In Filipino, we often use the term “gago” to “curse” or tell someone about something stupid or unacceptable that s/he has done. If there will be a cline of the Philippine vulgarbolary (maybe I have to patent this blended word.hehe), I would suggest that the lowest or subtlest would be “engot”, followed by “tanga”, then by “gago” (the rest would be of higher vulgarity).
Indeed, a lot of “kagaguhan” transpired yesterday. First of which is the one initiated by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and former Scout Ranger Danilo Lim. Much as I agree with their sentiments regarding the corrupt practices of the Arroyo administration, I could not help but tag their “show” yesterday as the primary “kagaguhan.” It’s true that the Filipino people is sick and tired of the evil practices of the administration—even elementary students feel this one way or another—but I can’ help but ask myself: “Have these soldiers lost their analytical and tactical skills behind bars?”
If news reports are accurate, it appears that these two didn’t act according to plan. Supposedly, according to the news, the protest is set on Novemeber 30—in commemoration of the Filipino revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio. It appears that these two soldiers got excited, and just like the brave and aggressive founder of Katipunan, who, according to history, never won any battle, it is sad to know that they “lost” a battle as well.
I find it disappointing since it seems to me that what happened yesterday was merely out of Trillanes’s and Lim’s aggressiveness. I’m not a soldier, but so far as I know, a strategic soldier won’t attack without a fight plan—I just hope that yesterday’s act was just a preface, so that my claim of “kagaguhan” would be deleted.
At any rate, the kagaguhan of these two resulted in civil unrest, and most unfortunately, the awakening of more gagos. As they say, “mas gago ka kung papatol ka sa gago.”
Indeed, the administration through the military, showed how “gago” they are when they sent troops and tanks to the Manila Peninsula and forced Trillanes and Lim out. Let’s assume that the Magdalo group made the first fire; should they shower the newly-renovated hotel with bullets, and ransack it’s door via tank? This makes me think: “Is Trillanes and Lim that dangerous?” This I cannot answer.
The papers this morning reported that this is part of the military’s “shock tactic”; to frighten the rebels and eventually capture them. Indeed, their “shock tactic” worked out; shocking tourists and civilians as well. I could not help but think, does the “shock tactic” also aim to create an impression of indispensability? “We’re in power; mess with us or face our tanks.”
But the government didn’t stop the escalation of their “kagaguhan.” At around 8:00 P.M., Malacañang declared a curfew in NCR, Central and Southern Luzon. Similar to the dark days of Martial Rule, Filipinos were prohibited to get out from 12:00 MN to 5:00 in the morning. Although, as the police has said, this is more lenient—since they gave exemptions to those who are working on night shifts—this curfew sure affected a lot of Filipinos—business, leisure, etc. Curfew is not that bad, but does the situation really call for it? Why the haste?
While the “kagaguhan” of the Magdalo group is on the level of “action”, the kagaguhan of the government is on the level of “reaction.” I’m not a Physics major, and I don’t know much about Newton’s idea on “…when there’s an action there’s a reaction,” but as I see it, the reactions seem to be “O.A—over acting.”
Tsk tsk. I knew it. The rise of coffee shops doesn’t do any good to the government officials.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
When Corruption works
When corruption works, even the smallest or the “holiest” strand of society becomes murky.
Today, the term “corruption” has become a “staple food” on the tables of every Filipino. My 12 year-old sister knows it, my 60-year old father despises it, Kay’s 95 year-old grandfather is sick and tired of it.
True enough, corruption has become one of the cancer cells of every society that pulls it down to its slow and painful demise.
I had my primary and secondary school at the Philippine Christian University in Dasmariñas Cavite (a private school) and I should say that my older sister and I had firm educational foundations. We were able to get a college degree and be employed afterwards, because the culture of educational excellence was imbibed in us.
During our time, PCU was one of the most revered schools in Cavite. Aside from the fact that it holds the Christian virtues FAITH, CHARACTER, SERVICE as its philosophical foundations, PCU was one of the premier science schools in Cavite (or was it?). I should say that even if I “know” what corruption is, I was not so acquainted about it simply because we did not have a corrupt school setting that time—or should I say, I was not aware of the issues back then?
Later, when I moved to Manila to take up my undergraduate course in Philippine Normal University, I was aghast on how corruption works in a state university such as PNU. Rooms and chairs are vandalized, windows and doors are broken, comfort rooms do not give any comfort, some professors do not teach, books in the library are either broken or obsolete and the list brings you to middle earth.
I realized how corrupt Philippines is, and it saddens me. If educational institutions are being infiltrated by a culture of corruption, what future will younger generations see?
But what hurt me the most was the news I read early this morning.
PCU students renew protest action vs president
This was the title of a news article in the Philippine Daily Inqurer, and it struck me hard; it made me weak.
What happened to my alma mater? How come issues like this arise in a “Christian” school? Of course, the issues are still allegations, and Dr. Suarez is innocent until proven guilty. But the mere fact that a corruption issue surfaces in a Christian school makes one drop his/her head and shrug his/her shoulders in dismay.
