Old Tree in the Forest

 

There is a vast forest full of opportunities. The lush vegetation can be threatening to a newly-sprouting plant. Other plants might overshadow it and be deprived of the sunshine needed for photosynthesis; for survival. The plant must endure the challenges around. For it to survive, it must learn how to compete with others. The nutrients from where it is rooted must be consumed for it to grow. In its nature, survival of the fittest is the name of the game.

Other greenness are thriving. There are those who have become trees blooming with flowers. A beautiful sight full of promises is displaying around the forest. Someday, fruits will hang on their branches. Birds and other organisms will flock towards these trees to marvel and feed on the fruits: the result of the trees’ effort to exist… to survive.

The new plant must wait for its time. Moments of endurance and persistence are needed to develop its sturdy stem. The roots must be planted to a very rich and healthy ground for it to thrive. Weeds are there around threatening to overpower and sometimes can weaken the efforts to grow. But then again, endurance must be considered.

Many years will pass and the tree starts to grow tall. Other birds will notice its potential and would soon start visiting the promising branches. The bees will also look forward to the blossoming of the flowers signaled by the buds sprouting on the branches’ tips. But, there will be weeds and parasites which will start destroying the roots and seeping out the nutrients from the bark. The parasites will start to envy the thriving tree. They might as well seep its goodness for their own benefits.

Still, the tree can endure the tests of time. The weather can also be a foe. During stormy days, strong winds break the branches; too much rain loosens the soil the base might be uprooted. The cruel rays of the sun withers the leaves sometimes depriving the tree to produce food for itself… There are times when the tree surrender to its own fate. But it still continues to endure.

After the blooming, fruits come. The birds are now flocking around it. The tree is now one of the famous ones in the area. It is one of the most-visited plants in the forest. Bees, insects and even birds from other parts of the forest are coming over. The struggling tree before is now a celebrated member of the land.

More years will come. The tree will start to become older. The branches will become strong and the barks will thicken. It will become bigger and will create a shade. Ferns and other plants grow beneath it. They will feel protected by the shade of the old tree. The birds will nest on the branches and more insects live and multiply on the different parts.

The old tree in the forest will not mind on these happenings. It is now contented with what it has contributed with its surrounding. Envy and competition are not on its being. They are not important anymore. It will become happy with its help to the smalls plants starting to thrive near it. It will not mind on the birds nesting on its branches. In fact, the tree will be happier with more birds utilizing its branches as their niche. The tree will not mind on the plants and insects living on its different parts. In fact, it will become happier if more of cocoons will be formed on the leaves turning out to become beautiful butterflies soon.

The old tree in the forest will stand proud unafraid of the trials ahead.

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We are in this vast forest called life. Whatever phase we are in with our growth process, we need to endure. The weeds and other envious people around must not hamper our growth. We will stand the test of time. The challenges we encounter along the way are as natural as the weather. We allow them to make us stronger.

Our contributions, the fruits of our labor, will be noticed by others. They can even be envied by others. But we must continue to bear fruit. Other people need them to survive. We can help supply the needs of our families and those who are needy.

In the end, we will become that old tree in the forest. We will be there for others. Our main existence will then be dedicated to the development and growth of those who are around us. Our contentment will not be centered on our insecurities but the well-being of others.

It will be a waste of life if we won’t become the old tree in the forest. We must have transcendence and self-actualization and live for the common good.

Backbone

Mag-uno kaha sila inig sulig nila?… This query often comes to the mind when one sees innocent children doing things nonchalantly. Most learned adults also ask this question silently when they encounter children on the streets aimlessly. Teachers and educators will then wonder what happens to young people who will be deprived of education due to pressing situations like COVID-19.

National data from DepEd as of July 15, 2020, showed that the total number of enrollees for SY 2020-2021 has reached 20,220,507 nationwide for Kindergarten to Grade 12, including Alternative Learning System (ALS) and non-graded learners with disabilities. This is 72.7 percent of SY 2019-2020 enrollment turnout at 27.7 million.

The enrollment data also showed that 19,145,129 million learners have enrolled in public schools and 1,050,434 registered in private schools. This upcoming SY’s enrolment in public schools is 84.8% of last year and the registration in private schools is 24.3% of SY 2019-2020.

