4 A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 3 5FEATURES

“ Commitment-Driven Performance by our Leaders, Character-Based Instruction for our Learners” “ Commitment-Driven Performance by our Leaders, Character-Based Instruction for our Learners”

In a study conducted by the DepEd Region III Edu-cation Program Supervisors among all Grade 8 and 2 teachers who attended the Mass Training for the Imple-mentation of K to 12 Pro-gram in all clusters through-out the region, they have responded to queries about their problems as well as so-lutions that best suit them in the teaching-learning pro-cess. These best practices were likewise analyzed, syn-thesized and translated into timeless words of wisdom as follows:

1.“For successful K to 12 teaching, Attitude is everything”- 98% of the teachers said that good teachers must possess ster-ling qualities composed of 5Cs and A. They are commit-ment, creativity, compassion, character and competence, but the best word that en-compasses all these charac-teristics is Attitude.

2.“Commitment cou-pled with industry and passion bring success”- 95% of all the respondents

voted for being hardworking and commitment as a sign of an outstanding teacher, but having them with passion makes the real difference.

3.“Ask not what can DepEd do for you, Ask what you can do for DepEd”- 78% had ex-pressed their concern about the preparedness of the government in implement-ing such an ambitious edu-cational program because of the obvious inadequacy in fa-cilities and other infrastruc-tures in our schools, plus the other problems in logistics that the project requires. However, 88% of them have pledged their support and cooperation and promised that they will do everything to the best of their capacity to serve the students under their tutelage with tender, loving care!

4.“A teacher that loves children is always young”- Children is the heart of the curriculum so teachers who put this into mind have no difficulty ad-justing to the whatever new

programs and projects (like the K to 12) shall be imple-mented for the betterment of our society. Negative thoughts cause stress while loving with all the heart and mind bring smiles that makes the wrinkled old face looks like that of an angel.

5.“Complains are just products of an idle mind”- 147 out of 278 re-spondents have expressed negative emotions and all sorts of complaints about the present conditions of our schools, students and

the system as a whole, but 88% as stated in number say otherwise that tells us that there is indeed a “Light at the end of the tunnel”.

6.“The best instruc-tional tool in the class-room is the teacher”- The best material we can offer to the community is our selfless service. The school stake-holders are counting for the things that we can do out of love for our students bring-ing about effectiveness in ac-cess, quality and efficiency.

Reflections of the Heart

People are dying young. We are overweight, un-der exercised, and suf-

fering from our lack of good health habits. The level of stress in our everyday life is getting higher. The foods that we eat serve as factor to many of the major killer diseases of the age. We should be living longer and enjoying it better. But a frightful number of us are dead before we even reach our prime. So how can we make the best of our lives? This ar-ticle is about helping you break loose from the vicious cycle and live longer and better life.1 Feel the shine. There is something more in the sun’s warming rays than light-ing the planet. The morning sun gives us Vitamin D, an es-sential element in the preven-tion of disease (rickets in par-ticular). So it is good for you.

2 Run for your life. The need for proper exercise is necessary. It makes the body eliminate body toxins and fats which can lead us to many dis-eases. Playing and running;

jogging and brisk walking

is good for all of us.

3 T a k e

a deep breath. Fresh air is important to all of us. Of course, you can’t live without breathing so a constant sup-ply of fresh air is available only through breathing. But how can you breathe better? Take a few moments to perform deep- breathing exercise: Take a deep breath, hold the air for ten seconds, then expel it slow-ly, coughing at the end to get out more stale air. Repeat sev-eral times. The same effect will be gained by doing some exer-cises especially in the morning.

4 Water is essen-tial. Our body is 75% wa-ter. We need to drink eight glasses of water everyday to constantly supply the body with moisture replacements. Moreover, it cleanses the body and regulates body circulation.

5 Rest and recharge. Even machines need rest and so are you. So one must sleep the hours that your body needs. Take time to relax. Think of happy thoughts and be happy.

6 Eat good food. Leafy green and yellow veg-etables; with fruits every-day keeps the doctor away! Eat these foods more than junk foods and meat for

a more colorful life.

ENCOURAGING YOUNG ADULTS TO READ: TIPS FOR PARENTS

Keep reading with children. When children are young, we read to them to help them understand language and that letters on the page correspond to sounds and words. Then, as they begin to learn to read, we read with them to help them figure out those words on their own and comprehend the text.As children turn into young adults, parents should continue to take the time to read alongside them to help them question the deeper meaning of the text and to model that reading is a worthy, enjoyable, lifelong activity. As young adults be-come comfortable reading alongside us, we can suggest favorite books from that time in our lives.Good books stand the test of time, and they offer an insight into what life was like during our young adult years. We can compare the similarities and differences with our young adults, sharing memories while building new ones.Provide freedom of choice. All students, particu-larly young adults, need some freedom to choose what they read. They may prefer vampire books over Shakespeare, but that’s OK for their free time reading. The more students read, regardless

of genre, the better readers they will become, and the more confident they will be while reading.As parents, we should make a variety of books available for children—and not just the type of books that we enjoy. For in-stance, while we may enjoy stories, our children might prefer fact-based texts.Always include a gift certificate to a local book-store in birthday and holiday gifts, so children can choose their own books. Make family visits to the library, so children can pick our books. Let’s think about how we choose books and make those options available to our children.

