Author: Jobelle Ann B. Nacino – Teacher III

BARTOLOME R SANGALANG NHS

For almost two years of pandemic, teaching and learning have been a great challenge for
both teachers and learners because, despite the health-risk global situation, education shall
continue, but this time, in the new normal platforms.

Catering to different learning modalities made the preparation more complicated in
consideration of those learners who hardly cope with this educational change. Hence, to
successfully adapt to this change, teachers must acknowledge and must accept the challenge of
the new normal by continuously reinventing themselves to be equipped with the reimagined
educational system through training and retraining, creating a forward-thinking educational
system than a backward-thinking one. This entails promoting flexibility in learning over-
specialization and learning how to learn instead of focusing on memorizing facts and figures.
As a result of this sudden shift to the new normal education, teachers take the two-great
leap in teaching. Foremost, teachers are compelled to abruptly transform traditional learning
methods into diverse distance learning modalities. They need to redesign their approaches and be
more innovative in teaching in different ways to keep the learners’ engagement despite their
mode of learning. Likewise, since online distance learning is one of the most common
modalities, teachers had to play a triple role in teaching about technologies, while enhancing
their ability in using these because most of the teachers are only accustomed to the use of
PowerPoint presentations, MS Word, MS Excel and downloading videos. Second, teachers’ task
is to support and supervise learners' academic development and well-being during this transition,
while also dealing with difficulties and stress in their own lives as a result of the pandemic which
could lead to a higher risk of maladaptive psychological effects such as stress, anxiety, and
cognitive somatization, and all of which can affect their teaching performance.

Teachers play a variety of roles, but since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, they faced
a heightened challenge in their careers. Teachers have been requested to be technological
experts, social workers, call center agents, instant masters of distance learning, and trauma-
responsive educators. They become busier now than the pre-pandemic because of the
preparations for the different learning modalities and the constant responses to learners’ group
chats, calls, and texts to cater to their queries with regards to the lesson. They embrace and
respond overnight in the new normal set-up of education. Teachers are also enforced to use their
maximum capabilities in simultaneously learning and adapting the needed change and instantly
applying it in their teaching.

Conversely, as teachers face one of the biggest adjustments in their careers, the current
situation also serves as an opening door for some teachers who are inclined in technology, video
editing, writing, TV, and radio broadcasting. This new normal education thrusts the teachers to
their full potential and helps them discover their other talents and capabilities to do greater for
the learners. With the training and retraining provided by the Department of Education, teachers
are given additional gear in combating the educational challenges brought by this pandemic.
Given this additional shield, teachers are now more positive in performing their duties while
staying negative in Covid-19 thus, making them the reinvented heroes of the pandemic.