The English Class Beyond Just Books

Welcome to the beginning of something new, a Bayan. This is a community which uncovers a new concept of learning. This concept is a blend of a family and a class room, known as a Bayan. The ingenuity behind this idea is that a professor functions as a father, while all of the students are children, and thus brothers and sisters. Everyone is connected and eager to help one another pass the class and understand the information. This creates a friendly and motivating environment because we are all sharing a common goal, to pass the class with an A. We study Filipino works in order to get a basic understanding of the Filipino culture. But because this is an English class, Filipino study is not the main area of subject. We only use Filipino novels as a framework for our study, because how we analyze the novels is the real objective. In my Bayan community I have learned many new things in a very short time.

Within only a couple of week of having been in my English and Personal Development class I learned and developed how to easily identify what an author is trying to say in a writing. My writing skills have improved greatly, and I feel that I am clearer and getting my point across now. I learned about myself, and how to self motivate in order to keep my goals in priority. I discovered that my preferred learning style is that of a tactile/ kinesthetic learner. I also discovered my preferred professors method of teaching, which is to keep his students active, as is done in the Bayan class through interaction with our peers. Through this I have become acquainted and comfortable with my peers and the people in my Bayan group. Every week I continue to grow by gaining new knowledge about myself and my studies. I am fortunate to be a member of the Bayan community, and am extreemly appreciative of this honor.