On Parker Pens: A Reprise

Another academic term has come to an end. It's about time to tally the pens I've given out throughout the semester.

To be honest, the sem started slow for the little monsters. The first exam breezed through with only one or two pens given away per class. The pace started to pickup just as we approached the second exam. I was under the impression that the new set of little monsters will never measure up to the ones I had during the first sem. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Fourteen pens. This is what I owed the little monsters when the second exam results came in. Maybe it was sheer luck or pure brilliance; we can never tell. I, too, was surprised as I was computing the scores. Fourteen students getting above 90% scores--this is perhaps a feat that may never be repeated throughout my entire career.

Let me paint you a picture. My usual record is one or two topscorers, three at most. If this is the case for all sections, that means there should be at least 45 topnotchers per departmental exam (there are 45 Chem 15.1 sections). But that is not the case. There are only around 20 topnotchers per exam. Now consider the same number and bear in mind that fourteen of them is mine (9 from 30L and 5 from 35L).

As much as I would like to vandalize the list of topnotchers and write "mine" where appropriate, I had to restrain myself and set a good example. Instead, I am immortalizing that moment with this blog.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, their proud instructor was broke at the time and was not able to give all fourteen students the pen they deserve. Such a shame. The bar was raised to 95% so only a few pens were given away. The rest were given Hershey's treats. Again, such a shame. The thing is, if the little monsters had only done incredibly well in the first exam, I would have starved myself so I could save up for pens for the second exam. Yes, the fault goes back to them.

Mkay, so after that much ado, here is the tally of pens:

Chem 15.1 30L - 8

Chem 15.1 35L - 7

Chem 17.1 11L - 4

Chem 17.1 9L - 0 (they don't like pens)

And here are the newest additions to the Parker Hall of Fame:

Joan de Lima, 35L, 1.25

This is by far the highest grade I have given. Ms. de Lima has consistently topped exams and has garnered three pens from me, one of which is the much coveted Parker Jotter. Not only is Ms. de Lima good at exams, she has also steered her group to correct inferences.

Jocel Hernandez, 30L, 1.75

Ms. Hernandez was never a silent killer. In all the challenge problems I had given, she was always the first to finish. Challenge problems are as the name implies, challenging. These are problems that must be answered correctly before I allow them to take the drill. The longer they dwell on the challenge problem, the lesser time they get for answering the drill... So it's always a race... and Ms. Hernandez is always the first to cross the finish line.

Dave Duhan, 11L, 1.5

I've always known that Mr. Duhan had always had a good grasp of the concepts. This is evident in his full reports and in his exams as well. He never scored lower than 90% in all his Chem 17.1 lab exams. The way he looks at things is reminiscent of a once budding chemist--myself. Perhaps this is because I practically raised him. He was my student in Chem 16.1 and he once again appeared in my Chem 17.1 classlist. If I must say so myself, napalaki ko siya ng maayos.

While the Parker Hall of Fame is the highest pedestal where I place my bright little monsters, there is another student that did not make it there but whom I speak highly of-- Ms. Maetien Dayto. Ms. Dayto got a more than perfect score in the second exam-- a difficult feat for a Chem 15.1 student. She had no mistakes, not so much as an SF error. Nada. She also got the full three-point bonus. What's more interesting than getting a 103.5/100 score is the fact that she only got 80+ in her first exam. Indeed, Ms. Dayto is my most improved little monster.

Throughout the sem, she garnered three pens, one of which bore her initials. Had she been on a different class than Ms. de Lima, she would have made it in the Parker Hall of Fame. She incurred a grade of 1.5.

To be quite honest, I had a few more students that I expected to make it to the Hall of Fame but somehow fell short. I am not a b*tch who denied them of their Parker. I am merely honoring the rules we agreed upon. The Parker Hall of Famer must be the top student of the class and number two is not the top spot. The Parker Hall of Famer must also have a grade of 1.75 or better. Both conditions must be satisfied.

Yes, my rules are fragile. If you bend them, you break them. If you did not receive a Parker, it may just be because I had to follow the rules. Maybe the entire time, I am silently rooting for you. And maybe there's already a pen in my drawer, waiting for you to be earned.

Yes, little monster. I am looking forward to owing you a pen.