What Happened in 2011

Today is the last day of year 2011. Tomorrow will be the start of a new year, 2012. So before this year ends, I thought of recalling the most remarkable events that happened this year.


This year, Blanch and I finished our college thesis! :)

With Blanch and Teacher Eva (our thesis adviser),
and one copy of our thesis and a bag for our dear adviser!

This year, I finished my college degree! Hooray!

Finally! :D

This year, I got a job! Thankfully, a school accepted and trusted an inexperienced, fresh grad to handle the youngest children in the preschool department! ;)

The babies entrusted to me :)

What happened in 2011? God kept me. His grace sustained me... once again. :)

" To him who is able to keep me from stumbling and to present me before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!"

Turning 22

It was only this year that I did not excitedly anticipate for my birthday. In the past (even as recent as last year), I was excited when the month of December came. I was excited about greetings, gifts, and surprises. This year, I did not feel the same sentiments. But to my surprise, my birthday this year turned out to be a memorable one.


It was an ordinary Tuesday at school, except for the fact that it was assessment day. That meant that I would not be seeing all of my pupils that day, only four of them. I felt quite sad that I was not able to celebrate my birthday in class, with my pupils, in my first year of teaching.


As usual, greetings started to come through text messages. Upon arriving in school, I went to our classroom and found my co-teacher painting. She said I should have arrived a bit later, because she was not able to surprise me. Oh, my early arrival was quite a disadvantage that day! She was planning to post a greeting on our classroom door.

Greeting from Teacher Joanna :)

When You're a Preschool Teacher, You Are...

A parent


Yes, you are a parent to your pupils. You are expected not just to educate and instruct but to nurture and care. Hence, as young as 22, I am a mother to 18 toddlers. :)


A friend


There will be times when you need to just be a friend to your pupils. You just have to chat with them, ask them questions, laugh with them, and play with them. Sometimes, I need to internalize being a two-year-old child for a while in order to connect with my pupils. And it often works!


A singer and dancer


A preschool class without singing and dancing in the schedule of activities in a day is boring. When you're a preschool teacher, you have to sing... and even dance! Singing actions songs is a very effective way to help children warm up and become comfortable with new people such as teachers and classmates. Children love singing and dancing! So I guess they also love singing and dancing teachers! ;) Don't worry, you don't need to have a golden voice. :)


A clown


You need to be entertaining. During our first day of class, as I met my pupils, I had to entertain them to get their trust so that they would let their parents leave them in the classroom. As months passed by, I realized that I was really becoming a classroom clown! And it works! I thought of doing something to encourage the pupils express emotions. While singing songs, we cry, we laugh, and we get angry! Imagine me singing while crying! Well as long as they enjoy going to school because of that, I would love to act like a clown everyday. :)

Refreshed and Recharged

I am one of the newest "members" of the ASAP family. :) Having graduated from college last April gave me the privilege to be part of the ABCCOP Singles Armed with Passion (ASAP), a group for young professionals from churches affiliated with Alliance of Bible Christian Communities of the Philippines (ABCCOP). I am thankful that I was able to attend the ASAP Congress last November 25-27 in Batangas, with the theme Strengthening Christian Stewardship.


I have to admit that I did not expect much from the congress though it was my first ASAP Congress. This is for the reason that I was part of the staff (But I felt like I was a delinquent staff member because I was not able to attend meetings and I had not contributed a lot. Hehe.) and so I thought I was gonna "work" while in the congress and not really listen and learn. However, I was completely wrong. The congress was relaxing, refreshing, and recharging. Glory to God alone!

I learned a lot from the "Let's Hear It" and "Let's Talk About It" sessions. Pastor Anthony Munar, the guest speaker, is blessed not only with a good speaking (and singing) voice but also with wisdom to relay God's message to us in a light yet powerful way. I appreciated his witty lines, not to mention his funny stories and jokes. I have a lot to say about him, but all I want to do is to praise God for his life. Glory to God! I also enjoyed the group discussions for they were opportunities to share my concerns and insights and also to hear from my brothers and sisters. It's really great to learn from each other. :)

Top 5 Disasters in a Classroom with 18 Toddlers

5. Spilled Yakult

Most of my pupils love drinking Yakult just like almost all children (and even adults, like my older brother) do. Hence, most of them have a bottle of Yakult during Snack Time. During our first few weeks, my co-teacher and I usually opened the wrappers of the children’s biscuits or bread and punched their packed juice with a straw right after we finished praying for the food. As for a Yakult bottle, we usually removed the entire foil lid. At first, the sight of Yakult was ordinary to me. But after a series of events, it became dreadful for me. Almost everyday, at least one child spills a bottle of Yakult on the table and down to the floor. Then, he/she steps on it. And then a classmate steps on it and then walks around the classroom and then steps on the rubber mats. Some children even drink while walking or running! And there, there is sticky feel all over the classroom! Mind you, the sticky-ness cannot be wiped off easily. A wet cloth is not enough. And even if you wipe it off several times, the presence of sticky-ness is still there. A disaster, indeed. Because of this, we have decided not to remove the Yakult’s lid until the child is ready to drink it. I love Yakult. But I hate Yakult spills. I would love it more if straws are included in the package.

