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It's amazing that the most meaningful connections I have as a teacher are with those students who may not really be the best and the brightest in class.

For me, it is those encounters with students who are just hanging on there and knowing that the little push I gave kept them afloat.  Receiving gratitude letters and emails from them, letting me know how they are and how far they have come makes me proud not just as a teacher, but as a human being.

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My most most memorable experience was when I attended a testimonial dinner for those who passed the bar and my former students specifically recognized and  thanked me as instrumental in their journey.  Prior to this, I seriously doubted my capabilities as a teacher.

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My most most memorable experience was when I attended a testimonial dinner for those who passed the bar and my former students specifically recognized and  thanked me as instrumental in their journey.  Prior to this, I seriously doubted my capabilities as a teacher.

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I remember one student messaged me on Facebook. She recently passed the bar exams. She was very grateful. I told her that it was always her, that I was only there to guide her and her classmates. #ILoveMyJob

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I remember one student messaged me on Facebook. She recently passed the bar exams. She was very grateful. I told her that it was always her, that I was only there to guide her and her classmates. #ILoveMyJob

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My last day as a law professor before I joined LEB was my most memorable experience because I nearly cried in front of my students.  My heart was so heavy and I realized, I was madly in love with teaching because it broke my heart to leave it.  They say when one is deeply in love one is vulnerable to heartbreaks and I am heartbroken.

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My last day as a law professor before I joined LEB was my most memorable experience because I nearly cried in front of my students.  My heart was so heavy and I realized, I was madly in love with teaching because it broke my heart to leave it.  They say when one is deeply in love one is vulnerable to heartbreaks and I am heartbroken.

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My most memorable moment as a professor was when my college classmates, who were former husbands & wives, appeared in my class as my students. When asked why they took up law, both answered that their past marriage experience awakened their spirits to fight for justice. I could just imagine what these two went through. haha

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Usually, my examinations are conducted in the evening, 6-8PM, but it has been customary for me to prepare food during such assessment period. I considered it as a sharing time, consoling act and was intended to similarly celebrate a moment of challenge. I often serve it buffet style and made it available 50-55 minutes after students started filling out their respective answer sheets. To surely involve everyone in the feast, I would personally serve ahead their drinks and allowed them to partake early. While serving, students began to smile and some would shout: “It’s a sign!”… it’s an expression I often used in class everytime I noticed or refer to some extra-ordinary events, objects, movements, appearance or answers. I realized, students memorize and mimic common “cliché” of their teachers.

With my general reputation on strenuous exam and its associated mortality rate, several students were adamant to join. Accordingly, they were afraid it would be their “last supper” where crucifixion follows. With their mortal state, they were uncertain of rebirth or resurrection.  Such declaration burst into laughter all over… since then, nobody eats ahead and the stuffs were taken jointly after.

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My most memorable experience as a teacher of law was when my former college professor became my law student.  It was a twist of fate.

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I have been teaching for 2 weeks now, but my first Introductory session and getting-to-know with my class was quite memorable.

I asked my students to introduce themselves in this format: Name - Nickname - Year (just to know if anyone in class was not a freshman so I could note it down) - motivation to enter law school.

One of them mentioned she took up law to look after her family since she was the eldest and her father was no longer with them. She added that the lawyer dream was her younger sister's and my student never thought about taking up law until the responsibility of looking out for her mother and sister was thrust upon her. Given the circumstances, her sister supposedly saw no need to be a lawyer anymore since her older sister would be one in a few years.

I made her promise me that in six or eight years there should be two "Atty. (surname)s" when I talk to her again.

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Although I have only been teaching for two (2) years, I appreciate the time when I coincidentally met a former student online. Because of the virtual set-up, it is even harder to recognize students by their faces. That person introduced themselves as my former student and stated that I was a great professor enthusiastically. For someone who was nervous (and still continues to be) about teaching, such a simple recognition of my efforts warmed my heart and encouraged me to do better.

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Even before the LECP, the concept of safe learning spaces have been slowly creeping on my consciousness as a tool to afford my prospective students to have a more palatable, if not enjoyable, law school experience.

I have tried my best to develop strategies that will enable my students to share the stress of studying, and how it is very hard for them to cope up with the rigours of law school.  I patterned the subject in a way that each student can share coping mechanisms or strategies on how to survive law school.

On that regard, I was quite happy reading their evaluation/reflection on how the subject enabled them to adjust more easily to the hardships of law school, and how they now recognise the feeling of vulnerability they have as something common we, student and teacher/lawyers alike, had and must overcome.

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I have many memorable moments and experiences with my law students but the most gratifying and unforgettable to me is when they send me messages of thanks after they pass the Bar exam or got promoted to a higher position after graduation or earned a better income (assisted in forming Corporations with SEC) or improved their businesses and was able to support their family because of what they learned in my class.

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Into Community Legal Education with Law Students

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Into Community Legal Education with Law Students

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With so much enthusiasm to bring informal legal education into the community, I visited one IP Community, an hour drive from the city, more or less, together with my law students in Human Rights subject. I distributed the students in such number that they can draw strength from each other and find the beauty of volunteerism.

