Lessons Planned: Exploring the person behind the blackboard

Sunday, July 24, 2011

"Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." -- Nikos Kazantzakis

"GOOD teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers," commented Josef Albers, a German-born American artist and educator who formed the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century.

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One of the best teachers the world has ever known is Jesus Christ himself. But the word "teacher" connotes many things.

To a preschooler, a teacher may mean a second parent outside home. An elementary pupil or high school student may think of a teacher as a disciplinarian, whereas a college freshman may think of them as mentors.

The list may be endless just to define what a teacher is. But one thing for sure, no one would disagree with the fact that teachers are coaches or "developers" who are responsible in molding the leaders of tomorrow.

One such teacher is 37-year-old Dr. Amparo Vedua- Dinagsao of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. She is the epitome of a teacher as a coach. But that's getting ahead of the story.

Amphie (that is how she is commonly referred to by the academic community) earned her bachelor's degree in Industrial Education at Mindanao University of Science and Technology, the then Mindanao Polytechnic State College, where she also earned her Master's degree in teaching major in mathematics.

Inspired not only to upgrade her professional qualifications but also to deliver quality educational instruction to her students, Amphie pursued her Doctorate in Education at Xavier University (XU), where she emerged as among the youngest and promising graduates to be conferred with the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Education at the age of 33.

Amphie started her professional career in teaching at an International School in Cagayan de Oro where she taught economics, physical education and mathematics at both high school and elementary levels.

"Teaching elementary pupils are like planting seeds. You focus on the building block concepts like the basic how-to's and know-how's in exciting and interesting ways," Amphie shares when asked her first few years in professional teaching.

Her dedication paid off; she noticed her pupils became more eager to learn and excited to come to class.

After five years of serving the International School, she was ready for another level of her career. She was offered to teach mathematics at Xavier University High School which she accepted. For the next eight years (2000-2008), that was what she was doing.

"In teaching high school students," she maintains, "I was more stringent with rules as I was dealing with adolescents with raging hormones. I wanted them to develop an upright sense of morality and values and so, my regimented and disciplinarian sides surfaced."

Although she was a full-time faculty member of the high school department, she managed to assume a part-time teaching position at the tertiary level of the same university.

With her 13 continuous years of dedication in teaching plus her upgraded academic qualifications, Amphie was not contented just to "plant seeds" as she also wanted to mold future educators by going full-time in teaching at the collegiate level of XU.

This was in 2008. Initially, she taught the subject "Assessment of Student Learning" at the school of education. It is an undergraduate course wherein students of a teacher education program are taught how to construct and standardize tests or examinations.

"As a college instructor of a teacher education program, I demand excellence. I leave no room for mediocrity," Amphie professes.

To her undergrad students, Amphie has the reputation of being meticulously spruce in dressing, mannerisms and behaviors. As a matter-of-fact, it had been her practice for a time to require her students to be in corporate attire during Wednesday classes.

"Teachers should dress up appropriately as the way you dress is a sign of respect to oneself and to others," she justifies.

"As teachers," she adds, "you are the primary visual aids for your students; good and decent taste of dressing emanates dignity and professionalism."

For Amphie, the undergraduate teacher education program is a period of readiness for anybody intending to teach in the future.

"I have to make sure that I develop teachers who have the heart for excellence and dedication to uplift the literacy level of Filipinos," she points out.

In an interview done to one of her college students, Mary Tess Alombro, a graduating undergrad student of the school of education, shares: "Miss Amphie is a teacher who is firm in her principles and classroom rules. As a matter-of-fact, she is someone I look up to when it comes to time management and her class is one that is out-put based."

As her expertise and experience in teaching was further honed, she began accepting teaching loads for the Professional Education (Prof Ed) program, which has been designed to offer graduates of non-education baccalaureate degrees and other professionals the 18-units of education courses needed to make them eligible to take the licensure examination for teachers.

It was only a matter of time for her to handle teaching loads in the Graduate and Postgraduate programs of the university's Graduate School as she also taught the course "Advanced Statistics." Actually, it is a basic course for any master's and doctorate students.

"Mathematics has always been my cerebral interest. Having the expertise in the so-called 'dreaded subject', I am compelled to share that part of myself and multiply quality education to the Nth fold," she says with humor.

Her colleagues also have something to say about how Amphie is as a co-teacher.

One of her colleagues is Ma'am Jovelyn Delosa, who has been teaching at the same University for the past five years with Amphie.

"Amphie is passionate in teaching and excellence is her advocacy," says Jovelyn.

She adds: "She is always willing to help her colleagues and her teaching methodologies are the ones that add a warm sense of intellectual humor."

Currently, Amphie is an officer of the Xavier University Center for Advancement in Teaching (XUCAT), a unit that holds continuing professional education or trainings for teachers who are working in the field.

For all her efforts, she received some commendations and recognitions. Early this year, Amphie was bestowed the Dux Gregis Award (literally means "Leader of the Flock) for School Administrator by XU for her notable contribution as coordinator of Regional Center of Expertise-Education for Sustainable Development.

Amphie, indeed, has come a long, long way. She brings the teaching profession to a higher level. Teachers, like historians, are guardians of literacy. And tomorrow's society is sketched in their today's lesson plans.

(Comments may be sent to pjvesagas@yahoo.ca)