If Christian schools—such as PCU, which holds FAITH, CHARACTER, and SERVICE as its trademark—gives up to the lure of corruption, then the future of the country becomes grim. Corruption has quickly turned into a “symbiote” similar to what has eaten Spiderman up, acutely and unconsciously being a part of one’s system, one’s culture.
I pray that the issue be resolved as soon as possible.
PCU students renew protest action vs president
By Allison Lopez
Inquirer
Last updated 01:48am (Mla time) 05/05/2007
MANILA, Philippines – Around 200 faculty members, staff and students of the Philippine Christian University (PCU) staged an overnight protest yesterday against their president’s supposed inaction on issues of alleged corruption and mismanagement.
Ellen Naluz, a grade-school guidance counselor and the group’s designated spokesperson, told the Inquirer that they would hold the “community action” until PCU president, Rev. Dr. Oscar de Suarez, decides to answer the accusations point-by-point.
“He has not shown himself to us and neither has the board of trustees,” she said, adding that the group was also calling for Suarez’s removal.
Naluz said some slept on the school’s cement grounds while others squeezed inside the Union Theological Seminary (UTS) room using chairs and tables as beds. Others, including those from the Dasmariñas, Cavite campus, who were not allowed inside, sat on chairs outside the gates.
Naluz emphasized that their “community action” was “not a labor strike” as teachers still held summer classes.
“We have no banners, we don’t use megaphones. We just pray while waiting for their response,” she said. The group held its first community action last Oct. 19-20. Suarez countered with an illegal strike charge against the group.
Naluz revealed that the school community had become “so demoralized” because of the alleged graft issues, which were compounded by the recent one-year suspension from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
“He just kept quiet. Even the ones responsible for what the NCAA found have not been sanctioned,” she said.
Among the unresolved matters which the group brought to the Manila Regional Trial Court were a P32M bank loan purportedly transferred to Terra Nova Trading Corporation owned by Suarez’s wife Marlene; an P82M payment from National Power Corporation to the school for an expropriated property, half of which “went to the broker;” and a P2.5M budget for an educational grant budget that “did not materialize.”
Suarez had claimed the P32M loan was “authorized” by the board as an investment, in an October 2006 interview with the Inquirer.
“When Pastor Suarez first sat as president in 2000, the cash balance was P260M; in 2004, it was down to P76M. We haven’t checked the audit for 2005-2006, but who knows it might be negative already,” said Naluz, who said she feared an impending school shutdown.
Enrollment, she added, had been on the decline—the Taft and Dasma campuses have about 5,000 students each, when years ago, Naluz said it reached more than 10,000.
The Inquirer tried to speak twice with Dr. Greg de Lara, vice president for academic affairs, but school guards said he was “in a meeting.” Suarez was not in his office.
“He won’t show up until we’re here. We’re open to dialogue, but from what we’ve learned, he’s telling us ‘see you in court’ again,” Naluz said.
Today, the term “corruption” has become a “staple food” on the tables of every Filipino. My 12 year-old sister knows it, my 60-year old father despises it, Kay’s 95 year-old grandfather is sick and tired of it.
True enough, corruption has become one of the cancer cells of every society that pulls it down to its slow and painful demise.
I had my primary and secondary school at the Philippine Christian University in Dasmariñas Cavite (a private school) and I should say that my older sister and I had firm educational foundations. We were able to get a college degree and be employed afterwards, because the culture of educational excellence was imbibed in us.
During our time, PCU was one of the most revered schools in Cavite. Aside from the fact that it holds the Christian virtues FAITH, CHARACTER, SERVICE as its philosophical foundations, PCU was one of the premier science schools in Cavite (or was it?). I should say that even if I “know” what corruption is, I was not so acquainted about it simply because we did not have a corrupt school setting that time—or should I say, I was not aware of the issues back then?
Later, when I moved to Manila to take up my undergraduate course in Philippine Normal University, I was aghast on how corruption works in a state university such as PNU. Rooms and chairs are vandalized, windows and doors are broken, comfort rooms do not give any comfort, some professors do not teach, books in the library are either broken or obsolete and the list brings you to middle earth.
I realized how corrupt Philippines is, and it saddens me. If educational institutions are being infiltrated by a culture of corruption, what future will younger generations see?
But what hurt me the most was the news I read early this morning.
PCU students renew protest action vs president
This was the title of a news article in the Philippine Daily Inqurer, and it struck me hard; it made me weak.
What happened to my alma mater? How come issues like this arise in a “Christian” school? Of course, the issues are still allegations, and Dr. Suarez is innocent until proven guilty. But the mere fact that a corruption issue surfaces in a Christian school makes one drop his/her head and shrug his/her shoulders in dismay.
If Christian schools—such as PCU, which holds FAITH, CHARACTER, and SERVICE as its trademark—gives up to the lure of corruption, then the future of the country becomes grim. Corruption has quickly turned into a “symbiote” similar to what has eaten Spiderman up, acutely and unconsciously being a part of one’s system, one’s culture.
