Teacher Power

An interview with a Science Classroom Teacher

By VICTORCIANO GO
April 19, 2006

In times of political instability in the country, one can ill afford to overlook the sad plight of classroom teachers whose benefits they long deserved seem elusive in this present government which has chosen to give more attention to upgrade security benefits to soldiers more than the frontliners of education, our classroom teachers.

No doubt our rooster of faculty in the only State University of Western Samar are not losing hope nor are they wavering in inadequate conditions of incentives, promotions, trainings or health benefits. In fact, I can see in some of my professors that the zealous spirit of teaching is still burning. I picked on my Human Biology Professor in the Nursing Program and was glad that my request for an interview with a classroom teacher was granted.

Professor Vicente Simplicio M. Villegas has served the University as a Physics Instructor for 21 years to date and not grown tired of teaching. In fact, he says, it's the only work he thinks he can do well and ignored to immigrate to the US if the job is beside teaching or if he gets to teach, he prefers to teach only when he sees nothing is coming good anymore out of what he has laid as groundwork in this side of Samar.

I asked Prof. Villegas what he thinks about Teacher power and shortly replied something simple - “It is the ability to change individuals to become better persons. It is basically the output of the learning process. A change in behavior due to inputs of knowledge, values, skills in Science and Technology and wisdom by fearing the Lord. But what entirely propels the Teacher Power? Is it the teacher himself?” “For a time, I thought teachers are born like stars. For there are those who seek other good jobs elsewhere. There are those who stick it out though thick and thin. Some are good because they mean well what others cannot articulately express. Some have more gifts of charisma and patience and some have PhD degrees, too, which are flaunted in stately-dance like manner with attractive hoods, caps and velvet – accentuated academic gowns during institutional ceremonies. But then, I see others succeed because they learn the trade in training institutions. Either way, gifted or trained one can merit teacher power.”

In follow-up, I inquired about the best strategy that makes the teaching effective. I was kind of shock when he answered that there is no best strategy.  But then he furthered explained that strategies are suited to the learner's readiness and the subject matter just like a lock and key. But as to approaches and methods, the teacher's role varies. For subjects like Physics or Biology, I asked him, what approach he prefers. “The traditional approach if I think of satisfying my capabilities in Expository methods.” Prof. Villegas retorted. “It is here where my class becomes attentive, excited and jubilant. But I give in more Expository Method where I relegate myself as a facilitator. This way, the students are authentically assessed with performance tests. This is now the emphasis of the Realigned BEC Curriculum which I apply even to my college classes. Constructivism, Discovery, Inductive Method, Metacognitive learning cycle. You have them all geared to satisfy students capabilities in learning by doing minds on and hands on activities.

I have now a clear picture of my classes under him. Even before that I used to observe his classes had alternative events like Science Camping, field trips and the September Days for National Science Club Month Celebration. I asked him, is this part of the New thrust? He gladly reminded me. “Of course, but even before BEC - they were all there already. It is just now that they were re-emphasized.” Why just now? I asked with a trace of disconcertedness. And he answered back, “Perhaps it was because of the result of the TIMSS in the late 90s where our country ranked second to the last in Math and Science Test given to 52 countries world wide. That really was alarming. The Education Department was really shaken. Imagine Vietnamese students surpassing Filipino contenders in Math and Science.”

Finally what do you believe holds the key to all these paradigm shift? “I believe it is Cooperative Learning,” he opined. ”Individuals must develop skills and understanding in order to cooperate because they will have to do so later in life as in jobs, marriages, service clubs and so on. Students have the opportunity to work in groups, develop social skills and learn to listen and build up on the ideas of others. Hence, there is also team is as important that can be applied in Science, Math, Makabayan and other subjects. Even the Science Fair Projects of the high school students are motivated by Cooperative Learning.”

Now I know why there is so much time spent in preparing lessons in the mainstream of Cooperative learning. The learning is deep-rooted marked with quality standard of fixatives. “Am I right, sir? In saying that this Teacher Power is some kind of modern Midas touch?” Out of this probe came the power release. ”If you likened us to Midas who turns everything he touches into gold. You are right. We make silver linings in the lives of others reflect like gold. Our students later in life have become more richer than we are. but there is more to the anecdote of Midas, when he touched the Teacher in his court with his finger, it was Midas himself who turned into gold. A telling of sort that there is no gold in the teacher.”

I broke my silence by concluding that “teachers are gold miners, not gold.” The keys to Teacher Power are revealed and can now be downloaded. Just thinking to myself, for us who are not teacher-trained, of what use will the keys to Teacher Power be? Gold digging, I suppose. Who cares?