DYCI for Teachers

The third KEYNOTES session with the School President on February 27, 3 PM at the Auditorium of Hotel Elida.

See you there!

The second DYCIan KEYNOTES session will be on January 30, 2019.

To all DYCIan educators, staff, and officers, invitation extends!

See you there!

DYCIan KEYNOTES, one of the "keys" for societal transformation will be back soon.

In the school's endeavor to deepen the knowledge of the people responsible for the education of its students - the "teachers" - we invite everyone to be part of this meaningful event, which now opens its doors to the college department.

DYCIan KEYNOTES (Knowledge Exchange to Yield a Nurturing Organization of Timeless Education for the Society) aims to be a source of inspiration and information so that our fellow teachers will "be more" in their teaching lives.

We hope to see you at the first session this year on December 12, 2018.

To God be the glory!

FIRST DYCIan KEYNOTES with Prof. Perla B. Moraño.

IN PHOTOS

It was an enriching moment for our dear DYCIan teachers of the Basic Education to hear from their beloved Ma'am Perla as she speaks out her wisdom, experiences, and examples in the very first DYCIan KEYNOTES (Knowledge Exchange to Yield a Nurturing Organization of Timeless Education for the Society).

December 14, 2017. Auditorium of Elida Hotel, DYCI.

To a person who is special and loved by the whole DYCI family, who is always there in every spiritual journey of every DYCIan, a happy, happy birthday, Bro. Jun Hio! We are forever grateful to the Lord for your life and contribution to the DYCIan character in heart, mind and soul! 😇

INSIGHT No. 2:
MAGIS as a Way of Life for Teachers
by Kel Yanga

Magis has become a byword for most DYCIans, which is a Latin term that means “something more.” This philosophy tells us to continuously improve, to unceasingly find ways to be better and to relentlessly strive to be the best that we can be.

Yet, what does this mean to a DYCIan teacher in the classroom?

1. To satisfy the minimum requirements is not enough. Every class must comply with the standards prescribed…and more. Do you remember when you had your teaching demonstration? Remember how you prepared your lessons? Your materials? Even your spiels and mannerisms? Such preparation and such focus are what are entailed from a magis-driven DYCIan teacher. Every day is as if an evaluation day! Still, before we reach for more, know how to conform with the expectations and the goals asked from you by the school officers. Being more begins with adhering with the standards…and then some.

2. To be a magis-driven teacher is to have a magis-anchored character. A DYCIan teacher must not only exude magis in his instruction, but more so in his actions and character. Ask yourself, dear teacher, what are your expressions? Are they words that your students can draw inspiration from? How do you deal with your students? Do you treat them with respect and dignity? Are you too close for comfort with your students? Is there still a “space” between you and your students, as teacher and students? Or, are you too distant from your students that prevent you from knowing them? A magis-anchored character inspires. It positively influences your students. You are aware of your actions. You are sensitive enough to determine if your actions go beyond the limits or are underwhelming.

3. A magis-driven teacher has an inner compass. A magis-driven teacher need not be told to do what is right, to do what is best and to do what is proper. He/She relentlessly pursues what is for the common good. Thus, DYCIan teachers must know how to comply with the expectations and roles assigned to us, with or without constant reminders.

Directions, Yardsticks, Cornerstones and Inspirations (D.Y.C.I.) for TEACHERS
All Rights Reserved
Dr. Yanga's Colleges, Inc.
Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan

INSIGHT No. 1:
STARTING WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE
by Kel Yanga

It was the statement that best describes the “strategy” that DYCI utilized to catalyze change during the early years of its transformation. Yet, it was not something that our own management people coined to capture the comprehensive approach towards change of this academic institution.

In fact, it was Dr. Eduardo Morato, the Chairman of the Board of Judges for the Search for the 2012’s Most Transformative School in the Philippines, who wrote about this “strategy.”

Yet, it is fully ingrained, embedded and inscribed in the DYCIan culture –an essential anchor of why we are more than a school, a family. For we always begin with the students, not with ourselves, but with the students. This approach enables us to understand them, their strengths, their weaknesses, their talents and potentials waiting to be unraveled. By starting with the students, we realize the meaning of our vocation in this field of teaching, as stewards and second parents to blossoming human beings into full fruition in the very near future. This can only happen if we begin with them, and not immediately impose theories, principles and even rules that may not be fitted or suited to their development and eventual growth as human beings. Likewise, it is a philosophy that entails three simple yet powerful values – empathy, acceptance, and respect.