4. Scattered toys

Two-year-old children are at a stage in which they are still discovering a lot about themselves and what they could do and about their surroundings as well. They love to hear sounds, look at pictures, touch and manipulate objects around them. That is why my pupils love to scatter the toys in our classroom. They love throwing toys and hear the sound when a toy hits the wall. They love mixing different toys together until it becomes difficult for us, teachers, to sort them. Believe me, seeing scattered toys is a disaster. And in our classroom, toys are not just scattered… They are also flying!

I want to be like them.

Written on June 21, 2009.

Masaya kahit medyo pagod. —- Ito ang summary ng 1-week practicum experience ko. Sobrang saya ko dahil answered prayer, napunta ako sa Toddlers’ Class. Nakakatawa lang kasi wala akong expectations. Kaya ayun, na-shock yata ako pagpasok ko nung Tuesday! Haha.
Iyak, karga, iyak, karga, iyak, iyak, iyak—- ito ang scene sa classroom. Nanakit talaga ang katawan ko! Hanggang ngayon actually… Hehe.
But more than the muscle pain, mas natatak sa akin yung lessons na natutunan ko sa pag-papracticum ko. Nung Tuesday, habang tinitignan ko yung mga bata, nasabi ko na lang kay Lord, “I want to be like these children…”
Bakit? Hehe. Kasi nakakatuwa sila. :D  Kaya pala Jesus delighted in children. Una, napaka-dependent nila sa parents nila, to the point na iiyak sila nang todo ‘pag umalis na ng classroom yung parents. At hindi sila talaga titigil. At kahit may ginagawa na sila (kunwari naglalaro), once in a while naaalala nila yung parents nila at iiyak sila ulit. Hehe. Naisip ko, ganito rin ba ako kay God? Am I in despair without Him? O ‘pag busy na ako, hindi ko na Siya naaalala? Isa pa, nakakatuwa kasi nakikinig sila at nagtitiwala! Nung minsan sabi ko dun sa isang bata pagkatapos niyang mag-toothbrush, “Diyan ka muna ha, babalik si Teacher” (kasi may isa pang bata akong iaassist). Aba, I was surprised to see her waiting for me! Hindi talaga siya umalis. :) Ganito rin kaya ako? Nakikinig at nagtitiwala ba ako?
Ilan lang ‘tong mga ito sa characteristics ng mga bata na super na-amaze ako. I believe na marami pa akong matutunan… Nakaka-excite! I love children! I want to be like them. I want to be a child before the Lord—- helpless, dependent, and trusting Him always.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday Mornings

Written on July 10, 2009.

Let me give you a picture of my Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings this past week.

I had to wake up early because I needed to be at CDC at 7:30AM, prepared, equipped, and ready for the day.
I had to wear a big smile as I welcomed 1-year-old-and-above crying children who were hesitant to let their parents leave them.
Still, I had to keep wearing this big smile all throughout the morning as I comforted, assured, and convinced the children that their parents would come back after 3 hours.
My cooperating teacher, my co-teachers, and I had to carry children once in a while to attend to their needs.
One morning, I carried a child for almost 2 hours. I had to smile even after he accidentally vomited on me.
One morning, I woke up unable to move my left arm which was probably the effect of carrying children.
One morning, I gained my first experience of changing a child’s diaper with poo-poo and of course making sure everything was clean. (You know what I mean.)

Another morning, I felt I was an expert because I accommodated two children.

Each morning this week, I had to convince children that they needed to change their clothes, with my assistance, because they were dirty. I ended up undressing and dressing up children who were crying and resisting to be undressed and dressed up. I had to gather my strength to overpower their resistance. 

Also this past week, I was so delighted to see these children.
I was delighted to see them, little by little, learning to adjust.
I was so delighted to see a child who was only crawling a few weeks ago but was able to walk alone this week.
I was so overjoyed to see children who were once always crying but were already exploring around the classroom and were playing, and dancing, and enjoying this week.
This past week, I felt the excitement of seeing these children every morning. 

I look forward to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.

A Toddler's Letter

Now that I am a teacher handling two- to three-year-old children, this poem is both a rebuke and a reminder. :)

Dear Teacher,

I am a toddler.
I am a super snooper.
I search and check
everything within my reach
and often beyond.
I am curious,
too curious at times.
I declare my independence,
often quite loudly.
I know I can do it,
all by myself.

But,
Please stay close.

I need you there,
to help keep me
from hurting myself
when I am too curious.
I need you
to encourage me,
and allow me
to try to do it by myself,
and to help when I can’t,
or when I get frustrated.

I need you
to hug and cuddle with me.
If I do something you don’t like,
Tell me.
Show me a better way.
Please don’t reject me.
Please be patient.
I have really only been in this world a short while.

The world
and its ways
are still so very, very new to me.

