I never thought teaching would be this difficult. Every meeting is a practical mine of self-doubt.
Am I making sense?
Am I being credible?
Are these kids following me?
What are they saying behind my back?
More than finding time to prepare my lectures, it's looking the part and making myself professor-ly that's difficult. Minus 6 or 7 years, my students are the same age as I. And that's not exactly a different generation. Being more or less in touch with how they think, I am all the more reminded of how ruthless students can be to professors they don't like. Seriously, that's what's stressing me out.
And just recently, I had this "incident" when after attending an earlier orientation, one of my classes dissed me and missed my session. Save for a handful, most of them decided to skip my class... when they were in fact already in school! I saw them! I attended the same orientation for crying out loud! And to add insult to injury, they were pleading all sorts of excuses to extend the submission of a one-page paper I assigned last week. Geez, come on! It's a one-page paper!
I'd like to think that I'm very straightforward with my students. What you see is what you get. These are my requirements and these are my expectations. And I seriously doubt if I'm a terror professor.
I guess that's it. I'm torn between treating these guys as adults who can make informed decisions and treating them as kids who need to be trained and disciplined. But then I made a firm resolution early on that I WILL NOT BE A BABYSITTER!
It's kinda frustrating and I thank God that he made me a little clueless and dense by nature. I'm not really devastated by this recent power struggle. If at all, it made me think of maximizing my arsenal to drive home a point. And for graduating kids, I guess there's nothing more potent than their final grades. But if so, then why did they wage this "war" to begin with? Shouldn't they be bowing before me and throwing themselves at my feet?
Oh well, at least I get to exercise my patience and better judgment. I have no intentions of throwing a fit to express my frustration. In fact, I've made a mental note of how I should act if and when this power struggle escalates into an actual confrontation:
Dramatic pause 1.
Ask, "Ano'ng problema natin?"
Dramatic pause 2.
Ask, "Bakit niyo ako binabastos?"
Dramatic pause 3 followed by an even more dramatic bow.
Darc raises his head and says:
"Class dismissed."
If I find nobody moving - and I do hope they find themselves stunned and off-balanced - Darc says:
"Get the hell out of this classroom... now!" in a raised but not shouting voice.
'Di ba? I may be frustrated and seething in anger... but I vow to at least do it in style.
Good luck naman talaga!
now what grade will i give you for this post?
ReplyDeletehmmmmm... 5 stars!!! * * * * * hahahaha
college students?
ReplyDeletei dare not compare them to grade school or high school. teaching whatever level has its pros and cons. it is up to you to choose how to effect learning.
to teachers. =)
go gurl!! ay go prof pala hehehe :P
ReplyDeleteMy mom is a Highschool teacher and one of the most important trait i learned from her is Patience.
ReplyDeleteSiguro habaan mo pa pasensya sa kanila Sir D. Kaya yan! Aja!
you know, that you and your kids are from the same generation is actually something you can use to your advantage. don't ask me how, though. basta yung mga batang instructors ko dati yung mas kupal, mas mahirap palusutan.
ReplyDelete@Miggy: Aja! but they're no longer in hs. they'd be working na in a few months. they're practically adults! hehe :p
ReplyDelete@jason: eh ayaw ko maging kupal. i wanna treat thems as how you'd treat an adult :)
I like the hypothetical scenario. May dramatic pauses pa for effect!
ReplyDeleteahaha :P
ReplyDeletehala.. where do you teach? baka biglang prof pala kita.lol
ReplyDeleteanyway, in my opinion, pag ganyan ang nangyayari, its either they think youre incompetent,boring, or just too nice to the point they could manipulate you.
nagturo ako ng college nung early 20s ko. 2 block. iyong isang block love na love ako and vice-versa, iyong isang block, gusto kong ibagsak kalahati sa kanila. lol. :) masaya magturo!!!
ReplyDeletei have super high respect para sa mga guro. :)