The Pandemic's Repercussions: Tales of Filipino Teachers Working in American Schools Amidst COVID-19

This study explored the experiences, struggles, coping mechanisms, and insights of Filipino teachers working in the United Staes of America amidst the pandemic. The participants were coming from the primary schools of Carlsbad which is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. There were six (6) teachers who participated in the study. This study made use of a phenomenological approach to extract the ideas from the participants. The participants were purposely selected as representatives from the group of Filipino teachers who are assigned to different grade levels but in the same district. The virtual in-depth interview was employed to gather significant information with regard to their respective lived experiences. Using the thematic analysis, the following themes emerged pertaining to their lived experiences: Learning through Technology, Technological Stress, More Challenged Teachers and Enhancing Online Educational Practices. There were three subthemes that emerged on the challenges experienced by the participants. These are Intermittent Internet Connections, Lack of physical activity and interactions and Language Barriers Online. The coping mechanisms of teacher participants on the challenges they experienced were: Considering professional development and Valuing Resilience and Change Management. The educational management insights drawn from the participants were the Value of Social Connectedness and the importance of adaptation for survival. Thus, the educational institutions where Filipino teachers may be employed may assign senior teachers with valuable support networks to employed foreign or Filipino teachers. This support can be provided in a variety of ways, such as through training programs or mentoring relationships that include academic, technological, cultural, and institutional-specific information.