On Travelling, Teaching and Pets

I've been putting off my writing since I came back from vacation, there are too much excuses like back logs, dates, exams, lessons, etc. So, in between recording quizzes, giving out exams, checking laboratory exercises and preparing for lessons, here is my first blog entry for 2013.

I had been hoping to write something special to start this blogging year; but the past few days have been a smorgasbord of events and what nots that I'm having a hard time to keep track of things. Here are some of my random thoughts before and during the first two weeks of the new year.

1. TRAVELLING

what better way to enjoy the Transfiguration Monastery in Bukidnon? travel with a bunch of nuns and attend the beautiful service that the monks facilitate every 11:30-ish am. :)

I am not a professional travel blogger and I feel noob-ish whenever I write about my shenanigans... but I do write about them. I am just a part-time dog walker, part-time bum and part-time mambobola. But, I LOVE to travel. It is one of the things that I am most passionate about and I am the type who goes out for the journey; the destination is just 30% of the fun and 70% goes to the journey. For me, travelling is about breaking stereotypes, limits, learning to accept people for who they are- (color, shape, tongue, language, religion, ideologies, etc) and more; I love travelling because I get to enjoy and learn more about life when I am doing it.

Jan 1 was spent in transit from Camiguin to Cagayan de Oro, and Jan 2 was spent in transit to Bukidnon, half of Jan 3  was in Bukidnon and the later half was in Musuan, Jan 4-5 was settled in Cagayan de Oro. It was quite an adjustment when work started last Jan 7; but it was a good thing that our first class activity for the year was a field trip.

I am convinced that 2013 will be all bout travelling. Literally and figuratively. There are already two trips scheduled for this year, one domestic and one international. The other trips are yet to be booked and scheduled, and I am a tad excited for all of them.

2. TEACHING

No more job applications for this year. It looks like I am more or less settled in my settling down job even if I have no plans of settling down yet because there is still no one to settle down with. Which sucks. But, there is always Isaiah 55:8 which reminds me that neither my thoughts nor my plans are not like God's. He has always something better than what I have envisioned. So it is going to be a trust exercise for the whole year of teaching.

The first major school experience for 2013 was the field trip. I am an advocate of out of the classroom learning experiences and what better way to pursue that advocacy than hold the class outside of the room. We went to the nearest construction site, had them observe and see the things that we are talking about in class and I required them to write a reflection paper about that experience.

Reflection papers are actually for the students. They are aware that I am requiring them to do it because I wanted their experiences to have a more lasting effect, I wanted to draw out the thoughts and ideas that they are not aware of, i wanted them to learn more and remember more. So, it was quite frustrating, a little bit heartbreaking, and insulting to see something like this:

two different reaction papers with verbatim reflections

It was frustrating because I expected more from my students. Them being from this school and considering that IT WAS JUST A REFLECTION PAPER kahit elementary student pwedeng gumawa nito, kailangan pa ba talagang kopyahin yon? at kailangan pa bang magpakopya ng ganito? or kailangan pa bang gawing group work yon? It was a bit heartbreaking because I find this incident a reflection of character. Kaya hindi umuunlad ang Pilipinas kasi kinukunsinti ang mga bagay na ito. Kaya tuloy ngayon kahit mga senador natin nangongopya. Grades and wealth is one thing, but character is another. Lastly, I find it insulting because it looks like my students think that I don't check papers like these. Hmmmm... malas nila I like reading and it is one of the things that I am very particular about. Hmp.

Not naman taking it personally, it was a reminder lang for me to make sure that even if I teach engineering, it is always important to incorporate values in it. According nga to CS Lewis (non verbatim), including values is not necessary in education, pero doing so would result in clever devils. And given this job, I do not want to be responsible for creating clever devils out of my students, so I try to incorporate values in it. Anywhoo, that is just me, my ideals and my expectations. I expect to fall out of it, but I will definitely fight for whatever principles that I might be holding on to. 

3.  TENTENENENTENTEN! presenting!!!

It is a vicious addiction... and a rather cute one. This year, I vow to continue my fondness to pets and pets and more pets, wherever and whenever. These pets adopted me during vacation.

Mikay- Bohol

Coco- CDO

Dasmag- Camiguin

I know these guys don't care if I thank them or not, but having them is good training to care and love and be patient. They are like sooo cute, but nothing beats my brood back home. Sabi nga ni tatay. My pets have benefited the most on my going back at LB, dumoble kasi ang size nila. Greatest achievement ko ito as of the moment. hihihi

Layla, Redford, Orange, Whitesocks and Max

Cheers to 2013. THIS YEAR WILL BE E-P-I-C!