The school year is over here in the Philippines and as teachers, we have the privilege to have our 60-day rest with pay. Isn't that great? However, I am not one of them because I am still not in a permanent position but it's okay.
A number of parents asked me if I am going to open summer classes for kindergarten and I vehemently said no not because I am lazy to teach but I do not think summer classes for 2-5 year olds are necessary. Some parents insisted that I should conduct summer classes but I advised them to enroll their kids on a more productive class that enhances their skills like swimming, art, or music. Children will eventually learn how to read and write, I don't see any reason why parents are rushing their kids to be brilliant and smart. Listen, these qualities are genetically made up and all you have to do as parents is supply your children books and foster their love for reading. Toddlers do not need to undergo academic summer classes because I personally believe that it further strains their young brains and it makes them feel forced to study their lessons whereas their contemporaries are always playing with kites and bikes.
Like I always say, they are kids, let them enjoy their childhood.
Showing posts with label guides for teachers and parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guides for teachers and parents. Show all posts
29.3.09
15.9.08
What Type of Parent Are You?
From a teacher's point of view, there are lots of types pf parents and just so you know, we alseo talk about you behind your backs so it's a two way backbiting on both our sides. We have a few controversial parents in school and a few favorites too. Allow me to enumerate some types of parents that maybe you can relate to.
- Teacher Parent - As it is self explanatory, this type is a parent who is also in a teaching profession. This type is the easiest to deal with because he/she understands the pupils' learning capabilities and of course, the laws of learning.
- Stage Parent - Most of my pupils have stage parents. They are the ones who monitor every activity inside the classroom. I associate their eyes to a hawk's because they seem to criticize every mistake that a teacher does. They go green when a pupil is better than their child. They bring calculators everytime the teacher posts the grades on the bulletin board. They're everywhere in the campus, questioning the canteen attendants, janitors and other teachers. They also teach their children in advance to make them get high grades. You see them everyday.
- Cool Parents - They're like the Ctage Parents but they have a better approach. They don't criticize - only they give suggestions. They don't bring calculators because they mentally calculate everything. They ask what the classroom needs but they never bring anything. They participate in every activity and you only get to see them during meetings or whenever the school has a program.
- Devil May Care Not - You don't see this type of parent in school, not on meetings, never during any school program. You only met them once - during the first day of class. They're not so bad because when a teacher requires something, all she has to do is write it on the Devil May Care Not child's notebook and the teacher gets what she wants the next day pronto. I don't have a problem with this type of parent because I can write whatever I want in his/her child's notebook. But I'm not abusive - that's for the record.
- Devil May Care - You have never seen this parent at all. Either his/her child is independent enough or he/she doesn't really care about the child's welfare. A teacher can;t expect anything if the pupil has this type of parent in matters of monetary contributions, projects and assignments. The only postivie thing that I can see with this type of parent is that he/she pays the monthly tuition regularly. Other than that, they don't care at all.
- Saucy Thick Folks - You see them everyday and they talk to you for a minute or so. The problem is, they are delinquent payers in every aspect of school life, some don't even pay at all! I call them Saucy Thick because they always smile when they talk to me about their children's progress and school requirements and yet they don't but their children the books required in school. But of course, the child doesn't have to pay for the mistake of his parents.
- Absentee Parents - Either these parents are working overseas or working far from the city. A teacher has a little chance of meeting this type of parent and usually associates the child's progress to the pupil's aunt, uncle or grandmother who happen to be Stage Parents.
There goes my list! These types are only based from my observations in my four months of teaching. :)
So which type are you?
10.9.08
101 Ways to Say "Very Good"
Before I do my "real" post today, I want to thank Miss Write for giving me 500 ECs as I won 3rd place in her contest seen here. Yey!
Okay for my real post now. I have said in my previous entry that children need to be praised often and there are lots of ways to say Very Good to your kids/pupils. Here are some I got online.
101 Ways to Say Very Good
- You’re on the right track now!
- You’ve got it made.
