The question I have been often asked since I became Chancellor was whether I missed teaching. Those who asked were those who knew that I love to teach.

But thanks to the concept of distance education and this book that I wrote a decade and a half ago, I never really stopped teaching. But even more gratifying is that my classroom now is every place where students are working and learning from this book.

Writing this book was like cloning my teacher-self. My clones teach all over the Philippines. Happily these clones are better than the original. For one they don’t carry my image as a terror teacher. I used to walk into the PhySci lecture room and feel and hear that hush as soon as I wrote my name on the board. My reputation preceded me. I’m so glad these clones are giving Teacher Padâ a friendlier image.

I am also very happy that my clones speak better English than I do. My clones has had three language teachers--the three language editors who straightened out my convoluted sentences and helped me express myself better, more clearly and more concisely. The latest of this series of language teachers who made my clones excellent English speakers is Prof. Pat Arinto.

In addition, my clones are more authoritative and more sure of the correctness of what they are saying. That’s because I know I go on record through my clones and I therefore went to great lengths to be sure that what they are saying are correct. For my clones unlike me in my lecture room cannot say in a following meeting, "I’m sorry class but I was incorrect in saying… blah, blah. What I really meant was …blah, blah."

But my clones have not always been the way they are now. The first edition of this book caused brain indigestion among the students. It was ____ pages long. Comments received from students, tutors, and other faculty members who have adopted my clones helped me improve on it. And I wish to thank those who helped me dress-up this book to its present get up. The latest of them worked late and long hours and at the last stretch just before we went to press, worked 36 hours straight. I worked side by side with them but I sneaked out and stretched and slept on the sofa in my office for a few hours when midnight came. I had an excuse--I’m a golden girl.

There is a special satisfaction and fulfillment in writing for those who teach the same subject one teaches. With this book I have been and am able to share with fellow teachers what I think has worked for better understanding among my own students.

With this book and all the others we produce at the UP Open University, we come closer to fulfilling a dream—that of developing among our students, self-motivation, independent thinking, and a discipline, proclivity and predisposition for lifelong learning. These traits we know will lead to greater creativity among them and a better chance at coping with this world where knowledge is a prime resource.

A good day to all.