my HRM class

I’ve been teaching in the graduate school of Surigao del Sur Polytechnic State College (now Surigao del Sur State University) for many years now. I may not remember the names of all my students, but I do remember all the memories.

I have my fair share of “unwanted” subjects. And by that I mean subjects that are difficult to teach either because it’s the first time they’re being offered or there are no available reference materials in an otherwise book-challenged library. I don’t mind getting these subjects though, because I look at them as windows of opportunity to expand my academic horizon.

Last semester, I was lucky to have been given two subjects that became the most enjoyable in my teaching history bar none! Both had more than 20 students who unabashedly shared their thoughts.

Just a context: The number of students in a class does not dictate my teaching strategy or my brand of English. But I prefer more enrollees because by doing the same amount of effort, I can impact more, thus enhancing the multiplier effect of knowledge sharing.



My Human Resource Management (HRM) class had an interesting mix because students came from different programs—MaEd, MPA, and MBA. If that’s not a good recipe for interaction, then I don’t know what is!

There was a palpable sense of healthy competition. When MaEd students gave their reaction to a topic, it was certain their MPA and MBA counterparts would spill their guts too. More than amused, I was grateful for this because it enhanced greatly the quality of learning we had every meeting.

But more than anything else, I valued their sharing about how HRM is being implemented in their offices. I couldn’t bare it here as we had an agreement to leave all discussions in the classroom, but suffice it to say that they gave me a snapshot of HRM in the Philippine bureaucracy. And I tell you, the picture is far from being postcard-perfect.



Given my reputation as “horror” teacher, my students, for sure, had the creeps. But judging from the way their faces lit up every time I did a synthesis at the end of every report, and the way they laughed each time I threw them a funny line or situation, which was often, I’m sure it wasn’t as creepy as they thought.

I will miss this class.