IT IS in public high school where you can meet good Filipino teachers. Sadly, this subject has been taken for granted by students, because this after all is their lingua franca.
We all think we know Filipino well, but like what most teachers experience, the subject is a hard one to teach – even if they are pure, full-blooded Filipino.
This difficulty though serves as a challenge for Filipino teachers. Instead of cowering from the subject, they face the challenge head-on.
In facing this challenge, Filipino teachers need to do a lot of research, read books on the subject, and listen to old-timers. There is nothing wrong with employing ways of the “old school”, but there is also nothing wrong with facing 21st century skills. There is also a need to attend seminars on the K-12 curriculum.
They may have difficulty speaking the language all the time, since most subjects are taught in English. One trick that may work is to speak the language as often as you can – and poring over your lesson plan can help, too.
Also, a Filipino dictionary can come in handy especially if you or your students encounter difficult words. There is a tendency for students to scrap reading books in Filipino altogether when they come upon unfamiliar words.
Teachers should not let students become estranged with their lingua franca. They may think that English is important, but Filipino is, too. In fact, it is more important than any of us might think. This is the language we tend to use when we express ourselves, when we want people to understand our thoughts and views.
Teachers and students alike must be flexible when it comes to teaching and learning Filipino. This after all is our mother tongue, one which they cannot take away from us.
By: Sylvia D. Gatus | Teacher I | Orani National High School | Orani, Bataan
