As young Filipinos’ sense of well-being is being cultivated after finishing K-12 or Kindergarten to the 12th Grade Basic Education Program in the Philippines, it is vital for them to sense the sense of optimism of their new teachers – professors for that matter – under the General Education (GE) curriculum. One of the eight GE or Gen Ed core courses in college is Understanding the Self (Pag-unawa sa Sarili). This may become an intriguing “minor” subject for the young ones, especially when they go back to their greatly missed high school barkada to share experiences entering college for the first time. There are others who may think Understanding the Self is one of the few GE courses that they truly need. Ultimately, they may all come out of their senses and tell each other, “We have no other choice but to take and pass the subject.”
This is where the professor’s role in leading them into, and teaching, optimism comes in.
The tough job occurs inside the classroom for almost half a decade with the implementation of a Supreme Court-backed 2013 order from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and is most recently made tougher online via any learning management system of higher education institutions since 2020 when we closed our schools, colleges, and universities at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How can optimism be imparted if the students have a pessimistic professor? Thank God I have no problem with this; I perceive a general sense of cheerfulness among our college students. They are generally pleased they, first of all, landed in their university of choice and generally eager and hopeful to finish their studies, many of them “with flying colors” (read: “with honors“).
The GE lesson on sariling pag-unawa (self-concept) remains a hot topic, and therefore, more and more humanities and social sciences professors have come to love teaching it, never mind if the mostly 18- to 23-year-old students would hate it or love it (back). Digital self is specifically discussed under the module of “unpacking the self”, where the professor is supposed to listen to the insights of students about their digital transformation, with some of them admitting to faking their identities online while others remain active owners of several social media accounts for various reasons amid their “complicated” status.
With the advent of social media apps, a young netizen tends to look good with status updates that are backed up by impressive photos, videos, and written content even as our advice is not to believe everything we see on social media. Even the content can now be easily supplied by artificial intelligence (AI). Which leads us to remind not just students but their professor as well to zero in on the wisdom of the law establishing (later “strengthening”) GE core courses: to have “holistic understandings, intellectual, and civic competencies.”
CHED, in its CMO No. 20 released nine years ago, put it: “The fundamental purpose of higher education, therefore, is not only to develop graduates in a particular field, but also well-rounded individuals who appreciate knowledge in a general sense, are open-minded because of it, secure in their identities as individuals and as Filipinos, and cognizant of their role in life of the nation and the larger community.” In its 10th year this 2023, I submit there is reason to believe that that purpose is being served and to be hopeful that it remains the same in the next 10 or 20 years ceteris paribus. What we have are ongoing reforms in education by implementing R.A. 10533 and considering the aforementioned CMO, faculty training, as well as the mere five-year-old R.A. 10931.
Indeed, our college students are “secure in their identities as individuals and as Filipinos” as many of them were not victimized by historical distortions, not distracted by social media manipulators, not swayed by dynastic politics, but instead chose to listen to debates and fora, read the reliable primary sources, and did fact-checking before wisely choosing their country’s leaders in the recent elections and supporting truly worthwhile causes.
To be an optimist is a tall order these days but to improve student performance, the professor needs to believe in what they do in order to effect positive changes. Students equally make a difference in their lives and others’ as they reap the benefits of optimism which they first see, hear, and feel from their professor’s approaches to teaching and research. Optimism, when properly cultivated, empowers the young ones because they get some assurance that they will weather all storms by their preparation and tests of resilience while inside or outside the classroom, or on the blended type of learning experience. When they work hard, the students’ minds are set to envision more success. No wonder, they do not just cope with their trying times, but also appreciate the beauty of their time with endless possibilities.
