Two Semesters As An Architecture Instructor
I want to chronicle my experience so I can look back to how I started in the academe. Time will come when I'll get bored or burned out. I need something to help me remember why I chose this path.
Most architects would either want to excel in a design firm or manage his own design firm. Only a few choose to be educators. Not all are interested to teach or are comfortable speaking to a crowd. This is evident in our CPD seminars wherein - no offense - some speakers can bore the life out of the audience. Not all architects are willing to prepare lesson plans and activities and check research papers and plates every single week. On top of this, there are grades to compute. And let's not forget, handling teenager students can be really stressful. Imagine the kunsumisyon. It's a very demanding job. Add teaching to your design practice and you have a major brain drain waiting to happen!
What is required to teach architecture?
You need to be a licensed architect first. Next, you need to have a masters degree, or be currently taking up graduate studies to be qualified for this job. The latter is my current situation.
Time management is tricky as you switch from studying subjects to teaching other subjects. You are both a teacher and a student after all, and both statuses require a fair amount of time and brain cells.
via GIPHY
You need to be a licensed architect first. Next, you need to have a masters degree, or be currently taking up graduate studies to be qualified for this job. The latter is my current situation.
Time management is tricky as you switch from studying subjects to teaching other subjects. You are both a teacher and a student after all, and both statuses require a fair amount of time and brain cells.
We are not going to talk about a professor's salary.
It's not right to disclose information about how much money you earn from your teaching assignment. Whatever monetary compensation you receive is not necessarily proportional to the level or difficulty of the subjects assigned to you. In my case, the pay is simply computed from the number of lecture hours allocated to the subjects given. As for the quality of your lessons and genuine concern for your students, no amount of money can pay for that.
Safe to say, my way of teaching is NOT purely motivated by salary.
The college teaching experience so far...
School Year 2018-2019 is my first time teaching in college; but before this job I have been exposed to many opportunities to teach. Many of these opportunities I found by volunteering in church ministries like Sunday School and Values Instruction Classes (VIC) in local public schools. I also volunteered to teach junior high school Mathematics in our previous church school. Aside from these, I took a part-time job as a tutor when I started my own architecture practice. I have taught children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers. That's a summary of my informal teaching experience before being a college professor - ALL 17 YEARS of it.
College is not the time to fool around. That's normal in high school. And if you did fool around and actually became a disappointment in high school (like me, unfortunately), college can be your redemption! I don't take pleasure in failing students; but I remember how crucial college education can be, and if the student gives value to his education he will do his best to finish it. It's disappointing when a student goes to college with the attitude of a high-schooler. With a heavy heart, I had to give failing grades to a few students who didn't give the subjects the priority they deserve.
via GIPHY
The aspect of teaching I liked the least is encoding grades. I get really stressed lalo kapag may mga bagsak. The end of the first semester was really tough because I still had to adjust to the processes and school management. Fortunately, I learned a lot from the experience. It won't make the process of grading pleasant but hopefully, less stressful.
The classroom isn't short of fun moments. There was one time I slipped an anime reference in the middle of the lecture slides. Half of the class got it, half were not into anime. They're into K-Drama's maybe? Even stuff unrelated to the lesson helps the students recall the lesson better. There are times I incorporate review lessons in games and activities. Debates are always fun. I have fond memories of these moments when we take a break from the formalities of the lecture and simply enjoy the time, while learning of course.
via GIPHY
We encourage students to stay curious about the course. They should be able to freely express themselves, respectfully of course, and be encouraged to do inquiries. I remember one professor who told us, "Magtanong ngayon, o maging habambuhay na mangmang" (Ask now, or be stupid forever.) I hope more students will use this freedom to satisfy their hunger for knowledge.
