DO # 7 S. 2020: LOOKING FORWARD SY 2020-2021

  Summer break will end on May 31, 2020 (DO # 7 S. 2020). Teachers are called back to report to their respective work station on June 1, 2020 to render their services for School Year 2020-2021. They are expected to attend orientation and training activities on the different delivery options appropriate for their school of assignment. They will also prepare instructional materials for their subject loads and plan organization of classes with due consideration to the learning modality they may wish to employ.

Teachers may report physically or virtually to their work stations depending on the risk severity grade of COVID 19 in their locality pursuant to the guidelines of the DOH, IATF or OP which then made clear by their immediate supervising officer.  Alternative work arrangement might be onsite or work from home upon instruction from the higher office    for health safety and well being. In case of work from home arrangement, the school head shall require the teacher to prepare a work week plan and determine thereof whether the planned activities every day and every week commensurate the teacher’s salary grade he/she is receiving.  Accomplishment reports are to be submitted at the end of the week together with the expected outputs.

Schools under the supervision of the region and division offices, shall decide the learning delivery modality deemed appropriate on their own context.  Should face-to-face modality be the only option? Then, teachers should organize their classes in 15-20 learners in compliance with the social distancing measures of the Department of Health.

In as much as classes begin on August 24, 2020 and will end on April 30, 2021. Holding of classes from Monday to Friday cannot suffice the required number of school days for SY 2020-2021. Hence, DepEd Secretary opted to authorize Saturday classes with legal bases from RA 7797, An Act Lengthening the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200)  Days  to not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days, to be able to have a total of 203 days for SY 2020-2021.  However, in cases of religious prohibition, teacher may report for work or engage in teaching activities on Sunday. 

Enrollment for SY 2020-2021 will start on June 1, 2020 and will end on June 30, 2020. Students are to accomplish the enrollment and survey form which is intended to collect information from the learner. The instrument will be a good source of data that could help school heads and teachers to choose appropriate learning delivery model to adopt.

The conduct of curricular and co-corricular activities in a large gathering are not allowed. However, career guidance activities for the grade 9 and geade 10 learners could still be conducted in an appropriate modality in order to facilitate them to decide for themselves the right track to pursue in the Senior High School level.  Likewise, general assembly’s involving parents and other stakeholders are still encourage bearing in  mind the health safety and well being of the general public.

On the other hand, Brigada Eskwela always comes with the opening of classes. It is the National Schools Maintenance Week that aims to bring together all education stakeholders to participate and contribute their time, effort, and resources to prepare public school facilities for the opening of classes. Normally, parents come  and bring to school   their material donations for the school’s brigada activities.  The highlight of the previous year’s Brigada Eskwela implementation were, physical cleaning, painting and repainting and minor repair.

Brigada Eskwela 2020 could be different caused by  the new normal situation in DepEd. New needs surface in response to the learning delivery modalities that the school may opt to adopt. Hence, the theme “Pagpapanatili ng Bayanihan Tungo sa Kalidad na Edukasyon para sa Kabataan”. This serves as an urgent call to all stakeholders to take their share for the DepEd’s Learning Continuity Plan. They can partner schools of their preference for the following suggested activities: disinfection of schools, mobilization of essential items, conduct of psychological first aid sessions/psycho-social interventions, orientation activities with partners and PTA on DepEd’s  Learning Continuity Plan, distance learning, gulayan sa paaralan/tahanan, and other school base initiatives under the guidance of the school heads making the school ready for the opening of classes.

Truly, school activities are everybody’s concern. The preparedness of school on the first day of classes is dependent on everyone’s contribution towards a common goal. It creates an image of hope and inspiration among learners who wanted to figure out their dreams under the assistance and guidance of the classroom teacher.

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JOHN 16: GOSPEL READING AND REFLECTION (MAY 25,2020)


The disciples said to him, “now you are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that you know all things, even before we question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.”


Jesus answered them, “ You say that you believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.


I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but courage! I have overcome the world.


POINT OF REFLECTION


All are living in the world of heartaches and headaches. No one is exempted but God controls it according to our individual capacity and abundance of His blessings. Jesus knows all the troubles this world would bring us humans.


Trials may come from our work, from our relationship, from our own self, from the people we love the most, and from our ambitions in life. But regardless of its own origin, the troubles it brings is not more than what man can handle.


As Jesus said “ Now you say that you believe because I have spoken you in plain language? And I tell you, you will be scattered in your home and leave me alone.” There are times we tend to give up our battle and forget our strength. Leaving Jesus is not a wise action for he has already told us that we can only find true peace in him. He had advise as to take unfaltering courage in him with the Holy Spirit. Let us be reminded that Jesus had overcome for us all this worldly troubles of the which the most is death. Brothers and sisters, there is no way for us to overcome all the troubles of this life except through Jesus.

