Final Demo: The Game Changer Day

By: Jeanette Sabandal

The day I realized maybe teaching isn’t really for me.

It was March 12, 2019 when I conducted the final demonstration. Everyone was good. My
cooperating teacher was good, the science coordinator was good, the panel was good and encouraging
and even the students that I do have was also great. The only problem was I and the situation.

So let me tell my intern story that greatly influenced my final demonstration. I was handling five
sections, five lower section the highest I had was 3rd section. Two preparation every day, teaching both
Physics and Biology. I was also handling a remedial class every from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for my Grade 8.
Every day is a great battle, not of what I will teach but of how I will teach it, considering about 40
students in my class who aren’t really interested with the subject I am teaching and the load I have
every day minimum of three classes a day. My cooperating teacher let me handle it. She let me be a
teacher, the real one.

A week before and the week of the final demo is challenging. It is also the week of grade
submission. The deadline was Monday, a day before my demonstration. The grades are ready but not
acceptable. Most of the grade students got horrible grade. Giving them consideration that will pull their
grade upward, is not really an option because they are in the extremes. Either some will get a grade in
line of 60 or some will get higher than 95 that will surpass the highest section. Instead of conducting a
mock demo, we are talking to parents whose children are part of the remedial class I have conducted.
Showing them proof that we made our very best to help their kids.

Enough with the background of my final demo……

The day of my final demo is a large epic fail from the very beginning. From the preparation of
the food that was late that is why we I have to go to the market to buy a bread that may substitute for
the panel because I already expected the food will arrive late. During the process of setting up there are
a lot of technical problems. Thankfully I am with Paolo Esguerra who help me throughout the
preparation. Well, just to add up my lesson plans and all the materials was all prepared the night before
the demonstration. Why? Because instead of having a mock demonstration when my lesson plan was
checked, it wasn’t align with the competency. Actually the topic that was assigned for me is really
challenging. It was really a great challenge. So technically, I have no mock demo, I’ve met the parents to
testify for record purposes and almost revision of everything was the drama I had during the
preparation.

I don’t want this narrative to be like a rant. In spite of everything that had happen, my
shortcomings and the unexpected situation, I am grateful and blessed of the students that I have that
day. I praise and thank God for enabling them perform excellently with just knowing the flow of the
demonstration and a little of the topic. Also I am grateful with the encouraging words of the panel
particularly, Dr. Elisa Chua and Sir Vince Aliazas with their comments I feel a bit encouraged that the
demo wasn’t a total mess and even with my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Gemma Mediana who keep on
encouraging me throughout the day and Ms. Salamat, the Science Coordinator who had been there
from the very beginning.
 Asking me what I feel? I still feel blessed and happy that I am already done but still unsatisfied
because maybe I could have been better. Maybe I can do more? But still there’s no point of crying over a
spoiled milk. Still I am praying if teaching is for me. That day made me doubt of my capability to be a
good teacher but still I am praying of what the Lord wants me to do.