bored teachers

(This is the third of the board exam article series. Please read also (1) Tip to top, (2) It's also a team play)

When the board exam performance goes nowhere, students would point to their teachers as the culprit. We'll we cannot blame them. But do we really have to blame the teachers outright?

Before going any further, let me paint a picture of teacher-student knowledge exchange. When a teacher share knowledge to his students, not all will be received well by the students. Students have different capacity to absorb the knowledge shared by the teacher. For a perfect knowledge transfer, the knowledge shared by the teacher, should match the capacity of the students to receive. If the knowledge shared by the teacher is overwhelming, students will be shocked. On the other hand, if the knowledge is too miniscule, students would laugh at the teacher for being dumb. But in reality there is no such thing as match made in heaven. One has to select between too much or too little knowledge. I guess too much is better than the latter. From what is explained above, there are two actors involved here: student and the teacher. For the purpose of this article, we concentrate on the teacher.

A knowledge sharing model of a teacher 

Now, let us examine a model for knowledge sharing by a teacher to understand how knowledge can flow based on a teachers' motivation. Knowledge shared is a function of appropriate knowledge and  motivation to share. If a teacher has the appropriate knowledge and he is highly motivated, he can effectively share what he knows. Even if he has the appropriate knowledge but he is not motivated, then there is no knowledge shared. If he has the motivation but does not know anything, then knowledge was not imparted.

Appropriate knowledge as defined in this article is the knowledge that is at par with the students' capacity. It may not be directly match the capacity of the students but at least it is on a level understood and can be assimilated by the students. Knowledge is a function of knowledge bank and the capacity to impart. Knowledge bank is nourished by a teachers' further acquisition of knowledge. This can be done by research, self-study, seminars, conventions, and pursuing graduate studies. It is the obligation of a teacher to really nurture his knowledge bank to make it relevant and attuned with times.

But even if a teacher has his PhD or EdD, it does not guarantee an appropriate knowledge. A teacher should have the skills to select the right lessons and to employ right strategies and skills. This is like a withdrawal slip. Without it, one cannot withdraw from the knowledge bank. Right teaching strategies does not include intimidating the students by projecting you are a "terror" professor. This approach will motivate students to learn but for the wrong reason - fear. On the other hand, if a teacher possesses the best teaching skills but his knowledge bank account is bankrupt, then there is no knowledge imparted as well.

There are two types of motivations: rationalized and honorific. In a rationalized motivation, a teacher get motivated by salary increases, promotions, and recognition. One of the traits of a teacher is that they can be satisfied easily. A five hundred peso increase in his salary can make him throw a party worth a thousand! Even a promotion with not much salary increase makes him smile just for recognition. Let me cite an example. During my first year at USEP, we produced board topnotchers (no.1 and no. 4 in board). The then president Dr. Ed Prantilla gave us (the teachers) individually certificates of recognition for the performance in the board. We used that as additional points for our NBC (see below). It motivated the USEP AE instructors to study more to improve their teaching. Right now, majority of the AE instructors of USEP have masters degree and overtake USM as Center of Development in AE education.  How much more if the university can give a teacher substantial increase in salary?

On the other hand, a teacher is demotivated if he is neglected for so long. A teacher is usually not a radical type of guy, he would just retreat in a corner and talk to the walls about his heartaches and dissent. However, this state of mind slowly eats his person and his motivation to share. And through the years, this will have impact on his enthusiasm to teach. A proactive management needs to seek out teachers' dissent before it can be a systemic problem.

The government has seen this predicament of teachers way back. Before, the promotion is based on available items (just like the regular employees of the bureaucracy). When a professor retires, associate professors compete to get that item. This kind of competition is counterproductive. It pit teachers against each other to the extent that it can lead to backbiting. That is why the central government has instituted measures to make sure that teachers are evaluated according to his own merits regardless whether a higher rank is open or not. One teacher upon satisfying the needed points can be reclassified. This is the so-called NBC 461 which has evolved from NCC 69. The only role that the management has to do is to make sure to evaluate the teachers every two years so reclassifications (promotions) happened in every two years also. 

They say that sometimes a teacher is a fool (please read: ganyan din kami noon). That even with meager income, he can still afford to smile. This is where the honorific motivation kicks in. We can also call this as dedication. Sometimes, it is a struggle between a rationalized and the honorific motivation. When rationalized motivation is so negative compared to honorific motivation, this is the time that a teacher gives up teaching. We assumed that honorific motivation is always positive. It is the rationalized motivation that can drag the motivational state of a teacher. But so long as the conviction that teaching is a noble job, negative rationality is checked in abeyance by honorific motivation.

Using the factors discussed above, I argue that for a outstanding teacher to emerge and stay in the university, the management has to invest in graduate studies (more scholarships please) and enhancing their teaching skills (for free!). It would also be rewarding if promotions are done in an up-to-date, equitable, and transparent way. After all it is not the money a teacher wants, it is respect.

Let me sum up again the above discussion with an equation:

U = aK*C*(cR + dH)

where a = appropriateness of the knowledge
K = available knowledge in the bank
C = capacity to share
c =  quality of motivation
R =  rationalized motivation (little money and respect)
d = the strength of the honorific motivation
H = honorific motivation

Are all of these factors met?

