This reflection explores the complexities of fostering essential GP skills in our students. Before even considering the complexity of skill development itself, we need to address the fundamental issue of center readiness. Are we, as GP teachers and as a school, truly prepared? This means more than just having a curriculum. It requires a holistic assessment of our teachers’ abilities, the availability and suitability of our facilities, and a deep understanding of our students’ profiles, ideally informed by data. Only then can we strategically plan and execute effective approaches to GP skills instruction. Without this foundation, any attempt to implement GP skills development feels like building a house on sand.

Barriers are an unavoidable reality when implementing GP lessons. Resource barriers, in particular, loom large. Let us reflect on our high employee turnover rate that creates a constant cycle of retraining new teachers and allowing them time to experiment and let them to touch the water. This is especially challenging with soft skills, which cannot simply be taught through handbooks or training sessions. A significant portion of a GP teacher’s skill set, I’d argue over 50%, is developed through practical classroom experience. A single school year is often insufficient for a teacher to truly shift their mindset from content-based to skill-based teaching, let alone to transition from traditional worksheet assessments to rubric-based ones.

Beyond teacher-related challenges, principal support and the availability of both tangible and intangible resources are crucial. Budgetary constraints often force us to be creative with our activities. For instance, when we want to invite guest speakers, we frequently have to adjust to the approved budget, often relying on internal resources like teachers, staff, or even parents with relevant expertise. This is somehow a positive thing that we maximize our own resources. However, when we are able to let our students to be exposed with the professionals, let us say NGO staffs, that would be more meaningful. As their perspectives might give some eye-openers.

Time allocation is another significant concern. GP skills require deep and thorough practice, which naturally demands significant time. While the inquiry cycle provides a helpful structure, we often find ourselves struggling to balance the need for in-depth skill development with the pressure to cover curriculum content and meet lesson objectives.

Finally, the students’ existing frames of reference play a crucial role. I believe that when students have opportunities to apply their GP skills across different subjects like English, Science, Math, and even Visual Arts, the learning objectives are more likely to be achieved. This cross-curricular application reinforces the skills and demonstrates their relevance in various contexts.

These challenges directly and indirectly impact our students. Consider the simple act of giving instructions. When GP teachers are skilled at providing clear and effective instructions, students can easily visualize what is expected of them and what they need to do. Students also need a clear understanding of what they are expected to achieve in GP classes. Since most of their other lessons are content-based, we need to actively address and monitor their perceptions of GP lessons and activities. We need to help them understand the value and purpose of developing these essential skills. This will take ongoing communication to reshape their understanding of learning and success in the GP classroom.