Intro to Journ Class Year III First Sem
It’s official. I love teaching and I am back for the first and
second sem. And I’ve got a bigger class (43 students) that I was given the Case
Study Room that is normally allotted to film students.
While my previous two years I was cooped up in a smaller
classroom, it was fine because it made for better interaction between the
students. The new classroom could seat an additional 15 students.
The new classroom and the number of students posed a real
challenge. Memorizing their names is one of them. I always thought that knowing
people’s names and addressing them by their names was a sign of respect. I am
sure my students appreciate that rather than have a prof who really doesn’t
give a crap about them and their education.
This first sem class I can say is the product of my learnings
from my first two years. Obviously, I made some mistakes in my approach and I
can honestly say that for the first time I am heading into the school year
confident and totally excited.
Like I have written before, my class is an unconventional one.
When you hear the word ‘journalism” images of news, politics, and crime come to
fore. It’s a put off for students for whom many are taking this as an elective.
My job, the way I see it, is to make the craft more appealing by using music,
travel, sports, lifestyle etc. as a means to gain interest in writing, taking
photos and videos, and even blogging and podcasting. The very things that have
allowed me to thrive in an industry that lends itself to an old boy network I
am passing on to my students. It’s highly interactive where their opinions and
work are put to the front all the time.
Just as I address them as individuals, I also make them work in
groups. It creates chemistry and makes for new friends. Just the way it works
in the real world.
Today we held Food Day where each group was supposed to prepare
a three-course breakfast meal with the sandwich as the main course. They were
supposed to use not more than a budget of Php700 and prepare everything inside
three minutes. Of course, some ingredients had to be prepped before. After
their presentation where they had to put on a show, they had to make all the
other groups taste them. The other groups in turn would take pictures and
review them in their group blogs.
By no means is anyone a professional here. The idea is to also
tap their creativity. And I am very pleased with the results. It may not be
worth a bother for someone like Anthony Bourdain but one has to start
somewhere.
The inspiration is both from Top Chef (we have weekly Quick
Write Challenges) and food critic Lori Baltazar who once taught in Ateneo but
gave it up to attend to her career that grew when her blog got so insanely
popular.
In the past weeks their quick writes touched on the
controversial Pacquiao-Bradley fight and racism vis-à-vis Euro 2012. The task
was to write intros or leads in three to five sentences. And that helps also in
reviews just the way you see them on Rotten Tomatoes.
Unfortunately today, we were not able to have a real chef around
to judge and prep a new creation himself using the same ingredients. Scheduling
problems. But hopefully, we’ll have another one soon.
I thought that in the last couple of weeks, the class started to
come around and be more comfortable with the unconventional nature of what I
was teaching as well as their work. And today was proof that we have something
great going on. What they do in the classroom – writing and more – is
incredible. I am honored to be teaching a class of talented individuals. Well,
all my classes have been great and highly memorable.
What makes it even more cool is that the class breaks so many
stereotyopes in so many ways. During my first year, I asked Sev Sarmenta (then
the Dean) if I could trade all my athletes for regular students. He said,
"No, they will be okay." Sev didn't tell me the exact truth. They
were awesome. I can go on about my jocks on how great students they were and
how they produced great work. I can also say that Ryan Buenafe wrote one of the
best essays I've seen. Ever.
Does that surprise you? Maybe. What I have learned is that if
you encourage them the proper way they will deliver great work.
When I came back from a week’s absence while I was in Singapore
I was extremely happy to be back in my classroom. Teaching is my stress breaker
away from an increasingly annoying situation at work that is beginning to sap
my enthusiasm.
After my first sem of teaching I thought it would be my first
and last. Instead I am on my third year and loving every minute of it.
Next week is Music Day where Dondi Virrey of one of my favorite
indie bands, Techy Romantics, will be performing. My students will interview
Dondi, take pictures of his performance, and then write about it.
In the weeks after that we tackle travel and history, sports,
social concerns, photography and fashion. And investigative journalism. We’ll
have surprise guests and more.
Who would have thought that I’d have a ball doing this when I
was fearful of cruel and uninspiring profs? And I am blessed to have taught and
teach such great students. I am so lucky.
