Training courses resources

Meeting with Joesan Santorcas

By Vincent Su on 7th August 2015

We recently caught up with Joesan Santorcas, our Consultant Trainer for web and software development to find out more about his teaching passions and some of his personal habits.
 
1.     Why did you choose to be a developer trainer? Was it out of a newly born interest in teaching others when you were a developer or simply a wakeup call for career change?
 
My life as a developer started when I received an email from a multi-national company (MNC). The company offered me a position as a junior analyst and developer just one day before my college graduation. I was pleasantly surprised as I did not expect to be receive such an outstanding opportunity before completing my studies at that time.
 
It was part of my responsibility to train users on the software I developed and I began to really like this idea of helping people. So I said to myself, why not teach at an educational institution after my graduation? I did, and the rest is history.
 
2.     What is the time you usually enter the classroom before the training begins? What sort of preparations do you usually make before the training programme starts?
 
I usually arrive at the training venue one hour before the class starts.
 
And usually for new courses or updated modules, I do plenty of intensive online research and reading of course materials from page one to the last, because I consider that of paramount importance. I also make every effort to scout about relevant forums on the subject I am teaching so as to figure out the typical challenges that developers face in the real-world. This will then allow me to share my insights with the class.
 
Of course as a certified trainer, I can easily get in touch with subject matter experts for more ideas and tips to be a more professional trainer every day.
 
3.     What time do you usually finish your training sessions? What do you do after a hard day’s work?
 
My classes usually ends at 5:30pm but I will always make an effort to help my students solve issues or concerns that were brought up during the class. And of course after a day’s work, I will head home for a nice home cooked meal prepared by my awesome wife, and spend some time with my precious daughter.
 
4.     As human beings, sometimes our trainers do face challenges when they feel unwell or teaching fatigue. So Joesan, can you tell me how did you managed to overcome such challenges in the classroom?
 
I can still perform even when I’m tired, but definitely not as well as when I am in tiptop condition. In order to help relief stress from work, I make time to play with my daughter and watch soap operas with my wife to unwind at least one day of the week. To stay fit, I also make it a point to jog at least three days a week.
 
5.     Were there times when you had to answer challenging questions from students in Next U? How did you overcome them?

Yes, and in fact I do especially when I am teaching students on courses with new subject matters.
When there are complex and technical questions that require time to understand and come up with solutions, I will usually follow up with an email to the student and head back to research more on the subject matters raised before presenting the solution to the class.
 
I will also take note of comments from the students and find ways to improve myself.
 
 
After completing his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from San Pedro College in Philippines, he was employed as system analyst for various organisations in healthcare, in the Philippines.
 
After his years of experience in application development and training, he has also gained various credentials as a Microsoft, EC-Council and Oracle certified trainer along with extensive experiences with various technologies such as SharePoint and SQL and Visual Studios.
 
Today Joesan Santorcas is a devoted and passionate trainer for Next U’s Oracle and Microsoft software development training programmes.