I pray that the issue be resolved as soon as possible.
PCU students renew protest action vs president
By Allison Lopez
Inquirer
Last updated 01:48am (Mla time) 05/05/2007
MANILA, Philippines – Around 200 faculty members, staff and students of the Philippine Christian University (PCU) staged an overnight protest yesterday against their president’s supposed inaction on issues of alleged corruption and mismanagement.
Ellen Naluz, a grade-school guidance counselor and the group’s designated spokesperson, told the Inquirer that they would hold the “community action” until PCU president, Rev. Dr. Oscar de Suarez, decides to answer the accusations point-by-point.
“He has not shown himself to us and neither has the board of trustees,” she said, adding that the group was also calling for Suarez’s removal.
Naluz said some slept on the school’s cement grounds while others squeezed inside the Union Theological Seminary (UTS) room using chairs and tables as beds. Others, including those from the Dasmariñas, Cavite campus, who were not allowed inside, sat on chairs outside the gates.
Naluz emphasized that their “community action” was “not a labor strike” as teachers still held summer classes.
“We have no banners, we don’t use megaphones. We just pray while waiting for their response,” she said. The group held its first community action last Oct. 19-20. Suarez countered with an illegal strike charge against the group.
Naluz revealed that the school community had become “so demoralized” because of the alleged graft issues, which were compounded by the recent one-year suspension from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
“He just kept quiet. Even the ones responsible for what the NCAA found have not been sanctioned,” she said.
Among the unresolved matters which the group brought to the Manila Regional Trial Court were a P32M bank loan purportedly transferred to Terra Nova Trading Corporation owned by Suarez’s wife Marlene; an P82M payment from National Power Corporation to the school for an expropriated property, half of which “went to the broker;” and a P2.5M budget for an educational grant budget that “did not materialize.”
Suarez had claimed the P32M loan was “authorized” by the board as an investment, in an October 2006 interview with the Inquirer.
“When Pastor Suarez first sat as president in 2000, the cash balance was P260M; in 2004, it was down to P76M. We haven’t checked the audit for 2005-2006, but who knows it might be negative already,” said Naluz, who said she feared an impending school shutdown.
Enrollment, she added, had been on the decline—the Taft and Dasma campuses have about 5,000 students each, when years ago, Naluz said it reached more than 10,000.
The Inquirer tried to speak twice with Dr. Greg de Lara, vice president for academic affairs, but school guards said he was “in a meeting.” Suarez was not in his office.
“He won’t show up until we’re here. We’re open to dialogue, but from what we’ve learned, he’s telling us ‘see you in court’ again,” Naluz said.
Kakabanas na 'kakasa ka ba...'
The poorly imitated quiz show “Kakasa Ka Ba sa Grade 5” had its second airing last Saturday. And true enough, it has once again irked most my fellow educators and friends who have watched it—novice teachers like me.
The title itself is vexing aside from far-fetched. I’m not so good in translating, since we did not have a very strong foundation in the theories and practice of language translation. But even a non-linguist or non-language major would automatically notice the irrelevance of “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” to that of the present Filipinized version. Well, at least, it’s in the interrogative.
But the title is not a very big deal for me. Anyway, I thought, they also did some modifications in the quiz show format—there’s no Sibika at Kultura and M.A.P.E. in the original one, to site some. What alarmed me the most are the questions posed in this quiz show—or at least those questions asked for the English subject.
For a quiz show, hosted by (in)famous singer-comedian and aired at a primetime in one of the network giants in the Philippines, this surely has a very big impact to the Filipino people—most specifically to the Filipino kids.
At first, I admired the idea of adapting the quiz show. At last, there’s something fruitful that our kids can watch; something educational, something not ‘showbiz’, something not violent. But I was alarmed when I saw the questions posted. I was disappointed when I observed contestants playing stupid—or are they stupid at all? I hope not.
I was alarmed because last Saturday (October 27, 2007) they asked a Grade 2 English question which goes like:
“What is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to indicate its position in a sentence?”
Their answer to this question is preposition. I admit, I got confused at first—and confused up to this day. I think the writers/researchers or whoever is writing the questions underestimated test construction. The question is misleading, because so far as I know, prepositions show relationships such as direction, time, location, or ownership. To define preposition as such is rather narrow and shallow.
Kay told me that maybe it’s because it’s a “Grade 2 English” question. While she has a point, I’m still not convinced. I’ve watched some episodes of the original quiz show and the way they construct questions prove that they have researched and consulted subject matter experts. Kay told me that more likely, this quiz show has researchers and consultants, or they may have gotten questions from the Dep. Ed…. Now that poses a greater threat. If they have consulted Dep. Ed. Textbooks, then the issue of erroneous textbooks has resurrected—right after All Saint’s Day.
Last November 3, they asked another questionable question:
Which among the following is not an action word?
