This page would like to be an open window with which educators could meet and share an alternative way of being a teacher, promoter of authentic relationships, building sincere rapport with students... in other words, creating a culture of communion in the academic world.
May this simple initiative create in all the educators, who will visit this site, the drive to be protagonist of this new culture.
Here is the first experience:
Teacher's Simple Joy
Here is the first experience:
Teacher's Simple Joy
Rogationist College Principal of Paranaque, Mr. Rome Vital shares with New City a very memorable incident as a teacher in one of the well-known universities where he has taught in his 15 years of teaching experience. This experience shows the importance of treating students as partner, and not only as recipients of the knowledge that an educator would like to impart.
In the past, I once handled a class in business management at one of the famous universities in the country. Many of my colleagues were telling me that this class was really the worst of all. Sometimes as I entered the classroom, I felt that the students were very hard to handle because of the preconceived ideas that I have formed about them. Although it was difficult for me to go to that class, I tried to get rid of these ideas and these feelings. I tried to look for all opportunities to create a relationship with them. It was not easy because at certain point, I also encountered personality clashes.
I had the impression that they didn’t appreciate my approach. One time, I assigned them a project explaining it carefully in detail with all my effort and I thought they had understood but when they submitted their projects, it seems that their work was a protest and they were mocking me. Then there was a group among them who was really quite negatively about me, especially about what I did and my teaching methods. They were really getting on my nerves. In particular, there was one student who overreacted to me. At that moment, I really exploded because I couldn’t handle the fact that they were doing this to their teacher. I was even their Values’ teacher. So my disappointment was greater.
That student told me “who cares if I don’t believe in God” as if to mock me. I really didn’t know what to do anymore and if my method was right or not. I confided my situation to my colleagues. “Don’t mind them. You must be in control, for you are the professor,” were their suggestions. “Make them follow you,” others suggested—meaning I should be stricter and harder on them.
Every time, I was going to this class, I would really be dragging my feet and I couldn’t also follow the suggestions of some of my colleagues because I valued the relationship with my students. Then one day while I was reflecting on what to do, I had the strong feeling that everything would turn out well. An inspiration came. I thought that instead of executing my prepared lesson, why not put it aside and engage my students in a dialogue, allowing them to speak out, to express their observations and feelings about me. I knew I was taking a big risk after that heated discussion in my class. They would probably get back at me, but this did not stop me from holding an open forum. I told them my plan that day as I entered their classroom.
At first, there was silence. I also did not know how to begin or what approach to take. Then, I gathered up my courage. I told them that I would not discuss anything but I wanted to hear how they felt about my way of teaching. As I expected, there were varied reactions. Many of them spoke up and aired their comments and vented feelings of anger which I felt were not even directed against me, but against life in general itself. There was an atmosphere of openness. As I welcomed all that they said, I knew something good was taking place.
After that moment of open forum, I thanked them for everything they had said and also apologizing for my limits. I congratulated them for their honesty and courage in sharing things about me which I had not noticed myself. I felt they were happy afterwards and I too felt certain lightness as I left that class. We were really able to see eye to eye. A different relationship had started to develop among us. One time I assigned another project presentation. Instead of the mocking way with which they did before, I felt that it was changing.
They were now putting in more effort as I saw them preparing even good visual aids. I observed their enthusiasm for my class. I saw the beauty of having given them the trust and not doubting that they could really do well in their projects. I understood that when we trust a person, their values and abilities shine even and come out even more. This beautiful relationship continued until the end of the semester. I could not imagine that of all the classes that I had, theirs became the most memorable. They were the only ones who prepared a simple program for me. They thanked me for all I did for them and they even gave me a card, a very nice card with their signatures and best wishes.
From that group with that student who explicitly showed his dislike of me, I received the most beautiful comment thanking me for the chance of having met each other, for having me as their professor, for having been together in the class, and that they admired me as their professor. These simple comments brought me so much joy.
After this experience, I realized that we should really trust the goodness of each person, and of every student, for who knows— we can really strike gold in the most unexpected classes and students that we will be meeting as teachers.
Rome Vital
http://www.newcityph.com/archive/0906/life.htm