All of these learners will undergo distance learning since the government prohibits face-to-face schooling. And 80% of these learners will have the modular delivery where they will receive worksheets and modules to work on for the school days until the COVID-19 pandemic cease to threaten the world’s health status.

The statistics above are not just faceless entities. They are real people with families. They are young minds with needs, feelings and social responsibilities which will hone them to be the future leaders. But with depleting resources and the novel learning delivery mode that the school system has, what could be expected of the young?

Social interactions play important parts of development throughout childhood, and spending time with peers is typically part of that process. But child psychologists also mention that parents must not worry too much. Children tend to be resilient and adaptable, they said. There is much to be gained from interactions with parents, siblings and even pets. Time alone is valuable, too. And connection through technology, like hanging out or playing games through video chats, can fill in some of the blanks. Even without peer interaction for a while, kids can still develop socially and emotionally in ways that will prepare them to pursue real-world friendships when those can resume (Sohn, 2020).

Yet, we then remember those young learners who are financially-challenged. What about those children who have dysfunctional families? What can their psychological foundations be? What about the facilitation of their learning once distance education starts? Who will act as learning facilitators in a topsy-turvy environment?

In the ideal envisioned distance learning approach, parents would have an active role. They would facilitate and guide their children through the modular lessons that would be sent to students undergoing remote learning. However, this loomed as a big challenge to students who do not have anyone to facilitate learning at home.

"There are parents who are "no-read, no-write." They are sending their children to school because they don’t want their children to be like them. Who would teach the students now at home? This kind of modular learning is really difficult. Not all parents are capable of guiding their children," said a public elementary school teacher in Laguna, in a previous interview with Rappler.

It can be gleaned that the Philippines is allocating a lot of funds for education as reflected in the GAA (General Appropriations Act). The education sector got P654.77 billion, a combined allocation from the DepEd and its attached agencies (P521.35 billion), the State Universities and Colleges (P73.72 billion), and the Commission on Higher Education (P46.73 billion). This is for fiscal year 2020.

But how can the billions of pesos be translated into LEARNING?

With the onslaught of the novel corona virus, the government is concentrating on the pressing health issue. Thus, the decision to have distance learning was made. What will become of the struggling population of young learners who do not have the psycho-social readiness?

Rarkryan P. Angdhiri (2020) posits: As reported by students who participated in the dry run of modular learning, this was confusing to adjust to as they had not been prepared through simulations or practices beforehand. Students reported the home-learning program to be even more stressful than regular classrooms. Some also say that the workload of remote classes is larger than that of regular classes. The general consensus is that home-learning programs — although highly beneficial and a good alternative to school as schools are closed — still require some getting used to by students, as it is a novel concept and not many are experienced with them.

There are impending problems that the teachers and school administrators will be facing once the school year opens on October 5, 2020. They can only prepare their armors and steadfast belief that competence and hard work can make things happen.

We were unprepared with what the virus sent to the world. We can only hope that our resilience as a people will allow us to adjust in the somewhat cliché “new normal”.

Still, we must continue putting up a strong fight to let the children learn since education is the backbone of nation building.

The Power of Being Prepared

                                       (photo: sloanreview.mit.edu)

Di pa daw sila kun preparado… The Philippine Star reported on August 5, 2020 that the Quezon City Public School Teachers Association during the online conference revealed that they have not yet received the necessary modules for distance learning from the DepEd. According to QCPTA president Kristhean Navales, the department has so far only released guidelines on how to print the modules once they are available. He added that these guidelines were released just a few days ago, mere weeks before classes are set to resume.

Navales said he is unaware of whether DepEd is currently printing modules and questioned the department's ability to have them ready by August 24.  

This can be considered as the opposite of pro-active actions by educational leaders in the field. There are some who wait for top-down directives for them to act. The proverbial manna from heaven is often on the mentality of the majority. When this happens, chaos and confusion thrive inside organizations.

R.A. 9155 clearly says that the State shall encourage local initiatives for improving the quality of basic education. The State shall ensure that the values, needs and aspirations of a school community are reflected in the program of education for the children, out-of-school youth and adult learners. Schools and learning centers shall be empowered to make decisions on what is best for the learners they serve.

