then take the MTR to Kowloon Tong, then walk to our campus. The whole route must have taken him at least an hour-and- a-half then; and he was in his 70s, I believe. I carry this same respectful attitude toward my profession as a professor. I don’t skip classes, much to my students’ disappointment. Putting down his briefcase, Dr. Alexander would take out his lecture notes, half-paged cross-wise—all handwritten, newly constructed and in less than five pages—organized and synthesized from all the readings he did. And he would draw a concept map on the board and tackle each concept, connecting them and revising as he helped us process. He listened to our discussions and finally shared what he thought were some implications to our lives and ministries.
Dr. Alexander taught me the importance
of content—rich and comprehensive, delineating and differentiating key concepts.
This has been the model for my teaching at UP. I prepare for each class. I take notes from my readings, connect the dots, ask provoking questions, relate to previous topics, and articulate the major issues and trends. Dr. Alexander taught me the importance of content—rich and comprehensive, delineating and differentiating key concepts. My students hear me say often, that without content, your creativity is not going to bring you very far. Dr. Howard Gardner believes a creative mind is a result of a disciplined mind, with at least 10 years of studies in the domain.
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