(Next article: administravision)

ganyan din kami noon

"Nganong dili pa man ka mohawa sa USM nak," tanong ng aking ama. Pilit kong iniiwasan ang tanong na yaon. Hindi ako umimik. "Sa akong paminsar dili maayo ang imong kahimtang didto. Uy tuod diay giimbita ka sa imong mga classmate sa high school. Sunduon ka nila unya diri sa balay. Nindot kaayo tong Pajero sa classmate nimo ba!"

Usapang mag-ama. Ganito ang aming malimit na pinag-uusapan. Mga pangarap niya para sa amin. Kumustahan sa mga apo. Ano ang dapat gawin sa mga bata. Mga possibleng negosyo. Libre nga daw mangarap.

Pilit kong binura ang mga tanong na yaon. Ngunit di ko maaalis sa aking isipan. Napailing ako at napatanaw sa bintana ng van. Papauwi na ako sa Kabacan sa van na masikip. Sa palibot ng halakhakan ng kapwa pasahero. Sa nagaurok na ale sa tabi ko. Napabuntong hininga ako. Kaganda ngang sakyan ang Pajero ng classmate ko. At marami na rin silang may mga sasakyan. "Special" guest nila ako. Of course ako kaya ang valedictorian namin. At siguro pasalamat na rin sa mga kopyahan noon.

Pero di ko pa rin naiaalis ang magmuni-muni sa aking kalagayan. Bakit nga ba ako nagtitiis sa USM? Marami na ring pagsubok ang dumaan sa akin sa USM. Noong una akong nagturo sa USM, kailangan kong pumasok pitong araw sa isang linggo para maabot ko ang pitong libo na sahod sa isang buwan sa panahong sampung libo na ang pinakababang Instructor I. Pero di naman ganoon kamalas, di nagtagal at nakakuha na rin ako ng item makalipas ang dalawang taon. Masuwerte daw ako.

Masuwerte ulit at natanggap ako sa isang scholarship papuntang Estados Unidos. Malas dahil maiiwan ko ang aking panganay at buntis na asawa sa loob ng dalawang taon. Habang nasa Amerika ako, nagpapakadalubhasa ako at nangangarap na maiangat ang aking estado sa USM pagbalik ko. Ngunit minalas ulit. Aking napag-alaman na na-promote yung naiwan na hindi nakapag-aral. At ako na nag-aral ay di muna napagbigyan kasi "nakalabas ka na naman eh, swerte mo na nga". Habang ang dati kong mga estudyante na nagtuturo na ngayon ay mas mataas na ang rangko kesa sa akin, ako ay nakapako pa rin sa Instructor. "Magtiis ka lang, darating din yan sa'yo, ganyan din kami noon". Lalong   namumutawi ang mga tanong ng aking ama sa aking isipan. Nagdadalawang isip na.. Huwag na lang kaya? sabi nga sa kanta.  

Heto ako ngayon nag-aaral ulit ng aking doctoral. Meron ng pag-aangat ng rangko (Instuctor 3). Pero aaminin ko natanong ko na rin noon kung ano ang halaga ko sa USM. Bakit hindi nasusuklian ang mga pagpupursige ko. Aaminin ko malaki ang naging epekto sa aking pagkatao na unti-unting humahablot sa hibla ng aking pagiging guro. Ang taas ng standard ng USM! Di pala sapat na board topnotcher ka at honor graduate. Sa mga pagkakataong yaon, naaninag ko ang luntiang parang sa ibayo. Bakit pa kailangang magpursige, kung parehas man lang pala?  Ipagpaumanhin ninyo po kung nagbubuhat po ako ng bangko. Sa totoo lang hindi na mahalaga ang mga parangal na yan. Tanggap ko na ang aking kinasasadlakan at aasa na lang sa biyayang akma para sa akin. Ngunit bakit nga ba hindi pa ako aalis sa USM?

Iba kasi ang pakiramdam kung makikita mong nakangiti ang mga estudyante mo dahil may nakuha silang sagot sa mga aralin. Iba kasi ang pakiramdam kapag nababasa mo ang mga pangalan ng mga dati mong estudyante na nasa dyaryo na at nakapasa sa eksamen. Iba ang pakiramdam kapag meron kang dating estudyante na ilibre ka ng pizza pie sa may Cubao. Iba ang pakiramdam pag meron kang estudyante na yayain kang magpakasal este ninong sa kasal. Iba ang pakiramdam pag nakita mo sa FB ang mga dating estudyante nakapaskil ang hitsura ng mga paslit nila sa profile pic. Masaya na akong makikita ang mga batang naglalaro sa luntiang parang na kumakaway at nagpapasalamat.  Nakakawalang pagod.

Ang samo ko na lang na darating ang panahon na masabi ko sa mga nakakabata kong guro na "Hindi na mangyayari sa inyo ang nangyari sa akin noon". At sana darating din ang panahon na masagot ko na ang aking ama na, "Masaya po ako".

Hangga't mayroon pang hibla ng pagiging guro sa aking katauhan di ako hihintong magturo.

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