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Teacher

I love teaching. Ever since highschool I would grasp at every chance I get to teach. During my arki board exam review days, I would gather my org mates and try and teach them structural design for practice. When I was involved in the construction industry, I would be asked by my boss to serve as proctor for examinations for his classes, and when possible, I would guide his students around our on-going projects, lecturing and sharing knowledge on plumbing and construction. I have also already sent out applications for teaching positions. I hope somebody notices.

I got the chance now to teach in a review center. I was offered to teach plumbing and sanitary design. Coincidentally I was preparing for the Plumbing Board Exam, so I readily accepted the position.

Now I understand how hard it is to teach. You have to prepare lesson plans, as well as find ways for the lessons to be less boring. Since this is a board exam review class, it wouldn't be a problem since review classes are basically series of bombardments of principles and concepts on the subject being taught. Thankfully I myself went to a review school, so I know what people would be demanding from the lecturer and the course, and understands the relevance and place of review classes in reviewing for the boards.

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I started off the review class by introducing myself, then explaining that I am an urban planner, as well as a plumber. I would further explain the relevance of planning in connection to plumbing, stating that the Architecture is but a middle part of a larger environment, and that plumbing, as a specialized field would not relate only to Architecture, but to Environmental and Urban Planning as well. After that it was three hours worth of concepts and principles. I just hope that they comprehended this placing of the position of Plumbing and Architecture in the total built and natural environment.

But of course I did not limit myself to just reciting what is expected from the plumbing course. I also had to inject inputs and experiences, in order to show the relevance of plumbing to Architecture.

And of course jokes and anecdotes would be a part of the whole lecture, since jokes would serve as highlights where people most remember concepts. Favorite jokes would be:
1. Pointing out that a dug well is where Sadako came out.
2. That you do not bring a date up to the roof near a VSTR for stargazing (based on the experience of a colleague)
3. That I was saving up money for the Php250,000 "smart" watercloset
4. Water closets as your best friend (during drinking sessions)
5. "Manong", with his handy tabo, and the male through urinal
6. And that I encourage students to eat, especially during the sanitary design portion of the course. I especially asked them to bring kare-kare, champorado and peanut butter sandwiches.

The second class which falls on a saturday would prove as a greater challenge, since I had to deliver the nine-hour lecture course in one day, plus the remaining three hours of the T-Th-S course. So that would be twelve hours of almost non-stop talking.

Hopefully I would still be asked again to give lectures, I really enjoyed my stint as a lecturer. No matter how physically and mentally challenging it may be.

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One interesting comment I got after the lecture was when a colleague asked a student how I fared as a lecturer, she answered "Parang marami siyang alam." Hmmm..."parang" lang?. I think the student would not have said "parang" if only she and her group would listen and stop chatting and eating without listening. UP students talaga tsk tsk...

Now I know why teachers are masungit. That is one aspect of teaching that needs consideration, how to handle students.

posted by nap @ 12:29 PM