LTS Visitation + Assessment | Session 1

12:30 PM Eunnah 1 Comments

Visiting Barangay San Vicente was akin to entering a whole new world. It is quite astonishing to think how my university campus is merely a few steps away from a community of a completely different background, culture, status, and civilization. Although part of the urban society, it seemed to me that life were simpler and unpretentious in this humble village. Its atmosphere and ambience have a provincial vibe to it, which reminded me of my roots and for a moment, detached me from my westernized reality.

It is apparent that the majority of this community’s population is composed of the less fortunate. And although it is not the typical type of community that I am acquainted with, it is fortunately something that I am already exposed to. As a daughter of a church planter, I was already immersed in a community that is extremely similar to this. Thus, I think it would be easy for me to blend in and interact with the people in this community.

2. Describe the school you are working in. What is it like?

Honestly, it is very much the same as the school that I have attended for two years in elementary, which was also a public school of a barangay. Thus, as an insider who had experienced studying in a similar school, all I can say about San Vicente Elementary is that it is pretty decent for a public school in a community like that. I have actually seen worse in Quezon City, so I felt that their school is already well-off. Although some parts of their building needed more attention in terms of cleaning, I felt that the school as a whole was kind of well-maintained and was given enough funds as evidenced by the school’s wide space and the design painted on their facilities.

3.      3. What was your first encounter with the children like?

Heart-warming. Sometimes it is easy to forget why I chose the path of becoming a teacher. But seeing the happy faces of the children in San Vicente Elementary reminded me of my purpose. I had the sudden urge to take note of their differing personalities and think of strategies that may help them. It is unfortunate that I could not mingle with them all. But seeing them waving their hands at me as we come across the hallway was enough joy for me.

4. Briefly describe your student. What were your initial impressions about your student?

---One-on-One

The first time that I laid my eyes on Jayven, I earnestly whispered my prayers to God that he may be one to be assigned to me. I was so glad that I had the courage to raise my hand when Teacher Shari called out his name during the delegation. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure why this particular child caught my eye. It’s just that I discerned something special in him that I did not feel among the other students. Jayven oozes passion in his eyes when he smiles. He was really precious, even from a distance. And I was right. Jayven is one of a kind. I think he may be one of the kids that I would never forget. He is really nice. Aside from that, we share a bunch of interest. We both have the same favourite color which is purple and blue. We also like the same stuffed animal which is a panda bear. All in all, I appreciate him as my tutee. And I’m sure he does the same.

5. How did your student perform in the assessment? What did you notice the child can do? What can the child not yet do? Which part of the assessment did he find easiest to answer? Most difficult to answer?

Jayven is a bright kid. Honestly, it made me wonder why he is undergoing this program when he clearly doesn’t need it. He can identify, name, sound, match, and write the alphabet on his own. However, there are some letters that he sometimes interchanges such as the letters “U” and “O” which is perfectly understandable to me because he was from the province. He is also not that familiar with the letter “Q” which I think is due to the lack of Filipino words that use that said letter.

Jayven enjoyed the story of “Ang Pamilya Ismid.” I personally think that he has a high reading comprehension because there are some parts that I failed to emphasize due to my unpreparedness but he still managed to give me the best answer. There are also some questions that I didn’t even need to explain further because he already know or is already writing the answers.

6. What kind of challenges did you encounter last Monday?

I think the greatest battle that I experienced last Monday was with my own self. I was extremely unprepared and weary when I did the assessment. That morning, I was even contemplating if I was going to class or not. The reason behind this is because I had a camping for my PE, where we did a lot of strenuous activities, the day before this assessment.

My unpreparedness actually unsettled me and made me feel guilty up until now because I felt that I wasn’t able to give my best which my student, Jayven, deserves. I know this is a mistake on my part. But on the good note, this helped me realize that I should be saving all the energy that I could muster on the weekends so that I’ll be able to utilize this when I’m teaching my student. This mistake of mine is actually a learning experience for me to do better next time.

7. In what ways will the result of the assessment help you in teaching your student?

The main purpose of the assessment was to know what page my student is on and what we can do from there in order to move forward. It helped me to know the strengths, weaknesses, abilities, capabilities, and interests of my student which will all contribute in making the individualized lesson plan for our next sessions. It will also help me develop strategies and routines that I can employ while teaching him.

8. What are you taking away from this experience?