- SUPER!
- That’s right!
- That’s good.
- You’re really working hard today.
- You are very good at that.
- That’s coming along nicely.
- GOOD WORK!
- I’m happy to see you working like that.
- That’s much, much better!
- Exactly right.
- I’m proud of the way you worked today.
- You’re doing that much better today.
- You’ve just about got it.
- That’s the best you’ve ever done.
- You’re doing a good job.
- THAT’S IT!
- Now you’ve figured it out.
- That’s quite an improvement.
- GREAT!
- I knew you could do it.
- Congratulations!
- Not bad.
- Keep working on it.
- You’re improving.
- Now you have it!
- You are learning fast.
- Good for you!
- Couldn’t have done it better myself.
- Aren’t you proud of yourself?
- One more time and you’ll have it.
- You really make my job fun.
- That’s the right way to do it.
- You’re getting better every day.
- You did it that time!
- That’s not half bad.
- Nice going.
- You haven’t missed a thing!
- WOW!
- That’s the way!
- Keep up the good work.
- TERRIFIC!
- Nothing can stop you now.
- That’s the way to do it.
- SENSATIONAL!
- You’ve got your brain in gear today.
- That’s better.
- That was first class work.
- EXCELLENT!
- :: Return to index of articles :: That’s the best ever.
- You’ve just about mastered it.
- PERFECT!
- That’s better than ever.
- Much better!
- WONDERFUL!
- You must have been practicing.
- You did that very well.
- FINE!
- Nice going.
- You’re really going to town.
- OUTSTANDING!
- FANTASTIC!
- TREMENDOUS!
- That’s how to handle that.
- Now that’s what I call a fine job.
- That’s great.
- Right on!
- You’re really improving.
- You’re doing beautifully!
- SUPERB!
- Good remembering.
- You’ve got that down pat.
- You certainly did well today.
- Keep it up!
- Congratulations. You got it right!
- You did a lot of work today.
- Well look at you go.
- That’s it.
- I’m very proud of you.
- MARVELOUS!
- I like that.
- Way to go!
- Now you have the hang of it.
- You’re doing fine!
- Good thinking.
- You are really learning a lot.
- Good going.
- I’ve never seen anyone do it better.
- Keep on trying.
- You outdid yourself today!
- Good for you!
- I think you’ve got it now.
- That’s a good (boy/girl).
- Good job, (person’s name).
- You figured that out fast.
- You remembered!
- That’s really nice.
- That kind of work makes me happy.
- It’s such a pleasure to teach when you work like that!
- I think you’re doing the right thing.
Credits to: Careerlab.com
29.8.08
Girls vs. Boys
Author's Note: I came across this article and I think it's worth sharing for the teachers and parents to have a better understanding about their kids' behaviors.
Understanding why boys and girls are different can make you a better parent.
“There is no proof that one sex is smarter than the other.”
Boys. Girls. The dichotomy begins long before they are born. Old wives’ tales exaggerate it with amusing (but often, uncannily true) advice like: Carrying high? How lovely, it must be a girl. Pointed belly? Smooth complexion? Congrats! It’s a boy!
Parenting is already a complicated journey. Throw in an unexpected sonogram result and you may find yourself wondering how on earth you’re going to manage with a child of the opposite gender:
“It’s a boy? But I was so sure it would be another daughter!”“Eeek! How will I raise a daughter after having three boys?”
Relax. This article hopes to keep you prepared by clarifying some of the differences.
First, a word about stereotypes
There’s no such thing as a girl being easier to raise than a boy, or vice versa. Every child is unique. Not all boys like rough and tumble play. And not all girls prefer Barbie dolls. How children behave and react depends on both Nature and Nurture—innate personality as well as the environment they grow up in.
However, when we treat boys and girls in different ways, it tends to shape their overall behaviour, likes and dislikes. Says David Stein, a professor of psychology at Virginia State University, "There are differences in how we handle boys and girls right from birth. We tend to talk more softly to girls and throw boys in the air."
