Teaching Math in Primary Grades: Experiences of Selected Bachelor of Elementary Education Students from Occidental Mindoro State College

Teaching primary grade schoolers is one of the most challenging tasks of educators all over the world. This requires in-depth classroom management, effective communication, and a lot teaching methodologies, techniques, and strategies. This pure qualitative-phenomenological research was conducted mainly to determine the essence of the lived experiences of ten (10) purposively selected student teachers of Occidental Mindoro State University as they practiced teaching primary grade learners in public schools for the 1st semester of the School Year 2024-2025. Data were obtained using an Interview Schedule via one-on-one interview; and was analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that teaching math to primary grade learners were difficult and challenging for the student teacher-respondents, yet enjoyable and fun. The overall essence of their lived experiences was symbolized by fish for patience, scissors for creativity, heart for love and compassion, target for having a clear goal, sun for fun and enjoyment in teaching, bulb for discipline, anchor for guidance, flower for happiness in teaching, wedding ring for commitment and dedication in teaching, and ice for being cool and calm in teaching. The lived experiences and symbolisms shared by participants led the researcher to conclude that the student teachers were ready to face the real world of teaching primary grade learners. Yet, university administrators and cooperating teachers’ roles to guide them are still crucial.