The school head, who may be assisted by an assistant school head, shall be both an instructional leader and administrative manager. The school head shall form a team with the school teachers/learning facilitators for delivery of quality educational programs, projects and services, the Act continues.

School leaders across the country are grappling with an array of decisions forced on them by the COVID-19 pandemic. How do we use our resources to protect children and keep education going? Once the overarching decisions are made, leaders, including those further down the command chain, will have a myriad of additional choices to make. Thus, the thrust to create a viable Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) was encouraged.

To underscore the case, school leaders are empowered to lead the schools based on the stringent plans created. But due to the fact that most were unprepared of the pandemic’s onslaught, lots were empty-handed. There were even some who copied the plans of others not realizing that the profile of the schools they are managing is different from those they duplicated.

Mathew Lynch (2020) mentions that the antithesis of proactive is reactive, which means people react to the world around them instead of taking steps to affect the outcomes positively. Proactive educational leaders have a do-it-themselves mindset and approach problematic situations with enthusiasm. If you want to affect your life and the lives around you positively, start by learning to control situations, instead of waiting for things to happen.

To become a proactive leader, the first thing that one needs to do is to be able to find and isolate potential issues before they become full-fledged problems. Then the leader can come up with a solution for solving the issue before it actually becomes widely known. The process of solving problems before they begin is not easy to do. It takes a total understanding of the organization and the forces and pressures that surround it. Then and only then can the education leaders begin to predict potential issues and landmines with great accuracy.

The pandemic must not topple down the managerial, leadership and creative processes of leaders who took oath to serve the people in educating the young. Of course, it is but normal to feel anxiety and fear… but public service must go on. There is a need to find ways to let the delivery of education continue.

Responses to the pandemic within the international education community have varied from heroic to problematic, as educators, leaders, administrators and education policy workers navigate shifting information, priorities, resources, and political and economic concerns. As education leaders have responded to the current crisis, many challenges and obstacles to providing essential educational services have emerged.

Additionally, according to frontiersin.org, questions have been raised about whether and how students and schools can meet education policy expectations, how schools can provide adequate support for students, particularly those with special educational and mental health needs, and how education leaders, including, but not limited to: principals, head teachers, superintendents, teacher leaders and so on can collaborate and coordinate with government, non-profit and other stakeholders to meet student needs.

Exhausting our capacities and allowing the community to help us can make things happen. There are resources in our ecology. Paired with proactive actions and the collaboration that must be present, we can be prepared enough in allowing the learners to have an alternative way of educating themselves. If we continue to dwell on WE CAN’T, there is really a tendency that the WE CAN action will be vague.

School Opening Challenges

                                       (photo: UNESCO)

Uno may baja himoon nan mga maestro/maestra? There are comments from the parents that they shall be given the salary of the teachers since they are expected to facilitate the learning of their children during these times where the virus is persisting. Probably some of them forgot that the well-being and learning of their children start from home.

"Parental responsibility" - with respect to their minor children shall refer to the rights and duties of the parents as defined in Article 220 of Executive Order No. 209, as amended, otherwise known as the "Family Code of the Philippines.

In Article 220: The parents and those exercising parental authority shall have with the respect to their unemancipated children on wards the following rights and duties:

(1) To keep them in their company, to support, educate and instruct them by right precept and good example, and to provide for their upbringing in keeping with their means; (2) To give them love and affection, advice and counsel, companionship and understanding; (3) To provide them with moral and spiritual guidance, inculcate in them honesty, integrity, self-discipline, self-reliance, industry and thrift, stimulate their interest in civic affairs, and inspire in them compliance with the duties of citizenship.

It has been a practice among Filipinos to “leave” their responsibilities to the teachers and Day Care workers. Corporal punishment was even encouraged by some parents to the teachers when the kids do nasty things.

Research clearly links the quality of children’s first years with their future physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional functioning. Interaction and rich experience are keys. But in developing countries, families are too often without resources to provide the environment and stimulation that their young children need. In the Philippines, center-based early childhood development services are scarce and of uneven quality (childfun.org).

With the onslaught of the alternative learning modality of the Department of Education, parents are expected to facilitate the learning of their children in their own capacities. The IATF prohibits the minors to go out and have face-to-face encounters with others that is why parental support is tantamount to the learning process during the pandemic.

