Dehins Kwentong Kutchero

The TOK class is a classic example of how teachers can effectively employ the use of pairwork and small group discussions to elicit prior knowledge,  encourage thinking together and listening to each other,  while placing them in a learning situation where they can agree to disagree and even arrive at common understandings. I know that this may be commonplace in all types of schools but what keeps me interested are the types of questions students sort out and the meanings they arrive at after all the exchanges—to what extent the discussions turn out to be typical ‘umpukan sa kanto’, ‘kwentong kutchero', 'kwentong barbero', FacLounge exchange, I dunno whatelse or a genuine intellectual exercise.

The teacher started the class by simply jotting down a list of assumptions, top of his head kinda thing. He starts the class by laying down the goals and linking these with the essential agreements, the purposes of the day’s work as it relates to their future lives in the university, not to mention spending a few minutes to put in context today’s topic which was about dealing with ‘assumptions’. This initial teacher talk ran for about 8 minutes or so that I was about to say my "Oh no... teacher-preacher!!!". Of course, it hardly turned out to be that way.  I can see the students taking this as part of the routine, and comfortably understanding where the teacher was coming from.

For the small group activity to work, a set of questions were provided:

What are assumptions? Why do we have these? How do we get rid of them?

(And should I even say, that the key to the success of this kind of activity is the set of questions given.  Surely, this activity is not bound to fail.)

The teacher comes across as a person very relaxed with his students because he seems to have established a steady work relationship with them. Also, having been with the Grade 12’s myself as a sub teacher,  I can say that being with this class was like simply dealing with a bunch of adults who equally know when to relax, when to get on with business and when things have to go faster than usual because an output has to be turned in.  They are the type to naturally transition from one activity to the next without much cheering on in the way preschoolers and grade schoolers would be cued by their teachers.

I can say that perhaps the  Grade 12’s are pretty much prepared to be booted out of HS, into a university and finally get on with their lives having real jobs.  Perhaps the next few months are about bidding time and while at that, may as well give them a hard time through IB Diploma prescriptions, lol. The only reason you would want to delay this eventuality is the feeling that you know at one point in their lives as adults, when they feel utterly tired and exhausted, they would wish to be back in HS, away from the cares of the world!!!

Moving on….

I easily got to move around and engage. The students went on with their business of  thinking and responding to the questions but at the same time, they comfortably let me into their small group exchange. One pair started with their ideas of religion and how it influenced one’s ways of looking at things. The other  discussed about  the individual in relation to their spheres, that they even had a diagram in their notes while their peer discussion went on.  I finally came around to reaching the third pair who were almost done, arriving at this: assumptions are stuff they cannot do without, hence there is value in acknowledging these assumptions and being careful about how it may or may not influence the way you see things in life…(and perhaps arrive at certain choices they need to make).

At one point, the teacher briefly called the attention of the students to clarify the meaning of the word assumption…and it came just in time when I found myself asking how assumptions differ from premises, arguments, theories, beliefs, opinions and biases, prejudices…..and all the other stuff TOK students are learning which I wished I have learned during my time and perhaps teaching Philosophy now would be a breeze!!!

It was a wholesome exchange of ideas that I witnessed among the Gr 12’s.

I wished I stayed a bit longer to see how the teacher shall take off from the students’ ideas.

My thoughts bring me back to how our Gr 10’s and 9’s are: the 9’s who are still much into their cliques, and the 10’s who are a class of their own, half serious, half getting there and funny mostly, and fully absorbed once the right buttons are pushed.

Will I be able to stay long enough to be like Joseph with them once they reach Gr 12?

With that Bleh Out of the Way, Now This!!!

I laugh now...with that major BLEH out of the way, I now would like to see what I am learning to do these days, besides the teaching part in my new school.

When I was with my university work, I was one of those resisting bureaucracy---you know, those channels of communication,  clear processes to get things done, delineation of work,  meetings galore.
Only to find myself trying to put a bit of this and that into this new work place. Down the drain goes all my research ideas, and shitty theoretical underpinnings of this and that, and though I admit I DO MISS RESEARCH, I realized because it's the best escape from doing the nitty gritty--changing culture=paglabag sa mga bagay na kinagisnan tungo sa kaunlaran.

So this job of LC is really about that--trying to find new ways of doing things by recycling or even transplanting ideas from there to here, or here to there. And I need to start thinking about the teachers as my class of students whom I need to support without them knowing that. It's great to be doing that in ways which are not entirely obvious. I'm glad to be in an obscure office because that means I have to be the one to move about and approach whomever I can manage to. I need not prove to be on top of things because my fellows in the acad team are seeing to that.

Id like to say here that the ultimate measure of my success for this year is just this:
-a sound and coherent teacher appraisal borne out of collaboration from fellow teachers

Just that....I'll have to do my Hist and Philo just the same anyways. So ok, Ill add one---
-a teacher who will be able to comfortably say: YES, I KNOW my students.

It's been a while....

Yeps, it's been a while. And really a long while. A former Beacon School teacher, Ms Isah Caguicla, will surely understand me and we'll just give this a laugh.

Well, these days, I do not entirely feel like laughing. For one, I think I'm feeling old...you know, OLD=pretty much set with particular ways of doing things.  It's not that the challenges no longer surprise me. It's just that when you finally get over what you thought was the greatest challenge of your life (and in my context that was setting up a school, keeping it alive alongside, doing fulltime university work, amidst doctoral studies), here I am with a new challenge being LC (and what the heck is this about) and of adjusting to a new work setting.

Setting up a school was largely different. There was so much ownership involved--blood, sweat and tears of joy. It was not like some job at all. It was doing the daily grind and seeing the purpose of it everyday because I see my children everyday, and I see them grow with other children who are just as lovable.

When I first came to visit this new school, I found myself amazed at Mailin and Mariles. How can they last this long? And both their children who have grown to be young adults, are now in some other school. Why even bother to be here.

But then I HAVE to be here. This is my daughter's education and the only way I can contribute to her schooling since admittedly, I cannot homeschool her to deprive her of other adults who are worthier to guide her through all the other subject areas.

One time, as I was driving home, what if I waited just a bit more for that scholarship to be awarded...perhaps I will be in my own cubicle working on the research I have always wanted to do....or thought so. But then I know, it still won't be enough, right?

Now, it really has been more than a month, I wonder,  what other things in my life have changed? Im feeling more of a mom lately...as in the domesticated kinda mom--making things fine at home. But then there's a limit to that right? Once you get the routine going, it's pretty much there.

Blah blah.  Come to think of it, it has been I a while since I felt bleh. So I guess, Im still good!