EPISOD

E1
Analyze
1. A teacher uses a combination of competencies to deal with the changing education context.
Lots of competencies are mentioned on the PPST, the SEA-TCF, Code of Ethics, and the
TEDx videos that a great teacher possesses. For me, the competency that outweighs the rest is
becoming a better teacher every day. I believe this summarized all competencies; this can be
both personal and professional competency. As teachers, we want the best for our students
and with that, we also wanted to be the best teacher for them, who is equipped with content
knowledge and pedagogy and those standards and competencies cited in the documents.

In the PPST, there are 7 domains with different strands and indicators for different career
stages. Some of these are: exhibit the needed skills in the use of communication strategies,
teaching strategies and technologies to promote high-quality learning outcomes; provide
learning environments that are safe, secure, fair and supportive; establish learning
environments that are responsive to learner diversity; communicate learning goals to support
learner participation, understanding and achievement; apply a variety of assessment tools and
strategies in monitoring, evaluating, documenting and reporting learners’ needs, progress and
achievement; establish school-community partnerships aimed at enriching the learning
environment and; assume responsibility for personal growth and professional development
for lifelong learning.

These professional standards also aim to provide those pre-service teacher education students
with the necessary knowledge of the expected roles that they will play when they work as
professional teachers. And also, as I read the DepEd order No. 42, s. 2017, the National
Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, it was
highlighted there that quality learning is contingent upon quality teaching.

In SEA-TCF, there are 4 essential competencies consist of 12 general competencies, 31

enabling competencies, and 136 success descriptors. The 4 essential competencies that a great
teacher must possess are knowing and understanding what to teach, helping students learn,
engaging the community, and becoming a better teacher every day. In this document, the
center whom the professional teacher relates is the joyful learner.

The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers is essential in mentoring new teachers and in
ensuring that all teachers should practice their profession with utmost dedication and
professionalism and same with the PPST & SEA-TCF, the Code of Ethics outlines the
different behaviors that a professional Filipino teacher should possess. In this document, we
have 13 articles and it says that the professional teachers must be role-models when it comes
to human rights and responsibilities; provide an environment that is conducive to learning
and growth of the youth; must love and embrace their profession wholeheartedly; must work
with each other for they make up one community; must be honest and respectful; stand as
lights to a students’ dark path and school officials are the ones who stand as guides of the
teachers; must be fair to their students; establish and maintain cordial relations with
parents; maintain a good reputation with respect to financial matters and; live with dignity.

In the TEDx videos, here are great teachers do: eat apples; chill; think like kids but act like
adults; love to teach and learn; connect learning to real life; understand that students have a
life outside of school; help students if they notice a struggle; sing; lay their life down for
students; protect the students; provide and guide students; cares; listens and; influence and/or
motivate lives of learners. Also, a great teacher becomes an inspiration to students, a great
teacher sees something to the students that no one else did. A great teacher brings out the best
in every learner.

2. I disagree. Some are also personal attributes.

3. Sort of. It is somehow enough to have those professional competencies in planning a

lesson, executing a lesson plan, managing a class, assessing learning, computing and
reporting grades for a teacher to be great since those were also part of the standards that a
teacher must possess. There are lots of competencies that a teacher must acquire and that’s
enough reason for them to be called as great teachers. But, what makes them greater than
great is that when they put their heart into their job. If they love what they are doing, then that
makes them greater than great. Like, not view students as merely as students who needs to
learn but to welcome them into their lives, to take responsibility to them, and make them love
learning. I believe the greatness of a teacher is not measured by how well he/she is able to
plan a lesson plan and execute it, manage a class, assess learning, or compute and report
grades. These are actually just manifestations that a teacher is doing his/her job based on
his/her job description. The greatness of a teacher is measured by his/her outputs which are
the students.

4. For me, both professional competencies and personal qualities are equally important for a
teacher to be great. A teacher is not complete without either one of them. It somehow feels
lacking if teachers stick with the professional competencies as stated in the PPST, SEA-TCF,
and/or the Code of Ethics since those were the standards and must be followed, but I think we
should also consider the personal attributes. The personality of the teachers that they project
determines the impressions they make upon students and colleagues. Their poise, bearing,
manner of dressing and facial expression have an impact on their interaction with students.
For a teacher to be great, a teacher must also: be a model of values, have passion for teaching,
and have sense of humor, patience, and enthusiasm. Also, we should care for them like our
own child since we are held responsible for them as their 2 nd parents. We should have both-
personal qualities and professional competencies since they are equally important. If we do
so, we will be much appreciated by the students if we are being genuine. They will put their
trust unto us, and will be inspired, motivated, and engaged in the teaching-learning process if
they can relate with the teacher.
5. The teacher that we remember most are the one who is kind, have a sense of humor,
passionate, energetic, approachable, knowledgeable, and considerate. Students often
remember teachers who cared about them and listen to their struggles. They remember
teachers who were supportive or encouraging or saw something in them that no one else did.
They remember teachers who challenged them and made love learning. Someone who made a
significant impact to the students.