A. flying
B. riding
C. sleeping
D. none of the above
Their answer is “D. None of the above” which gives us the idea that all of the first options are indeed action words. Well, it seems correct, all of them ends in –ing anyway. And our elementary teacher taught us that it’s in the present progressive tense.
I’m not so good in grammar, but as I ponder on the question, I remembered one of the lessons we had in one of our grammar subjects back in college and I think the question is quite misleading—and confusing.
The question asks for the “not action word.” I rearranged the question and asked: “Is sleeping an action?”—I think it’s similar to “Is standing and action?” There’s a very technical explanation for this—I’m not sure but maybe this topic is related to Copula Verbs.
But I don’t intend to lecture. There’ll be a very long exchange of arguments. Instead, I’d like you to judge: “Is sleeping an action?”
At the end of the day, I’d like to call the attention of the writers, researchers, et. al. of quiz shows—and would be quiz shows. Please study your questions carefully. For me, more than just that fact that you give away money, you also give away information; and wrong information is a DAMAGE TO MANKIND.
The title itself is vexing aside from far-fetched. I’m not so good in translating, since we did not have a very strong foundation in the theories and practice of language translation. But even a non-linguist or non-language major would automatically notice the irrelevance of “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” to that of the present Filipinized version. Well, at least, it’s in the interrogative.
But the title is not a very big deal for me. Anyway, I thought, they also did some modifications in the quiz show format—there’s no Sibika at Kultura and M.A.P.E. in the original one, to site some. What alarmed me the most are the questions posed in this quiz show—or at least those questions asked for the English subject.
For a quiz show, hosted by (in)famous singer-comedian and aired at a primetime in one of the network giants in the Philippines, this surely has a very big impact to the Filipino people—most specifically to the Filipino kids.
At first, I admired the idea of adapting the quiz show. At last, there’s something fruitful that our kids can watch; something educational, something not ‘showbiz’, something not violent. But I was alarmed when I saw the questions posted. I was disappointed when I observed contestants playing stupid—or are they stupid at all? I hope not.
I was alarmed because last Saturday (October 27, 2007) they asked a Grade 2 English question which goes like:
“What is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to indicate its position in a sentence?”
Their answer to this question is preposition. I admit, I got confused at first—and confused up to this day. I think the writers/researchers or whoever is writing the questions underestimated test construction. The question is misleading, because so far as I know, prepositions show relationships such as direction, time, location, or ownership. To define preposition as such is rather narrow and shallow.
Kay told me that maybe it’s because it’s a “Grade 2 English” question. While she has a point, I’m still not convinced. I’ve watched some episodes of the original quiz show and the way they construct questions prove that they have researched and consulted subject matter experts. Kay told me that more likely, this quiz show has researchers and consultants, or they may have gotten questions from the Dep. Ed…. Now that poses a greater threat. If they have consulted Dep. Ed. Textbooks, then the issue of erroneous textbooks has resurrected—right after All Saint’s Day.
Last November 3, they asked another questionable question:
Which among the following is not an action word?
A. flying
B. riding
C. sleeping
D. none of the above
Their answer is “D. None of the above” which gives us the idea that all of the first options are indeed action words. Well, it seems correct, all of them ends in –ing anyway. And our elementary teacher taught us that it’s in the present progressive tense.
I’m not so good in grammar, but as I ponder on the question, I remembered one of the lessons we had in one of our grammar subjects back in college and I think the question is quite misleading—and confusing.
The question asks for the “not action word.” I rearranged the question and asked: “Is sleeping an action?”—I think it’s similar to “Is standing and action?” There’s a very technical explanation for this—I’m not sure but maybe this topic is related to Copula Verbs.
But I don’t intend to lecture. There’ll be a very long exchange of arguments. Instead, I’d like you to judge: “Is sleeping an action?”
At the end of the day, I’d like to call the attention of the writers, researchers, et. al. of quiz shows—and would be quiz shows. Please study your questions carefully. For me, more than just that fact that you give away money, you also give away information; and wrong information is a DAMAGE TO MANKIND.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Trivial
When I first encountered the term “trivial” in Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, I had a confused idea. I thought the word is something related to “trivia”; that the word trivial might be an adjective that talks about a certain noun worthy of being tagged as a trivia. In fairness to my low level of thinking, I used structural vocabulary analysis since I thought that trivia is the root word. Makes sense eh?
But as I prepare my paper in literary criticism, I realized that the term is not as I thought it was. I found out that it’s an adjective that means “of little significance or value”. That is when I finally understood Wilde when he talked about trivialities and human folly. Indeed, Wilde is correct when he said that most people tend to prioritize trivial things over the most basic yet truly important activities.
In the "school" where I teach, this happens most of the time. People at the upper management of the school tend to scrutinize the aesthetics, the presentation of something without even considering the content of such. Layout, colors, neatness, etc. are what they look for in everything that you submit. It should follow the “standard.” It should be neat. It should be this and that. Crap.
