Episode 2: Learners’ Characteristics and Needs

1. Experiencing the Teaching-
Learning Process
Episode 2: Learners’ Characteristics and Needs
Name of FS Student: Ma. Cristina D. Panganoran
Course & Year: BSE-2 English
Resource Teacher: Mrs. Irenea P. Dizon
_________________
Instructor: Mrs. Gloria A. Silva
Cooperating School: Holy Cross College (High School Department)
Date of Submission: March 14, 2011
Date Submitted: March 14, 2011

2. Name of School: Holy Cross College (High School Department)
School Address: Sta. Lucia, Sta. Ana, Pampanga
Resource Teacher Subject Matter
Mrs. April Joy Mallari Elements of the Story
Mrs. Irenea P. Dizon Figures of Speech
Mrs. Karen C. Añasco The Church, The People of God
Year & Date of Visit Teacher Subject
Section
1-4 March 07, 2011 Mrs. April Joy Mallari English
3-2 March 08, 2011 Mrs. Irenea P. Dizon English
3-4 March 08, 2011 Mrs. Karen C. Añasco C.L.E.
My Journal
1. Description of Teaching Strategies:
Collaborative, discussion and integration were the strategies used when I observed 3
different teachers for this episode. They were all very effective in letting the students gain
knowledge and test how much they have learned in the lesson they have taken up.
The first teacher I observed was Mrs. Mallari in the 1-4 class. She divided the students
into 6 groups and instructed them to create their own puppet show using the important
elements of a story. She used rubrics to help the students know how they are being graded for
this activity. The following are the criteria for grading:
*Content of the story (plot, settings, characters etc.)
*Voice (intonation, pronunciation, execution and emotion)
*Props
*Cooperation
*Orderliness
She used the collaborative strategy so the students will be able to learn how to work with
each other or how to value teamwork. After the performance of the 3 groups, the teacher gave
immediate feedbacks. After commenting about the things that the students need to improve on
she encouraged them to do better next time and advised the next batch of performers to learn
from the first 3 groups that performed. She congratulated the students for a being able to put on
a show.
The next teacher is Mrs. Dizon. I observed her and the 3-2 class during their graded
recitation about the previous lessons they had particularly about figures of speech. She used
integration in teaching where she related the topics in class to real life situations. The teacher
gave them an assignment to write a summary of the past lessons they took up and this summary
will be the one included in their recitation. The teacher praises the students’ work. If they do
not know the answer she doesn’t embarrass them, instead she motivates them to do more
reading and appreciates their cooperation in class.
The last one I observed was Mrs. Añasco, she used the discussion strategy with the 3-4
class. First the class started with a prayer, she asked the students to behave well. She asked me
to introduce myself to the class. Afterwards, the class checked and recorded their scores in the
past R.A.T then she reviewed the class on their pass lesson and then gave a short quiz. Since
there are a few misbehaviors in class, she never fails to call out the attention of the particular
student. She was able to manage the level of noise during class most of the time. The teacher
was very patient with the class. Since they are in a lower section they pick up slower than the
other classes, despite this fact; she was still able to make the discussion interesting, interactive
and lively.

3. 2. Description of Learning Strategies:
Cooperative learning was present in the 1-4 class because the students were able to work
as a team towards a common goal. Role play was very effective for them because it helped the
students speak during class. During the class activity, students who were good in Arts were
able to showcase their talent and made their own puppets and build their own mini puppet
stage. The students who were verbal-linguistic utilized their skill in speaking during the
performance, while the good writers were able to use their talent in making the dialogue. Every
member has a part to play and everyone enjoyed the activity.
In the 3-2 class, the students were very attentive and knowledgeable of the lessons. It was
evident that the students are very enthusiasm. Most of the students show a lot of effort in their
summary. I was able to know this since Mrs. Dizon let me read through some of the works of
the students. There was interactive learning and it was also student-centered where the teacher
served as facilitator. The students talking time was more than the teacher’s, and they were able
to recite most of the things they’ve learned in the past. Some can even answer follow up
questions after another. Cognitive and metacognitive processes are present in the class I
observed.
The last class I observed was the 3-4 class. Though I saw a few misbehaviors, I can say
the class was able to learn by lecture-discussion. Active Learning is anything that students do
in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor's lecture. Research shows
that active learning improves students' understanding and retention of information and can be
very effective in developing higher order cognitive skills such as problem solving and critical
thinking.
3. Description of Learners’ Participation:
The 1-4 class participated very well and about 85 percent of the class cooperated and
performed at the level that was expected of them. The only weakness in most of them is the
quality of voice. Some of them had a hard time to produce a well modulated voice due to
shyness. Despite being in the lower section, I was still impressed with their creativity and
story. The class went smoothly and no time was wasted because the students already know
what is expected of them in class for that day.
The 3-2 class participated actively in class and about 90 percent of them was very
cooperative and performed in class with high quality. All the students who were supposed to
recite for that day recited with confidence and they really know what they are talking about
because they do not only define the terms but also give examples on the spot. The future
implications of the lessons are emphasized during the discussion and the students were very
knowledgeable in the topic they are handling. Key concepts are well-explained and the
interaction between students and teacher was like a ping-pong match where the ball was passed
many times on both sides during class.
The 3-4 class participated with 75 percent of the class reciting in chorus. The teacher was
very patient with them and tried to elaborate and explained the lesson clearly. All the girls were
well behaved while some of the boys displayed a few misbehaviors that were quickly
controlled by the teacher. This resulted to a few delays but the teacher was able to cover the
entire lesson she intended to take up on that period. The students showed cooperation to the
teacher for most of the time.

4. Reflection:
1. Scribble a brief reflection of your feelings and insights from your observation
experience.
After this observation experience, I’ve learned that participation as well as
cooperation is very important for a successful teaching-learning process. Using a variety of
strategies in teaching is also important because students nowadays easily get bored or lose
interest when they are presented lessons at the same manner every day. Teachers should also
consider a lot of things before using any methods. Some of these things are learning styles,
backgrounds, and multiple intelligences. These varieties of strategies deepen their learning and
motivation by propelling them to develop their own views and hear their own voices. To
encourage students to participate in class, a good environment for interaction must be attained
first.
If I was the one teaching the lesson about the elements of a story I would use a certain
story for the students to analyze and discuss among themselves regarding their opinion on why
they think that such part of the story is the plot, climax or conflict in the selection. I would
choose a story the students can relate to. This type of presentation encourages more on
speaking than reading. It is better for the high school student to be confident in speaking to
their classmates and teachers in English because is supposed to be accomplished in Elementary
and in High School what follows is enhancement.
I think that puppet shows are good but I personally think that puppets are more
appropriate for motivating the elementary pupils or even pre-school. Plus in the puppet show
most of the students read their lines instead of speaking. Though there was reading which is
also good I prefer my students to be speakers of the language.
Regarding Mrs. Dizon’s style, I personally regard her as one of my favorite teachers
who encourages a lot of speaking and productive interaction in the class. As a future teacher
my goal is to make a student speak in English with confidence and fluency then accuracy
would follow. I also want to be a teacher who is able to make the students use their intuition
and ability to clarify, reflect and connect. I want to bring certain activities together and enable
the student to inquire what knowledge exists.
I’ve learned that teaching is not an easy task; it requires love of children, enthusiasm
for teaching, ability to create interest, skills in classroom management, and knowledge or
mastery of the subject. Lastly, I’ve learned that classroom errors are not always harmful
because they are a part of the learning process. As they always say, we learn from our mistakes
but never make intentional mistakes just to learn.