Fresh from completing my certificate in Professional Teaching, I eagerly applied to several small schools within my subdivision. Despite the sweltering heat of April 2016, I was determined, driven by the idea of working within walking distance from home.
I narrowed down my choices based on proximity, aiming for a school just a few minutes away. Soon, I signed a one-year contract, and little did I know, it would turn into a roller-coaster experience as a preschool adviser
Assigned as the adviser for two Kinder 1 classes, I taught 14 students from 8 am to 11 am in the mornings and 10 students from 1 pm to 4 pm in the afternoons. I was fortunate to have the support of my partner teacher, Teacher Jeri, who taught Mathematics, and our teaching aide, Ate Rose.
Every week, I submitted two lesson plans: one for Reading and another for Language. My Reading lessons focused on teaching alphabet recognition, phonics, writing letters, sight-reading, and understanding simple words and sequences. The Language lessons aimed at speech development, introducing family and community members, learning descriptive words, pronouns, demonstratives, and prepositions.
In the second and third quarters, our preschool department introduced clubs, allowing children from Kinder 1, Kinder 2, and Prep to interact across levels. I co-led the Reading and Acting Club with the Prep adviser, Teacher Pau. Teacher Jeri managed the Science and Experiment Club, while our preschool coordinator led the Arts and Recycling Club.
As preschool teachers, we documented each student’s activities through photos, which were included in quarterly progress reports. These reports assessed communication skills, mathematics, social-emotional learning, motor skills, and academics, along with constructive comments to help guide parents in supporting their child’s development. We presented these reports to parents on card day, along with the students’ quarterly worksheets.
Throughout the year, we organized memorable events like Linggo ng Wika (National Language Month), Nutrition Month, a field trip to Hospicio de San Jose, a visit to see Annie: The Musical at Resorts World Manila, a poetry competition, and a lively end-of-year party.
My first year of teaching was filled with both challenges and rewards. The workload was often draining, but seeing my students grasp concepts, enjoy activities, and engage with the materials I prepared made it all worthwhile.