My classes with Dr. Alan De Guzman, more popularly and endearingly (er, frighteningly?) referred to as Doc A, have opened my eyes to many a concept that I have, in some way, forgotten. Having taught in the Education High School of the University of Santo Tomas, had made me intensely self-absorbed. It had become like a dance, one that didn't end even after I got out of the classroom. It made the passion I have for the craft of teaching, well, let's just say, grayish.
But Doc A had awoken me once more; I am now reminded of why I chose to be an educator. I am a lifelong learner, and being so, I need to be able to try new ideas now and again. If I'm not, I'd become so regimented, and I'll end up hating my life. Morbid thoughts are definitely unwelcome, especially if I plan to enjoy life to the fullest.
And so now I dive into the concept of Service Learning. It sounded new but familiar, and turns out that it did because it is. In the Philippines, service learning is said to be practiced in the NSTP offered in the higher education. I took that a couple of years back, under the Literacy Training Service (LTS), but it felt lacking and almost mechanical. I think this because people who were supposed to guide us (ie train us) didn't know what the hell they were doing, and why they were doing it.
Service Learning, from my understanding, is the idea of relating the societal needs and demands to the curricula. It aims to connect what the students are learning in theory and apply it in practice. It is a holistic view of a learner's ability to relate his cognitive domain to his affective and psychomotor domain (as is organized by Bloom). It is an idealistic view of how children can become effective members of the community by paying it forward.
It fantastically fascinating on paper, but desperately demanding in action.
Now that we have to make a paper and a program following the ideas of service learning, I can't help but feel empowered yet trapped. Time and money is limited, and it's saddening. I want to be able to tap into the lives of people, help them be aware of what they can do, and stress out the importance of taking part in the development of a community, but I am being overpowered by the common trivialities of life.
Doc A suggested that we opt to look into the things that are around us. How can we help the community? What is lacking? But before we get to that, we ought to determine first: Which community? UST as a whole or just the College of Education? Or do we go beyond the University?
And even when we get there, how can we pursuade people to participate? What is it in for them? How can we be a source of empowerment if we ourselves are overpowered by the demands and expectations of our professors, and the community it self?
All this questions are giving me a headache. I can't answer them all, not now, not yet. I am anxious because I am not in control, which is my usual reaction. It's unhealthy, I know, but I can't help it.
