Teaching is Love

I am currently here in the classroom, teaching the kids how to read. As I sit down here waiting for the kids to finish copying the activity on the board, I look back on the past months when these kids do not even know how to write. Looking at them now is such a fulfilment. These children have grown fast and they have learned a lot. They have been with me for what, 4 or 5 months, and now they can write very fast. Some are still lagging but many of them have greatly improved. The scene I am looking at now is very inspiring.

A friend of mine had said that teaching is fitted for those people who are attention seekers. Well that is partly true but on the contrary, I teach these kids because I want them to be the stars of the school. I teach them poems, songs and dances that they could perform in front of a large audience. I teach them to be “attention seekers” without them knowing it. These kids love to perform and I have told them that being shy is not an option. It was a good strategy in a way because it made the kids confident in what they do. I let them play whenever they want as long as they perform whenever I want. That’s a fair enough deal if I may say.

However, you cannot call it teaching preschool when you do not encounter tantrums. Whenever I get irritated when a child throws a fit, I leave him be. Most of the time, a hug will do the trick. A hug gives a child a sense o of security and I love giving hugs as much as I love being hugged. Well anyway, a child is synonymous to the word tantrum, that’s what I conditioned my mind so that I won’t be surprised and get frustrated whenever I encounter one.

Teaching is love. It is fun and fulfilling. Sometimes, it doesn’t even feel like a job. And I hope that many will be inspired to teach and actually teach children especially those who are living in impoverished areas.

School Year 2009-2010 Begins

It's already May and in less than a month, June 1 to be exact, will begin a new school year and my schedule will be hectic once again. I am excited to meet my new pupils and I'm planning to make minor renovations in my classroom. By this week also, I will make a calendar plan for the activities that my pupils will indulge on and I have to study as well new teaching styles and techniques in order for my instruction to be effective. I am targeting an 80% reader class by the end of the school year so I really have to work my ass off with my teaching methods. Also, I should construct test questions as early as now so that I will meet my time frame and not hear anything against me by my co-teachers. LOL. What the heck, you do everything right and you still hear unjust comments against you. What's important now is that I will be a good teacher for myself and I am doing the right thing for the sake of my pupils and not for others. Although I feel that I need to impress my colleagues, I don't need to squeeze my brains out just doing so.

2009 LET Results

The result fot the April 2009 Licensure Examination for Teachers was released yesterday afternoon and I am happy to announce that I passed. I won't anymore say anything about how I feel because I have posted it here already.

Anyway, I am so happy for this friend of mine who was the 10th placer in the Elementary Education exam. She's my classmate in most of my major subjects but she graduated a year before me. Mary Rose Culanggo, congratulations! You deserve more than that.

Let me tell you one thing about Mary Rose and why I think she deserve to be one of the topnotchers. Mary Rose graduated last March 2007 and because she comes from a not well-to-do family, she wasn't able to take the board exam that year and applied for work as an assistant pharmacist in a local drugstore in order for her to save money for the board exam registration. She's a smart girl and sometimes made it to the honor's list. She reviewed for the exam on her own and still made it to the top. I admire her even more. Congratulations Mary Rose and to all my fellow teachers who passed!

Sweet Compliment

I got a text message from an unknown number a few days ago that says:

You will never be good enough for everybody. But you are the best for someone who really appreciates you. :-)

So I wondered who was it and asked the person of course, to which I got a reply that said:

Someone who really appreciates you for being a teacher of my niece. :-)

I was used to being appreciated by my pupils and it's always overwhelming whenever the kids say that I am the greatest teacher they ever had (but when I think about it, I AM indeed their first formal teacher ever!). But getting a compliment from someone not your pupil or their the parents, it must mean something. I had done a positive job. Although teaching is not one of those thankless jobs (however, we are underpaid), getting compliments or being appreciated is enough for me to be inspired and think of doing something more challenging in the future.

Where There Is Threat of Transfering

Before the end of the school year, my boss informed me that I might be transferred to another school because there will be some reshuffling in the division office. I was not happy with the news because I was just starting to love the school where I'm teaching and I kind of gotten close with my colleagues. It was a bit heartbreaking so to say. Aside from the fact that I want to redeem myself from the mistakes that I have done the previous school year, I really do not want to transfer because the "new" school I will be assigned to is much bigger so the pressure would be greater. And yes, I am a lazy crap.

Anyway, just this afternoon, I got a call from my boss and he told me that my transfer will not push through so I am happy. I am excited for another school year to start and I will be planning everything starting today. This is payback time for those who have doubted me and my capabilities. I will redeem myself next school year so good luck to me!

And I Hereby Present To You....

.... the Kindergarten Class of 2009!
So here are my pupils. They have grown so fast. They are not babies anymore, and they can now read!