Reflect
1. I always listen; I am passionate and have a caring attitude. I always view people fairly. I
also have these organizational skills. I am responsible to do the given tasks. I do not
procrastinate. I also have respect to those people worthy to be respected. I am kind,
determined, and resilient. Probably one thing that I do not fully possess and needs
improvement is my confidence and self-esteem. I sometimes look myself down, I doubt a lot,
there are bunch of thoughts circulating in my mind, like I am indecisive. And that’s one thing
I am working with right now next to patience.

2. I am strongly capable of demonstrating to become a better teacher every day- such as

taking responsibility in my own personal and professional growth, keeping alive my passion
for teaching, practicing human goodness in my life and in work, nurturing relationships with
care and respect to my students and colleagues; also in the learning environment domain-
exhibit effective practices to foster learning environments that promote fairness, respect and
care to encourage learning; manage classroom structure to engage learners, individually or in
groups, in meaningful exploration, discovery and hands-on activities within a range of
physical learning environments; and also in the positive use of ICT- promote effective
strategies and ensure the positive use of ICT to facilitate the teaching and learning process.

3. I need to develop more in all those professional competencies mentioned in the PPST,
SEA-TCF, and the Code of Ethics for I believe that it is not an easy task, it is not a one-day
task to do. It requires time to embody all those standards and competencies, but the important
thing here is to take note of the progress or of how far I become.

4. The teacher that we remember most are the one who is kind, have a sense of humor,
passionate, energetic, approachable, knowledgeable, and considerate. Students often
remember teachers who cared about them and listen to their struggles. They remember
teachers who were supportive or encouraging or saw something in them that no one else did.
They remember teachers who challenged them and made love learning. Someone who made a
significant impact to the students.
Write Action Research
Prompts
1. OBSERVE In assisting my Resource Teacher, I observed that personal traits such as
having a sense of humor, being considerate, and the energy to teach and professional
competencies like the use of ICT, incorporating collaborative and interactive learning, and do
differentiated learning were least not displayed and as a result, students were/class was not
totally engaged and motivated in class since they are still practicing the traditional way of
teaching-learning and there is little retention to the topics being discussed.

2. REFLECT The lack of these personal traits and professional competencies (mentioned in
#1) may be caused by the teacher’s poor personal growth and professional development- lack
of trainings and seminars including the positive use of ICT, doesn’t welcome constructive
criticisms from peers, and is stuck with the traditional way of teaching.

3. PLAN I would like to address this problem (mentioned in #2) by conducting an action
research on Enhancing Personal Growth and Professional Development of the 21 st Century
Teachers. It has been said in the DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017 that quality learning is
contingent upon quality teaching. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to enhance teacher
quality through educational seminars and workshops and practice and embody all standards
and competencies as stated in the PPST, SEA-TCF, and the Code of Ethics to help the
teachers reflect on and assess their own practices as they aspire for personal growth and
professional development.

4. ACT

a) The main objective of my action research is teachers will be able to enhance personal
growth and professional development through participation in educational seminars
and workshops. Teachers will be able to value having a high personal regard for the
teaching profession, concern for professional development, and continuous
improvement as teachers.
b) My specific research questions are:
1. What is the profile of the teacher in terms of his/her teaching performance?
2. What career stage does the teacher belongs in the different strands under
Personal Growth and Professional Development domain?
3. What are the latest seminars and workshops that they attended?
4. Is there a significant difference between a teacher teaching in traditional way
and in the 21st century?
5. What plan of actions can be proposed?
c) To answer my specific research questions, I would suggest conducting a
survey/interview or preparing a questionnaire to all primary and secondary teachers.
 In this way, we can gather all the responses, come up with a solution, and make a
conclusion about the certain matter.

Check for Mastery

1. A

2. A

3. D

4. B

5. C

ARTIFACTS

In this episode, I have learned that there are personal and professional qualities that teachers
ought to possess. I have read documents from the PPST, SEA-TCF, as well as the Code of
Ethics and shows tons of standards and competencies that a teacher must embody. I have also
watched TEDx videos on “What makes a good teacher great?” and “The Power of a
Teacher.” These sources I have reviewed just brought me to the realization that teaching is
not an easy task to do. But somehow, it amazes me that our teachers get to do all of those
things for the betterment of the students. From possessing hundreds to thousands of
competencies to managing a class, planning and executing a lesson, and assessing the
students. All of these can be done by our great teachers.

These competencies are not also limited to professional competencies since some are also
personal attributes of the teachers. These two- personal qualities and professional
competencies are equally important for a teacher to be great. We remember teachers who
demonstrates both professional competencies and personal qualities and that made them
remarkable.