Parental involvement is an essential factor in the development of the foundation in children’s education. In spite of this, many parents do not appear to be getting involved in their children’s education.

This lack of involvement may have a negative impact on student performance in and out of the classroom and ultimately affect their continuing educational development and success. Teachers need to play a major role in connecting to the larger school community.

The Learning Continuity Plan of the schools lists orientation of the parents on the alternative learning delivery modes for this school year. But with the varied profiles of the parents, an impending difficulty is at hand. There are those who will repel on the idea of being involved since for them, it will get along the way in finding for a living. Some of them will be out to work and how can their children expect support and guidance from those whose educational attainment are limited?

Wilichowski and Cobo (2020) said that averting the damage brought on by the corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic requires an aggressive education policy response, which involves: 1) coping during the crisis to reduce learning loss while schools are closed, 2) managing continuity of learning to promote learning recovery as schools reopen safely, and 3) using the crisis as an opportunity to improve and accelerate, making education systems stronger and more equitable than they were before.

The DepEd must provide actionable guidance for teachers. This should point to ways teachers can become content curators, and provide   recommendations so that they do not overwhelm pupils with excessive lectures, lessons plans, and homework. In the U.S., Uganda, Brazil, France, and Ethiopia, this guidance includes easy-to-implement ideas so that teachers can adapt the content from remote learning plans for their needs.

There must also be strong policies to allow the parents to have commitment on the learning of the children with the help of the local governments in providing learning and development to capacitate the facilitating skills of the parents.

As education systems emerge from this crisis, it is clear that a new chapter is waiting to be written with detailed medium- and long-term actions (e.g., increasing investments in remote learning, adopting blended models when schools partially reopen, or creating remedial e-courses), which can help educational systems build back stronger and become more equitable.

We will also learn from the things along the way when the new school year opens come August 24. Still, it is firm that education MUST continue. We cannot afford to have a generation of morons if we will allow the pandemic to create a learning gap.

No Scapegoats Please

Umay kaha ila hibay-an? A collective fear dawned on both the educators and the parents as they realized that there will be no face-to-face classes to be conducted in the midst of the pandemic. It is going to be dangerous to all when people converge. Better, the schools will opt to choose blended learning which includes modules, worksheets, digital lessons and even TV and radio broadcasts. But then the question persists: What would be the quality of learning of these modalities?

Teacher and school heads’ competence count. If these educators pour out their best and utilize their knowledge, skills and positive attitude towards the situation at hand, there might be a silver lining on the thick clouds of doubt.

Competence according to dictionary.com is the quality of being competent; adequacy; possession of required skill, knowledge, right attitude, qualification, or capacity. That is the reason why these professionals underwent competency-based examination conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to measure whether they are competent enough to be licensed or not.

Competencies are the skills and knowledge that enable a teacher to be successful. To maximize student learning, teachers must have expertise in a wide-ranging array of competencies in an especially complex environment where hundreds of critical decisions are required each day (Jackson, 1990).

Effective teachers are able to explain difficult concepts clearly and concisely. They facilitate discussions, organize interactive sessions, and provide constructive feedback to their students.

The challenge during these difficult times is how to deliver the key learning to the students through their chosen modality. There are some teachers in the field who have the needed knowledge and skills but lack the empathy and needed attitudes to cater the diverse needs of the learners. There are those who feel that a one-size-fits-all scheme is effective since they do not have the patience to diversify. There are also lots of principals and supervisors who consider instructional supervision as burden to them where in fact this must be their main role in the education processes.

Then, there will be the practice of putting the blame on something: the virus, the students themselves, the department for not giving the measures, the system and many other things to find a way out. According to Brahm (2004), scapegoating is a psychological defense mechanism of denial through projecting responsibility and blame on others. It allows the perpetrator to eliminate negative feelings about him or her and provides a sense of gratification. Furthermore, it justifies the self-righteous discharge of aggression.

It can be observed that the Department of Education (DepEd) is exhausting all the resources to capacitate the teachers and educators in the field with webinars and online discussions on the alternative modalities which can reach out up to the marginalized learner. Yet, there are those who sit in their comfort zones and wait for manna from heaven. That is probably the reason why critiques on teachers being paid for doing nothing surfaced.

