The Incompetent Teacher

March 2, 2010


When I was having my observation, I already perceived that she do not possess competence that is very important for a teacher. The way she stands in front of the class and even the way she carry out the lesson, she is not confident. She only relies on what the book tells her how to teach the subject matter. As we all know, teachers is the source of information. So, if the teacher’s mind is obsolete and lack of information; perhaps, the children will be confused.

She is teaching both Science and Mathematics in Grade V. We know that Science and Mathematics are tool subjects; hence, it is really required for the teacher to be skilled, competent and creative to make each learning experience meaningful.

Aside from this, she lacks classroom management. One time, the school principal roamed around the school campus and found her class disorder. Then the principal interrupted the class discussion just to make the classroom organized.

One time, in her afternoon class for Mathematics subject, her subject matter was about plane figures particularly on polygons. As a review, she refreshed the knowledge of the students on the past lesson on angles. She let the students find the missing measure of an angle. She drawn different angles divided into two or three parts unequally. She let the student find out what was the measurement of missing angles using the given angles as clue.

Of course, it is only a matter of common sense. However, I never thought that the review lesson will go wrong. She asked the students who among them brought their protractor but only one have a protractor. Because of this, she let each student measures the angles one by one. The class hour was only consumed for measuring the angles using protractor. I don’t know what to do. I decided to correct her after the class but the discussion and even the answers of the students were getting worse than before. There is nothing wrong if she drawn the angles correctly making students also answer the problems correctly. But it was only a matter of marks and lines. So, it needed a mathematic formula not a protractor.

Instead of letting them measure the angles one by one, it is as easy as subtracting the given parts to the whole to find out the measure of the missing angle.

I went outside and took a deep breath.

When I went back, I asked permission to add some information about the topic being reviewed. (Yes, it was just a review but then, everything went wrong.) I discussed the mathematical concept of answering the problems on measuring angles. They were all amazed. Even the teacher was astonished how I presented the easy-way concept. The students said, “aahhh, arog lang palan eyan kayan.” We can solve the problem even without using protractor. Then I replied, “Yes!” Everybody clapped and shouted. Thinking that it might insult Ma’am Tanaw-tanaw, I ordered them to stop.

She said, “Major in Math palan si Sir.” I replied, “No, Ma’am. I am not majoring Mathematics. I only know the concept of this particular subject.” Perhaps, I don’t want to tell her that Mathematics is my favorite subject since elementary and high school.