At the end of the service to the community, one student approached me and conveyed to me in this fashion: Sir, hindi po pala basta basta ang pagbigay ng legal opinion sa community or tao na nangangailangan ng legal advice. Kasi iyon ay dali-dali nilang paniwalaan at ibahagi rin sa kanilang komunidad. At pag mali ang iyong nailahad, napakalaki ng epekto nito na siyang ikakasama nila. And concluded: "Hindi po bale na magkamali kami sa aming class recitation or exams kasi ang epeko non grade lang na pwede naman namin i-enroll uli kung hindi namin maipasa ang subject." And we drove back to the city with that great smile on my face and thank God that I was able to convey the message to the law students: love for community service, through legal relations.

Best regards and cheers!

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One time, we had a very bad connectivity. So I instructed my students that we shall instead have reading assignments and in lieu of graded recitations, I shall have guide questions to be answered.  A deadline was imposed when to submit the answers, midnight of that day.  One student  reacted : " WOW! Sana all!"  Then , a deluge of smileys and yeheys emoji  flowed in our group chat. Then one hour before deadline,  sad emojis and requests for extension of time  filled our group chat.  I just gave a thumbs up!

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One time, we had a very bad connectivity. So I instructed my students that we shall instead have reading assignments and in lieu of graded recitations, I shall have guide questions to be answered.  A deadline was imposed when to submit the answers, midnight of that day.  One student  reacted : " WOW! Sana all!"  Then , a deluge of smileys and yeheys emoji  flowed in our group chat. Then one hour before deadline,  sad emojis and requests for extension of time  filled our group chat.  I just gave a thumbs up!

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First day of school and I asked my students to make an Affidavit of Loss. None of them got it correctly. I was surprised that none of them know what a jurat is. I told them in my class that it is alright and I will not judge them (since I am not a judge yet, lol).  I was patient with them. At the end of the semester I saw a lot of improvements. It is important to be kind and not judgmental.    

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First day of school and I asked my students to make an Affidavit of Loss. None of them got it correctly. I was surprised that none of them know what a jurat is. I told them in my class that it is alright and I will not judge them (since I am not a judge yet, lol).  I was patient with them. At the end of the semester I saw a lot of improvements. It is important to be kind and not judgmental.    

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I was so "terror" during my younger years of teaching law through the Socratic method. I can feel the intense environment every time I shuffle the class cards. I was able to call this lady student and at the middle of her "hot-seat moment" (but she was nervously standing at that time) . . . she passed out! I was so shocked and there was commotion inside the classroom. I had a sigh of relief when she regained consciousness. I thought I would be charged with Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide. I never called that lady student for graded recitation again and I willingly gave her a good grade at the end of the semester. I became "milder" because of that "frightening" experience. I only give surprise quizzes to my students since then. Lesson learned.  

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I was so "terror" during my younger years of teaching law through the Socratic method. I can feel the intense environment every time I shuffle the class cards. I was able to call this lady student and at the middle of her "hot-seat moment" (but she was nervously standing at that time) . . . she passed out! I was so shocked and there was commotion inside the classroom. I had a sigh of relief when she regained consciousness. I thought I would be charged with Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide. I never called that lady student for graded recitation again and I willingly gave her a good grade at the end of the semester. I became "milder" because of that "frightening" experience. I only give surprise quizzes to my students since then. Lesson learned.  

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I asked one student that if he is an alien for an instance, what are his/her rights in joining or forming a union. He was so embarrassed and said to his seat mate, do i really like an Alien (extraterrestrial?) may sungay at malaki mata? Boom!

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I asked a student about what are "rulings of first impression" and he answered "these are first impressions that last" 😅

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My most memorable experience as a law professor would be the first time i met with my class. I was elated to finally teach at Mindanao State University - General Santos City Extension.

It was a fulfillment of a dream.

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My teaching method normally is Socrates way. And I let my student stand for the duration of the class if they could not correctly recite. My students were bringing with them YL oils and ointment for their muscle aches after the prolonged standing. One time, my vertigo attacked and I almost collapsed in the class. They used their YL oils and ointment to awaken me.😀

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When the results of the recent elections came out (please, I apologize if I am being politically incorrect), my class and I discussed the composition of the incoming Senate and we had a short intense crying session (yup, iyakan blues). In frustration, I said something like, "I've been in the academe for almost 30 years. What on earth am I doing as an educator? The academe has failed this country." (Again, I am truly sorry... this part is definitely politically incorrect.)
On the last day of regular classes, my students gave me a framed compilation of post-it messages with this card...

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In most (if not all) horror movies, the first ones to die are those who stop running, those who lose hope, those who cease fighting. When the global lockdown happened in 2020, all law schools stopped. I thought our classes would resume after the pandemic; which, I thought, would last for a couple of weeks, months, or perhaps a year at the most. I thought law schools had died.