Alongside the governmental efforts in the delivery of service in education to the remotest areas shall include modalities apt for the indigenous culture, traditions, and more. They should achieve the national goals of maximizing the fullest potentials of learners through the utilization of possible materials, pedagogical strategies, and alternative modalities.  

The DepEd gave ample time to the schools to prepare for the new set of modalities. But there is also a culture a top-bottom mentality of many. The waiting can sometimes be excruciating since there are educators who are pro-active. They want to be prepared for the impending battle ahead. But then, there are also those who wait fro a messiah to save them from their distress.

Increasing environmental complexity and ambiguity require organizations to rely on their members' proactive behaviors to deal with potential chaotic occurrences surrounding the organizational functioning. Individuals respond these occurrences by displaying various proactive behavior forms to build predictability islands in ocean of uncertainty. In this context, principal proactivity is one of key determinants of effectiveness of schools functioning in complex and anarchic environments (Ankara, Balci, 2016).

Instead of remaining reactive, individuals’ performing proactive behaviors to deal with the opportunities and problems in internal and external environments of the school has become an important determinant of organizational effectiveness (Crant, 2000; Russell & Russell, 1992; Frese & Fay, 2001).

On the hands of educators lies the hope of nurturing something worth the while to the learners even in these trying times.

Leading the Schools Amidst the Virus

                                            (chronicle.com)

Unhon man pagklase kun di paskwelahon an mga bata? A buzz of confusion was aired among the parents and the teachers as the president and the IATF mandated that there would be no face-to-face classes to be given until the time that the pandemic will be gone with vaccine and the presence of medicine for COVID 19 is there. The confusion heightened as the new school year comes in.

The Department of Education released its official statement on May 5, 2020: As we continue to confront the issues brought about by the pandemic, we in the Department of Education (DepEd) are addressing challenges in the basic education through the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), which will be in effect by the time School Year 2020-2021 opens on August 24, 2020.

The LCP is our major response and our commitment in ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our learners, teachers, and personnel in the time of COVID-19 while finding ways for education to continue amidst the crisis for the upcoming school year.

Putting it into perspective, we have delayed the opening of classes to ensure that our learners and teachers are given time and be properly equipped to adjust to this new learning environment. Our policies will also be continuously guided by science and by the advice of our health experts. Education can and must continue but only under the conditions and health protocols set by the DOH and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is but human nature to be confused and covered with fear at the same time with the present scenario where the infected is escalating. Some are even distressed with the fact that their loved ones suddenly became mere statistical data on the death toll. Some parents are apprehensive in sending the children to school for safety and there are those who are thinking of not allowing their kids to be enrolled.

In an online press briefing led by Education Secretary Leonor Briones along with Undersecretaries Annalyn Sevilla and Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, the DepEd key officials discussed concerns on school opening and the alternative learning modalities. Briones said that the DepEd is aware of the calls to suspend the opening of classes this coming August 24 due to the continued threat of COVID-19. “But what other options do we have? We have to go on because education must continue,” she added (Manila Bulletin, May 2020).

That is where the challenge is. Indeed, we cannot afford to stop the education process for we might produce a generation of young people who are short in competencies and life skills. Yet, how will the educators cope with the gargantuan task of preparing alternative delivery modalities and blended learning schemes which are of good quality? Achievement was even difficult to attain during the formal and face-to-face modality, and now this distance and virtual learning?

The challenge lies on the education leaders themselves. The aforementioned Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) acts as the roadmap to avoid a divide with the educational momentum geared by the different programs, activities and programs of the department. Managerial and leadership skills must be applied by the school heads to guide the teachers to come up with learning materials that can support a different pedagogical approach.

While schools work quickly to respond, thoughtful preparation is key – as evidence shows, programs that are implemented effectively improve student outcomes significantly more than those implemented with less fidelity (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). When helping teachers, students and parents to effectively implement home-supported learning one of the crucial elements is having a clear school plan that will assist in building a shared understanding for all involved (Evidence for Learning, 2020; Sharples et al., 2019).

