberately taught but they influence learning. These include
peer influence, the media, school environment, the culture and tradition, natural calamities and many more. This curriculum is called Hidden
Curriculum or Implicit Curriculum
So, what will be the roles and responsibilities of the teacher in the relations with the school curriculum, specifically in the K to 12?
Teachers then should be multi-talented professionals who:

 know and understand the curriculum as enumerated above

 write the curriculum to be taught
 plan the curriculum to be implemented
 initiate the curriculum which is being introduced
 innovate the curriculum to make it current and updated
 implement the curriculum that has been written and planned and
 evaluate the written, planned and learned curriculum

ON TEACHER’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

One thing asked of teacher applicants in the Department of Education is to write their philosophy of education. This means that they have to write
their concept of the nature of the learner, how that learner learns, and how that learner ought to live in order to live life meaningfully. Based on
these philosophical concepts, the teacher applicants describe how they ought to relate to the learner, what to teach, and how to teach so that the
learner learns and lives life happily and meaningfully.
 
At the end of this lesson, the learners must be able to determine prevailing philosophies of education based on DepEd Vision and Mission
statements, core values and mandate, the K to 12 Curriculum Framework and Guide, and RA 10533; cite teacher’s teaching behaviors and the
philosophies of education on which these behaviors are founded; and articulate their philosophy of teaching.
 
We are beneficiaries of a rich philosophical heritage passed on to us by great thinkers of the past and of the present. The way teachers relate to
learners and the way they teach are anchored on the philosophies of education.
 
Basic documents such as the vision and mission statements, core values and mandate of the Department of Education and the features of the K to
12 Curriculum as contained in Section 3 of RA 10533 and the K to 12 Curriculum Guide are manifestations or expressions of the philosophies of
education of the country. They state the standards and the outcomes of education towards which all curricular activities and teacher-learning
should be directed.