The graduation day will be on the 24th and as ordered by the division office superintendent, we should only have 3 honor pupils per session and we should only give 8 special awards. This is the first time that they sent out a memo with regards to the awards because they don't want the graduation rites to look cheap. If you are a parent, would you agree with that? I am thinking YES.

However, upon talking to my pupils' parents this morning about the memorandum order (it was only disseminated yesterday) two of them walked out and didn't attend the graduation practice. How so? Of course they wanted their kids to have lots of ribbons/medals in order for them to show off to their relatives that their children are brilliant. However, an order is an order and I have to abide by the rules so whether they will attend the ceremony or not, the graduation will come into fruition with or without them. I am so tired of reaching out to them and hearing their whims.

By the way, I liked our class pictures because for once in my life, I looked tall. Hahaha! Cheers to Batch 2009!

Examination Week

We had a PTA meeting this afternoon because Graduation Day is fast approaching. I should have conducted the meeting last December but we were too busy and excited for our Swimming Party. The Department of Education had a memorandum that there should be No Graduation Fees to collect from the pupils and that we should just hold a simple graduation ceremony as part of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's austerity program. Who are they kidding?! As if they're giving the school budget to expend for the graduation rites.

So anyway, it's examination week once again and I am as busy as ever. I have decided to conduct a diagnostic type of test so that I will be able to know how much the kids have learned this school year. It will be a long type of exam which means that I need to have theseInkgrabber Coupons to save up for the printing.

The Waltz Verdict

Today was the day where the kids presented their waltz dance and what's good about the kindergarten class is that they are not expected to be perfect with their performance. However, we wowed the audience with the kids' introduction where they bowed on stage one by one to the tune of A Whole New World. It was an okay presentation. I said "okay" because they could have done better and there were so many people taking pictures which distracted the kids from dancing because they have to smile hahaha! We all had fun and are so tired that we all left the school early. Here's a picture of some of my pupils while they're waiting for their dance number.

Homemade Glue

This project could be fun to do and economical as well. I will have to teach my kids this project soon. :)

Glue

What You Need:

* 3/4 cup water
* Two tablespoons corn syrup
* One teaspoon white vinegar
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 3/4 cup cold water

What You Do:

* Mix water, syrup and vinegar and then bring mixture to a rolling boil. Add the cornstarch and water slowly to mixture. Stir constantly. Let mixture stand overnight before using.

Friday the 13th

It's Friday the 13th today but I don't believe in the whole bad luck thing.

Anyway, we had so much fun at school today because it's a Friday and it means P.E. time! For fun, I decided to have the kids make Play Doh on their own. They had so much fun and I was surprised with myself because I handled the rowdy kids so well. There was never a commotion and the kids were all clean after the activity. I grouped the kids into three groups and selected two leaders for each group. I told them that the leaders should be responsible for anything that will happen to their group members. I was impressed with them, really. I was hesitant to do a group activity like that but I pulled it off much to my surprise! I made an improvised apron with the use of old newspapers and directed them to never wipe their hands on their shirt but wipe them on the apron instead. They were obedient and very cooperative I am so proud of them.

Here's how to make a Play Doh:

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp salt
food color

Just mix everything! It's that easy. And it's loads of fun to make too.

A Right to Have a Name

I was listing down the nicknames of my pupils this morning for our Friday art project. I asked the kids one by one as to which name they want to be called. Then there's this kid named Mohammad Arsad and the conversation goes...

Me: Anong gusto mong itawag sa iyo? (What name do you want to be called?)
MA: Junior po. (I want to be called Junior.)
Me: Bakit Junior? Hindi naman Mohammad Arsad and pangalan ng papa mo. (Why Junior? Your dad's name isn't Mohammad Arsad.)
MA: June man kasi ang birthday ko! (But I was born in June!)

Oh okay. The kids keep me sane. Haha!

Rough Day Out!

Hello!

I had a rough day at school today because I will be giving my pupils their Second Periodical Exams next week so I'm taking double time with their lessons. I need to give them new words to learn since most of them are already readers.  I also need to teach them new songs, poems, and games so that learning will always be fun. It's really exhausting.

At the end of the very tiring day, though, is a feeling of satisfaction especially when your pupils have learned something new from you. Knowing that my pupils are equipped with new information each day gives me a lift up in my morale to do better and strive harder into being a good teacher. Teaching consumes every aspect of a person and this profession is really a commitment that we make.

A few weeks ago, a colleague and I had a conversation about our profession. We exchanged notes about the pupils' behaviors and even our co-teachers.  We made a vow not to meddle with our co-teachers' spats and to only do our jobs and stay away from gossipmongers in the campus. Haha! But I think that's the way it should be in every profession.