My Teaching Journey: Observing, Practicing, Reflecting

Classroom Observation

The first stage of my teaching practicum was classroom observation. This stage was very important because it allowed me to understand how classes were conducted before I eventually started teaching the students myself. The observation took place during the first and second weeks of the program.

During this period, I had the opportunity to observe two classes at the University of Northern Philippines Laboratory School, specifically Grade 9 and Grade 11. Both classes were handled by Ma'am Aphrodite, my cooperating teacher. Through these observations, I tried to pay attention to different aspects of classroom teaching, including how the teacher delivered the material, how students interacted during the lesson, and how the learning environment was created in the classroom.

Classroom Atmosphere

One of the first things I noticed was the respectful atmosphere inside the classroom. Whenever the teacher entered the room, students will stand and greet her politely by saying "Good afternoon, teacher. Mabuhay!." At the end of the lesson, they also thanked the teacher before leaving the class by standing and saying "Thank you, teacher!."

Although these gestures may seem simple, they helped create a warm and respectful learning environment. This atmosphere supported the teaching process and made the classroom feel more comfortable for both the teacher and the students.

Student Participation

Another interesting observation was the difference in student participation between the classes I observed. In the Grade 9 class, the students were relatively quieter during discussions. They listened carefully to the teacher’s explanation, but they were not very active in sharing their opinions. Even so, they remained attentive and respectful throughout the lesson.

In contrast, the Grade 11 students were much more active and confident. They frequently asked questions, shared their ideas, and participated enthusiastically in classroom discussions. Their confidence and willingness to speak made the classroom interaction more dynamic and engaging.

This difference helped me realize that students’ maturity and learning experience can influence how actively they participate in class discussions.

Lesson Structure

The class usually began with preliminary activities such as greeting the students, checking the cleanliness of the classroom, checking students’ uniforms, and checking attendance. The teacher and students also prayed together before starting the lesson.

After these preliminary activities, the teacher introduced the lesson by motivating the students and activating their prior knowledge about the topic. The main part of the lesson then continued with the presentation of the material, followed by discussions or interactive activities. To keep the students engaged, the teacher sometimes inserted light jokes during the lesson. This helped create a relaxed classroom atmosphere and prevented students from feeling bored. 

One teaching strategy that stood out during my observation was the use of a portable speaker by my cooperating teacher, Ma’am Aphrodite. By using this device, she was able to project her voice clearly throughout the classroom, ensuring that all students could hear her explanations and instructions without difficulty.

Through these activities, I noticed that the classroom approach strongly encouraged student participation. Rather than focusing only on teacher explanations, the lesson often involved discussions, questions, and interactive activities that allowed students to express their ideas. This experience helped me see how a student-centered approach can create a more engaging and meaningful learning environment. 

School System and Facilities

The school follows the K–12 education system implemented by the Department of Education (Philippines), which includes elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school levels.

I also had the chance to observe the learning facilities used in the classrooms. The rooms are equipped with essential teaching tools such as whiteboards, markers, erasers, a teacher’s desk, television screens, and electric fans. Students are seated in individual chairs that allow them to follow the lesson comfortably during class. Some classrooms also have their own comfort room.

Another interesting aspect is the classroom policy regarding technology use. Wi-Fi is not generally provided for students in the classroom, and the use of mobile devices is limited unless they are needed for specific learning activities. This approach helps students stay focused on the lesson and encourages them to engage more actively in classroom discussions.

My Teaching Practice

After completing the observation stage, I had the opportunity to conduct my own teaching sessions at the University of Northern Philippines. I was assigned to teach Grade 11 HUMSS Grotius students in the subject Reading and Writing, focusing on the topic “The Properties of a Well-Written Text.” The lesson covered several important elements of writing, including organization, coherence and cohesion, language use, and writing mechanics.

Before entering the classroom, I worked closely with my cooperating teacher to prepare the lesson plan and instructional materials. We discussed the learning objectives, teaching strategies, and classroom activities to ensure that the lesson would be appropriate for the students’ level and aligned with the school curriculum.

Teaching these students was a valuable learning experience for me. It allowed me to apply my teaching skills in a new educational and cultural context while also learning from the students’ perspectives and classroom interactions.

Day 1

My first day of teaching began with the usual preliminary activities. I greeted the students, checked the classroom environment, and we prayed together before starting the lesson. Although my cooperating teacher had already introduced me to the students during the observation period, I decided to introduce myself again and briefly share my background as an Indonesian student participating in the SEA Teacher Program.

This introduction turned into a short and friendly conversation. Some students asked about my experience living in the Philippines, while others shared what they knew about Indonesia. One moment that made me smile was when several students mentioned the Indonesian singer NIKI Zefanya and said that they enjoyed her songs. That simple interaction helped create a relaxed and welcoming classroom atmosphere.

To begin the lesson, I tried to activate the students’ prior knowledge by asking several guiding questions such as:

• Have you ever experienced reading something but found it difficult to understand?

• What makes a text easy or difficult to understand?

• Have you ever had many ideas but didn’t know how to start writing?

These questions encouraged them to reflect on challenges they had encountered when trying to organize their ideas in writing and served as a bridge to introduce the lesson topic.

