I like traveling and seeing different places. So, when I was told that I would be one of the 5 people sent to Mexico for the UbD Workshop with Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, I was really excited for the trip. In fact, I would have to admit that I was more excited about the prospect of visiting a new place, than the workshop itself. But of course, I was also excited about the experience of being able to interact with and converse with educators from a different part of the world.

       However, along with this excitement came a lot of apprehensions. Being a relatively new teacher, I was actually very nervous that I would be the youngest and least experienced in that workshop, and that my knowledge of UbD back then was inadequate. To put it simply, I was really worried that I would look stupid in a group of seasoned educators.

       Well, I brought that excitement and those apprehensions with me as I, together with Mrs. Jane Cacacho, Mrs. Flora Alfonso, Ms. Aimee Apolinario and Mr. Allen Silvano, flew to Mexico . And, the way to the workshop was not exactly that easy. On the way to the airport, the traffic along Roxas Blvd. and MIA Road was so bad I thought I was going to be late for the check-in time. On top of that, our 2:00 AM connecting flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City got cancelled without us even knowing about it. Because of this, we literally had to sleep in the airport ala Tom Hanks in The Terminal as we waited for our rescheduled flight the next morning. When we finally got to Mexico City , we spent over an hour in the airport looking for our fetcher. Being in a foreign land where only a handful can actually understand English, the one hour of waiting seemed to take an entire afternoon. And, as if that was not enough, we still had to take a 4-hour land trip from Mexico City to San Miguel de Allende, where the workshop was to be held. In our exhaustion, the 5 of us actually slept through most of the ride. When we got to our hotel in San Miguel, it was around 9 in the evening, and the welcome dinner that we were supposed to attend had just ended. For our first dinner in Mexico , after more than 24 hours of being in transit, we practically had scrambled eggs and some leftovers. But we did not really mind that much anymore. We were just happy to have reached our final destination.

         Our co-participants for the workshop were all amazed at how we were able to travel (in economy class) for such a long period of time. They admired our perseverance as we practically crossed half the world just to get there. And, they were actually pleasantly surprised (I hope!) that we can actually communicate in straight English.

         Looking back at that experience now, I would have to say that I brought home three important “understandings”, as we would call them. First, through our dialogues and interactions with the educators from the US , I realized that the work of education really entails a lot of collaboration among teachers. I personally found the sharing of insights and experiences among the participants of the workshop very enlightening. Indeed, a lot can be learned from others, especially from the other participants who were very willing to share their knowledge and expertise. I never felt inferior, or inexperienced. The participants who actually held high positions in their respective districts were actually very accommodating. It is in this light that I see the value of trying to get into the UbD framework for our school. There, we saw how UbD can actually be helpful in structuring the curriculum to make the learning of the students more deliberate and more meaningful. Truly, our eyes were opened to the possibility of using UbD to improve the curriculum that we now have.

          However, as we shared our experiences and listened to each other, I got to realize a sad fact. I got to see how “behind” the Philippines is, in general, in terms of the educational system. I somehow envied the public schools in the US where teachers had easier access to technology, were paid better, and seemed to live better lives than most teachers here. However, along with this realization came a greater admiration for the Filipino teachers. It takes a lot of resiliency to continue living in a world where everything seems to make it difficult to be an educator.

         Third, I got to see one important thing that binds teachers together in this field. I saw the passion of each teacher in that workshop to learn as much as he/she can in order to be a better educator. This passion, I believe, comes from the desire to be of service to the students. Eventually, I realized that all our work as formators all boils down to the fact that we want our students to learn and to be better.

        The “little” knowledge on UbD that I got from the workshop is very valuable. But more important than this knowledge is the renewed sense of purpose. After all, it is truly comforting and strengthening that millions of others share in our ministry as teachers. And, these millions of others are working night and day too for the betterment of the next generation. If only for this, I am comforted and I am given hope that no matter how long and hard our trip may be, or how many times we get delayed or cancelled, or even how many times we get lost, or how many times we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, we will get there. After all, if we know where we want to go and if we have each other to guide us, our passion will drive us to our final destination.

Go back to the top ^