I find satisfaction in seeing how the students actually appreciate and apply the lessons, to see them excel and be comfortable in the subjects.
via GIPHY
The most fulfilling moment would be the time I finally saw the evaluation from the students after the first sem. It's a nice feeling to be appreciated for the hard work and stress. The negative comments section was blank. I'm hoping to keep it that way without sacrificing class rules or going soft on them. In the middle of second sem, I was informed of yet another batch of positive reviews from the students.
It's tough to practice compassion in class and be fair at the same time. It's not my goal to be the favorite professor or anything of that sort. I just decided from the start that I will do my best in teaching these young professionals, not only through the lectures and activities but with my actions as well. I am not in any way a perfect teacher or a perfect architect, but I can be someone who supports them, respects their views and ideas, and encourages them to push for their dreams.
Safe to say, my way of teaching is NOT purely motivated by salary.
Regardless of the amount you earn, the quality of teaching is up to you, and the students' grades are up to each student's performance. Education is a process wherein both student and educator must participate to the best of their abilities. I can say it's a partnership.
The college teaching experience so far...
School Year 2018-2019 is my first time teaching in college; but before this job I have been exposed to many opportunities to teach. Many of these opportunities I found by volunteering in church ministries like Sunday School and Values Instruction Classes (VIC) in local public schools. I also volunteered to teach junior high school Mathematics in our previous church school. Aside from these, I took a part-time job as a tutor when I started my own architecture practice. I have taught children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers. That's a summary of my informal teaching experience before being a college professor - ALL 17 YEARS of it.
Teaching college students is different from all other levels because we are training future professionals. FUTURE PROFESSIONALS.If you are a college student while reading this, take a deep breath and let that sink in.
College is not the time to fool around. That's normal in high school. And if you did fool around and actually became a disappointment in high school (like me, unfortunately), college can be your redemption! I don't take pleasure in failing students; but I remember how crucial college education can be, and if the student gives value to his education he will do his best to finish it. It's disappointing when a student goes to college with the attitude of a high-schooler. With a heavy heart, I had to give failing grades to a few students who didn't give the subjects the priority they deserve.
The aspect of teaching I liked the least is encoding grades. I get really stressed lalo kapag may mga bagsak. The end of the first semester was really tough because I still had to adjust to the processes and school management. Fortunately, I learned a lot from the experience. It won't make the process of grading pleasant but hopefully, less stressful.
The classroom isn't short of fun moments. There was one time I slipped an anime reference in the middle of the lecture slides. Half of the class got it, half were not into anime. They're into K-Drama's maybe? Even stuff unrelated to the lesson helps the students recall the lesson better. There are times I incorporate review lessons in games and activities. Debates are always fun. I have fond memories of these moments when we take a break from the formalities of the lecture and simply enjoy the time, while learning of course.
We encourage students to stay curious about the course. They should be able to freely express themselves, respectfully of course, and be encouraged to do inquiries. I remember one professor who told us, "Magtanong ngayon, o maging habambuhay na mangmang" (Ask now, or be stupid forever.) I hope more students will use this freedom to satisfy their hunger for knowledge.
I find satisfaction in seeing how the students actually appreciate and apply the lessons, to see them excel and be comfortable in the subjects.
The most fulfilling moment would be the time I finally saw the evaluation from the students after the first sem. It's a nice feeling to be appreciated for the hard work and stress. The negative comments section was blank. I'm hoping to keep it that way without sacrificing class rules or going soft on them. In the middle of second sem, I was informed of yet another batch of positive reviews from the students.
It's tough to practice compassion in class and be fair at the same time. It's not my goal to be the favorite professor or anything of that sort. I just decided from the start that I will do my best in teaching these young professionals, not only through the lectures and activities but with my actions as well. I am not in any way a perfect teacher or a perfect architect, but I can be someone who supports them, respects their views and ideas, and encourages them to push for their dreams.
At the end of the day, I'm just this little lady who happened to be an architect and a professor. I'm just someone who wants keep learning and sharing what I have learned. And if in the future my students turn out to be more successful architects, I can say to myself, I am part of that success!
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