MANILA, Philippines — The ongoing pandemic led to many changes in the lifestyle of Filipino families, such as the sudden shift to the work-from-home model for parents and online learning for their kids. Distance education entailed adjustments not only for the student but for parents as well, who now needed to take a more active presence in their children’s education to help ensure the effectiveness of this new mode of learning.
Teleperformance, a global leader in digital business solutions and a certified Great Place to Work® company, supported parent employees in this struggle through their Keep Learning, Keep Growing; Citizen of the World Town Hall.
Speakers Ani Almario, Vice President of Adarna House, the country’s leading publisher of children’s literature, and Rich Rodriguez, a proud Citizen of the World volunteer and the head of Pinoy Storytellers and volunteer in the Alitaptap Storytellers Club, discussed these essential tips for parents on pandemic education, including the importance of storytelling to engage children in an age of online learning.
Build a Routine and Structure around Everyday
Ani Almario emphasized for parents to always involve their kids and talk about their daily set-up. This will help them have a better understanding of their children’s learning routine and their daily schedule. By structuring their day, parents are helping each other survive daily sorrows and strife. Furthermore, routines give children a feeling of regularity and predictability, especially during a season wherein children do not have control.
Anticipate Necessary Troubleshooting
Parents should always think ahead. What problems are associated with online learning in their household? Who’s going to fix them at home? What happens if you have a meeting and your child has a class? Develop a forward-thinking skill for situations that can easily be remedied if you plan for it in advance.
Recognize Learning Fatigue
Rich Rodriguez asked, “Are we forcing them to learn?”. It’s important for parents to talk to their kids to see whether they are developing learning fatigue while they are pushing them to learn. A normal school setup implements play time which is not always possible especially for a work-from-home parent. The common solution for playtime is gadgets, which only adds to the problem.
To combat learning fatigue, Rich advised parents to synthesize the process of learning. “We make sure that they have that good grasp of understanding and a good way for us is to talk to them at their level so that we can understand them better.”
Adapt to their Ways of Understanding
What other ways can we talk to them? This means putting down the traditional Manila Paper presentation and adapting to their digital age. To reach a certain level of engagement, one must use the power of visuals or storytelling, from performing a theatrical imitation or accompanying a lecture with entertaining voices. Parents can ask their children questions as a way for them to talk and engage rather than handing them a book for them to read and re-tell the story like a robot. Parents should satisfy their curiosity and eagerness because every child is an eager child.
Have the Right Material
Choose age-appropriate materials. As an example, “Love you, Forever” would capture the hearts of toddlers while the Harry Potter series makes a great kick-starter for elementary students. Next to understanding their needs is discovering materials kids are able to relate to.
“We can’t just do things the traditional way. We have to think this is the way kids and people learn today so we have to take that road. We must put ourselves out there, out of our comfort zone, because in this way, we are instilling positive values and actions within our family,” shared Jeffrey Johnson, Senior Vice President for Human Capital Resource Management of Teleperformance Philippines.
Teleperformance Philippines is committed to supporting and advancing children’s education in all forms. Through their corporate social responsibility arm Citizen of the World, Teleperformance launched its Back-to-School campaign with Kythe Foundation, where they held virtual activities with kids who suffer from chronic illnesses. They also partnered with Manila Water Foundation for their Lingap Eskwela Pandemya Project to create a faucet facility in Tanay National High School, where most of the high school students in the village are currently enrolled. Together with the Department of Education, Teleperformance also donated books and writing materials to selected schools all over the nation.
“This is our eighth year of running the Back-to-School Program and we want to make an impact on the schools and communities that need a helping hand. Through this Citizen of the World town hall, not only are we are extending our teachings to parents, but we’re igniting passion and purpose to the generations to come,” added Johnson.
For more information on Teleperformance Philippines and its Citizen of the World program, you may visit their website at www.teleperformance.ph or their Facebook page at facebook.com/teleperformance.philippines.
