Dr Rex Venard Bacarra: An extraordinary inspirer for students

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Dr Rex Venard Bacarra is a philosophy professor and the dean of general education at the American College of Dubai.
Dr Rex Venard Bacarra is a philosophy professor and the dean of general education at the American College of Dubai.

Dubai - His students consider his teaching methodology as transformative rather than clichéd academic.

By Angel Tesorero

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Published: Tue 17 Jul 2018, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Wed 18 Jul 2018, 8:53 PM

Filipino educator Dr Rex Venard Bacarra, through the eyes of his students, is a real-life version of the fictional character played by the late actor Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society.
But unlike John Keating, the English teacher portrayed by Williams on screen, Dr Rex did not have any disagreements with school authorities. The reference was made because of his inspiring and edifying character inside and outside the classroom. Like Keating, Dr Rex, a philosophy professor and the dean of general education at the American College of Dubai (ACD), is a beacon to his students. He inspires them to look at life in a different way and to "make their lives extraordinary" - a reference to the Latin expression 'Carpe diem' made popular by the movie.
His students consider his teaching methodology as transformative rather than clichéd academic. They have learned from him the fallacies of life, phenomenology of love, history of mankind, how to think outside the box and to question things around them. In fact, he is the only professor in the history of ACD to be afforded with standing ovation by the graduating students for the past two academic years, as an expression of gratitude for the excellence in his teaching.
"Sir, you have been the most influential educator for us all and for more students coming up as well," reads a message sent by Usman Shah Bukhari to Dr Rex after graduating last June.
"A simple thank you is too small a word to express my gratitude towards you. Continue to keep inspiring," added Abdul Kader Rushdi, while malazmahmood52 tweeted: "Not all superheroes have capes, some have PhD in Philosophy. Thank you Dr @rexvenard."
A cheeky note was also sent to him saying "I love your teaching style to the moon and back" while another one made him a portrait with a caption: "I am a teacher. This is not my profession. This is my legacy."
And a former colleague messaged him: "I may not be communicating with you that often, but have always been proud of your works and your many laurels in the field of global education. Your legacy is assured, Venard!"
"Once you affect people in such a way that inspires them to be better, it becomes a legacy," Dr Rex told Khaleej Times.
"The first standing ovation, I thought, was a fluke. The second one affirmed it was not. Students in the UAE have been hard to please. For them to accord me a standing ovation was as rare as finding an oasis in the desert," he added.
Dr Rex continued: "What made them do it? I taught them to think differently. I encouraged them to see their own light instead of following somebody else's light, to carve a path of their own instead of treading on somebody else's, and to understand that on many occasions, others will not understand, and it is alright."
For Dr Rex, an effective teacher is someone students can relate with. He said: "I don't lead them; I bring them forth. I bring them forth by listening to them. I allowed myself to develop empathy. To listen without judgement and prejudice, no matter how silly, no matter how nonsensical." And while he loves reading his students' papers over cups of coffee and writing down notes for every fallacy he can find, Dr Rex said that he is also an innovator.
"I make education fun and I do not scrimp on quality. My visual presentations, like Powerpoint, are beautifully done. I studied on how to be technologically-adept. I experimented on making my classroom wireless, delivering lectures on the TV screen from my tablet and I use apps to supplement my lectures," he said.
An educator through and through, Dr Rex concluded: "For me, living like the fictional character of Robin Williams in the Dead Poets Society is spontaneous and surreal, but fulfilling, knowing that I affected many young lives and that the world will benefit from them because I know that they will turn out to be better citizens who are truly educated, and capable of thinking and making value judgements."
angel@khaleejtimes.com  


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