The difference between teeners and lawyers

I’m back home from class. Second meeting with the seniors for their Internet and Law elective; first meeting with the IT Guild, a hodgepodge of high schoolers from first to third year.

The IT Guild is one of the more than a dozen clubs in school, a required extracurricular once-a-week activity. But it’s not just going to be about the Internet.

My initial plan was to teach the kids to create an e-zine which would serve as a practical application of lessons in HTML, CSS, FTP, Photoshop, writing, editing, etcetera, etcetera. But it has become more than that. The school administrator liked the idea and mentioned that no one was handling the school paper anymore. Well, I’m not so sure about resources for a print version but the e-zine is now going to be a digital school paper.

The good news, for the kids and the school, is that I’ve been doing newsletters practically all my life — grade school, high school, even after law school. I used to be in-charge of a quarterly newsletter (print, mind you) for a national organization of lawyers at a time when Wordstar was the standard.

The good news for me is that I don’t have to use Wordstar anymore. The IT Guild, or whatever its name should be, will create e-zines in PDF format. The kids will cover major school events, take photos, write reports, learn to edit and design the layout of their digital school paper. On a rotation basis, the club’s members will each have a chance to be writer, photographer, editor and webmaster.

Tomorrow is Family Day and the IT Guild has been divided into smaller groups, each of which has laid out its plan of action for tomorrow.

Am I excited? Gee, I am beyond feeling excited. I’m kinda loving every minute of it. LOL

The reason is obvious. Just like blogging, this teaching stint has no real constraints. I can be creative, experimental, I can go over and beyond the minimum academic requirements of the DepEd. That’s how the school operates, after all, and that is what I so love about HEdCen. The imagination is the only limitation.

Such is the difference between a school like HEdCen and a courtroom. A courtroom is about following and applying existing rules. Learning is about thinking beyond the rules and reaching for more. And the difference between teenagers and lawyers? That’s a no-brainer. But if a have to spell it out, well, too many lawyers will be after my throat.

Of course, I am hoping that this isn’t just a one-time burst of adrenalin on my part or the kids’. One girl actually said earlier, “Sana araw-araw ito (I wish this is an everyday class).” I hope she will be still able to say that after a month. LOL Knowing me, how I strive for the best results, I will make them work hard. But, knowing me as well, I can’t work unless I’m having fun too. So, fun and enjoyment will always be part of the equation.

Life is full of surprises. And the opportunity to teach these kids has been a most pleasant surprise. I’ve been home for over an hour and I’m still awashed in the afterglow of a very enjoyable afternoon.