Ika 22 ng Abril 2009: Real Learning

At the beginning of every school term, we are given a choice of the subjects we'd like to teach. It's a small school with about equal number of students and professors. All professors are part-timers. With almost nine years of teaching experience, I am probably one of the more senior professors in the school and handled more subjects than most. I could teach in the subject areas of economics, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, production, finance, and organization.

For this term, I have chosen organization behavior and management, investment planning and techniques, and customer care. There is usually a professor for organization but she is currently in the US. We are given modules for the subjects. I have taught both organizational behavior and a bit of customer care in my marketing classes so these subjects should be no problem. Investment planning and techniques........ with my experience in my work, it should be a breeze..... I thought to myself proudly. Being in the institution in charge of providing guidance to investors, I thought I had the necessary experience with access to valuable materials as a bonus. When I was given the module, I had the shock of my life. The subject is actually quantitative methods used in business investment decisions. It was too late to back out when I realized it was not what I thought it is.

I was too proud and would be too embarrassed to say I made a mistake in choosing the subject. By that time, it was also too late to find a replacement. We were given our load a day or two before classes open. So I thought about the whole thing....... I am capable of learning. This is not the first time I would teach a new subject..... which would explain my varied repertoire. But I never taught a pure mathematics subject albeit myself being an engineer. It's an exact science with a definitive solution. I hate studying such techniques. I'd rather stray in an area of study where there is free range. While I handled finance subjects before, it is more on the analysis of results, not arriving at the results.

Then again, here I am confronted with an alternative without any real choice. I took it ........ like a man and ready myself for a long term ahead. I asked my co-professor-friends for materials. I actually had a headstart because I handled business finance in the previous term and some of the topics were already covered, a fourth of it, I think. It doesn't help that I have very limited time to study for a new subject because of work.

I did my usual routine in school and it's been about six weeks since classes started. Surprisingly, I am able to cope even if I was studying my subject matter just before I teach it in class. I am glad i accepted this challenge because I am afforded the opportunity to confront my fear of the unknown. Had I backed out, I would have missed out on this rare chance to really learn what I was supposed to learn in my younger years and widen my horizon in the process. Quantitative methods can now be added to my repertoire.

Later today, I would teach my class the graphical solution to linear programming........ sounds fancy.......... not really.......

PS: Si Manong Bus Driver ay isang bayani talaga para sa kin. Kaninang umaga, nagtext sa kin na nakita daw niya ang anak kong bunso sa eskwelahan at kung gusto ko daw iservice niya. Ang buong akala ko kasi pahinga siya tuwing bakasyon ng summer kaya ni hindi ko na siya tinanong kung pwede niya ihatid ang anak ko kahit nung pinoproblema ko pa sino maghahatid sa anak ko. Syempre ay pumayag ako matapos namin mapag-usapan ang presyo na lalabas din na mas mura kesa ipahatid namin sa alalay ng biyenan ko ang anak ko. Bukod pa rito, mas kampante ako na ligtas ang anak ko sa sakuna at sa mga elemento ng kalikasan pag ke Manong siya nakasakay. Salamat muli, Manong!