“Accidental vocation…”
By Anthony Harvey B. Dalmacio
Consultant Vice Dean, College of Computer Studies
Director for Club Administration
Rotary Club of Dipolog
Accidental: Occurring unexpectedly, unintentionally, or by chance.
Vocation: a special urge to a particular calling or career.
I put the definition on top for a reason: To fully understand my subtitle for this week’s issue. An Accidental Vocation, I chose these words to describe how and why I am working in an academe.
“I was never born to become a teacher…” this was my line since I stepped out from college. I always wanted to work in the IT industry but never in an academe. I never have the guts or patience in teaching. I always wanted to finish my work ahead of time; I never dwell in a situation for so long. I always want quality in my projects. I was never an excellent student; I was never an achiever in college. I do cheat; I do copy from my classmates during exams.
In 2004 I started teaching. At first I always get confused every time students are having a hard time understanding our lessons, I always get disappointed every time students got low scores in my exams. I tried to ask myself, was it me? Or is it them?
I never realize I was walking alone on my own path, believing that I am having same students as my classmates in college. I was trying to set some standards which I thought they could reach, I was trying to push them, forgetting that they need help instead of a standard.
As time passed by, I loosened up. Instead of pushing students to the limit, I tried to become someone who’s willing to teach and accommodate. I became a friend and a listener to my students. I tried to experiment different techniques in teaching, making my approach performance-oriented, result-oriented instead of a classroom oriented. I tried to listen more to them instead of me talking more to them. I allowed them to open up and communicate; I established an interactive classroom environment. What I discover best was, relating “technical specifications” to “real-life situations”, translating “complex discussions” to “simple, fun-related interactions”, Transforming “intricate lines-of-codes” to “straightforward lines-of-real-life-thoughts”. Things are already so knotty in IT, so why make things more complicated?
Three years later, I started to see some success stories; my students are slowly getting recognition locally, recognized for their exemplary performance in their field of study.
My students are slowly getting recognition nationally, showing advance knowledge in their chosen field.
I have done my part, now it’s their turn. This is my accidental vocation: Teaching and transforming lives, I was never born to be a teacher, but I am one.
I never lived my life to the fullest, but I touched lives.
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First published on August 2009
Ang Dipolognon
Rotary Club of Dipolog Weekly Journal
