Escape Me Not My Students

            It is so funny to hear a lot of rumors and true accounts of students turning around and finding another class when they found out that I am the teacher of that class. They transfer to another class which is not of my hold. Either they changed their schedule or at desperate times just simply dropped out of class. I think I have created a kind of reputation that instigates fear in the weak and escapists, but offers thrill and an exquisite sense of danger-challenge for those hungry for academic rigor. I have to admit that I am experimenting a lot on approaches for an authentic pedagogical method that can deliver the optimal academic experience which is anchored on the ideals of the liberal arts and the social sciences, but I can cockily say that I am getting better at it. Each day I hear students raising their voice with well-crafted opinions which are fact-laden and are becoming less afraid to argue against a presumed authority inside the classroom (which is me). All of such creates a sense of fulfillment knowing that I am going on the right path, for it is rare to have a student-centered discussion inside the classroom. Of course, I am not referring to the typical bullshit reporting sessions wherein their teachers just simply sleep at the back of the room and create pretentious arbiter stances, but no! I am talking about students approaching me without hesitation on asking for more clarifications, arguing with their other classmates and against me, or educating their fellow classmates and standing in front, facing a crowd, controlling their anxiety, learning to embrace the podium, and developing a hunger for a spotlight inside the classroom. Calling them and throwing a whole array of hair-splitting questions to each of them and hearing out the trapped warrior speak out astonishes me. At the same time, making them keen, aware, and vigilant on my errors is paramount, for the credence inside the room is adherence to truth. Let the truth be the authority, not a person.

            The project that I am making is to relive the spirit of conversation and discourse inside the institution, especially for the liberal arts and the social sciences, because the current trend of neo-liberal education is to just simply breed mindless automatons who do not think nor speak; thus, stagnating the goal and realization of democracy, because how can such blessing be utilized if the people themselves are bereft with the capability to participate? Great philosophers and thinkers engage in debate and discourse and the like jive through conversations and are not rudely dismissive to people who have ideas. (Except of course when the heat gets on their nerves.) The lost art of dialogue is indeed lost and fading when we are simply rearing students to mindlessly follow instructions and worse, silencing them and letting them go through compromised-just-for-the-sake paperwork of which they can just go through anonymously and unscathed. However, that kind of culture is reflective of the colonial days where obedience to a master is the norm. The allegory of the cave speaks of enlightenment and liberation from the shackles of inauthenticity, but just like how the story went, the liberator faced rejection from those who wish to stay comfortable with being dumb. “They would rather die than to think.” Thinking is made evident through language and all the more agitated through questions. Sadly, there is a poverty of language and the will to speak and every question is seen as hostile, especially if it leads to flexing the brain muscles. They would rather memorize and be parrots.

            Again, it is funny to hear students escaping me. They are not paying ( through tuition fees) a court jester to bore them to death. Those who endured have found it amusing that such a class is unique and definitely tested their might and their abilities. Moerover, giving them an avenue to constantly exercise thinking makes them oddly satisfied. It is pathetic to see them post their graduation photos telling the world of their accomplishment, but a mere photo cannot tell your ability. They are delighted to wear a cloth that indicates that they have made it but without thinking of how much of an impotent they are plus the number of times plain mercy was given to them while they played their mindless fatalism. Mercy is for the weak. But to the weak who want to become strong, then it is a kind gesture reminding them that there are more things that can be done and that one should be strong than to continuously play helpless. They would rather have a grade that shows 1.0 and forgot to tell the world that it was just because of just sitting down and meagerly doing nothing (especially those rigid academic disciplines). With all insult, they would rather graduate without the rigor.   

            What is there to fear? A good challenge defines a warrior. What is victory without an actual fight? Or the nerd in me says, “How can you praise the sun if the boss is easy?” Our students are now at the age that they can easily get what they want without intensive labor. But there is no shortcut to wisdom, no shortcut to intelligence, and I laugh if they say they are smart, cunning, and deserving without having an inch of a thought of how incompetent they are. Sometimes they say they were lucky that they passed. I even pity that wretched soul to include luck in passing because for sure that person’s intelligence also is luck dependent; therefore, not constant but always drifting and playing chances. How pitiful!

            But to those who bested, shocked, and entertained me and the crowd through wits, confidence, and endurance, left a lasting memory to me and to their classmates. Rarely in class do we hear authentic applause coming from the students or from the teachers that really shows how deserving one is of honor and praise. Imagine your teacher admits defeat through a reasonable debate, discourse, or conversation or if not defeat, but respect you as an equal just like how Stephen Hawkins was deemed great by the panelists when he was defending his dissertation. My goal is not to let you remain as students, but to be equals. Equal because you are confident to talk, ask, argue, and educate others because the truth is the authority, not the person. Yet we need to spread the light - to illuminate others! I have heard of the tyranny of reason, but there is the terrorism of being unreasonable. Students! Embrace the challenge! Do not fear! “What does not kill you will make you stronger!”