Confessions of a part-time College Instructor

Two midterm exams – that is what I am preparing for. One is for my 4^th year law school classes while the other one is for my New Constitution (Political Science) and Rizal Classes. The former, I am the student. The latter, I am the instructor.

I have been a college part-time instructor now for about a month plus – balancing a teacher-by-day, student-by-night mode. It is, in some way, a healthy rhythm when the circumstances push me to use time smartly. I forgot to mention that finally, I am obliged to wake up at 6 am for my 7:30 classes – just like high school all over.

In class, I have gone through the ceremonial getting to know you and settling process that goes along at the starting weeks. I am teaching 5 freshmen sections of a state university in the city – Mindanao University of Science and Technology. The class is a good mix – from engineering to communications and environmental studies. I can tell you I enjoy every moment of it. Sure, it is hard work preparing for class, but that deep sense of satisfaction that comes along seeing students nod when they see the connection in the lesson and in their lives, absolutely pays it all.

I guess this is the grace of being a college instructor. It provides you an opportunity to formally enter into the lives of a generation. So yes, teaching initially gives an opportunity to enter – like an open door. It is up to us what we to do with that access.

In this kind of work, I’ve realized that I do not emphasize value on how much a student can recall certain terms and requisites in the Constitution. There are of course some essential facts that they need to know by heart like the elements of a state, the inherent state powers, and the branches of government and what they do.

Above all this, what matters to me is them knowing why these things are important in the first place and through their answer, it can imprint in their mind a bigger reality of how the world works and how it ought to work.

For example, why is it that government is separated into 3 branches? Surely it would delay government action. But when they begin to compare this to earlier societies when power was concentrated to a few or a single person, it would show how destructive it could be.

I guess by seeing the “bigger picture”, students can connect the dots. And when they see the relationships between ideas and events, I believe they can build their own tools that can help them understand how power works. Coupling theories with current events and history gives us better learning outcomes. And it can somehow spur a better understanding of politics.

So what is the end goal? I guess I can say that I helped in their learning experience when they can articulate how to change the course of our national narrative. That might be too daunting considering that this is just for a sem. But it can be done even if it is just an approximation. If that can be shown in some class project or even through the change in their tone and in their framing on politics, then I can say to my self that I accomplished a mission. Let me be clear, i do not just want to parrot facts. I want to open minds.

I guess that is why I am so passionate about teaching political science. It is because this topic is not constrained with constants – such as the weight of protons or gravity in physics. Save some constant biological behavior that governs our political interactions, the rest are free to be formed. It is ours for the making.

We, as a society, can mold our destiny. The only difficult thing about teaching this topic is how time dependent it is. We have to see society’s evolution through long periods of time. Consequently, we can also expect to feel changes after long periods of time. And i do not know if our generation has the patience or interest in sowing seeds of change and letting our children and grand children reap the benefits.

Unlike building a house, building a nation is intergenerational. I rest my heart knowing that in this generation – 150 students strong – I did my best to help young people appreciate their importance in building a better and modern nation.