Doing a Seminar

I am now a confirmed LECTURER!...an arduous task built on what we call DETERMINATION.

The evening my doctoral professor, Dr. Riceli Mendoza offered me the job through an internet chat, the urge to ask her..”WHY me?” was kept at the back of my mind. It was four weeks away and the idea of me becoming a RESOURCE PERSON for a two-day seminar was a scary joke… I have never made a seminar in my entire life and it is not only a seminar but a “Seminar-Workshop”… Giving it a thought, I said why not? I immediately rummaged resources from the internet, skimmed on what was available on my booklists and “designed” on what was to be the SCENARIO..Suddenly, flashes of ‘what if’s ‘ adorned my idealistic fancy and imagined myself with the ambition. I need to make it.

The problem of creating activities seconded my worries on how I could SUFFICE my heterogeneous attendees. I was told that teachers and English-major students would be my participants and “jury”. The idea of both teachers and students actualizing seminar activities was unimaginable yet CHALLENGING. Two weeks before the day, I learned that it was going to be a whole day event. I was thankful. Finally after exhausting all meaningful data and debilitating exploration with my laptop features, I made a 94-slide presentation coupled with a handful of activities and materials.

My concern and fear of traveling the 3-hour away-from-home locale was yet to be accepted. I adjusted my alarm clock to 3:00 AM but woke an hour earlier. I decided to take a shower and don my “dress to success” -white long sleeves and jeans and ran to the terminal. The early bus left at 4: 15 and I was surprised that I reached Kidapawan City at six o'clock. The “show” will have to start at 8: 00 so a nearby Jollibee was my only hope for a temporary refuge. Unluckily the food chain opens in another thirty minutes. A nearby hospital bench was of help. Finally after munching on a pancake and gulping a glass of juice, I was off to Notre Dame College, the arena awaiting my battle.

The seminar room was still quiet at seven o’clock. The person I need to meet was the Dean of Graduate School, Dr. Romana Yecyec, who came and acknowledged me with her comforting stories. Her exceedingly genial welcome assured me that I just need to be MYSELF. The room was filled, I was surprised when they told me I had 80 participants- doctoral students, educators, masteral students on different fields, and English-major students. Some of these were Math teachers. Now, a complete twist of fate hurled me farther on to how am I going to tailor my lecture to these VERY mixed group. “I am an educator”, I reassured myself. Surprisingly, the facilitator in me just came out and the instance of being flexible paved to finally finishing it with a resounding feedback.

I know now why it has to be me- I thanked my professor for having entrusted this ‘make or break’ event in a life of an EDUCATOR. I was offered to teach in that college but I was still inebriated by the idea that I made it through…

Comments

Unknown said…
CONGRATULATIONS!

Youve made it! I knew you would..
A lot of first times ha...ha ..
Kudus...Salutes...Bow...
HOW WAS MAAM RICE IN HER ELEMENT?
Tell me more about it..this saturday..c yah...
March 6, 2010 at 10:20 PM
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