Teaching Plan and Teaching Practice

During my teaching practice at the University of Northern Philippines Laboratory Schools, the school implemented the MATATAG Curriculum. This curriculum aims to strengthen the foundation of basic education by focusing on important competencies such as literacy, numeracy, and character education. It also emphasizes the development of 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.

The MATATAG Curriculum simplifies learning competencies so students can focus on the most important concepts in each subject. Teachers design their lessons based on these competencies, which guide them in selecting learning materials, classroom activities, and appropriate assessment methods.

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As an English Education student, I prepared lesson plans for teaching English to Grade 8 students. The lesson plans were designed to help students improve their English skills, especially vocabulary, reading comprehension, and speaking. Each lesson plan included learning objectives, teaching materials, learning activities, and assessment methods.

Before conducting my teaching practice, I discussed my lesson plan with the cooperating teacher. The cooperating teacher provided suggestions and feedback to ensure that the lesson plan was suitable for the students’ level and aligned with the MATATAG Curriculum.

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Preparing a lesson plan before teaching helped me organize the learning activities more effectively and manage the class time properly. Through this preparation, I learned that good planning is very important to achieve the learning objectives and create a successful learning experience for students.

I designed a PowerPoint presentation to deliver the material and make the concepts easier for students to understand. 

The teaching practice began with classroom observation in order to understand the learning environment and how the teacher conducted the lesson. Through this observation, I learned about the students’ behavior, the teaching strategies used by the teacher, and how classroom activities were organized. After the observation stage, I started preparing my lesson plans, including designing the learning activities, preparing instructions, and selecting appropriate teaching materials.

Before conducting the lesson, I discussed my lesson plan with my cooperating teacher to receive feedback and suggestions. This guidance helped me improve my lesson preparation and ensure that the activities were suitable for the students’ level. During the teaching practice, I implemented the lesson using presentation materials such as PowerPoint and the English textbook used by the students. Teaching the class was a valuable experience for me because it allowed me to apply my knowledge and gain new insights about teaching in a different educational environment.

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Time management was an important part of my teaching practice. My cooperating teacher, ROSE JANE A. COMILANG, MAT, provided a teaching schedule and guided me in organizing the lesson effectively.

Each lesson lasted for one hour. I usually started the class by greeting the students and asking if anyone was absent that day. Before starting the lesson, I spent about five minutes reviewing the previous material by asking several questions. Then, I used a short game related to the topic for about ten minutes to make students more engaged before entering the main lesson. After that, I explained the main material for about fifteen minutes. Students then worked on tasks or group activities for another fifteen minutes, followed by a ten-minute individual quiz to check their understanding. Finally, I used the last five minutes to summarize the lesson and close the class.

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Classroom management was also an important aspect of my teaching practice. Before starting the lesson, I usually gave the students a short ice-breaking activity to make the class atmosphere more relaxed and enjoyable. After that, I asked several questions about the previous lesson to help students recall what they had learned.

During the explanation, I tried to involve students by asking questions and encouraging them to participate in the discussion. I used learning media such as PowerPoint presentations, pictures, and sometimes videos to make the lesson more interesting. After explaining the material, I asked students to complete exercises from their English textbook. Once they finished their work, I checked their answers, gave feedback, and finally closed the lesson by summarizing the main points of the topic.

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During the teaching process, I sometimes faced several challenges, such as students losing focus or having difficulty understanding certain parts of the lesson. To solve these problems, I tried to explain the material again using simpler examples and sometimes used interactive activities to regain students’ attention. I also encouraged students to ask questions whenever they felt confused. Another challenge was adapting to a new learning environment and understanding the students’ learning styles. However, through observation and guidance from the mentor teacher, I gradually became more confident in managing the classroom.

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Teaching Grade 8 Pedro Bukaneg students at the Laboratory School was a very valuable experience. The students were enthusiastic and willing to participate in the learning activities, which made the learning process enjoyable. This experience helped me improve my teaching skills and understand more about the responsibilities of being a teacher.

Final Demonstration Teaching was the final teaching activity conducted during my practicum at the Laboratory School, Grade 8 Pedro Bukaneg. This activity served as the concluding evaluation of my teaching performance during the SEA-Teacher Project. It provided an opportunity for me to demonstrate the teaching skills, classroom management, and pedagogical strategies that I had developed throughout my teaching practice.

For my Final Demonstration Teaching, I taught the topic “Composing an Effective Paragraph” to Grade 8 students. The lesson was conducted in one complete session using a structured lesson plan that included opening activities, explanation of the lesson, group work, and a closing reflection. The objective of the lesson was to help students understand the structure of an effective paragraph and practice organizing ideas clearly.

To begin the lesson, I used an engaging activity called “Pop It or Drop It.” In this activity, several balloons contained small pieces of paper with different sentences. Students were asked to pop the balloons and read the sentences inside; if the sentence was related to a paragraph, they wrote it on the board, but if it was not related, they dropped or discarded it. This activity helped activate students’ prior knowledge and introduced them to the concept of paragraphs in a fun and interactive way.

During the main activity, students worked in groups on a creative task using a “Stack It Right, Bite It Right!” model. Each group received a burger template representing the structure of an effective paragraph, such as the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding sentence. They were also given several scrambled sentences and were asked to arrange them into a logical paragraph and place them on the burger according to the correct structure. This activity helped students visualize how the parts of a paragraph are organized and how ideas are connected to form a coherent paragraph.

Throughout the lesson, I used PowerPoint presentations, group discussions, and guided instructions to support students’ understanding. The activities encouraged active participation and collaboration, allowing students to practice organizing ideas and identifying the components of an effective paragraph. My cooperating teacher observed the session and evaluated several aspects of my teaching, including lesson organization, classroom interaction, clarity of explanation, and the use of instructional media.

The Final Demonstration Teaching became a very memorable and meaningful experience for me. It allowed me to apply the knowledge and teaching strategies that I had learned during the program while building my confidence as a future teacher. Seeing the students actively participate and enjoy the activities gave me a sense of accomplishment and reminded me why teaching is such a rewarding profession.

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