A Barrage of SMS

I take a break from my current tedious task of documentation at work as I have been struck with inspiration to post this rather interesting event that took place this morning. It somewhat involved my students, my usual lazy habits, and a hell lot of SMS. Trust me, I have never waded through this stream of SMS messages before.

***
The Scene: A Barrage of SMS

It had been my usual custom to play games in the evening, ending up sleeping early in the morning (around 2-3am). Lately though I've been engrossed in a little documentation work and thanks to GLEE as well, I ended up sleeping at 4am this time.

I feared for my students again, since whenever I end up sleeping during the most unholy hours of the dawn, I end up being either late or completely absent for my morning classes, and this habit seems to have negatively persisted throughout this trimester, one thing that discourages me from taking morning classes anymore. Thus I resolved to give them my mobile number and get theirs just so they could know if I'll even turn up for class or not.

So there I was sleeping at 4 in the morning, dreams slowly swimming in my head, when half an hour later I was forcibly dragged back to reality as the Protoss Zealot sounded from my phone (yes it is my ring tone). Three-part dazed, three-part asleep, and three-part annoyed, I pick it up, wondering who would even dare text me in this hour.

'Good Morning!'

It was an unnamed contact, but after three prior texts in the past evening I know who it was - one of my devout students. Cursing to myself I plopped back to bed and tried to get some sleep.

As expected, my little brother woke me at 6 in the morning and groggy as I was, I marched to the sofa (as I always end up doing despite anything I do against it) and fell asleep for another good hour. At 7 I was shaken awake by another text message, paraphrased:

'Hoy Dave! (Joke) Nasan ka na? Magkaklase ka ba?!'

Yet another student of mine, this time one of the loudest ones I've had, and even through LCD screens I can sense her intensity as she texted it. Groggily, I answered that I won't make it and I would attend their next class.

7:30 another message arrives, this time from the student who texted prior at 4:30:

'Sir sigurado bang aattend daw kayo? Nagtatanong sila'

Cursing at myself again, I replied the same as the previous texter, wondering if these guys even talk to one another about what I broadcast. Seeing the time I decided to start preparing for the next class.

Before I left the house, yet another text message welcomes me, this time asking if I'm already on my way to work. By this time a bout of annoyance was already over me, since I felt like a child being nagged by parents as to my whereabouts.

Thanks to a burning hot traffic I arrived several minutes late, and as I was to take the jeepney to the school, one final text rains down on me:

'Sir san kana?'

I wanted to die right there and then.

When I got to class, I delivered a short nugget of madness:

'Guys I appreciate that you care for me and the class, pero when I say that I'll be coming to class, I'm coming. There's no need to barrage me with SMS messages like as if I'm your kid or boyfriend'

Suffice to say they were laughing as I let loose my exasperation in a fit of frenzied exhaustion.

***

Yes, a fine way to close the week. LOL

The Daveaholics in Teacher's Day!

So YES, my dear students, you have just broken my mind yet again.

Pardon the initial statement, but this is more of an internal thing between my students and myself, who seemed to have taken root on me once again. I never really did expect that they'd grow on me like the others before them have done so and frankly speaking it flatters me that I still possess the flair to be the cool instructor that I am *gets shot*

Anyway, class was moderately amusing today partly because of this one scene that reminded me of the special occasion that is today - Teacher's Day! I must remember to greet my mother and mentor too later LOL.

The Scene - Teacher's Day Greeting

I was in the middle of discussions during my SYSTAND (Systems Analysis and Design) Class on my Accountancy students when all of a sudden one of the senior Accounting students who is also enrolled in another SYSTAND class of mine walks by the door and waves at me.

As I usually do with my students when they get the urge to start disturbing other classes of mine, I amusingly shoo them away but still they persisted so I had to take matters into my own hands.

Me: Huy, wala ka bang klase at nagkakakaway ka sa classroom ko?
Student: Happy Teacher's Day Sir!
Me: Ay gumaganon ka. Teacher's Day pala ngayon?
Student: Oo naman sir, kaya ka nga binabati e!
Me: Wag malakas, baka marinig nila batiin din ako.

I should also tell now that the door was ajar the entire time I was conversing with the student. Suffice to say the entire class can hear what I'm yakking about.

