October 2008 marks my 10th year as a full-time Instructor. I didn’t expect that I would be able to lasts this long as a teacher.
I remember, after our graduation from high school, our mother would try to persuade me and my siblings to have a degree in education. She always told us that there is always a guaranteed job in teaching wherever you go. But I thought it was just because she wanted to be a teacher so she wants us to become one. But my sisters and I had a different choice. I pursued a degree in Computer Engineering, my elder sister in Political Science and my youngest sister in Business Management. As it turned out ironically we all ended up in a teaching profession.
After my graduation in college, I worked as a programmer for a year in Makati. Due to circumstances I applied for a teaching career in ICCT Colleges as a part time instructor in 1997. After a year, I applied in PUP as a part time instructor and in ICCT as a full time instructor.
During the span of 10 years, I met a lot of people in ICCT Colleges, PUP, STI, Informatics and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina. These colleagues in one way or another have a great impact in my life – behavior, out-look in life, personality, decision-making, and character. Working and learning with this remarkable people is truly an honor and a privileged. Sharing their teaching experiences, strategies and methodologies, and sometimes lecture notes without me asking from them is a sign of their passion and dedication in their profession. Giving me advises in both professional and personal matters have helped me in what I have achieved today. I do learn a lot from them. So it’s hard to leave an institution when an opportunity knocks because of these people that I will leave behind. But I guess each of us has its own path to travel-- whether it is in line with our degree, or what we want, by chance, or by just going with the flow (what’s “in”). The bottom line is work hard and work SMART. Having any kind of job requires a commitment and fulfillment. Committed in giving your best and at the same time being happy in what you are doing.
I met almost a thousand students in my 10 years of teaching; I projected an image of being strict and a perfectionist mentor from the point of view of my students. I just wanted to emphasized to them that learning is not merely a game but it’s a discipline of which one must be able to practice. I also wanted to be remembered by my students as a serious teacher and a passing grade in my subject is not just that easy rather than be a teacher who is ready to give you a special project to passed. But because of that incident (during the first meeting of the class at the start of the trimester, one of my student fell out from her chair after seeing me enter the room and I can see from her face the shocked and terror), I realized that I must listen to some of the comments of my closest students that I should be lenient and considerate sometimes. In as much as they “co-students” wanted to cope up and meet the deadlines of the projects and other works I gave to them, there are some things or events that would cause a delay and results to failure in complying with the deadline. I do learn and understand the students now, because of my students who are working or even older than me, in some instances. They are the ones who are not afraid to tell me in private about their opinions and even during class discussion. I thank them for their views and words of enlightenment.
Truly 10 years of working in the academe have showered me with a lot of blessings. Meeting these people has given me a treasure that can last for a lifetime. I’m looking forward of what are the things to come in the years ahead.
Here are some of them:
ICCT - VP Liza, VP Paringit, Doc Ventinilla, Portia, Jessie, Aileen, Laurice, Nemie, Fredericka, Marthy, Alfred, Tina, Ma. Theresa “Tikya”, Fortune, Monet, Manny, Jojo, Arlan, Michael, Ariel, Bong, Sarah, Sir Defeo, Shyne, “Gov.” Selda, CD, Imee, Rex, Joseph, Jadaone, Acoba, Jilmer, Rafael, Nova, Mam Perez, Mam Mesa, Zapanta, Rowell, William, Molina, Verna, Cathy, Rodrigo, Mam Alviar, Jenny, Erika, Mindy.
STI – Mam Amy, Mam Gen, Mam Flor, Mam Marjorie, Sir Edwin, Sir Benito
PUP – Sir Rafael Oquindo, Mam Flor, Joan, Mam Ado, Sir Velasco, Sir Fernando, Sir Jojo, Sir Talan, Sir Nati, Sir Pangilinan, Dean Gedaria, Dean Vicky, Dean Muhi, Dean Ben Andres
Informatics – Sir Eric, Sir Bob, Sir Bott, Sir Amado, Mam Lot, Mam Ivy, Mam Shirley
PLMar – Mam Joanne, Sir Marcy,
Students – DND scholars – Bong, Sabigan, Reyes; Sherwin, Beth, Raymon, Craig, Eleonor, Catherine, Albert, Brandon, Churva people, Ate Ruby, Rhea, Beverly, Kurt, Saida, Shiela, Jerome, Crispin, Cyril, Joan, Ria, Cheng, Jecka, Aimee, Liezel, Edz, Baby Girl, JM, Eugene, Olivia, Rose Mei, Gerald, Dominic, Adonis, Flor, RJ
