Answers to Statement of the Problem

1. How can the life struggles of a teacher dealing with an unruly class can be described?

Most of the participants had described their experiences with an unruly class to be
somewhat really embarrassing and had really tested their temperament. It is the point wherein,
upon dealing with the various behaviors of students, they had really gone to the edge of their
patience and had done something to minimize their anxiety with the class. “I was really angry
with a certain student, it got to the point that I want to physically hurt him but I restrain myself, I
was really angry back then that I was shouting to him, what I did is I kicked a chair, then I said to
him “Get out of this classroom” one participant said for instance. As such, other participants had
indicated that they resorted in throwing bad words to the students and even go on a “walk-out” due
to the bad behavior displayed by their students.

2. What challenges are encountered by a teacher?

In terms of the difficulties encountered by the participants in their teaching careers mostly
deals with how they are to cope with the stress brought by making daily lesson plans and set of
activities, being transferred to another grade level and teaching certain subjects that are beyond
their field of specialization, as such, according to one participant, “The first thing is that I wasn’t
able to teach what is really my expertise, in my first year of teaching here in Juan Sumulong High
school, I wasn’t able to teach what my major is. I became a teacher for Values Education. The
adjustment in teaching the subject that was given to me that was the difficult time…” and another
strengthened this by stating that “The difficulty that I encountered in teaching at first in dealing
with the relating on how to cope with the differences of the students, then there comes the K-12
and I was transferred in grade-11 for the first time. The difficulty that I encounter is doing the
daily lesson or the lesson plan that you suppose to teach unlike in college that there is only a
syllabus…”

Moreover, majority of the participants also indicated that one of the primary difficulties
they had encountered in teaching is how to deal with the misbehaviors displayed by their students.
As such, according to some participants, “Actually there are many struggles that I encounter but
the hardest part is the behavior of the students not only inside the room but also outside of the
class. Sometimes I can’t really avoid those problems of the students because it is a responsibility
of a teacher…”

3. How teachers deal with their students that have behavioral problems?

Findings revealed that in terms of dealing with their students that have behavioral
problems, the participants had shared some techniques/methods that they used in order to
discipline their students and recognize their authority inside the classroom. One participant shared,
“You need to be able to connect after you need to make them realize that this things are important,
discipline is important other than academic learning, academic achievement, discipline building
after formation is also important…”
Another participant shared that letting a student out of the classroom as a form of
reprimanding is an effective one in order for the student to learn his/her lesson, realize what he/she
have done without affecting the rest of the class. The participants also indicated that this is an
effective way to let the student know that not everyone can pay attention to him/her just because
of his/her misbehavior. However, some participants indicated the importance of imposing certain
rules and regulations, on the other hand, it still depends on how students will adhere to it, "It’s
like…. for example you create rules and regulations inside the classroom and depending on how
they will follow it. But because each teacher does everything to discipline them. The important
thing here is they must understand you and understand them…”.

4. How teachers cope with stressful life resulted from unruly class?

In terms of dealing with the difficulties brought by their own teaching career (e.g. teaching
subjects that are not their field of specialization) most of the participants indicated that in able to
deal with this certain dilemma, they chose to do some research regarding to the subject assigned
to them in order to still ensure that what they are teaching to their students are correct and in-line
with the particular subject. Adjustments are a very common practice in the teaching profession
especially in teaching proper and in dealing with students. As such, another coping technique
shared by some of the participants dealt with their positive approach in life, “Bt the thing is I
draw inspiration from people who continued to believe in me like say for example: even if I’m
being put in to sticky situations by my colleagues or something like that, the positive remarks of
my students, the uplifting remarks of my students are very helpful are very confidence building
and that is where I get my inspiration from…” .

As such, according to another participant, “I don’t correlate my personal life with my

professional job. So after the incident in the classroom, it was like that’s it and then I go out…go
out with my normal life again. So I don’t bring the things on the situation happen outside the
classroom…” which shows that they do not intend to mix their teaching life with their personal
life in order for them to balance their life and struggles, in this way, their career won’t affect their
personal life and vice versa.

I. Reflection 1 and 2

Reflection 1: How did the teachers deal with their life struggles?

Based from the findings of the study, it can be seen that there are a lot things that teachers
deal with. From the school administrators, making of their daily lesson plan, dealing with parents,
their colleagues and their students – seemed to pose a very challenging and demanding working
environment for them. The life struggles of teachers in performing their duties and responsibilities
deals with the making of their daily lesson plans and teaching materials; in addition to this, they
are also expected to maintain and impose discipline inside the classroom and being the one to
support students not just in learning, but also in dealing with their own problems that can affect
their academic performance.

With certain dilemmas like this, teachers had learned various ways in order to cope with
such struggles. One of this is by means of striving to learn more in order to be a more effective
teacher. As such, teachers also hold a positive approach in life wherein they get strength from
people who inspires them to be better in their job and also those people who motivates them in
pushing their teaching career.

Reflection 2: Why did their struggles affect their personal life?

Such struggles in the working environment the teachers are in demands their undivided
attention and never-ending patience. With the various struggles and difficulties they are facing, it
is not surprising that at some point, this can have a negative effect or impact on their own personal
life. It can also be never denied that teachers, with their passion and dedication for their students,
can’t help but to also carry the burdens of the classroom into their own homes.

The struggles faced by teachers can affect their personal life in a particular extent as
teachers want to ensure that their students can really learn the importance of studying; but, with
their misbehaviors and unruly manners, this can sometimes be tiring for teachers in imposing
proper discipline and authority inside the classroom. Teachers can sometimes carry problems in
the school up to their homes as they are trying to think and come up with ways in order to minimize
the stress they are experiencing and how it can, sooner or later can affect their performance in their
teaching profession.

I. Creative Synthesis

Two of the most common difficulties encountered by teachers in their teaching profession is
dealing with their responsibilities as a teacher in terms of making daily lesson plans and preparing
instructional materials as well as adjusting in teaching a particular subject that is not in their field
of specialization and the K-12 curriculum; another is deals with managing an unruly class
composed of students with different sets of beliefs, attitudes and behaviours.

The life struggles of a teacher can be described as something that can really test one’s patience
and dedication. The way teachers have to deal with different kinds of students and colleagues and
a demanding workplace can really put a heavy burden upon the teacher’s shoulders as they battle
their way everyday in teaching and being a role model to students.

Interview with teachers revealed that they cope with students with behavioural problems in
terms of getting a student out of the classroom as a reprimanding action.

Teachers also continue to hold on a positive attitude towards life and knowing how to separate
their life at school and their personal dealings as part of their coping technique in dealing with the
effects of handling an unruly class to their personal life.
 II. Future Directions

This study requires the commitment and involvement of the concerned personnel to sustain
its effectiveness and reliability, thus, the following recommendations were made.

1. The school administrators should provide and conduct seminars and training programs that
can help teachers and other teaching personnel in coping with their struggles in the
academe as well as to maintain a good balance between work and personal life. This can
be helpful for teachers to be more motivated in their career while maintaining a good
relationship with their family and loved ones.
2. Teachers should learn how to make a balance between schoolwork and their personal life
in order for them to be more effective and efficient facilitators of learners.
3. Further studies should also be conducted to explore the life struggles faced by teachers as
well as other dimensions of their teaching career which can affect their performance and
their relationship with their students.