Case Study

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A.    Background Information/Identifying Data

    I.     Personal Identification

Name: Razul Balusi Labiste

Age: 9 years old    
Date of Birth: May 29, 2009

Gender: Male     
Race: Filipino     

Religion: Muslim

Address: Talisay Street P-5, Patin-ay Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur

Mother Tongue: Maguidanaon (Muslim)

Grade: III        Section: Durian

II.   Family Background

Father’s Name: Raul L. Labiste Jr.   

Age: 40 years old

Highest Educational Attainment: College Level

Occupation: Street food vendor

Mother’s Name: Ambraida B. Labiste   

Age: 37 years old

Highest Educational Attainment: College Graduate (BSE)

Occupation: Housewife

No. of siblings: 4

Rank in the family: Eldest (1^st born)

Name of Sister(s): N/A

Rank in the family: N/A

Name of Brother(s):

    Smile B. Labiste      Age: 7 years old   

Rank in the family: Second

    Raul B. Labiste   III Age: 3 years old   

Rank in the family: Third

    Ali-nhor B. Labiste   Age: 2 years old   

Rank in the family: Fourth (Youngest)

B.Description of the Presenting Problem

Razul was a transferee student last school year (2017-2018) he came from Maguindanao. Given that the child came from a different place and was transferred between the school year adjustments were hard. This includes his academic adjustments, given that he came from a different region with a different means of communication his reading skill was at the brink of fall down. By the end of the school year 2017-2018 he was not promoted to grade four because of the rising dilemma that he is not able to read.

“Sugod adtong nag elementary si Razul sge naman jud namo na siya ug e.transfer tungod sa trabaho sa iyahang Ama, tungod adto gina bully siya sa iyahang classmate kay transferee, mao ang hinungdan nganung dile na siya ganahan mo sulod sa klase ug maiwit siya sa leksyon” – Mrs. Labiste

Given all the bullying he have encountered; the worst was when they transferred somewhere in Davao still a Muslim community area his classmate attempted to put his face on an animal turd. That incident triggered that child that he didn’t want to go to school anymore. That made him think that going to school was not for kids like him, with that he grew up being the punk at the class and was one of the slow learners and one also of the non-reader of the class. He would always say “Dile ko mo apil Cher kay dile ko kabalu mu basa” and this was even worse than hearing I hate you from your loved ones.

The behavior was first noted when he was transferred back to his old school in North Cotabato and started having “barkada” he would not go to school along with his friends and play games the entire day, and knowing that his Grandmother is the only one who’s taking care of them for the mean time he couldn’t careless, it was a long time that even until now he is sometimes recorded as tardy because of the half days and absences he has.

I remember there was this time that he would not go to school in the afternoon, because he and his friends would go to the tennis court and pick up tennis balls for the tennis players, this happened often last month because of the thought that after that work he would have money that’s why he would much prefer to go there than to go to school.

As one of his teacher I believe that the modification should start with his tardiness. To keep him from going to school we need to make him feel that he belong, I remember this time during Araling Panlipunan the lesson as about the symbols of the map (simbolo ng mga mapa) where he was so engrossed too the discussion because I let him translate all the symbols of the map in  his mother tongue (Maguindanaon/Muslim) e.x. simbahan-sambayan. Children who are experiencing inferiority will make them feel that they don’t belong to the environment because of the new tradition and beliefs of the place, so us teachers it is our role to abolish this issue between the growing diversity of our learners in the field.

C.     The Family

Their family is composed of six people. His father Mr. Raul L. Labiste Jr., 40 years old. Came from a Christian family and used to live in Panabo City. The reason of the frequent transfers was his old job, his used to be a Security Guard. However gave up his job to help his brother in Patin-ay to maintain their lands. His mother Ambraida B. Labiste, 37 years old grew up in a Muslim family in North Cotabato. She was used to be a manager in a private company, but apparently resigned also her job to watch over her kids. She grew up in a teacher family and also a graduate of BSE or Bachelor of Secondary Education and apparently she is waiting to take the LET or Licensure Examination for Teachers this coming September 2019. They have 4 children and Razul is the eldest. Razul has no sister but has 3 brothers: Smile B. Labiste, 7 years old, Raul B. Labiste III, 3 years old, and lastly Ali-nhor B. Labiste, 2 years old.