The focus of the lesson was the pre-writing stage, particularly organization in writing. I showed students two short paragraphs—one well organized and another poorly organized—and asked them to identify which one was easier to understand. Through this activity, they were able to see how organization helps make a text clearer and more meaningful.

We also discussed several purposes of writing, such as informing, persuading, describing, explaining, and entertaining, as well as different organizational patterns like description, cause and effect, and problem and solution. In addition, I introduced techniques for generating and organizing ideas, including brainstorming, graphic organizers, and outlining.

The students showed a positive attitude toward learning. They were attentive, respectful, and actively participated in the discussion. At the end of the lesson, they practiced generating ideas through brainstorming and created simple outlines for their chosen topics to prepare for the next stage of the writing process.

After the class, my cooperating teacher shared valuable feedback. She appreciated how I connected students’ background knowledge with the lesson topic but also encouraged me to promote more independent learning habits, such as reminding students to take notes during the lesson. She also shared a perspective that stayed with me: teaching is not only about delivering knowledge but also about guiding students through the learning process and making a meaningful impact on their lives.

Looking back, my first day of teaching may not have been perfect, but it was a meaningful beginning. It marked the start of my journey as a teacher who continues to learn, grow, and discover what it truly means to educate and inspire students.

Day 2

On the second day of teaching, I continued the lesson on The Properties of a Well-Written Text. I began the class with a short review of the previous meeting by asking students about the concept of organization in writing, the purposes of writing, and several organizational patterns they remembered. This brief discussion helped reconnect the lesson with the knowledge they had gained earlier.

After the review, we moved to the next stage of the writing process, focusing on coherence and cohesion. I explained that coherence refers to the logical flow of ideas within a paragraph, while cohesion refers to the language devices that connect sentences, such as transition signals, pronouns, and repetition of key words. To help students understand these concepts, I showed several example paragraphs and asked them to analyze whether the ideas were logically connected and whether the linking devices made the paragraph flow smoothly.

One activity that I particularly enjoyed was when students evaluated sample paragraphs together. Through discussion, they examined how ideas and sentences were connected, which encouraged them to think more critically about how effective writing is constructed.

During this meeting, students also continued developing their outlines. I provided an outline template to help them organize their topic, purpose, thesis statement, and supporting ideas. Since the following day was a holiday, students were asked to complete their outlines at home. They were allowed to search for supporting information on the internet, but I reminded them that AI tools were not allowed so that they could practice developing their own ideas independently.

Throughout the lesson, students showed strong engagement and curiosity. Many of them asked thoughtful questions and shared their opinions during the discussion. Before the class ended, I reminded them that their completed outline would serve as the foundation for their final writing task in the next meeting.

Day 3 - Final

The third meeting was both exciting and emotional for me, as it was not only the continuation of our writing lesson but also my final teaching demonstration at the University of Northern Philippines. Moreover, the presence of the observers made the atmosphere slightly different.

At the beginning of the class, I greeted the students and informed them that it would be my last day teaching their class. Many of them reacted with surprise and said they wished I could teach them longer. Their response made me feel deeply touched and grateful for the connection we had built in such a short time.

During this meeting, we focused on the final stages of the writing process. Students first reviewed their completed outlines using a checklist to ensure that their topic, purpose, main idea, and supporting ideas were clearly organized. After that, they exchanged outlines with their classmates and provided peer feedback. This activity helped them evaluate their ideas from different perspectives before starting their draft.

Once the outlines were ready, students began drafting their text. They were asked to write a paragraph that applied all the properties of a well-written text, including organization, coherence, cohesion, appropriate language use, and correct mechanics such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.

Originally, I planned for the students to write their drafts by hand during the class. However, considering the limited time available, I made a small adjustment after consulting with my cooperating teacher beforehand. Instead of writing by hand, students were allowed to type their work using their devices and submit it through a Google Form that I had prepared. The form allowed them to upload their outline, first draft, and final draft, making the submission process more organized and efficient. I also included a reflection section where students could share their comments and suggestions about the lesson.

Since the time in class was not sufficient for students to fully complete their writing, the task was continued as a take-home assignment. Students were asked to finish developing their paragraphs independently and submit their work through the Google Form. I set the submission deadline for the same evening so that they could complete the task while the lesson was still fresh in their minds.

After that, we moved to the final reflection activity. I asked students what they had learned from the lesson and what they thought was the most challenging part of writing a well-structured text. Their responses showed that many of them had gained a deeper understanding of how organization, coherence, cohesion and language use work together in writing.

When the lesson finally ended, the atmosphere in the classroom became unexpectedly emotional. The students sang random song for me, and we took many pictures together to remember the moment. I also gave them some snacks to appreciate their participation and kindness throughout the lessons.

To my surprise, they gave me flowers (pipe cleaner flowers) in return and said it was an early Valentine’s gift. That simple thing touched my heart deeply. It was a small moment, but it carried so much warmth and sincerity.

Looking back, those three days of teaching were more than just a teaching demonstration. They were moments of learning, connection, and growth for me as a future educator.

Thank you, 11 HUMSS Grotius students. You'll always be the apple of my eyes 💚

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