Although this article strives to stay clear of gender stereotypes, certain differences cannot be ignored. Please take the following information as a guide only.
1. Perpetual motion
A boy is kinetic energy personified. He will often scamper off with little regard to safety, leaving toys everywhere, tripping over them and getting bruised and bumped.
Young girls may be as boisterous as young boys. Sometimes even more so. However, they “calm down” at about preschool age. One Harvard University study says that, "By school age, the average boy in a classroom is more active than the girls — even the most active girls don't seem to express their energy in the unrestrained way characteristic of most boys."
Do remember the key words “most boys”. Some boys may prefer to use their energy differently, such as by immersing themselves in books or puzzles.
Says Dr Michael Thompson, co-author of the book Raising Cain, “Not all boys want to compete in sports, wrestle, and shoot guns. It's important to remember that there are quiet boys and studious and bookish boys as well, and this is perfectly normal.”
2. Attention span
Young boys also have wandering minds. They will rarely have an attention span long enough to remember where they left a toy or a toothbrush or your $1,000 cell phone.
Girls are normally better suited to sit-down, memory-based tasks because they develop the required attention span and fine motor skills quicker than boys do. Several studies indicate that even infant girls have been found looking at visual stimuli longer than infant boys!
However, prepare to be surprised. Some boys, given an activity they are passionate about, may sit at it for longer than some girls. Often, parents who have only sons and no daughters will notice that one son may be more attentive and quieter than his boisterous brothers. Similarly, one girl may be louder and rougher than her sisters. This is nothing to be worried about. Again, it all boils down to the individual child.
3. Learning and listening
Does attention span make girls better learners? There is absolutely no conclusive proof that any one sex is smarter or less bright than the other.
Everyone, boy or girl, learns differently. However, studies do indicate that girls are better listeners, as early as from birth. Author of Nurture the Nature, therapist Michael Gurian suggests that girls have more sensitive hearing and discriminate between speech patterns more easily. This makes them more responsive to teachers and parents and more likely to listen when you tell them to stop doing something.
So now you know why your son won’t listen!
4. Self-esteem
Traditionally, girls have always been told to suppress their wants and give in to their brothers. Modern parents do try to limit this. However, many of us unwittingly revert to how we ourselves were brought up and may unknowingly encourage our daughters to be submissive, regardless of whether she is the older or younger child. With an older brother, a girl may try hard to please to be included in his games. With a younger brother, a girl may display mothering instincts, allowing him to have his way although it is unfair to her.
Says Jenn Berman, therapist and author of The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids, "The more a girl pushes her own needs and desires underground to please others, the more likely her own self-esteem will suffer."
One other thing. While boys are more likely to shrug it off, girls are more likely to feel vulnerable about body image. Parents can help prevent self-esteem issues like these by treating each child fairly and encouraging their daughters to always feel good about themselves.
Balancing actEnergy levels, attention spans, learning styles and self-esteem are just on the tip of the iceberg where gender difference is concerned. Young boys and girls differ in too many ways, from preference for toys and hobbies to how they make friends (boys in groups, girls in pairs) to list here. What is important is that we don’t label our kids with the stereotypes we grew up with. Instead, let us teach them to treat their brothers and sisters with compassion and mutual respect. And let us honour and love them equally, recognizing them as the unique, young individuals they are.
By Sujatha Rajagopal
Understanding why boys and girls are different can make you a better parent.
“There is no proof that one sex is smarter than the other.”
Boys. Girls. The dichotomy begins long before they are born. Old wives’ tales exaggerate it with amusing (but often, uncannily true) advice like: Carrying high? How lovely, it must be a girl. Pointed belly? Smooth complexion? Congrats! It’s a boy!
Parenting is already a complicated journey. Throw in an unexpected sonogram result and you may find yourself wondering how on earth you’re going to manage with a child of the opposite gender:
“It’s a boy? But I was so sure it would be another daughter!”“Eeek! How will I raise a daughter after having three boys?”
