Profile of students:

The students observed are heterogeneous in terms of age, ranging from approximately 15 to 17 years old, and exhibit diversity in religion and gender. In class, there is limited interaction since the setup is primarily discussion-based and worksheet-based. Those seated at the back sometimes tend to be slightly noisy, though not excessively so. The class as a whole can appear disengaged at times, with a tendency to space out during discussions. Participation varies, with some students being hesitant to engage, while a few are eager to contribute. Outside of class, students tend to group homogeneously, usually by age and gender. However, there are occasions when some students, typically the more quiet and reserved individuals, are seen alone, especially in places like the canteen/library.

Insights from the Resource Teacher:

In managing LGBT students, Ms. Kim, a junior high school teacher, focuses on creating safe spaces and ensuring that students feel comfortable and accepted within the classroom environment. She emphasizes the importance of homeroom sessions to discuss and reinforce the concept of safe spaces, particularly as junior high school students are, according to her, in their formative years. To address the needs of LGBT students, she carefully groups them with peers who are supportive and accepting. However, due to the Catholic nature of the school and its adherence to Jesuit teachings, she does not introduce texts with LGBT themes in her literature classes. She also acknowledges the limitations in the curriculum in terms of representing LGBT perspectives, aligning with the institution’s values and hers.

When it comes to language and cultural differences, the interviewee accommodates students from diverse backgrounds by implementing translanguaging techniques. She employs code-switching in the classroom to aid comprehension, especially for students who struggle with English as a second language. For instance, while she maintains a focus on English as the primary language of instruction, she relaxes the English-only policy when necessary to support understanding, particularly in literature classes. To integrate foreign students, she introduces Filipino literary texts to familiarize them with Filipino culture and heritage, while also adapting her teaching methods to include examples from other cultures. She understands the importance of being flexible in language use to address the varying linguistic abilities of her students.

Regarding religious differences, AdNU Pacol promotes an inclusive environment by allowing students the freedom to participate in religious activities, like the Examen, without imposing any obligations. She supports the Jesuit philosophy of respecting different beliefs and ensures that the texts and discussions in her literature classes reflect a range of philosophies, rather than being limited to Christian perspectives. 

In addressing socioeconomic disparities among her students, she is mindful of the school's belief in simplicity. They discourage students from flaunting material possessions and ensure that school policies regulate accessories, hairstyles/hair color, and clothing to create a more equal environment. For projects and contributions, she considers the varying economic capacities of her students by encouraging recycling, sharing, and so on. Teachers often provide the necessary materials or promote sponsorship among students, ensuring that no one is excluded due to financial limitations. This approach helps to maintain inclusivity and equity within the classroom.

Finally, in managing group dynamics, she somewhat applies differentiated instruction based on the results of diagnostic tests that assess learning styles and multiple intelligences. She strategically groups students according to their strengths, ensuring a balance of leaders, followers, and struggling students. By assigning tasks contextualized to each student’s abilities—whether it be leading, writing, summarizing, or creating visuals—she ensures that everyone has a role in the group. But she regularly reshuffles group members to prevent exclusion and provides varied activities, such as games, plays, and tableau performances, that cater to different intelligences and learning styles. 

When I was observing, I couldn’t accurately assess the level of unity among the learners or between the teacher and the students, as the setting was primarily lecture-based. This meant that most students were seated silently and listening rather than interacting actively.

As a product of Ateneo myself, I would assume that some degree of unity exists among the students and between the teachers and students, especially during group work. However, I have yet to witness their dynamics in such settings. This is understandable due to time constraints and the need to cover all topics within a certain timeframe.

However, in an education system shaped by a neoliberal framework, individualistic tendencies are expected. This is because the framework promotes competition among learners and reinforces a technicist approach, where teachers are seen as the primary sources of knowledge and students as passive recipients. This dynamic also promotes the detachment associated with the concept of professionalism, though there is much to unpack here. 

Despite these factors, the vision and mission of AdNU Pacol suggest that unity and oneness are somewhat achievable, especially since the school brands itself as one community, and I can also notice how everyone on campus greets each other. Nevertheless, the broader neoliberal context presents challenges to achieving true unity due to inherent paradoxes and systemic contradictions.

On the other hand...

The lecture-based setup made it difficult to observe classroom dynamics, but it was evident that boys often took on the role of the joker. However, given the diversity of the class, it’s clear that anyone could potentially play various roles. Factors that shape learners’ roles in the classroom are complex and varied, including influences such as home upbringing, gender norms, cultural background, personality traits, social status, expectations, skills, and more. On the other hand, I’ve noticed that quieter, more reserved students can often be left out, as their nature makes it harder for them to engage with peers and group dynamics. The teacher likely addresses this by promoting an inclusive environment where all students feel accepted, using strategic grouping to pair more isolated students with supportive peers and employing differentiated instruction and varied group activities to ensure everyone can participate. She influences class interaction by accommodating individual differences, allowing code-switching and adapting instruction based on diagnostic tests to meet students' diverse linguistic abilities and learning styles. The teacher also assigns interactive tasks that cater to different learning strengths, forming and reshuffling groups to ensure balanced participation and prevent any student from feeling left out.