A Commercialized Birthday

You only turn twenty-seven once so you might as well make the most of it. Victoria Beckham celebrated her 30th birthday thrice! I'd rather talk about what happened on the day I turned 27 (yesterday) than what happened today (many more of my students greeted me still but it wasn't such a productive day).

After that Tubungan trip I went back to school and my students surprised me with a cake and a birthday poster. Though none of my travelling companions knew that I turned a year older, I was still grateful that a few strangers greeted me yesterday.

At around 4 PM I attended mass at St. Clement's and bought some groceries in Gaisano City. When the cashier swiped my valuecard she immediately greeted me a happy birthday! For dinner I treated my friend in Green Mango. Always an exuberant and loud person (she's a kindergarten teacher) she requested the waiter and staff to put a candle on my dessert which was actually just a slice of Heaven's Torte. Four people then proceeded to sing me a "too" loud rendition of "Happy Birthday." I was embarrassed yet pleased. After dinner, we checked out some DVDs in Video City. While rummaging through some movies, a Happy Birthday song was played in the store. I shyly looked at the two staff and they gave me a knowing smile. Talk about strangers making you smile.

If turning 27 is as delightful as this I won't mind turning 27 everyday.

A Year Older

The road to Tubungan, Iloilo isn't rough as I thought. I spent my birthday in this quaint little town without my travelling companions knowing that I turned a year older which actually suits me just fine.

I'm supposed to have a class today but I was requested by the University VP (only yesterday) for Extension and Research to do a bit of extension work in this town; thus, I'll be absent for the whole day.

I was appointed as a RACO (I'll get back to what it stands for later) and my responsibility is to document extension projects in the university and to turn them into pamphlets and fliers.

The appointment came as a surprise. The teacher I replaced was pirated by UP Visayas so it's more like a shotgun appointment; nevertheless, I'm thrilled.

I've been wanting to do some extra work aside from teaching in the classroom and I know that my job as a RACO will bring me places (one thing I've been wanting to experience). I know it's going to be another work for me but as what the VP said I know this will make me grow as a person.

Rough roads or not I can't ask for a better birthday gift this year.

Where's the Power in Powerpoint?

With the constant power blackouts, how do I maximize my classroom lecture with the aid of technology?

It's just so annoying that before your class there's a sudden blackout and you'll have no choice but to come up with a Plan B (which almost always will be an impromptu lecture). Couple this with restless and cranky students and it's worse than Hades's lair.

So much for trying to be such a techie teacher.

Stranger in My Classroom

I'm not sure if I can call myself a teacher these days. I haven't been doing any of my job specifications. I don't handle my classes because of my role as a critic teacher. But really, I'm just using that as an excuse. Most of the time I stay at the back of the classroom and observe the class of STs under my supervision. It's not a challenging job. It has also made me very lazy since my tendency is just to rely on my STs. I also haven't done my role as a disciplinarian and adviser. I so suck at teaching.

Next semester I intend to be the one to really handle my classes even if I'll have more than 5 STs. I also won't enroll in grad school so I can just focus on my work. Perhaps, I won't completely stop schooling so I intend to just enroll in 1 subject (Abnormal Psychology).

I promise myself that next semester I'll be the one to really teach in my own class. That way, I won't be a stranger in my own classroom anymore.