Relax. This article hopes to keep you prepared by clarifying some of the differences.
First, a word about stereotypes
There’s no such thing as a girl being easier to raise than a boy, or vice versa. Every child is unique. Not all boys like rough and tumble play. And not all girls prefer Barbie dolls. How children behave and react depends on both Nature and Nurture—innate personality as well as the environment they grow up in.
However, when we treat boys and girls in different ways, it tends to shape their overall behaviour, likes and dislikes. Says David Stein, a professor of psychology at Virginia State University, "There are differences in how we handle boys and girls right from birth. We tend to talk more softly to girls and throw boys in the air."
Although this article strives to stay clear of gender stereotypes, certain differences cannot be ignored. Please take the following information as a guide only.
1. Perpetual motion
A boy is kinetic energy personified. He will often scamper off with little regard to safety, leaving toys everywhere, tripping over them and getting bruised and bumped.
Young girls may be as boisterous as young boys. Sometimes even more so. However, they “calm down” at about preschool age. One Harvard University study says that, "By school age, the average boy in a classroom is more active than the girls — even the most active girls don't seem to express their energy in the unrestrained way characteristic of most boys."
Do remember the key words “most boys”. Some boys may prefer to use their energy differently, such as by immersing themselves in books or puzzles.
Says Dr Michael Thompson, co-author of the book Raising Cain, “Not all boys want to compete in sports, wrestle, and shoot guns. It's important to remember that there are quiet boys and studious and bookish boys as well, and this is perfectly normal.”
2. Attention span
Young boys also have wandering minds. They will rarely have an attention span long enough to remember where they left a toy or a toothbrush or your $1,000 cell phone.
Girls are normally better suited to sit-down, memory-based tasks because they develop the required attention span and fine motor skills quicker than boys do. Several studies indicate that even infant girls have been found looking at visual stimuli longer than infant boys!
However, prepare to be surprised. Some boys, given an activity they are passionate about, may sit at it for longer than some girls. Often, parents who have only sons and no daughters will notice that one son may be more attentive and quieter than his boisterous brothers. Similarly, one girl may be louder and rougher than her sisters. This is nothing to be worried about. Again, it all boils down to the individual child.
3. Learning and listening
Does attention span make girls better learners? There is absolutely no conclusive proof that any one sex is smarter or less bright than the other.
Everyone, boy or girl, learns differently. However, studies do indicate that girls are better listeners, as early as from birth. Author of Nurture the Nature, therapist Michael Gurian suggests that girls have more sensitive hearing and discriminate between speech patterns more easily. This makes them more responsive to teachers and parents and more likely to listen when you tell them to stop doing something.
So now you know why your son won’t listen!
4. Self-esteem
Traditionally, girls have always been told to suppress their wants and give in to their brothers. Modern parents do try to limit this. However, many of us unwittingly revert to how we ourselves were brought up and may unknowingly encourage our daughters to be submissive, regardless of whether she is the older or younger child. With an older brother, a girl may try hard to please to be included in his games. With a younger brother, a girl may display mothering instincts, allowing him to have his way although it is unfair to her.
Says Jenn Berman, therapist and author of The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids, "The more a girl pushes her own needs and desires underground to please others, the more likely her own self-esteem will suffer."
One other thing. While boys are more likely to shrug it off, girls are more likely to feel vulnerable about body image. Parents can help prevent self-esteem issues like these by treating each child fairly and encouraging their daughters to always feel good about themselves.
Balancing actEnergy levels, attention spans, learning styles and self-esteem are just on the tip of the iceberg where gender difference is concerned. Young boys and girls differ in too many ways, from preference for toys and hobbies to how they make friends (boys in groups, girls in pairs) to list here. What is important is that we don’t label our kids with the stereotypes we grew up with. Instead, let us teach them to treat their brothers and sisters with compassion and mutual respect. And let us honour and love them equally, recognizing them as the unique, young individuals they are.
By Sujatha Rajagopal
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