- from a toddler



Reference:
Catlin, Cynthia (1994). Toddlers Together: The Complete Planning Guide For A Toddler Curriculum. Beltsville: Gryphon House, Inc.

Teacher = Student

Written on March 29, 2009.

To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner. I am not a teacher… only a fellow student. -Soren Kierkegaard

 I want to be a teacher someday. I love to teach, especially children. Most people say teaching is a great profession because teachers strongly influence students. Teachers touch lives. I guess this is also one of my reasons; I want to have a lasting contribution to people’s lives.

A good teacher, for me, is one who not just presents the lessons to the class but one who connects to the students. A good teacher is not just in front of the class, but is with the class.

I want to be a teacher someday. Yes, I want to teach. But more than that, I want to be with learners; I want to learn and learn and learn.

This semester, I really enjoyed our implementations and our interactions with CDC children. It’s great to discover that I learn a lot from kids! Simple facts, behaviors, attitudes, perspectives, I cannot name them all. But believe me, they are valuable lessons.

Knowing that being a teacher is being a fellow student makes me appreciate and value teaching even more.

When My Knees Got Wounded

Written in 2007.

God is great and God is good, and we thank You for our food. By His grace we must all be fed, give us Lord our daily bread. Amen. I can still exactly remember this prayer along with its tune. I can still vividly picture as my classmates and I sang before we took our snacks.

Since I was a child, I was taught to pray. I remember my mom saying that I should pray before I eat and before I sleep. During those times, I just prayed as an act of obedience to an authority. I felt guilty whenever I did not pray because I felt like I disobeyed her. I was also anxious that she would scold me.

As I grew up, I felt the need to pray. Somehow, I prayed out of willingness and not just of obedience to my mom. I thought I needed to pray so that God would give me what I need. I prayed for food everyday. I prayed for high scores in my quizzes and exams. I prayed that I wouldn’t be late for school, whenever I was close to being late. I prayed that I would not become sick so that I could come to school and see my friends. I prayed that my teacher would not scold me if I would be called to recite and not be able to answer correctly. So you see, I had a simple prayer list then. With “simple”, I think I mean “selfish”. Hehe.

As I grew older, I felt an intense need to pray. Things around me became complicated perhaps because I had more experiences at that time than when I was younger. I prayed for a lot of things. My prayer was not simple anymore. Yet I think it became more selfish.

There was this thing I started to pray about. I got on my knees to ask God for it. I prayed about it every night. Years passed. And every year, my prayer changed but it was still about that thing. Now, I still pray about that, but my prayer is a lot different from the first time I prayed about it. I’ve been praying for 8 years now, I think. Yes, a lot has changed; things became and become worse, as one can see them. I once pleaded to God, “it’s okay if you ignore everything I pray for, just grant this one I’ve been praying about for a long time, please.” I even had bargains with Him. Yet now, I still don’t have what I keep on praying about. Does God listen?

There came a point in my life that I wanted to stop praying. My knees ached already. I thought nothing was happening. I felt tired waiting for God’s answer, or shall I say, I felt tired waiting for what I wanted to happen to happen.

But then, I could not stop praying. I didn’t know how that happened. Eventually, I felt like my head was bumped against a wall. Did I ever ask myself what my purpose for praying was? Why was I praying all along? I wanted God to change things. I wanted to direct Him to let things happen the way I wanted them to. All along, I thought He did not answer me. It was painful, but He let me realize that I was just too busy, focusing on what I wanted to happen, to see His answer. He was showing me the answer, but I was too stubborn to accept it. I wanted Him to answer the way I expected Him to. My knees were wounded because I relied on myself alone, thinking that through my own effort of praying things could change. I did not allow Him to cover them with His hand, not acknowledging that only He could let things happen.

For many years, I prayed selfishly. I prayed to get my desires. For me, prayer was like a vending machine. Once you pay, you get the product you want. I thought that as I prayed, I would get what I prayed for.

If God granted right away what I’ve prayed about for years, I would not have learned the true purpose of prayer. It will forever be like a vending machine to me.

Prayer, indeed, is a conversation with God. We not just present our requests; we speak with God, a lot like when we chat with a friend. It’s how we communicate with Him. It’s an expression of total dependence on Him, acknowledging His sovereignty. We pray not to let God change things but to allow God to change us. We are changed as we pray. I was and am being changed.

Curious of God’s answer to my eight-year-long prayer? His answer is that I should wait and trust because His plan is always the best. He made me realize that apart from Him, I can do nothing (Psalm 16:2). Many are the plans in my mind, but it is His purpose that will stand (Proverbs 19:21).

Just like what I have mentioned above, I still am praying about that same thing up to now. I won’t stop praying because I know God listens. Kukulitin ko si Lord.I want Him to know that I need His help. The more I pray, the more I experience His love and the more clearly I see His plan.

 I get on my knees; there I am before the love that changes me. See I don’t know how, but there’s power when I’m on my knees (On My Knees, Jaci Velasquez).

This time, my knees will never get wounded again.