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Teaching Profession in the “New Normal” Situation

Department of Education is one of the most important government agency in the country, the Philippines. It is a department of human transformation to better life in the future. Its implementing arms are the schools operating in the same vision, mission and core values. The teachers are the front line service crew doing the regiment of transformation process guided by its goal.

Few months ago, the whole world was shaken and severely threatened by a pandemic called COVID 19. Its disastrous effect put every person in the world in great dilemma locking down themselves for life.

The effect of COVID19 riffled in unimaginable distance around the world affecting all status and walks of life. It’s after effect is undeniably irresistible forcing the so called new normal phenomenon.

New normal phenomenon is a change adaptation responding to the needs of general public for survival and betterment. This, in a way overhauls the old ways of doing classroom instruction. A new out look is force open not just considering factors of preparedness but factors of health, safety,  well being of the learners and all teaching and non-teaching personnel.

School operation will be leaving from  an old usual way. Classroom instruction would become a whole new way. It would be moving from  formal face to face to something bizarre which includes Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM), Modular, Modified In School Off School Approach (MISOSA), IMPACT, Home School, etc.  Distance teaching and learning through remote access are dawning into reality for a better end.

In response, teachers must prepare themselves in conformity of this new ways of teaching. They need to do the URL (Unlearn, Relearn and Level-up) of learning to be at par with the new demand of the teaching profession.

In doing the URL, teachers must endeavor to change their mind set, attend relevant training, learn fast, explore more, learn advance ICT skills and apply the meta -cognitive concept to perform willingly what they are expected to do as teachers of this new normal situation.

In as much as learning is life, teachers must carefully review their professional needs using the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) analysis. This would allow them to re-calibrate their professional worthiness into the cause  of excellence. Prepare their professional development plan according to their needs.

In totality, teachers are called to respond positively to the demand of the new normal phenomenon. They are to employ paradigm shift leaving old ways while embracing new one. Innovate ways teaching with the use of technology to implement learning continuity plan in the height of pandemic, COVID 19.

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NEW NORMAL TEACHING: COMES WITH TEACHER ASSISTANT

Opening of classes for SY 2020-2021 would formally start on October 5, 2020. Unlike the usual scenario of school year opening, students with some of their parents and guardians are not expected to flood themselves in school for enrollment. School enrollment committee for secondary level facilitate and accept  walk-in enrollment for grade 7, grade 11 and transferee only. Incoming grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 students need not come for enrollment for the same is automatically enrolled. Their names from the previous grade  level would be automatically  forwarded to the next higher grade level provided they don’t have any failing grades. In this case, physical presence for enrollment purposes is highly discourage to ensure the health safety and well being of the learners, parents and school personnel.

Since all are entering into the new normal situation, blended learning would be a good choice. It is a new and hybrid method of learning which is a combination of traditional classroom instruction and online virtual classroom instruction. Students’ learning take place both inside the school and in their respective homes. There would be a pre-arranged meet up classes schedule prorated in a couple of days within the week. In a class of 45 learners for instance, may be met by the subject teacher ones a week considering  15 learners at a time. Though the subject teacher conduct meet up classes for three days within a week, his/her students come to school ones a week.  Teachers need to consider the number of Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) with in a week and prepare modules ( hard or soft copy) depending in the availability of students’ tools and technology at their homes along with their ICT skills. The learners manage their own learning using the supplied Self Learning Modules ( SLM) and remote assistance from the teacher via internet upon the needs of the learner. During the meet up classes all necessary Self Learning Modules for the next three days ( for subjects  scheduled for 240 minutes per week)  would  be prepared and made available within the reach of the learners.

In the previous scheme, the learner or a family member representative would be in school  picking up Self Learning Modules and do his/her home study for the next four days.  The teaching and learning process would be co-managed by the parents of the learner to ensure that appropriate learning progress is achieved within a week. Parents are now serving as teacher’s remote assistant to co-manage the learning sessions of their siblings enrolled under the blended learning program of the school.

Learning progress assessment of the learners must be authentically founded from the weekly output portfolio evaluated using a performance rubric.  Parents, as a teacher’s remote assistant, must diligently help subject teacher to objectively report using a performance checklist prepared every week. Honest performance report from the parents is very important for the teacher to have informed decision about the learning progress of the students.

Parent’s tendency of doing the performance task of their siblings might be a road block. However, this could be avoided through proper orientation of their rules and obligations in this new teaching and learning program.  Furthermore, very important discussion must be thoroughly conducted why personally doing the learning task intended for their siblings is a great disadvantage.

In totality, blended learning is the answer to the pressing need of the new normal teaching and learning situation. Partnership of parents and teachers is of great importance. Parents become a remote teacher assistant to  co-manage the learning progress of their siblings and the they are called as home tutor.

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