“The strategist's method...challenge the prevailing assumptions with a single question: Why? and to put the same question relentlessly to those responsible for the current way of doing things until they are sick of it.”- A wise man once said. That wise man intends those words to a business sector, so what is that quotation doing to a pre-service teacher’s journal? Aside from the word “strategy” which the title and the quote both have, teaching on the first place, (I think), is like a quest of something where you have many opponents to beat that’s why one should equip himself with strategies to end up in success. The demand of various strategies is due to the evolution of teaching which is in our context today is not primarily about “what you know?” but it transcends now to the fact that teachers’ productivity must be based on “how we transmit?” the knowledge that we know. That extra obligation- should I say- makes our job even harder. Although I’m training for the job and not yet on the job, as early as now I can feel already the challenge of coping up to that demand.

My experiences for the past weeks are continuously evolving to something very different now. Of course that includes side reactions of realizations, hesitations, re-educations, and many more. From someone who deals so much with the content of my lesson, I am actually becoming someone who puts emphasis on strategies and methodologies in my teaching which is far painstaking than the former. Every now and then I have to think of new strategies. How will I introduce the topic? How will I teach per se? How will I evaluate my students? Questions like those indeed bombard my mind every day and every night and even when I’m asleep.

Nonetheless, thank you God Almighty! So far, I can say I’m doing the right thing.

Although there are some instances that I still cling to traditional teaching, I have responded already to the demand of strategies. I have used games for my evaluation.

I already used Read-Think-Pair-Share when I discussed nomenclature of alcohols. As far as my assessment is concerned, the strategy was effective. I also used collaborative approach in my basic chemistry classes and I really liked the outcome. They were able to construct models of atomic orbitals and say something about them. I used also jigsaw as a strategy in teaching chemical periodicities. Indeed, they were very active and very willing to share what they knew during their expert groups’ discussions. For my motivations, some are situational like I introduce a story to them. I ask them questions that would arouse them and also games to introduce the topic like flowfree when I discussed reactions of alcohols. Credit to my cooperating teacher, she taught me on Concept-attainment and averaging as a method of evaluating collaborative learning. Oral questioning and large group discussion were my often used strategies. Speaking of oral questioning, I can say that the questions that I throw to my students require higher order thinking skills. They probe my students. I test them if they really knew the topic like asking them the relationship of effective nuclear charge and atomic radius without discussing yet the latter. “Why” and “what if” become the words of the day whenever I discuss. Interestingly and surprisingly, my students are indeed very intelligent to correctly answer my questions.

Once I’ve thought of a strategy, it doesn’t end there. Construction of worksheets follow. Not for bragging but I can say my

MY REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

Cagayan State COLLEGE OF TEACHER Andrews University EDUCATION

Campus

Checked by:

Bryan M. Nozaleda

Prepared

by:

Task-Based and Problem-Based Activities and Strategies in Teaching

worksheets are impressive. It is problem-based and task-based. My worksheets don’t spoon-feed my students. They interpret, infer, and observe. The guide questions make them think really really hard.

To end, becoming a teacher is task-based and problem-based in itself, and to be honest, I can’t imagine doing this for the rest of my life. Nonetheless, teaching really tastes delicious after it is cooked however I’m still not baked. I have more time to spend in the microwave.

Mrs. Rosechelle Cauilan