Me: Sige na baka hindi ko matapos dinidiscuss ko.
Student: *smirks* Sige sir, kita kits sa klase.

When I entered the room to resume discussion, a chorus of 'Happy Teacher's Day!' welcomed me back in.

To add icing into the cake, several of my students seemed to have banded together and formed the group they had dubbed as the Daveaholics - or even worse using my last name and making it appear like the Flores de Mayo celebration (Santacruzan). I admit I was flattered at the action, but that was after I overcame the hurdle of wanting to jump at them and strangle them to death. LOL

So yes, Happy Teacher's Day to my fellow members of the academe!

A Frenzy of Humor

Class is once again in session!

I deeply apologize to all my blog patrons for not being at par in posting content in here, I have been quite occupied lately with a lot of stuff that involved a lot of things, my students included.

A few days ago marked the beginning of the second trimester of AY 2010-2011, the third term I'm handling since my 6-month exile into unemployment and idleness. Suffice to say I've missed teaching so much that I've made it quite an integral part of my life and I'm fortunate to have found an IT career that can let me cater to both worlds at the same time. Maybe it's something my mother and I have shared - a teacher who's getting involved in IT stuff and an IT Professional who's getting involved in teaching LOL.

As it is, I got handed down another marathon course run on one of my interesting classes - a wild coincidence, as the same instance also happened to my first ever favorite class two years ago. Perhaps fate is trying to play tricks on me or give me more reason to get more gray hairs. As it is, I am currently handling AC102/103's ALGEBRA and SYSTAND classes, on a consecutive schedule of 7:30 - 9am and 9:15 - 10:45 am respectively. It is an understatement to say that they've grown tired of seeing my face and hearing me speak.

Today was an exceptionally interesting day as I've already given in to letting my students know of the existence of this blog - that is, opening up all my incriminating antics in class for the new blood of vermin to see. I hope you guys find this an interesting read too, as it will concern you now. >:D

This particular experience I'll share happened today, while I was discussing on the said marathon class.

Scene One - Algebra, the Poker Face Instructor

As an instructor of mathematics I've made it a point to check every so often if and when my students are following with the discussion and not just agreeing with anything and everything I say, so as a part of my teaching strategy I deliberately make mistakes to see if I can incite a reaction or try to turn a student's correct answer around into a wrong one.

Me: Ok guys, in evaluating a squared times a to the fourth (a2 x a4), the answer would be...?
Student # 1: Sir, a6 (a to the sixth)!
Me: *raises an eyebrow* Sigurado ka dyan?
Student #2: a8 Sir! (a to the eighth)
Me: Mm-hmm *erases the previous answer and updates with new one*
Students: Hindi sir, a6 dapat yung sagot!
Me: *shocked* Bakit a6?! Pano nangyari yun
Student #1: Sir kasi diba dapat i-a-add yung exponent pag minumultiply?!
Me: Oo nga, so dapat a6 yung sagot. *smirk*
Student #2: Daya naman ni sir oh, panglito!

Made my day already with just that sweet remark. I appreciate it when my students learn a thing or two from my own sarcasm and amusement.

Scene Two - Systand, Three hours of Ordeal

I was in the middle of discussing the traits and skills needed by a Systems Analyst and how it bridges the IT and Business world when I got a remark from one of my students.

Student #1: Sir, ang lamig naman!

I noticed here on that most of my students were somewhat shivering on their seats. The lights had been turned off due to the overhead projector being turned on and directed at my general direction for the acetate slides and the AC had been turned on at full blast - both of them.

Me: Malamig? Di kaya, init init e.

You guys should know that I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt as is my usual custom whenever I'm wearing civilian attire. Naturally it would not be as cold.

Student #1: Kayo kaya sir try nyo maupo dito sa likod ng 3 hours na malamig!
Me: Eh kayo kaya try nyo din tumayo dito sa harap ng 3 hours tas nagsasalita pa.
Student #2: Daya nyo sir umupo din naman kayo kanina nung break ah.

The remark caught me unexpectedly and I'll admit I didn't have any counter to that.

Me: Ok fine sige talo na ko *laugh*

Discussion continued afterwards but still I can't shake the amusing thought off my head.

It's times like these when I love my students and can rely on them to dissipate any excess stress of my head. Then again they can be the source of my stress sometimes LOL.