The Pivotal Role of Master Teachers in Philippine Education  

The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines recognizes the pivotal importance of highly skilled and experienced educators in driving improvements in teaching quality and student outcomes. To this end, the Master Teacher position was established to identify and elevate exemplary classroom teachers to serve as instructional leaders and mentors.

Master Teacher Selection and Hiring

Becoming a Master Teacher is a prestigious accomplishment reserved for the most outstanding educators in the Philippines. The rigorous selection process assesses candidates' teaching expertise, leadership skills, and ability to drive professional development based on DepEd's guidelines.  

Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in Education, a Professional Regulation Commission license, and at least 7 years of very satisfactory teaching performance. They undergo a thorough screening process including document reviews, a demo teaching exercise, and interviews with DepEd personnel and current Master Teachers (DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017).

Those selected demonstrate mastery of the K-12 curriculum standards, effective instructional practices, a track record of improving student achievement, and strong capacity for collaboration and leadership. Only around 5% of applicants typically meet the stringent criteria for selection (Macatuno, 2017).

Roles and Responsibilities

Philippine Master Teachers play a pivotal role in providing high-quality mentoring, modeling best practices aligned with the K-12 curriculum, and designing professional development programs. Key responsibilities include:

- Coaching and mentoring teachers to enhance content knowledge and pedagogical skills

- Modeling exemplary lesson planning, classroom management, and teaching strategies

- Developing and facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs  

- Assisting in developing instructional materials and designing new teaching approaches

- Conducting classroom observations and providing constructive feedback

- Collaborating with school heads on initiatives to improve teaching and learning

- Serving as trainers and facilitators for DepEd's professional development programs

Key Performance Outputs  

To ensure accountability, Master Teachers' performance is evaluated annually based on criteria set by DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017. Key outputs include:

• Achieving quantifiable improvements in teaching effectiveness of mentored teachers
• Designing and facilitating high-quality CPD programs for target participation rates
• Producing exemplar instructional plans, materials, and innovative teaching approaches  
• Demonstrating leadership in implementing K-12 curriculum standards or new initiatives
• Contributing to school programs and activities aimed at improving student outcomes

Advisory Class Responsibilities

DepEd Order No. 42 specifies that Master Teachers can be assigned advisory class loads at the discretion of the School Head, taking into account the Master Teacher's mentoring and training workload. This enables Master Teachers to maintain direct engagement with students and apply best practices in an actual classroom setting (DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017).

However, there are ongoing discussions around whether advisory class responsibilities should be mandatory or limited to allow Master Teachers to prioritize their crucial mentoring and instructional leadership roles effectively (Macalisang, 2018).

As the Philippine Master Teacher program continues to be refined, DepEd aims to strike the right balance, leveraging these educational leaders optimally to raise teaching quality nationwide while providing flexibility for direct student engagement where feasible.

References 

• Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 42, s. 2017. (2017).  https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/DO_s2017_042.pdf
• Macalisang, J. (2018, January 20). Duties of master teachers questioned. INQUIRER.Net.  https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/962765/duties-of-master-teachers-questioned
• Macatuno, A. (2017, December 17). A teacher's journey to mastery. Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/modern-living/2017/12/17/1769735/teachers-journey-mastery