AS the world adjust to the new normal, Teacher Resdale regularly checks in with his students and makes sure they are all safe and have settled into their new lives.

Knowing the struggle of making adjustments and preparing for distance learning, Teacher Resdale offers his time to listen to his students’ concerns and helps find ways to ease their concerns.

“Some of the concerns raised have proven to be enlightening. In the conversations, I have realized that the individual struggles that each student experience before the pandemic have been amplified and made more complicated by the pandemic. The lack of gadgets, stable internet connection and the need for a family member to oversee studying add up to the struggles of a family that is already struggling financially or is still finding ways to function normally in the current situation very different from what we are used to. It has then become a personal advocacy to always look for ways to lighten this load,” shared Teacher Resdale Venz Palabrica.

 Teacher Resdale eases the struggle of communication by using different communication channels best suited for his students. Where possible, he stays in touch with them via Messenger, or tries to call and text students and their parents regularly.

As everyone waits for the official start of the school year, Teacher Resdale and his fellow teachers take extra effort in making sure they and their students are ready for distance learning.

“I attended webinars, discussed with colleagues and educator-friends on how to best adapt to the distance learning modalities that are now imposed upon all of us for health and safety reasons,” said Teacher Resdale. Teachers also completed online enrolment and virtual entrance examinations for their STEM grade levels.

He recently attended the RAFI SEED Chats which offered him a platform to share his own experience and listen to the stories and practices of other teachers in Cebu. “It is quite encouraging to know that the struggles I experience now are not just my one but shared by all teachers,” said Teacher Resdale.

A lot of works goes into the transition to distance learning and the struggle for schools and teachers, as they say, is real. Teacher Resdale notes that while they work from home now, the boundaries between work and home have disappeared. The constant battle with fluctuating internet connections prove to be a challenge to easily connect with colleagues at times.

While the struggles remain real, Teacher Resdale sees a silver lining in the whole situation.  “Because of the novelty of our situation, there is much room for creativity and flexibility in the way I have to solve problems, and this excites me,” he said.

Planning, creative thinking, and innovation are critical during these times, shared Teacher Resdale. His RAFI Center for Leaders experience 11 years ago helped him thrive through these extraordinary items.

“If there is one KAC takeaway that I find most helpful now, among the many lessons that I took home with me from my camp experience 11 years ago, it is that dragons, no matter how tall and fearsome, can always be conquered,” said Teacher Resdale. “KAC did not teach me that challenges in life are always easily solved. In truth, my stay at the camp taught me that the more meaningful ones are, more often than not, also the more difficult. The challenges I face now, along with my co-teachers, my students and their parents, as well as the extended school community, are more than difficult. However, I have faith that sound planning, execution, evaluation, and recalibration of steps, we are already adapting to the New Normal,” he said.

For the month of September, the RAFI Center for Leaders honors our teachers in celebration of National Teachers’ Month. We recognize the dedication they put into their work in taking care of and teaching our young learners.

Text by Elisabeth Baumgart; Graphics Edit Marlon Perilla, RAFI Center for Leaders

The RAFI Center for Leaders provides learning and development programs that equip leaders and enable communities through world-class, safe, powerful learning experiences. The RAFI CFL headquarters are located in the scenic mountains of Balamban, Cebu at the Kool Adventure Camp, the country’s first and fully-dedicated adventure education facility.