In all fairness, there’s nothing wrong with scrutinizing the aesthetic value of a certain project, paper, or output; that’s part of it (N.B. “part”, “portion”). But it is quite illogical and pathetic to look into the details of the presentation when you haven’t even studied the contents. You call yourself a “manager” a “boss” and you don’t even know how to dig deeper into the most crucial and important issues???!!! Shame on you!
What’s irritating about these “culture of quality work” is the fact that they will start scrutinizing from the outside going inside. The result? Piles of scrapped papers and ink cartridges, thousands of white hair, and tons of stress and vexatious moments.
Imagine, you worked for a certain output overnight. You buried your eyes over your laptop (that nearly got you blinded); you ransacked your brain to present your output in a logical and sensible manner. Then all you get is an eyebrow raised just because you didn’t follow the “standard format”. Then they’ll ask you to repeat your work perpetually. Can’t they just give the corrections all at once? Two or three corrections are acceptable but if your output returns more than 4 times in a day, there must be something wrong (either with you or with the “culture” that your workplace practices). Imagine, all your hard work will be weighed and sold to a junk shop?
I have realized that this entry is full of anger. Indeed it is. And to hell if the higher ups read this.
But as I prepare my paper in literary criticism, I realized that the term is not as I thought it was. I found out that it’s an adjective that means “of little significance or value”. That is when I finally understood Wilde when he talked about trivialities and human folly. Indeed, Wilde is correct when he said that most people tend to prioritize trivial things over the most basic yet truly important activities.
In the "school" where I teach, this happens most of the time. People at the upper management of the school tend to scrutinize the aesthetics, the presentation of something without even considering the content of such. Layout, colors, neatness, etc. are what they look for in everything that you submit. It should follow the “standard.” It should be neat. It should be this and that. Crap.
In all fairness, there’s nothing wrong with scrutinizing the aesthetic value of a certain project, paper, or output; that’s part of it (N.B. “part”, “portion”). But it is quite illogical and pathetic to look into the details of the presentation when you haven’t even studied the contents. You call yourself a “manager” a “boss” and you don’t even know how to dig deeper into the most crucial and important issues???!!! Shame on you!
What’s irritating about these “culture of quality work” is the fact that they will start scrutinizing from the outside going inside. The result? Piles of scrapped papers and ink cartridges, thousands of white hair, and tons of stress and vexatious moments.
Imagine, you worked for a certain output overnight. You buried your eyes over your laptop (that nearly got you blinded); you ransacked your brain to present your output in a logical and sensible manner. Then all you get is an eyebrow raised just because you didn’t follow the “standard format”. Then they’ll ask you to repeat your work perpetually. Can’t they just give the corrections all at once? Two or three corrections are acceptable but if your output returns more than 4 times in a day, there must be something wrong (either with you or with the “culture” that your workplace practices). Imagine, all your hard work will be weighed and sold to a junk shop?
I have realized that this entry is full of anger. Indeed it is. And to hell if the higher ups read this.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Pains of Being a Teacher
I have realized that the most painful part of being a teacher is not the difficult nor the multiple tasks; it’s not the fatigue that one will feel after every class; it’s not the irritation that one will experience whenever the class is noisy; it’s not the litany of the head, principal, or dean because you did not comply with a certain requirement or procedure. It’s when you observe that your students seem not to learn anything from you.
Lately, Kay and I were discussing about our experiences in teaching. Although I graduated ahead of her, we both started teaching this school year. Most of the time, she would complain about the behavior of her “boys”. Freshmen high school boys are naturally rowdy and noisy. On my part, I told her that I don’t have any problem as regards discipline. I’ve been telling her that dealing with my cadets is a lot more tolerable than dealing with the owners and administrators of the school.
However, I have observed lately the poor performance of my cadets. Most of them got a low score during the prelim exams, and I just can’t help but be worried. “What was wrong?” I keep on asking myself, “What went wrong? Principle? Language learning theory? Classroom Management? Teaching Strategy? Instructional Materials? Assessment Tools? Which one?”
I didn’t feel any anxiety regarding the fact that the management will blame me and might scold me for the cadets’ poor oral and written communication skills. Instead, I felt sorry for myself. I felt so pathetic. Maybe I’m not an effective educator.
Most of my classmates in my undergraduate years and in my masteral studies (and even Kay) tend to regard me as “a good student.” They see me as a “bibo kid” inside a classroom because I actively participate and seem to have all the answers that the professor would give. Sadly, I see myself now as a mere “bibo kid”. I’m a disgrace to the PNU Enlish Department. It seems that I’m only good at theories and concepts, but I fail to apply them in class.
I‘ve realized that the shadows of my students’ illiteracy and incompetence would forever haunt me.
But I shall fight back. I must illuminate the path. I must change the course of history. I don’t know how, but I will.
Lately, Kay and I were discussing about our experiences in teaching. Although I graduated ahead of her, we both started teaching this school year. Most of the time, she would complain about the behavior of her “boys”. Freshmen high school boys are naturally rowdy and noisy. On my part, I told her that I don’t have any problem as regards discipline. I’ve been telling her that dealing with my cadets is a lot more tolerable than dealing with the owners and administrators of the school.
