Personal Experience as a College Professor

Some time ago, I was invited to teach HR courses in a prestigious university. The chairperson's vision was to bring the corporate HR values and reality to the university's HR students. HR Practitioners were asked to teach HR theories and, at the same time, to prepare the students to the real HR world. It was an interesting offer. I've been doing this since I started working but for my OJTs only. I have never tried applying this for more than 3 students.

Before I share my learning, observations, and personal insights, let me give you my background as a college student, particularly during my junior and senior years.  I have, if not the best, been one of the best students. I had no struggles working on assignments, reviewing for exams, and doing research. I rarely absent myself in class. Call me nerd, but I was not. I was a member of dance and theater/art organizations and had performed in college and university-wide activities. I also tutored some of my friends in math-related subjects. I can say I had fun in college.

So here goes:

• When I stand in the professor's platform, I can hear students' conversation even the buzzes. I can compare it to a moviehouse before a movie starts and trailers are not yet played. I can clearly see who are texting, and not paying attention in class. It's also obvious when a student is clueless during class. I can even count the times and the duration of each time. I may be busy talking and writing on the board but I am aware of my surroundings. I don't know if this has something to do with the elevated platform or with my presentation skills, but I can only attribute these to the platform.
• Junior students looked so "nene" and "totoy" as compared to my senior class. I can only attribute this to OJT experience as the former have not taken their OJT yet.
• I am a trained recruiter and I have more than 9 years of experience in interviewing and placement. Attitude plays an important role in becoming successful and I can already pinpoint in class who are more likely to succeed in their careers. 
• One needs patience, understanding, and flexibility to teach.
• Generation Y is really something. They voice their thoughts and opinions. Yes, they are more confident but they are more aggressive than the previous generations. They know what they want and they expect to have it NOW. So for those who will hire them, be prepared!
• Faculty rooms are so big. There's a conference room, a powder room, and very clean comfort rooms. And just like a workplace and any society, there are groups, politics, and relationships. Groups of young faculty, old faculty, young & hip faculty, fun faculty, etc. 
• Have you experienced during college when university employees were not nice and "masungit"? Ahhh, I was a professor and all of them were so nice and accommodating to me. These even include employees from the library. Student assistants were more than nice.
• Tuition fees were OMG! For teachers, give the students quality. For the management who will hire teachers, get good ones. However, this is in conflict with the compensation in teaching (see below).
• My salary was just average. I was informed that it depends on the experience, tenure and levels. I actually do not mind the salary as I was after the experience. But hey, if you think of the work, the effort, and the behavior that a professor performs/exhibit/gives to teach students, then they are not compensated enough. Teaching is a calling. Money is not enough to be a motivation to teach. So be nice to your teachers. Kudos to all teachers out there. 
• Teaching made me reflect on where I should enroll my child when he starts schooling. The name nor the tuition fee of a school is not enough. I should be able to check the program, profile of facuty, and profile of graduates.
• It helps to be a strict and a terror teacher. I think, and I was also advised by my former professors, that this is the recommended style for Generation Y students. Though, I did not do the last one. 
• I had a 3-hour class so if the students are hungry and thirsty, so am I! 
• I believe that the person is responsible for his/her own success. Whether there is a teacher or someone superior, it is a person's determination and behavior that makes him/her successful. However, there are some who need guidance and mentoring to be successful. This is where teachers come in. They must be able to create or offer an environment/experience that will enable one's abilities and competencies to develop or to come out. One must be open to learning and criticisms to be successful. I believe lecturing is not enough. (Sounds familiar? It's just like a workplace/corporate organization.)

Do I want to teach again? Yes. Competition is tough outside school and if I can help students to gain advantage, I will.

Help pass on skills to survive culture and corporate world.