Aside from congratulations, what else is there to say?

That he deserves the honor is an understatement, considering how he has touched the lives of so many students, many of them established in the field of journalism.

That’s me with the man of the hour (LVT), Prof. Ben Lim,
Dr. Temy Rivera and Conrad de Quiros (Aug. 25, 2005).

Who am I referring to and what am I writing about? The answer to the first is easy since you only need to read this post’s title. The answer to the second may be found in an article published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer last August 5 titled “4 teachers are `few to inspire the many‘” written by — interestingly and coincidentally — a former student of our man of the hour (and mine, although that’s beside the point).

Just for the record, I nominated Luis Teodoro to be an honoree at The Many Faces of the Teacher 2007 program organized by the Bato Balani Foundation and Diwa Learning Systems, Inc.

Why did I nominate him? I think my answers below to the open-ended questions in the nomination form will suffice.

What makes Prof. Luis Teodoro a great teacher? (Please cite specific examples)

Prof. Teodoro is an outstanding educator not only because his past and current students say so but also because he is a recognized practitioner in the discipline he teaches. It is imperative for a journalism educator to practice the profession to establish one’s credibility to his or her students, as well as share practical, relevant and up-to-date information to them. I won’t be where I am now were it not for the teachings of Prof. Teodoro. He has instilled in me the importance of journalism in national development and the need to write about the things that matter, mindful of the professional and ethical standards of the chosen profession. As may be gleaned from his compilation of testimonials written by his former students, friends and colleagues, he not only teaches, for example, Journalism standards and ethics but also maintains their highest standards as he goes about his work as a journalist. One may get several specific instances of his being a great teacher by reading the attached compilation of testimonials titled “What I Remember Most About LVT.”

How does Prof. Luis Teodoro employ innovation, resourcefulness, and creativity in his teaching? (Please cite specific examples)

Unlike other professors who rely mainly on books, audio-visual materials and other academic and journalistic outputs to teach Journalism, he can complement textbook knowledge with what goes on in the field since he is in close contact with other respected journalists, aside from the fact that he is a journalist himself. He would often share with his students how he does data gathering, analysis and actual writing of his well-read column pieces. It was Prof. Teodoro who said that the difference between a college instructor and professor is that “an instructor instructs and a professor professes.” Not surprisingly, he professes his views on the national situation without imposing them on students and a healthy debate normally happens in his classes. He encourages students to speak their mind.

How does Prof. Luis Teodoro exhibit dedication and commitment to the teaching profession? (Please cite specific examples)

His appointment as dean of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication for two terms (1994-1997; 1997-2000) is a recognition of his outstanding performance as a professor. Given his track record, he could have made more money by joining big media organizations but he has chosen to remain as an underpaid teacher of the premier state university, remaining ever humble despite his stellar career as a journalist and professor. He has also accepted the demanding tasks of assessing government policies related to tertiary journalism education by being chair of the CHED Technical Committee on Journalism Education. Prof. Teodoro was the one who facilitated the funding for my project to gather journalism educators nationwide in the historic First National Conference of Journalism Educators in December 2006. He is also unwavering in his support for the founding congress of the Association of Journalism Educators of the Philippines which we hope to organize within the year. Prof. Teodoro therefore has a vision not only to make journalism education better at UP where he teaches but at the national level. For this and so much more, he should be recognized for his selfless efforts through the years.

I called Dean Teodoro a few hours ago today to talk about the launch of our book on August 17 (Friday). Before we ended our telephone conversation, he took the chance to thank me for nominating him. I was a bit in a hurry then so I only gave him the generic “It’s okay” and “You deserve it.”

Now that I have some limited time on a busy Friday afternoon to reflect on what he has done in the past, I should be the one thanking him for teaching me not just the knowledge and skills in writing but also the necessary values and attitude towards journalism.

I believe that while he truly deserves to be honored as one of the country’s outstanding educators — an award which came immediately after his retirement — he should have been recognized earlier. Of course, it’s better late than never, and I’m sure he is very happy right now for yet another milestone in his career.

The honor is, incidentally, a fitting birthday gift for him who is about to turn 66 on August 24 (Friday).