Sa Labas ng Classroom (Outside the Classroom)

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." - Maya Angelou

Being in the field of psychology provides a long list of options and possibilities. Though we usually get excited with the things we can do, we may feel overwhelmed about having too many choices. In this episode, we explore the option of being a Registered Psychometrician in the Philippines. Margaret Concha, a college instructor, and Ma. Edarlee Racca, a former college instructor and currently a student in medical school, share their journeys in taking the board licensure exam. They also share what happened after obtaining their license. Join us in another insightful episode that discusses another topic in the classroom of life.

"The students of the future will demand the learning support that is appropriate for their situation or context. Nothing more, nothing less." - Marcus Specht

Finding the right classroom on your first day of classes, entering the wrong classroom, rushing to your next class in a building a hundred meters away from you etc.. These scenarios might have been insignificant before the pandemic, but when we talk about these moments today, they make us nostalgic. What happens when factos outside our control force us to adapt to a completely different learning structure? 

In this episode, Paul Jacalan and Vincent Balucanag narrate their experiences as students of synchronous online classes. They also share what they miss the most in the traditional classroom, and what they look forward to in the educational system for the coming year. We also talk about a few psychology concepts, specifically incongruence and cognitive distortions.

"Job training empowers people to realize their dreams and improve their lives." - Sylvia Matthews Burwell

How does OJT change one's perspectives about a dream career? Join us in this episode as Alicia Placido, an in-store sales assistant, and Julivin Alivin, an employee in the Human Resource Department of a local hospital, talk about their on-the-job training experiences. Discover why they compare OJT and the workplace to Jurassic Park and roller coasters, and how adulting and expectations differ when you become an employee. Lastly, their  messages to the audience highlight how reality and survival become priorities in looking for employment.

Warning: A curse word was used in expressing and describing problems.

"The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words." - William H. Gass

Aside from my excitement of reaching one of my favorite numbers, this episode features two writers I admire. 

Kein Chito is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and friend. He published his first book, The 9 Secrets of Sticky Families when he was 24 years old. The said book became a finalist in the Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards in Family Life Category in 2015. His other works include Confessions of an Ex-Seminarian and Start with P1,000 in the Stock Market.

Jaizy Tanawe is also an author, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur. Her passion to help young people find their life purpose so they can pursue things they truly value inspired her to write the book, “Awaken the greatness in you: 8 keys to unlock the greatness in you to achieve success and make a difference!” Her newest book is entitled "I'm Tired! I Give Up! A Teen's Survival Guide for Growing up."

In the shortest episode so far, we talk about our passion for writing and go back to how we picked up a pen. We also briefly share about how writing affects our mental health and vice versa.

Be updated about their works via the following:

Kein Chito:

Website: wekeindoit.com

FB: Kein Chito

Jaizy Tanawe: 

FB: Jaizy Tanawer

"Have you ever thought if you have inspired someone?" 

In the third installment of my conversation with Mickey Espino, we continue to talk about our memories of being a teacher. We discuss our insights about what teaching means, how our desks usually look like, and how students act inside the classroom. Mickey also shares about memorable excuse letters, how he deals with cheating inside the classroom, and department events.

Join us in the last part of Sa Loob ng Classroom, where I also get to reflect how being a teacher added radiant colors to my life. I will continue to keep these memories in my heart, while I constantly strive to be a good teacher. As Brad Henry once said, "A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning."

Cheers to all teachers!

Digression is defined as a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing. Hearing familiar sense of humor after months of silence is healing in itself. As said by Grenville Kleiser, "Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment."

This episode continues to feature my laugher-filled conversation with Mickey Espino as we talk about a wide range of things - from art to part-time jobs, from classroom stories to knowing what field in psychology you can be a part of. Mickey also shares his insights about applying for a job in the Philippines or outside the country.

A part of Mickey's message summarizes this episode well, "Kung anong meron ka, make the most out of it." (Whatever you have, make the most out of it."

Follow Mickey Espino @mickey.espino, and subscribe to his YouTube channel: mickey espino 

Meeting people whom you can talk to about a wide range of topics is difficult. Meeting these people in the workplace is another challenge.

In this laughter-filled episode, nostalgia hits me as I interview one of my former colleagues, Mickey Espino. We talk about memorable experiences inside the classroom, and reflect on our motivation and passion for teaching. Mickey Espino is a topnotcher of the Board Licensure Exam for Psychometricians (2018). Although he spent one semester in teaching college students, he shares his intention of going back to the profession. As he is currently studying in New Zealand, Mickey also shares about his experiences as someone who is returning in the classroom setting - as a student. 

Note: This episode contains laughter and random background noises.

"Spirituality is a brave search for the truth about existence, fearlessly peering into the mysterious nature of life." - Elizabeth Lesser

One of the topics people tend to avoid is spirituality. Maybe it's because of the fear of conflict or misunderstanding. Maybe there is a certain level of peace in the experience of 'not knowing' and 'not understanding' something beyond one's existence. Still, talking about things outside one's comfort zone can be liberating and can contribute to a deeper and more meaningful self-discovery.  

In this second episode with Ms. Rennyvonne Ledesma, I am amazed at how our insightful discussion affected me after the recording. We talk about a range of topics which include energy management, the difference of wants and needs, and the importance of letting go. We also share 'hugot' lines related to teaching psychology, and explore our context of the Law of Attraction. 

The number of mental health practitioners is significantly lower than other professionals such as accountants, engineers, and nurses. The number of psychologists you may have in your social circle is, essentially, another low statistic. Lastly, the chance to meet a psychologist whom you can have a 5 hour conversation seems to be improbable. Don't worry, this episode is less than an hour :)

However, I am lucky and grateful to have met my guest for this episode. Rennyvonne Ledesma is a Registered Psychologist, a Certified Therapeutic Art Life Coach, a Reiki Practitioner, a Sacred Cacao Ceremony Facilitator, an experienced educator, and an expressive arts enthusiast. She is also the founder of the Mystic Psychologist Facebook page.

Join us as we talk about our passion for psychology, our work (and life experiences), our favorite psychology theories. Also, we will answer one of the most common questions we receive, "May pera nga ba sa Psychology?" (Is there money in Psychology?)

Trigger warning for the following topics: (1) Research results (politics), (2) Ethics, (3) Mental Health Support Groups, (4) Toxic Positivity

Collaboration is defined as 'the action of working with someone to produce or create something.' Moreover, collaboration, as distinguished from cooperation, coordination and collective activity, is defined as a continued and conjoined effort towards elaborating a “joint problem space” of shared representations of the problem to be solved (Baker, 2015). In relation to human resources, Roberts et. al. (2016) stated that effective collaboration may help organisations optimise their human resources. With these statements, how can collaboration help the field of psychology in the Philippines prosper?

In this episode, our guests talk about how they think collaboration will improve the practice of psychology in the country. Our discussion covers a lot of ground, and good points to reflect on. Listen to sir Christian, sir Ronn, and sir Axle as they openly share their thoughts on research, theory and practice, helping people, and the main objective of collaboration.

References: 

Baker, M.J. (2015). Collaboration in collaborative learning. Interaction Studies, 16(3), 451-473. DOI: 10.1075/is.16.3.05bak

Roberts, D., Van Wyk, R. & Dhanpat, N. (2016). Exploring practices for effective collaboration. Conference: Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Southern African Institute of Management Scientists At: Pretoria. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307638839_EXPLORING_PRACTICES_FOR_EFFECTIVE_COLLABORATION