I ADMIT IT. I AM A Michael Jackson fan.

In grade school, we played the Jackson Five Christmas album every Yuletide; in high school, we danced to ?Wanna Be Starting Something.? In college, we were saddened to hear about his increasingly odd behavior?the plastic surgeries, the child molestation charges, the marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.

Sure, Jackson was all too human. But nothing could change this fact: he was a great performer, possibly the best the world had ever known.

In the movie ?This Is It,? we got a glimpse of Jackson preparing for what was to have been his final tour in July. Though almost two hours, it was still an all too brief glance at what went on behind the scenes.

We knew Jackson had talent, but the movie was an eye-opener. Talent apparently was not enough. Jackson was at the top of his game because he worked hard, extremely hard.

Prepare well

In ?American Idol,? the judges eliminate immediately aspiring singers who flub or forget their lines. In class, I do not tolerate students who do not know a report they should have prepared weeks before. PowerPoint presentations have their uses, but when students read from the screen verbatim or, worse, read straight from the textbook in front of the class, this means they are not prepared. They do not understand the details of their own report. The rest of the class becomes restless and ceases to listen. Lack of preparation shows students? lack of respect for themselves, the teacher and their classmates.

Jackson was a joy to work with, said his vocal director. He knew the lines, the tempo, and the chords by heart. He mastered the intricacies of all his pieces, and did not lip synch, unlike many so-called professional singers.

?I have worked with many professionals,? said a sound director, ?but Michael was the pinnacle.?

Be hands on

In mathematics and science, one way to solve problems is to get our hands dirty, so to speak. If confronted with a difficult problem, students can (and should) use trial and error to find a possible solution. This technique is rarely used by unmotivated students, who have various excuses: ?It?s so long!? ?My head hurts!? ?You mean we have to write down all these numbers? You must be kidding!?

These students would rather sit around and wait, while more diligent classmates jot down figures. Instead of getting their hands dirty and finding the solutions themselves, they would rather wait for secondhand ideas from others.

The same happens to harassed tutors who do not have the time or energy to ask their tutees to solve problems on their own. So the tutors give the answers to assignments, which the pupils dutifully copy without much understanding.
When it is time to take the test, the students do not do well because they never got their hands dirty in the first place. They never attempted to solve problems themselves.

Jackson was very hands-on, said another director. He participated in every aspect of the production, from approving 3-D scenes for ?Thriller? to ensuring that the introductory bars of ?The Way You Make Me Feel? would ?simmer? enough.

He would not rest until details were practically perfect, and he did not hesitate to get his hands dirty. Thus, Jackson ?could not be fooled,? concluded the director.

Attend to details

Many students know what they want to be, but cannot be bothered with details. They want to write a great essay, but they do not bother checking their spelling. They want to be exempted from the final exams, but they cram before a test. They want to be varsity players, but they abuse alcohol.

No detail was too small for Jackson. In the duet ?I Can?t Stop Loving You,? he knew not only his own gestures, but also his partner?s. In ?Smooth Criminal,? when asked how he would know a certain cue without watching the video, he said, ?I have to feel it.?

Never stop learning

Jackson updated himself with new musical styles and dance moves. His moonwalk is already timeless but, at more than 50 years old, Jackson still ensured that he could move with the best of them. And it is refreshing to see Jackson incorporate rap and break dances into his performance.

I get dismayed with teachers who use 10-year-old lesson plans. They do not bother to attend seminars to get updated because they find it a chore to improve their styles. They can learn a thing or two from Jackson.

This school year, my son Scott adores his adviser, who not only is understanding but also up-to-date. My son often asks his teachers questions which I encourage?after all, that is what teachers are there for. His adviser teaches well, and knows the subject matter.
I am pleased to note that when my son asks a particularly tricky question (to which I myself don?t have the answer), she has the foresight to say she will research on it. She makes the extra effort to give him the answer the next day. This is a teacher who cares. This is a teacher who constantly updates herself, earning the respect and affection of the class in the process.

Learn from mistakes

?You are right, there is only one chord,? Jackson said after interrupting the introductory bars. ?There are not two chords, I was wrong. I am sorry. There is only one.? Then, without missing a beat, he asked politely, ?Can we take it from the top again??

I marvel at the easy way Jackson could admit his mistake. I wish all teachers would take a cue from him. I have the least respect for teachers who never want to admit their mistakes. Everyone is human, and errors are a part of life. When teachers make mistakes and try to cover them up, they are not fooling anyone, and students invariably lose respect for them. When respect is lost, the learning opportunity is gone.

I also hope parents will admit their mistakes. Teachers often tell me that parents expect too much, and draw the wrong conclusions. When children flunk, parents blame the teacher. Though sometimes teachers may be at fault, more often than not, students have no one to blame but themselves. When parents encourage such behavior, they are doing their children a disservice.

(To be concluded next week)

E-mail the author at blessbook@yahoo.com.