Student-Teacher Bonds: Why It’s Important Pt. 2
With the past post, we introduced this new installation that’ll be done on our site. If you haven’t read that yet, we highly encourage you to!
Following the interview of Ms. Regala, we also interviewed Ms. Mempin, also a well-loved teacher among SHSians.
‘You make students respect you.’ tinuturo parin siya sa education sa Philippines kaya kapag iisipin mo yung mga teachers na hindi laki sa academe makikita mo na iba yung approach nila sa students versus mga galing talaga sa trained na school.”
We begin our conversation with her pointing out her co-teacher’s statement about the “mystery” of student-teacher relationships and how teacher etiquette is deliberately taught in the academe. She stated how she finds it weird how they would then have to unlearn that kind of mentality during their masterals due to its outdated approach.
“The reason why I try to make this bond with students is to make them comfortable kahit sa subject na very very hard like Science. Gusto ko na isipin nila na open sila mag-recite, open sila makipagusap sa katabi nila, mag-share sa klase…”
As a Science teacher, Ms. Mempin talks about the high pedestal of superiority that teachers should ideally be on when it comes to teaching such a formal subject like hers. In a student’s perspective, it was interesting to learn how teachers are warned to take caution with us and how showing vulnerability in front of the students is something that should be avoided in the academe. She challenges herself to make classes more interesting, engaging the students in different activities for them to be able to understand better and at the same time, to enjoy learning.
“May nakausap ako na graduate na nagsabi na ‘Miss, gusto ko po mag-nursing.’ ‘Oh, mag-nursing ka. Why not?’ ‘Miss, ang baba ko sa Math and Science.’”
A graduate from our school had a conversation with Ms. Mempin and talked about how she aimed to be a nurse but unfortunately, her grades in the said subjects were not cut for nursing. Ms. Mempin finds it frustrating and sad how students nowadays have a certain goal they want to achieve and they know where they want to go, but there are internal and external factors that hinder them from achieving it.
“Mga new teachers next year siguro ganun din sila very (clenches firsts)—takot, sobrang takot, plus may nag-hhover din.”
In institutions like schools, there are certain positions that are given different tasks and the teachers who are given a higher position are usually the ones who give out orders. New teachers are guided since they would need to adjust to the students and the rules of the school, because of this, they are sometimes restricted on how they are supposed to teach their lessons. Of course, teachers who are used to the traditional way of teaching would also want the new teachers to adapt to that style. Although, the faultiness of this comes from the fact that at the end of the day, each person has a set of beliefs and values that are unique from one another. With that, it’s important for older teachers to remember that the traditional way of teaching won’t always work in a world as modern as ours.
“You are only given 50 minutes of a day na dapat maging komportable sila and if hindi enough yung 50 minutes, nakakatuwa lang na maglalaan sila ng oras na pumunta sa faculty na, ”Miss, may nabasa akong ganito.” “Miss, yung discussion natin…” or kahit sa corridor, nakakataba ng puso. Na parang yung balik sa akin na, if I did this to students, mas nagiging interesado sila sa science and learning in general. And, I think kung ganon mas nararamdaman ko yung purpose ko as a teacher.”
As a result, when teachers create this safe and comfortable spaces where in students’ ideas are not constrained by what’s right or wrong and when we are actually guided through the process of learning and application, it will be inevitable for students to be invested on their subjects and naturally gravitate to the teachers who make learning more enjoyable than the usual formal discussion.
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