Providing better learning opportunities for pupils through the internet

Information today can be obtain in just one click of the mouse or in just a touch; commu-nicate through e-mail; surf the net effortlessly; play games or games both for uploads and downloads; data research and get up-to-date with all the latest- these are just the things we can do using the Internet. Most children nowadays are not alien to its existence any-more and simply non-stop in exploring its endless possibilities of acquiring information and wisdom making it the most reliable, functional and relevant tool for instruction and learning.

Education must aim for knowledge and skill. (Perkins, 1992) This is the long term goal of education and it is the primary reason of what we have been doing as teachers and educators since time immemorial. We have seen lots of changes as a product of educational creativity and innovations. The advances of modern technology, like the In-ternet, are an offshoot of all worthwhile en-

deavors that education has given to mankind. Knowledge and skill have traditionally been

the mainstays of Filipino education. We want students to be knowledgeable about Civics and Culture (Makabayan), Science and Health, Music, Arts and Physical Education (MAPE), and so on. We want students to be skillful in the routines of Mathematics, the craft of writing, and the use of languages in practi-cal sense. These concerns actually can be answered through the use of the In-ternet provided, of course, that teachers are also well-oriented on the pedagogy of utilizing technology.(Habulan, 2010)

We want our students to understand what they are learning, not just to know about it. We want them to have a mean-ingful perspective not just following com-mands given by us, as their teachers. (Spiro, 2008) It is in this context that teachers should maximize the use of all

things modern that our pupils are exposed to- and that is the computers with an Internet connection. In the context of all the modernity around us that gives profound influence of all sorts to our learners, we need to give them all the chances for active participation while providing guidance and instructional leader-ship to ensure fruitful possibilities of learning that is beneficial for their holistic development.

By Eva B. Imingan, eps-oic

To lead people, walk be-side them ... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate ... When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it our-selves!’- Lao-Tsu

There is a plethora of at-tributes that a good leader should possess. Good leader-ship is a universal and time-less need. We take a look at the four most important leadership qualities. Good leaders are required in all walks of life, in all profes-sional fields. A good leader can motivate and inspire those around them to strive to achieve much more than they thought they could. Su-perior leadership is essen-tial in today’s high-pressure competitive world. The posi-tion of a good leader is indis-pensable. A good leader has the knack to align his team members and prepare them to take on any challenge that may lay in their path towards success.

There are a number of qualities that one seeks for in a potential leader. Some of the important ones include - a strong personality, good character, enthusiasm, con-fidence, tenacity, etc. How-ever, there are four qualities that are most desirable in a good leader. Here is an ac-count of those qualities.

1. Ability and Confidence to Take Risks

A leader needs to have the ability to take risks. This ability comes with confi-dence in your decisions and yourself. It is claimed that higher the risk, higher is the gain. However, it need not always be so. A good lead-er should hence be able to weigh the pay-off of each sit-uation properly and should not rest on past laurels.

2. Mental Strength and Stability

It is not possible for a person to please everyone; a good leader must be able to keep his/her own counsel until the proper time. A lead-er should possess the abil-ity to live with criticism and not be affected by it. Leaders

must be able to limit the im-pact of stress on their lives. A good leader thrives on the energy of stressful situations, not the negativity. Good leaders have a self-esteem and self-confidence to ride out of any tough situation.

3. Superior Communication Skills Though not absolutely a

prerequisite, a leader should be good at reading body lan-guage. A leader has to be open to constructive feed-back, but should also have the ability to convince others and communicate their vi-sion to their team. A leader should motivate his team to work and strive to do better.

4. Going the Extra Mile Good leaders do what is

necessary to upgrade their knowledge and skills and be on the cutting edge in their field.

“The final test of a leader is that he leaves be-hind him in other men, the conviction and the will to car-ry on.” This Walter Lippman overview about leader helps us in building the qualities of a good leader.

The Four Most Important Leadership Qualities in Managing Schools

By Dr. Helen B. Aggabao, Principal IV- MHDP , malolos

By Jake zerrudo, chief qaad

By Librada Rubio, EPSII Science

By CHRISTOPHER GLORIA, EPS (OIC)

The Top Six ‘Words of Wisdom’ of a Good K to 12 Teacher