Teacher-broadcasters, a new component in PH education
DAGUPAN CITY (PNA) – Dawn Criselle Handig, one of the teacher-broadcaster pioneers in the country, sees teaching under the new normal as both a challenge and opportunity to grow as a teacher.
Handig, 30, and a resident of Barangay Bonuan Boquig, said teaching via television was very different from the usual face-to-face classes.
“It’s like from north to south change. Both are challenging. With teaching via television, there are a lot of considerations such as the appropriateness of the manner of delivering the lesson because different students have different ways of accepting the lessons,” she said in an interview Monday.
Unlike in the classroom or face-to-face classes, she said, teachers are able to see the expressions of the students and somehow they have a bond.
“On television, once you have already delivered the lesson, there is no opportunity for the students to clarify or ask questions, so we make sure that all information is right and are delivered well because once it was aired, we could no longer take it back,” she added.
Handig said it was an added pressure to know that students, parents, and even other teachers from the different parts of the country whom she thinks are more skillful in teaching than her are able to watch her classes.
“I am just thankful firstly to God for this opportunity and for providing my co-teachers who are very helpful. One of my co-teachers (Rowella Arenas) helps me with scriptwriting, the others (Rochelle Cabario and Pneuma Elcano) with the content of my classes, and Sir Widmark Balmores helps me with shooting and editing my videos,” she said.
Handig said the administration of the Dagupan City National High School Senior High School was also “very supportive” of her.
She said the teamwork among teachers in their school made the new normal in teaching a little easier.
“The more ideas we gather together, the more we think we would be able to teach the students well in this setup,” she added.
Handig hopes the students will “think first” before they comment and be more appreciative of the efforts they put into every lesson.
She will be a teacher-broadcaster for the subject Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics for Grades 11 and 12.
Her first episode will be aired on Friday at IBC-13.
There are over 300 teacher-broadcasters nationwide.
Handig auditioned and was the only one chosen from Dagupan City for the first batch.
She has been teaching for eight years now, with three years of her service in public school.