Teaching... again
These are my almost-year-end reflections about teaching at UPLB-- again.
It is almost six-months since I started teaching--AGAIN; enough has been said on the unplanned comeback and the emotional hitches that came with it. So far, life has been good, better even, since the blitzkrieg return from the industry. The being better of most of it is mainly because of changed perspectives and realizations that have only been realized after the emotional roller coaster of being back (hehe).
The year long journey at my X-company was life-changing; in good and bad ways. Good ways because I did learn a lot from the experience, and I was surprised that I already have a lot to say about what I was teaching. It definitely made me more confident about my subjects and the applications of it. I gained this conviction (if that is the appropriate term) that what I am talking about is true, most of it... I hope. Furthermore, its nice to be able to contribute something to the betterment of the education of the future Electrical Engineers in this country. Bad ways because I did learn some not good things while I was there? And being back here should be a good opportunity to unlearn the not good things.
I still don't know if my teaching style is effective or not. So far, I try my best to keep my students awake and interested by doing interactive stuff and telling applications of the concepts that they were learning before. I try to inject humor and love life hirits during lectures etc etc. And believe it or not, I am apply pre-school teaching principles (c/o my friend's blog) to my college students. I think it works... somehow. Well, they do laugh a lot... I wonder if that's good or bad. Anyways I'd be learning about my grade as a teacher soon as I get hold of the Student Evaluations. To be honest, I am a bit grade conscious with my SET scores, though it does not define me as a teacher, I believe it reflects my effectiveness as one. And, I am concerned about my effectiveness as one. I want to improve and I want to be good at it.
During lectures, other than busying myself with talking, I often wonder what my students are thinking about. At times I catch them zoning out. I find it funny that they do, because I know what it is like. Its just that, during my time, my teachers do not do class recitations as often as I do now that's why I always get away with it. I've discovered that class recitations, the random type, are among the most effective ways of waking up a sleepy class (evil laughter). And as expected, they like games... so its extra effort for me to think of creative ways to give them quizzes which will hit the objective for the day while keeping them interested, and they also like it when I make love life hirits on the side. Its tested and proven to get a response (whatever they are).
More than anything else, I've realized that I dream of producing graduates that are more interested in contributing something good to the society than earning more money with their jobs. I hope that they desire to serve the only country that is given to them, not just by sending remittances and pasalubongs from their future salaries abroad, but by really wanting to make a difference, by wanting to change the world with what they have. According to a colleague, the quality of the Philippine education is just a hairline away from Cambodia's. Its sad and degrading for an academician like me; but, sadly I have to agree with it and I know I have to do something about it. I do not want to be a contributor to the rapid brain drain that is slowly eating our country to depressing levels. And its sadder because they usually like to point fingers at the ones who are here; its always easier to point fingers than to evaluate one's self on his/her contribution to the problem.
So much for that. Teaching's good. It pays me well. I get to travel a lot. I get to spend more time with my dogs. I get to write more often and read more often. I already have time to go to English classes. I have time to cook, time to organize parties. I have more time. If I was contributing to building urban homes in my previous job, I am now contributing to building lives. So I guess that's better.
It is almost six-months since I started teaching--AGAIN; enough has been said on the unplanned comeback and the emotional hitches that came with it. So far, life has been good, better even, since the blitzkrieg return from the industry. The being better of most of it is mainly because of changed perspectives and realizations that have only been realized after the emotional roller coaster of being back (hehe).
The year long journey at my X-company was life-changing; in good and bad ways. Good ways because I did learn a lot from the experience, and I was surprised that I already have a lot to say about what I was teaching. It definitely made me more confident about my subjects and the applications of it. I gained this conviction (if that is the appropriate term) that what I am talking about is true, most of it... I hope. Furthermore, its nice to be able to contribute something to the betterment of the education of the future Electrical Engineers in this country. Bad ways because I did learn some not good things while I was there? And being back here should be a good opportunity to unlearn the not good things.
I still don't know if my teaching style is effective or not. So far, I try my best to keep my students awake and interested by doing interactive stuff and telling applications of the concepts that they were learning before. I try to inject humor and love life hirits during lectures etc etc. And believe it or not, I am apply pre-school teaching principles (c/o my friend's blog) to my college students. I think it works... somehow. Well, they do laugh a lot... I wonder if that's good or bad. Anyways I'd be learning about my grade as a teacher soon as I get hold of the Student Evaluations. To be honest, I am a bit grade conscious with my SET scores, though it does not define me as a teacher, I believe it reflects my effectiveness as one. And, I am concerned about my effectiveness as one. I want to improve and I want to be good at it.
During lectures, other than busying myself with talking, I often wonder what my students are thinking about. At times I catch them zoning out. I find it funny that they do, because I know what it is like. Its just that, during my time, my teachers do not do class recitations as often as I do now that's why I always get away with it. I've discovered that class recitations, the random type, are among the most effective ways of waking up a sleepy class (evil laughter). And as expected, they like games... so its extra effort for me to think of creative ways to give them quizzes which will hit the objective for the day while keeping them interested, and they also like it when I make love life hirits on the side. Its tested and proven to get a response (whatever they are).
More than anything else, I've realized that I dream of producing graduates that are more interested in contributing something good to the society than earning more money with their jobs. I hope that they desire to serve the only country that is given to them, not just by sending remittances and pasalubongs from their future salaries abroad, but by really wanting to make a difference, by wanting to change the world with what they have. According to a colleague, the quality of the Philippine education is just a hairline away from Cambodia's. Its sad and degrading for an academician like me; but, sadly I have to agree with it and I know I have to do something about it. I do not want to be a contributor to the rapid brain drain that is slowly eating our country to depressing levels. And its sadder because they usually like to point fingers at the ones who are here; its always easier to point fingers than to evaluate one's self on his/her contribution to the problem.
So much for that. Teaching's good. It pays me well. I get to travel a lot. I get to spend more time with my dogs. I get to write more often and read more often. I already have time to go to English classes. I have time to cook, time to organize parties. I have more time. If I was contributing to building urban homes in my previous job, I am now contributing to building lives. So I guess that's better.
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