The purpose of this qualitative-phenomenological study was to describe and understand the experiences of teachers in handling elementary learners in the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) in elementary schools. The study gathered information from these teachers to learn about the challenges they face and the ways they teach journalistic writing. There were 12 public schools elementary teachers who were selected using purposive sampling technique: six participated in in-depth interviews, and six participated in focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The lived experiences of teachers included adaptive and differentiated pedagogical practices, professional fulfillment and teacher identity in SPJ, supporting advanced and gifted learners, workload and time management, pedagogical challenges in crafting engaging and inclusive learning experiences, struggle with the teaching and learning of the Filipino language, and lack of resources. As to how do teachers cope with the challenges encountered, employing technology to enhance learning engagement, utilizing time management strategies to organize responsibilities, fostering creativity through resourcefulness, flexibility, and collaboration, receiving support from colleagues, and acquiring support from the school’s stakeholders. Teachers also shared insights they could offer to others, including nurturing ethical awareness and accountability, overcoming barriers and complexities and prominence of journalism skills and values. The results of this study are significant to teachers in the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ), learners, parents, school administrators, DepEd officials, and future researchers, as they provide deeper awareness and understanding of and help improve educational practices and the teaching of journalism in upcoming programs, thereby contributing to the delivery of high-quality education.