EMPATHY. “Starting where the students are” essentially begins with putting ourselves in the place of the students. No judgments. No preconceived notions. No “boxing” of students. Let us imagine ourselves being in their place! By doing so, we can discover and unravel the truth behind their actions, their beliefs, their manners and their seemingly indifferent behavior. When we put ourselves in the place of our students, they became “alive” in our eyes – that they too come across multitudes of challenges and experiences that may have shaped them to what they have become. Thus, as we empathize with them, acceptance follows.

ACCEPTANCE. Yes, we have to accept the students before exerting our effort to mold and improve them. Let us discover the greatness in them and understand their limitations too. Who knows such limitations can lead us to unravel new opportunities that can lead them to better things?

In the year 2007, many students, especially the male DYCIans, were distracted from their lessons, as they were enamored by video games, most especially the COUNTERSTRIKE game then. We did exert much effort to coordinate with our local officials to stop this trend, where students would even cut classes just to play games. However, we realized that a long-term solution is to channel such interest and skill to more worthwhile things. Thus, robotics was born. The idea was to provide an alternative for the DYCIans to learn with fun. And indeed, many male students got hook on robotics, even the female DYCIans, and more than that, it paved the way for a new DYCI through robotics. As they say, and the rest is history.

What happened here? We accepted the harsh reality that video games have ruled upon our students then. We have to accept it – that the lure of these hi tech games were overpowering our strategies at school. Thus, with acceptance, we are able to thoroughly understand the reasons behind and see the students not as “villains” but as students with skills and potentials that only need to be rechanneled for more worthwhile endeavors like robotics and other IT pursuits in school.

RESPECT. When we empathize and accept our students, respect undoubtedly follows. We recognize their dignity. We realize that they deserve our attention. We now understand the context of their deeds, their thoughts, their principles or the lack of them. When we begin to respect them, we value them. We want the best for them. We want to search for where they can excel, where they can shine.

WALK THE TALK…OPERATIONALIZING “STARTING WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE”:

1. More of your students, less of you. Sounds like a romanticized quote but so much truth is behind this statement. Teachers have this unfortunate habit of always seeing themselves as the center of attraction and attention inside the classroom. They talk so much about themselves, and the class becomes a venue for teachers ventilating their emotions to the class. By doing so, students are deprived of the opportunity to express themselves and feel at ease that the classroom as a haven for discovering themselves, and NOT in discovering and knowing the personal lives of their teachers.

2. Catch your students more doing what is right! The tendency for most teachers is to catch our students when they are doing wrong things. This time, culled from the management tenet of Hershey and Blanchard, we must “catch our students more doing what is right!” “Positivize” our approach towards our students. Let the students be comfortable in showing their talents and skills by providing rewards, recognitions and other incentives to students showing great skills related to your subject.

3. Make your class and classroom a conducive place for unleashing their abilities and talents. It all starts with the teacher being warm and positive about their students and looking for skills and abilities among their students.

4. Adviser’s goal: Discover each of your student. Starting where students are entails knowing them – deeply. Know their strengths, know their weaknesses.

5. Seek opportunities for your students’ talents and potentials. Engage the school officers and share and suggest ideas where your students can unravel their talents and potentials.

6. Bring up the concerns of your students to school officers. Since students have different academic and learning abilities, raise the concern and air suggestions to school officers regarding a school-wide program for the concerns not only of the students in your class but also for students who might be in the same situation in other sections and or grade level.

7. “Everyday is a new day to discover the greatness of my students!” Embrace this philosophy in order for us not to stop understanding and persevering in looking for the greatness and talents of our students.

These tips are, but seven, of many other strategies, that can be used to implement this principle. You can think of other ways to breathe life into this DYCIan philosophy as we continue to improve as one family in our institution. We hope that you can share it to other DYCIan educators and even to the school officers.

Directions, Yardsticks, Cornerstones and Inspirations (D.Y.C.I.) for TEACHERS
All Rights Reserved
Dr. Yanga's Colleges, Inc.
Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan

DYCI for Teachers's cover photo

Directions, Yardsticks, Cornerstones and Inspirations (D.Y.C.I.) for Teachers