Again, future educators of Far Eastern University (FEU) are gearing up for their profession as the Career and Placement Office (CAPO), in partnership with Teach for the Philippines and the Institute of Education Student Council, showed them “Empathy, Leadership, and Advocacy: Essential Skills for FEUture Educators” last Jan. 22 at the University Conference Center.
The talk featured Teach for the Philippines’ Transformational Teaching Manager, Iona Mapa as its guest speaker who enlightened FEU’s education majors about the realities, challenges, and opportunities of being an educator in the Philippines, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary to become a transformational educator.
Architect Vanessa Grace Cabiedes, FEU-CAPO director, opened the event with a message that explained the goals and timing of the talk that focused on the three fundamental skills for educators. “This session is not just about learning. It is about starting the year with purpose and inspiration,” said Cabiedes.
Mapa engaged the attendees in a message that centered on three key points: empathy towards the self, leadership with the community, and advocacy in the country. She highlighted that genuine empathy is first directed towards one’s self, as “we cannot pour from an empty cup.” She contextualized this by citing research on the correlation of teachers’ passion or drive and the burnout they experience which are directly proportional.
“It is necessary that we regulate first before we educate. We have to be ready and equipped to give our students our whole self because they deserve nothing less,” said Mapa. She then shared how identifying daily uplifts, protective factors, and healthy coping strategies can help regulate stress, especially in a field as emotionally taxing as education.
Mapa also defined leadership as something done with the community more than anything else. She shared how students, parents, and the communities they belong to may have interests and goals, and how it is necessary to consult with them and honor their interests and agency.
“This mission of education is so important that we cannot afford to just tough it out and go at it alone. We need to work with others,” Mapa said.
Finally, Mapa shared, “advocacy in the country,” as an insight for when, later in their careers, Tamaraws want to improve the education system from leadership positions. She contextualized this through citing findings from Education Commission, World Bank, and Programme for International Student Assessment that point to a learning crisis and poverty in the Philippines. In order to solve such a complex, systemic problem, Mapa highlighted everyone’s role in improving the learning of students.
“Education is everyone’s responsibility. And one thing I learned from former teachers of Teach for the Philippines who later went on to serve in leadership positions is that it takes a country to raise a child. So while it might be a while before you can take leadership positions in Congress or [Department of Education], take the stories of your students and their struggles and share them with others,” said Mapa.
After her talk, Mapa answered questions from the audience made up of Tamaraws interested to become educators. They asked about a variety of topics from common challenges beyond teaching-learning strategies, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education, to being an educator while not having an education degree.
Mapa also shared how FEU is one of Teach for the Philippines’ partners in their internship and fellowship programs, and how interested individuals may maximize these.
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