After a couple of months, we had Bridging Programs, aimed at finishing the second semester of AY 2019-2020, and "bridging" the learning gaps of our law students, which we conducted online (thanks to our dynamic, innovative, and relatively young Dean at the Mindanao State University College of Law). That's my first time to conduct online classes, which I found weird. I thought classes in law school should not be conducted online. I thought online classes are ineffective, boring, and inapplicable - at least for law schools. Then came the Online Faculty Training organized by the Legal Education Board (LEB), and the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS), which I religiously attended. This gave me hope. I realized online learning/teaching was possible, feasible, and can be equally effective, just like face-to-face classes. It had to happen - we had no choice!

In the Online Faculty Training, the participants were given an opportunity to ask questions. I asked one of the resource persons, “How will I be able to terrorize my students online?” The response was not an answer, but another question. The resource person replied, “Why do you have to terrorize your students?” While I was explaining myself, the chat box was filled with similar explanations/reasons —“We were taught that way. We were terrorized. It is part of the legal training.” But the pandemic changed the world. It changed us. It changed the way I see things, even my teaching style. It changed law school instruction. The resource person’s reply was a wake-up call for me. It was my “Aha!” moment - my metamorphosis, if you will.

While some people were busy gardening, cooking, and binge-watching Netflix, I immersed myself to the different techniques available to adapt with the online platform. I am the “text and call” type of guy. I am not a techy person. I had to watch hundreds of tutorials in YouTube to improve my methodologies. I had to learn different Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Zoology, and Google Classroom. I had to familiarize myself with various videoconferencing platforms like Zoom.US, MSTeams, and Google Meet. I was hungry for knowledge. I was open. I was willing to learn, change, and adapt. I had no choice!

After more than two years, the pandemic remains as new variants (and sub-variants) continue to emerge. I think even if we will be allowed to conduct our classes face-to-face, there should also be hybrid sessions, and asynchronous activities. The pandemic forced us to make use of technology. We have to move on, improve, and continue to innovate. I don’t want to go back. Now, I realized I can be an effective law professor without terrorizing my students. I still give my students a decent amount of pressure to encourage them to study harder, to do more. But more importantly, I learned how to inspire my students. I think students are inspired to study if they genuinely feel that their professor cares. The law professor is not anymore the traditional, classical teacher. He had evolved as a professor-mentor.

That Online Faculty Training in 2020 was like my Kindergarten in online learning/teaching. This Certification Program is like my High School, or even College (let’s see). I know there will be more trainings such as this; and surely, I will always participate. I don’t want to stop. I have to keep moving, running, fighting. Otherwise, just like in the horror movies, I would die!

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One time, I asked a student why his camera was too dark and he was not dressed well. As a professor used to the socratic method, it made me furious. "I had to travel for 2 hours etc etc" Only then did I discover that my student was in the hospital as he has cancer. He slowly put on his polo with IV tubes on his arm. In spite the condition he was in, he was in class and passed the subject. This made me realize how we should rethink how we conduct classes. For most of my law student years, the study of the law was geared towards passing the Bar exam. However, in the process, we look past the joy of learning it. After that night, I re-made my Powerpoint materials and integrated pop culture memes and motivational quotes from athletes for my students' mental health. For the first time in my 10 years as a teacher, my classes had 99% attendance with very high passing rate in the exams. 

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One time, I asked a student why his camera was too dark and he was not dressed well. As a professor used to the socratic method, it made me furious. "I had to travel for 2 hours etc etc" Only then did I discover that my student was in the hospital as he has cancer. He slowly put on his polo with IV tubes on his arm. In spite the condition he was in, he was in class and passed the subject. This made me realize how we should rethink how we conduct classes. For most of my law student years, the study of the law was geared towards passing the Bar exam. However, in the process, we look past the joy of learning it. After that night, I re-made my Powerpoint materials and integrated pop culture memes and motivational quotes from athletes for my students' mental health. For the first time in my 10 years as a teacher, my classes had 99% attendance with very high passing rate in the exams. 

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The year was 2018, pre pandemic  or when classes were still done onsite, when I joined the faculty of the NWU Law. Since I work in the OSG, which is based in Makati, I had to travel every other week.

For two years, I was commuting to Laoag to meet my class on a Saturday. I teach the whole day for two subjects and I only spend one day (Sunday) with my family before I go back to Manila, Sunday night. It was so tiring, physically draining because after a week's work at the office, pleading writing, attending meetings and hearings, I had to travel to the province to perform my teacher duties.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, I was a high school teacher at the Department of Education. When I joined government law practice, my desire to teach was there with me. 'Once a teacher, always a teacher', so people (teachers) say.

But teaching is a fulfilling job; truly, a vocation. Those nine hour-travels to Laoag were worth it. For the love of the law and teaching, and for the dreams of my students. They looked forward to seeing me every other week, telling me that I inspire them each time. That to me makes me realize that I am contributing something. For as a teacher, I cannot teach them everything but to inspire and keep them on track to fulfilling their dreams to become lawyers is already satisfaction on my part.

MDC