2021, with the world still mostly locked down, looks a lot like 2020. Yes, some economies are opening up more than before, but the majority are still not there yet. These are the times that call for urgency about the values that come from lessons we ought to be living out. Now is the time…
Author: Adrian Pantonial
Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness: 3 Things We Need Most Now
We’re nine months into this global pandemic now, having nearly 60 million confirmed COVID-19 cases to date. It seems the situation is getting better, but have we become better through it? This new normal has challenged teachers to prepare and conduct their classes in new ways. Education in third world countries like the Philippines especially…
3 G’s to Thrive Through COVID-19
How do you soldier on in this pandemic? The world still awaits the discovery of a vaccine against COVID-19. Many people are jobless, hopeless, and in despair. That’s the harsh reality that we currently live in. Unfortunately, the situation we’re in isn’t a nightmare we can wake up from all of a sudden. 2020 has…
What’s Love Got To Do With It? (Not a Tina Turner Song)
Millennials and Gen Z readers, bear with me, OK? I promise this is not about Tina Turner or that song with the same title. “Employees who felt they worked in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork. They showed up to work more often.” That’s the result of Harvard Business Review’s…
7 Lockdown Self-care Tips for Teachers
We’re living in really difficult times. It’s just not how it used to be. Times that force us to adjust to the new normal. Times when we miss the fun kind of noise of the classroom and bonding time with fellow teachers. We’re living in crazy times. But we don’t have to go crazy with…
Disraeli’s 3 Pillars: Learning and Continuity Amid COVID-19
“Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning.” Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli served twice as prime minister of the United Kingdom in the 1800s. That fact says a lot about this notable statesman and novelist who provided the Conservative Party policies for imperialism and democracy. (For a virtual visit of…
3 Things to Help You Thrive as a Teacher during COVID-19
COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. With nearly 9 million confirmed cases and close to 500,000 deaths, it’s changing the way we live. Over 60% of the world’s student population is affected by this global pandemic and it looks like it’s not letting up anytime soon. Many teachers (and parents, too) are jobless, angry,…
Why I Teach English
Learning English has made a whole world of difference in my life. I hope to make the same big impact on people’s lives as I teach them English. Leadership guru Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why says that great leaders inspire everyone to take action when they know their “why”. Today, I’ll share with you…
5 Stress Management Life Hacks for Teachers
This global pandemic has taken a toll on the lives and health of many people worldwide. Foreign Policy writes that the next pandemic crisis is mental health. Though we teachers aren’t considered frontliners in this fight against COVID-19, I can only imagine the magnitude of stress that we’re all going through right now, what with…
How to Manage and Retain Millennial Teachers
Millennials are often thought of as an entitled, hard-to-understand, and difficult-to-please bunch. That’s a really prejudiced and unhelpful impression of this group of people born between 1981 and 1996. In the Philippines alone, they are 35 million strong and make up 53% working age population. That’s more than half of the working professionals in the…