“Hindi ordinaryong trabaho ang ginagawa niyo. Napakahalaga ng ginagawa niyo… You come here to educate not just the minds [of the students]. You educate their hearts… We are the Holy Cross College, the school with a heart.”
This was how school president Atty. Dennis C. Pangan welcomed teachers from the Integrated Basic Education Department, Junior High School Department and Senior High School Department in a webinar about teaching 21st-century learners.
On Tuesday, Aug. 03, about 80 educators from the said departments logged on to a virtual seminar to discuss classroom management and how to do it under a distance learning system. This has been the new normal mode of education since the pandemic started.
According to SHS Principal Ms. Ma. Teresa Edejer, ‘[teachers] are responsible for honing the new minds.’ So she believes it is only fitting for them to adjust to the learning habits and learning needs of 21st-century students, especially considering the generational gaps.
Educator Mr. Jerome Manansala, the guest lecturer, tackled some psychological theories that teachers can apply in classroom management. He also underscored the importance of recognition of class diversity in correctly assessing and handling different student behaviors.
Manansala also said understanding student motivation is a key ingredient of effective classroom management.
There are 5Cs to remember, according to the guest speaker: choice, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity. Manansala said these activities are already part of human nature. That is why teachers should only need to immerse their students even more with the 5Cs. “Authentic learning will happen when students are allowed to engage in 5Cs,” he said.
He added another C, which stands for caring. The educator believes this sixth C will lead to student-centric instruction. For Manansala, it’s critical, as well, for teachers to be consistent in the way they manage their virtual classes.
Practicing Theories
Manansala mentioned some theories that teachers can apply for effective instruction for 21st-century learners.
The win-win discipline by education researcher Dr. Spencer Kagan is one of these theories. This theory guides teachers to identify student misbehavior, their position, a resolution and a follow-up. Kagan believes this will not only create rapport between teachers and students but also respect.
Another is the reinforcement theory of motivation, in which teachers may award the positive behaviors of students and call out the negative ones. This can condition the minds and motivations of students, and, as a result, may shape their behaviors.
Manansala’s lecture can be summed up in two points: educators should apply research-based teaching techniques and develop a good relationship with their students, to effectively manage the 21st-century class.
This webinar is part of HCC’s continuous efforts to educate its educators in the face of technological advancements and societal shifts brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.