The parents are very hands-on but however they fail to do their routinary activities they have created for their children.

“Panagsa Ma’am ako mana silang ipa spelling” –Mr. Labiste

I have happened to visit their home at Patin-ay and I have seen that on their wooden wall there were writings of the alphabet and syllables such as ma, me, mi, mo, mu (Marungko Approach).

“Pero lage kay dile man mi permi dire sa amoa, toa man mi sa DXDA nag tinda ug fishball dile sila permi ma atiman dire” the father said.

During the interview Mr. Labiste admitted that he still practice corporal punishment, when it comes to discipline towards his children

“Kapoyan naman jd ko anang mag istorya tapos pagka ugma dile gehapun magpa tou, maonang ako mo bunal jud kos akong mga anak” –Mr. Labiste

Since the family grew up in a Muslim community given that they were from North Cotabato where Mrs. Labiste’s hometown is they have practiced the rich culture of the Muslims which is the “pag samba”. The “pag samba” is the tradition of Muslims to pray (in Christians term) 5 times a day or also known as the salah times (4:00 am – Fajr, 12:00 nn – Dhuhr, Asr – afternoon, Maghrib – sunset, Isha - Night) but since they are not in the house everyday they just do it three times every day (4:00 am, 12:00nn, 6:00pm) except for Friday.

“Kay kung sa mga katoliko pa Ma’am ang ting simba domingo, ang sa amoa biyernes. Maong kada biyernes kinahanglan jd nga ika lima mi mag samba”   –Mr. Labiste

To have a balance lifestyle since his father grew up in a Christian world, and his mother was a Muslim. They trained their children to speak Tagalog/Cebuano outside the home, but must speak in Maguinadaon inside their house.

Since there are no mosques in Patin-ay they do their rites inside their respective homes, but occasionally do gatherings within the area with their co-Muslims or kapatid, teaching these beliefs to their children is so better than to what is being taught in school because since they have more experience and knowledge than us teachers who had only read the books about this knowledge. Culture should always start at home.

D.     Development History

According to his mother, Razul was once an honor student in kinder. Wherein he would be more fast than the other learners in the class, however it was so cruel of his childhood that he had experienced worst case scenario of bullying such as what I have mentioned in the previous page (see letter B. Description of the Presenting Problem)

Given the provided environment that he has now where in he is able to hone his capacity as a child he is now doing a great job. He is now making friends with his classmates he is close with his group mates (table 4) but there are still instances that he has to improve his self. Such as controlling his temper. But there’s not a thing that a child can’t do if he is given the correct guidance.

E.     Educational History

In my stay in Patin-ay Central Elementary School I can say that slowly he is improving he is now much attentive in class, participating in oral recitations, and minimizing his absences, also he is now slowly improving his reading skills with the help of his teacher. Unlike on the previous school year that he seldom go to school to learn and improve himself and would always get into fights with his classmates. Improvement is always good than stagnation, that’s why I believe that Razul can be the man that he wants to be someday.

II. Intervention

It is never too late for new beginnings. Peter Shephered once said that “It is never too late to change the programming imprinted in childhood, carried in our genes or derived from previous lives; the solution is mindfulness in the present moment”. So as teachers of Razul or any kid who has the same situation with Razul we teachers play one of the vital role on changing the imprinted programming that he has, it is our  role to be mindful and give him the enough attention that he needs and will be needing but at the minimum level. Just like providing remedial classes for reading. We can also provide a learner material with words that we use every day translated in dialects/languages just like this:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” said by Nelson Mandela, thus us future educators we must be equipped with various knowledge and experiences to equipped our learners with more than enough knowledge for them to grow. But what we need to do first is equipped them basic needs, such us reading, writing, and comprehension. With baby steps on helping our learners I believe that we can move mountains together. Because two is always better than one.