In a crisis such as the one in which we are currently existing, perfection is the enemy of progress. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO, recently explained in regard to emergency response (Marco Derksen, 2020) that in an emergency we “need to act quickly … be the first mover.” “Speed trumps perfection,” he says, adding that, “everyone is afraid of the consequence of error, but the greatest error is not to move. The greatest error is to be paralyzed by the fear of failure.” In a time of crisis, leaders must act swiftly and with foresight but also with careful consideration of options, consequences and side effects of actions taken. They must communicate with clarity and purpose but also with empathy and humanity.

There are those who are still confused on what to do. Some teachers are groping in the dark what and how to act with the preferred and carefully-studied modality. This is the time where the school leaders must put their best foot forward not just to comply with what is being asked.

The country relies on the young people who will be the future nation builders. We could not afford to allow them to sulk and under-utilize their capabilities to become gaming and entertainment-inclined sloths. We let them get the education they deserve.

Dread vs. Hope

                                        (img: unique mindcare)

Tag nerbyos na ko! With the lengthened stay of the virus, people started to grope for activities which can drive away boredom and anxiety. The information they see in the news and the escalating numbers of the infected seem to weaken their defense mechanism and resiliency. People have different stress limits that others are now succumbing to depression.

Anxiety, according to Psychology Today, encompasses feelings of worry, nervousness, or dread. Although unpleasant, occasional bouts of anxiety are natural and sometimes even productive: By signaling that something isn’t quite right, anxiety can help people both avoid danger and make important and meaningful changes.

For many people, the uncertainty surrounding corona virus is the hardest thing to handle. We don’t know how exactly we’ll be impacted or how bad things might get. And that makes it all too easy to make it a catastrophe and spiral out into overwhelming dread and panic.

Our momentum was suddenly intruded by the unknown. We suddenly stopped our normal routines and stayed at home. The psychological impact of it might be acceptable first since we need to follow what is the best so to be safe. Yet, the lingering threat of the illness especially when the “Balik Probinsiya” activity was done added to the dread lingering at the back of our minds.

Over information can sometimes be the cause of such anxiety. It’s vital to stay informed, particularly about what’s happening in your community, so you can follow advised safety precautions and do your part to slow the spread of corona virus. But there’s a lot of misinformation going around, as well as sensationalized coverage that only feeds into fear. It’s important to be discerning about what you read and watch (Smith, Robinson, 2020).

As the corona virus pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, it is inducing a considerable degree of fear, worry and concern in the population at large and among certain groups in particular, such as older adults, care providers and people with underlying health conditions. These are pervasive in countries with infected individuals.

So how can we avoid being entrapped in the looming fear of such threat?

Understanding the risk to yourself and people you care about can make an outbreak less stressful. Learn and share the facts about COVID-19 and help stop the spread of rumors. When you share accurate information about COVID-19, you can help make people feel less stressed, make a connection with them, and help stop stigma (cdc.gov).

A broad body of research links social isolation and loneliness to poor mental health; and recent data shows that significantly higher shares of people who were sheltering in place (47%) reported negative mental health effects resulting from worry or stress related to corona virus than among those not sheltering in place (37%). Negative mental health effects due to social isolation may be particularly pronounced among older adults and households with adolescents, as these groups are already at risk for depression or suicidal tendencies.

Recent polling data shows that more than half of the people who lost income or employment reported negative mental health impacts from worry or stress over corona virus; and lower income people report higher rates of major negative mental health impacts compared to higher income people (Panchal et al, 2020).

We will cling to hope to lessen the stress level.

Psychologists have proposed lots of different vehicles over the years. Grit, conscientiousness, self-efficacy, optimism, passion, inspiration, etc,, they are all important. One vehicle, however, is particularly undervalued and underappreciated in psychology and society. That’s hope.

Hope is not a brand new concept in psychology. In 1991, the eminent positive psychologist Charles R. Snyder and his colleagues came up with Hope Theory. According to their theory, hope consists of agency and pathways.  The person who has hope has the will and determination that goals will be achieved, and a set of different strategies at their disposal to reach their goals. Put simply: hope involves the will to get there and different ways to get there (Kaufman, 2011).

We cannot help to have this dread of the unknown. But we have hope to cling to and that we can dwell on the positive side of knowing that ALL WILL BE WELL soon. Let us continue to see this life as an avenue of more beautiful experiences.