THIS MORNING our librarian gave us photocopies of an article from the broadsheet about DepEd’s implementing guidelines on the 6-hour workday for teachers.

I read it carefully and I realized that it actually didn’t shorten the number of hours of work in a day. It only limits the number of hours of classroom teaching to six. The remaining two hours would be spent for teaching-related activities like, preparation of lesson plans, visual aids, rubrics, home visitation, consultation, among others. It doesn’t make a really big difference.

Nevertheless, I appreciate it because it is never easy to facilitate classroom activities for more than six hours. When I reach home after each school day, I could feel that my leg muscles are sore. I also don’t talk a lot at home, else, I damage my vocal folds. I even told my mother, “Nay, sayo jud ko ani  matigulang.” [Mother, with this stress, I'll face old age early.]

Good thing, teachers who are given loads of more than 6 hours a day are entitled to an additional compensation computed at the same hourly rate of the regular compensation. That means, since I’m given a seven-hour load each day, I’m entitled to another one hour worth of compensation. (Yay, I won’t need to ask for cash advance. Haha.) However, when there’s no available funds (which is true for most schools), an hour of overtime work shall be counted as 1.25 hours of service credits.

I think I am the only one with this number of teaching loads. Although some teachers also handle seven classes but they only meet thrice a week. Science and mathematics classes, on the other hand, have to meet everyday.

Honestly, I’m finding it really hard. I sometimes run out of time preparing my lesson plans. You see, I’m still single (and without night life here, duh) yet I have difficulty finishing my requirements. I can’t imagine how my married co-teachers manage their time. It’s easier for them, maybe, because they have already mastered the subjects they have taught. Unlike them, I have to spend time studying the concepts and thinking of strategies to teach the lesson effectively. There’s much pressure actually because I’m teaching students who gets bored with easy stuff. I have to always challege them to maintain their interest.

I hope our principal would call a meeting to divulge her decision to us. I want to know her stand on this matter. I hope she’ll understand the difficulty we are facing. Only, being a new teacher here, and knowing the mentality of some of my fellows here, I don’t want to be the one to call the principal’s attention on this matter. I know she will decide on this matter very soon.