The Teacher Factor

by Ina R. Hernando
from Manila Bulletin

Just like many schools, Bridges Foundation Inc. is also being affected by the exodus of teachers. But Bridge’s Grace R. Reyes believes that there will always be good people who will come to teach children with special needs.

Reyes says that one of the major strengths of their school is their teachers. This is why they are very meticulous in hiring. Aside from the educational credentials, they try to discern whether the teacher applicant has the heart, the compassion, commitment, patience and perseverance to deal with special needs children.

Beyond the educational knowledge and basic skills, teachers should also have the creativity to present the lessons in a varied manner and be equipped with basic communication skills to relate with the parents and caregivers. “They should also have the willingness to learn from other co-teachers and the sense of humor to laugh at their challenges and celebrate the ‘Aha’ moments with the children,” Reyes adds.

Furthermore, the teacher should have a positive attitude towards life in general.

“Our job is hard enough so it is important that the teachers we get are more in love with life because they are more inclined to share of themselves, and to be happier in what they do.”

She says that being a SpEd teacher is not just a job title but a vocation. “The teachers who stay and who turn out to be good SpEd teachers are those who have embraced that it’s a vocation.’’

To measure up, Bridges conducts training the whole year. “It’s a constant sharing in school, whether through informal discussions during lunch breaks or scheduled formal seminars. We teach and train based on what we have learned from other specialists we meet all over. Ours is a continuous learning process because there is so much that needs to be improved.”

Bridges also continuously trains teacher aides, parents and child’s caregivers to ensure that they handle children in the manner that will help them most. “We need all the help we could get in developing the capabilities of children under our care. This is also why we encourage the teachers to pursue further studies to hone their teaching skills.”