However, I have observed lately the poor performance of my cadets. Most of them got a low score during the prelim exams, and I just can’t help but be worried. “What was wrong?” I keep on asking myself, “What went wrong? Principle? Language learning theory? Classroom Management? Teaching Strategy? Instructional Materials? Assessment Tools? Which one?”
I didn’t feel any anxiety regarding the fact that the management will blame me and might scold me for the cadets’ poor oral and written communication skills. Instead, I felt sorry for myself. I felt so pathetic. Maybe I’m not an effective educator.
Most of my classmates in my undergraduate years and in my masteral studies (and even Kay) tend to regard me as “a good student.” They see me as a “bibo kid” inside a classroom because I actively participate and seem to have all the answers that the professor would give. Sadly, I see myself now as a mere “bibo kid”. I’m a disgrace to the PNU Enlish Department. It seems that I’m only good at theories and concepts, but I fail to apply them in class.
I‘ve realized that the shadows of my students’ illiteracy and incompetence would forever haunt me.
But I shall fight back. I must illuminate the path. I must change the course of history. I don’t know how, but I will.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
KWENTO pop
Buong pagmamalaki kong ineendorse ang album nila Pax alcantara (kabanda, katropa, at ka-meydyor sa PNU) maganda ang mga awitin sa album nila, mahusay at malinis ang pagkakaareglo...
ipagpatuloy nawa ng Blue Kechup ang paggawa ng de-kalidad na musika
o ano pang hinihintay nyo? BUY NAH!! ;-) UNG ORIG LANG HA? ;-)
ipagpatuloy nawa ng Blue Kechup ang paggawa ng de-kalidad na musika
o ano pang hinihintay nyo? BUY NAH!! ;-) UNG ORIG LANG HA? ;-)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
On the Spot
Just a few minutes ago, one of my students approached me and asked me to explain a line from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Darn. I felt a sudden shiver inside me. Shakespeare has never been easy. His lines are too romantic and too poetic that an ordinary reader will not understand the intended meaning quickly.
I am an ordinary reader.
I have never considered myself as an exemplary reader. (My classmate Jason could be one. He reads fast and he understands literary texts accurately.) Aside from the fact that I read like a sloth, my comprehension is not that accurate. Sometimes, I have a tendency to over read; most of the time I have a different interpretation.
Back in college, I remember one of my professors who told us not to do “damage to mankind” by teaching wrong concepts and giving out wrong information. Indeed, the role of a teacher is quite stressful. You have to examine everything closely and study all the possible ideas that your student may think of.
I also remember my mentor, Dr. Mendiola. I’m such a disgrace had he heard my answer.
Oh wait, I suddenly realized that I’m writing this blog in order to gather comments and reactions about how I answered my student. I think it’s not too late to call my student and tell him “Hey, I’m such an ass; I made a wrong interpretation of the line…”
Anyway, here goes. (in short, what I’ve written above are pure beatin’-around-the-bush introduction)
My student asked me about the line in Act V, Scene V of Macbeth. It says, “Life is but a walking shadow…” Quite easy? I don’t know. Maybe. But I found myself petrified upon being asked. It’s really difficult to be put on the spot.
I told my student to create a sort of a table, where he will compare and contrast the characteristics of the two keywords presented in the line—LIFE and SHADOW. In literature, there is what we call as “binary opposites” but these two entities do not belong to that, because—if I remember it well—binary opposites should belong to a certain continuum, i.e. day and night, darkness and light, etc.
Anyhow, I asked him to think of the similarities of the two. I told him that like a shadow, life is temporary. It is short-lived. On the other hand, I consulted Kay and she gave me a quite convincing answer. She told me that “life is like a shadow kase…there won’t be a shadow without light..then , probably, life won’t be a life if there’s no light that shines upon us…”
Oh well, I suddenly realized that I’m doing this the reader-response way. The table is now open for comments/ suggestions/ interpretations/ clarifications/ interjections/ conjunctions/ injections/ and projections.
I am an ordinary reader.
I have never considered myself as an exemplary reader. (My classmate Jason could be one. He reads fast and he understands literary texts accurately.) Aside from the fact that I read like a sloth, my comprehension is not that accurate. Sometimes, I have a tendency to over read; most of the time I have a different interpretation.
Back in college, I remember one of my professors who told us not to do “damage to mankind” by teaching wrong concepts and giving out wrong information. Indeed, the role of a teacher is quite stressful. You have to examine everything closely and study all the possible ideas that your student may think of.
I also remember my mentor, Dr. Mendiola. I’m such a disgrace had he heard my answer.
