"Call Them By First Name" Campaign

Like any other campaigns towards equality for women, African-American people, and the LGBTQ community, I am launching this campaign for people with substance use and addiction problems.

Like any vulnerable minority, they have been called different names, most of them offensive and degrading, by society. One of the reasons for the proliferation of the careless use of such terms is mass media. This campaign does not aim to educate you with using technical terms, does not encourage you to be liberal, and does not ask you to go to the streets to protest for equality.

This campaign simply asks you to be as human as you can by calling people with substance use and addiction problems by their first names. This is a start of making this world a better place for them because calling them by their first name gives them a sense of dignity, which is the essence of being a human being.

If you want to support this campaign, why not share this on your Facebook wall, comment, like, or even print it for your office bulletin. Thank you for spending 5 seconds to read this post.

#CallThemByName #DignityForClients #MentalHealthAdvocay #SubstanceUseDisorder #Campaign

Four Considerations Before I Enroll in Graduate School

Planning to take a master's degree? If you don't know how to take the next step into the world of academia, then you might want to check out these "Four Things to Consider When You Want to Take a Masters Degree".

If you think this poster and blographic is useful, please leave a comment or tag someone who might be glad to use these tips into their decision of going into graduate school. :)

Poster Contents: 1) PROGRAM: The first thing that you need to consider is the program you intend to apply in because finishing it will give you a title and qualification that you will use forever. Ensure that you are applying to a program that is renowned, recognized, and doable. You may also decide if your program will end with a thesis, an exam, or both.

2) SUPERVISOR: Once you enroll in the program, you will be asked to choose or designated to a supervisor, who will guide you throughout your research endeavor. If given a choice, choose someone who has the same research interest as you, is respected in the field, and is committed to support your independent learning journey.

3) FACULTY: Aside from your supervisor, you have to check the faculty line-up. Those who teach in an MA/MS program must have faculty members who have PhDs or Ph.D. units (at least) in related fields. Don't forget to check their research output as a unit because the more research they produce, the most likely you will graduate.

4) UNIVERSITY: The program, supervisor, and faculty must be considered before the university because your capacity and academic supporters will help you graduate, not the university. Getting into a QS-ranked university will make the experience more glam, but the value of your degree will still depend on who you become, not where you come from.

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Yours truly,

Teacher Mike

Not All Teachers Can Be Called "Prof"

"Not All Teachers Can Be Called 'Prof'"

You (including me) might be doing it wrong all this time. This is another "blographics" (or poster) that I did to visualize proper salutations to y(our) university teachers. I have learned from my past mistakes, oops! Hence, let us all be more courteous in addressing our teachers based on their designated academic ranks. (Unless, of course, they insisted you to call them using their first names, which is rare -- and only happens at UP-NTTCHP.)

All these ranks are ONLY designated to people working in the academia, full-time, primarily for teaching, extension services, and research. Those working on a part-time basis can be designated with a rank of a lecturer (which is below instructor level), but the rank given will still depend on the caliber of the part-time personality. It is also important to note that a rank is different from a position. For instance, someone who is ranked Assistant Professor may have a Chairperson position or someone who is ranked Professor may only have a committee position on extension services. Moreover, having a high position (e.g., Dean) may not necessarily mean that s/he has the highest salary among the faculty members because it is the academic rank that still determines one's salary grade.

In this poster, I want to make a simple point about being mindful in addressing all our teachers as "professors" because it is technically inappropriate to do so. However, I cannot negate the fact that this salutation culture may not be applicable to all Philippine universities and colleges due to culture, practice, and personal preferences. Of course, there will always be exemptions to the rules, and ranking designations in universities may be given on a case-to-case basis.

Due to the rigor and intricacies within the world of academia, being a professor is one of the most esteemed job titles and most high-paying job in the world (at least in most parts of the world, while the Philippines still needs to know this fact).

At the end of the day, we will always love our teachers. They have undoubtedly become our second parents, mentors, and friends at one point in our academic journey. Regardless of ranks, our university teachers have influenced us into the success we have gained and into overcoming the challenges we face and will be facing.

Hoping you learned something today. If you feel this is informative, please share away, comment, or tag. Thank you for reading.

Best regards, Teacher Mike