Oh wait, I suddenly realized that I’m writing this blog in order to gather comments and reactions about how I answered my student. I think it’s not too late to call my student and tell him “Hey, I’m such an ass; I made a wrong interpretation of the line…”
Anyway, here goes. (in short, what I’ve written above are pure beatin’-around-the-bush introduction)
My student asked me about the line in Act V, Scene V of Macbeth. It says, “Life is but a walking shadow…” Quite easy? I don’t know. Maybe. But I found myself petrified upon being asked. It’s really difficult to be put on the spot.
I told my student to create a sort of a table, where he will compare and contrast the characteristics of the two keywords presented in the line—LIFE and SHADOW. In literature, there is what we call as “binary opposites” but these two entities do not belong to that, because—if I remember it well—binary opposites should belong to a certain continuum, i.e. day and night, darkness and light, etc.
Anyhow, I asked him to think of the similarities of the two. I told him that like a shadow, life is temporary. It is short-lived. On the other hand, I consulted Kay and she gave me a quite convincing answer. She told me that “life is like a shadow kase…there won’t be a shadow without light..then , probably, life won’t be a life if there’s no light that shines upon us…”
Oh well, I suddenly realized that I’m doing this the reader-response way. The table is now open for comments/ suggestions/ interpretations/ clarifications/ interjections/ conjunctions/ injections/ and projections.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Yellow Papers
I presently have piles of yellow papers on top of my desk. Nope. Cory’s not waging another people power through signature campaigns in yellow papers.
I simply have three sets of exams (essay type, note that) to check. Yeah, this is nothing compared to my colleagues in the field. Some of my former classmates have 40 and above in one section. I only have 30. Some of them have 8 teaching loads. I only have four. Most of them still use the Jurassic type of recording grades that is, using class records. We use electronic encoding of grades.
Yeah, this is easy compared to them. But let me lay down the causes of my graying hair.
First, I’m the ONLY English teacher in this academy. Damn. I can’t write anything else!
Second, I’m the ONLY course developer and “textbook writer” in this school. That means, I’m having a hard time dealing with the topics that I should include in the curriculum and all those technical stuff about being an educator. I still have to call and text my college professors to seek for opinion and advice regarding various subject matters. Sigh.
Third, I’m the ONLY English teacher in this academy. Damn. I’m not merely repeating. I’m reiterating. Is there a difference? I think so. Well, uhmm…technically repeating is something really annoying, because that’s more of redundancy of whatevers. But, well, reiterating is more subtle.
Whatever.
My point is, I’m the lone English teacher here, and I can’t ask anyone to help me. If I do, I’ll just get blank stares—sometimes sarcastic smiles. It’s humiliating to say that I’m also the school paper adviser. Well, what else do you expect? Despite of my very limited knowledge about campus journalism, there it goes, I’m screening the applicants for the paper.
Pretending is one of the most difficult tasks on Earth.
But I don’t want to sound as if I’m complaining that much to the extent that I’ll leave my profession. In all fairness, there’s a joy in teaching that surpasses all these pressures and challenges. The “ohhhhhs…” and “ahhhhs…” of the students when they learn something new; the smile among their faces subtly telling you how thankful they are; the laughter inside the class when you crack a joke, and all the rest that can’t be expressed by words.
Oh well, I’ve said my piece; enough to release the tension.
The yellow sheets are now staring at me, waiting for their turn to be checked.
I simply have three sets of exams (essay type, note that) to check. Yeah, this is nothing compared to my colleagues in the field. Some of my former classmates have 40 and above in one section. I only have 30. Some of them have 8 teaching loads. I only have four. Most of them still use the Jurassic type of recording grades that is, using class records. We use electronic encoding of grades.
Yeah, this is easy compared to them. But let me lay down the causes of my graying hair.
First, I’m the ONLY English teacher in this academy. Damn. I can’t write anything else!
Second, I’m the ONLY course developer and “textbook writer” in this school. That means, I’m having a hard time dealing with the topics that I should include in the curriculum and all those technical stuff about being an educator. I still have to call and text my college professors to seek for opinion and advice regarding various subject matters. Sigh.
Third, I’m the ONLY English teacher in this academy. Damn. I’m not merely repeating. I’m reiterating. Is there a difference? I think so. Well, uhmm…technically repeating is something really annoying, because that’s more of redundancy of whatevers. But, well, reiterating is more subtle.
Whatever.
My point is, I’m the lone English teacher here, and I can’t ask anyone to help me. If I do, I’ll just get blank stares—sometimes sarcastic smiles. It’s humiliating to say that I’m also the school paper adviser. Well, what else do you expect? Despite of my very limited knowledge about campus journalism, there it goes, I’m screening the applicants for the paper.
Pretending is one of the most difficult tasks on Earth.
But I don’t want to sound as if I’m complaining that much to the extent that I’ll leave my profession. In all fairness, there’s a joy in teaching that surpasses all these pressures and challenges. The “ohhhhhs…” and “ahhhhs…” of the students when they learn something new; the smile among their faces subtly telling you how thankful they are; the laughter inside the class when you crack a joke, and all the rest that can’t be expressed by words.
Oh well, I’ve said my piece; enough to release the tension.
The yellow sheets are now staring at me, waiting for their turn to be checked.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Wishful Thinking
A few minutes ago, while riding the jeepney from Carmel Mall to NTMA, I saw factory workers and employees boarding their shuttle services that—I assume—will bring them to a drop point near their houses. Upon seeing them, I immediately sighed and thought “How I wish that NYK—one of the biggest shipping companies in the world—and TDG—a Filipino business conglomerate ‘with a heart with vision, growth and compassion’—will provide its faculty and staff at NTMA with a similar shuttle service.” It does not need to be elegant; it does not need to be savvy; it does not need to be air-conditioned. All we need, I reckon, is a shuttle service that will pick us up every Sunday evening from a certain point (e.g. Mayapa) and bring us to NTMA; then, during Fridays, bring us to the same point, for us to get an easy access to the buses going to Manila.
Suddenly, upon reaching San Sebastian, the driver barked at me and told me that it’s the end of his line. My thought balloon popped and I realized that I should start walking towards NTMA. Indeed, some dreams come true…some do not. Who knows?
Suddenly, upon reaching San Sebastian, the driver barked at me and told me that it’s the end of his line. My thought balloon popped and I realized that I should start walking towards NTMA. Indeed, some dreams come true…some do not. Who knows?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Discussions over a cup of Sinigang
This is the first blog that i'm going to post using my fist ever laptop...well, actually, i can't really call it "MY" laptop coz' it was just issued by the school...
Anyway, while having lunch at the cafetorium, we had a few discussions regarding the school's policies regarding the use of its facilities, particularly this laptop. One of my colleagues was complaining because he thinks that the laptop is inutile since some sites are restricted, the laptop itself has a lot of restrictions as regards softwares and all. But I understand the administration for drafting such policies. It's meant to ensure safety of its properties.
However, I find it really difficult and cumbersome to still ask for the IT personnel to check my PC every now and then. I just hope that their service is always available because we might have problems and the discussions might turn out to be argumentations over a cup of Sinigang... But they ensured that we should not worry because they can handle the situation... I just hope they really could...
Anyway, while having lunch at the cafetorium, we had a few discussions regarding the school's policies regarding the use of its facilities, particularly this laptop. One of my colleagues was complaining because he thinks that the laptop is inutile since some sites are restricted, the laptop itself has a lot of restrictions as regards softwares and all. But I understand the administration for drafting such policies. It's meant to ensure safety of its properties.
However, I find it really difficult and cumbersome to still ask for the IT personnel to check my PC every now and then. I just hope that their service is always available because we might have problems and the discussions might turn out to be argumentations over a cup of Sinigang... But they ensured that we should not worry because they can handle the situation... I just hope they really could...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Novice Teacher
When we were in grade school, my ate kept a diary. I don't know what a diary is during that time, but later, because of TV programs and movies, I have discovered that a diary is where you write your sentiments. I have learned that the diary functions as a person's confidante, whenever s/he cannot find someone to talk to. I've found out that a diary acts as the "shock absorber" of a person. Most importantly, I've realized that diaries should be kept secret. It's contents should be hidden between the owner and its pages.
Nowadays, however, we tend to rely mostly on technology and what we do is to write our "sentiments" through blogs. Indeed, the internet became an international gateway. But what surprises me is the fact that a lot of people find blogging very interesting and worthwhile. This generation has even learned to disclose their darkest secrets to the world.
Anyway, when I was in college, i vowed to finally write in a diary. I thought, when I die, people will forget me, but my ideologies will stay if i write them down.
The focus of my blogs will be mostly about my realizations during my teaching experiences. This is my first year to practice my profession since I was primarily hired to develop the syllabus and instructional materials of tertiary English. I find it difficult to adjust. It has been a year since I graduated and I haven't practiced my profession since then. I had difficulties regarding time management. I thought a one-hour class is to long, only to find out that my first two meetings with my students were fair enough to finish orienting them about the subjects and discussing their requirements withing the semester.
Today, I'll start the struggle, I'll try to keep my blogs updated as possible.
Nowadays, however, we tend to rely mostly on technology and what we do is to write our "sentiments" through blogs. Indeed, the internet became an international gateway. But what surprises me is the fact that a lot of people find blogging very interesting and worthwhile. This generation has even learned to disclose their darkest secrets to the world.
Anyway, when I was in college, i vowed to finally write in a diary. I thought, when I die, people will forget me, but my ideologies will stay if i write them down.
The focus of my blogs will be mostly about my realizations during my teaching experiences. This is my first year to practice my profession since I was primarily hired to develop the syllabus and instructional materials of tertiary English. I find it difficult to adjust. It has been a year since I graduated and I haven't practiced my profession since then. I had difficulties regarding time management. I thought a one-hour class is to long, only to find out that my first two meetings with my students were fair enough to finish orienting them about the subjects and discussing their requirements withing the semester.
Today, I'll start the struggle, I'll try to keep my blogs updated as possible.
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