Carton Box Pencil Holders

I was amazed when I saw my Kindergarten pupils' creations: recycled pencil/crayon holders.

Resourceful Ideas from 5-year-old Children

Biscuit carton box turned into a pencil holder

You may let it stand on your desk, or hang it.

Materials used:

Hello Panda carton box

Packing tape

How resourceful! My pupil's pencil holder :)

But wait, there's more...

Enjoying Spelling

I'm enjoying this Spelling thing in class. Yes, the teacher is the one enjoying the class activity! ;) The Spelling exercise itself is very simple. But I was surprised with the turn of events in the two Kindergarten class that I am handling.

Yesterday, I gave away the prizes that I promised those who got a perfect score in Spelling last week. They received the reward pencils I bought the other day. I got different reactions from my pupils upon 'awarding' the prizes. One pupil got disappointed, saying that the prize was boring. One said that she did not like the prize. There was also this pupil who cried when I gave the pencils to her classmates who got perfect scores.

I'm enjoying this Spelling thing because it seems to have affected my pupils, in positive ways I just hope. The pupil who cried, whenever she sees me, keeps on asking if I still have many pencils to give away. Many of my pupils are asking when we will be having the Spelling Quiz. One of the pupils who received a prize kept the pencil with her since yesterday. I asked her a while ago why she was holding it all the time. She answered, quoting her exact words, "I can't let it go." How cute! :)

My pupil copied the words for the week to study them!

I hope I am really achieving my goal in giving rewards to my pupils, which is to motivate them to desire and enjoy learning. I was so delighted a while ago when I observed that the children showed more interest in reading and spelling words than before. One of my pupils even copied the words for the week that I wrote on the board. He seems to be really determined to perfect the Spelling Activity on Friday! This is what I want to see. I hope children would develop a love for learning. I pray that they would enjoy learning and have the initiative to help themselves learn. After all, I think that's the goal of education. To train people to desire learning and apply all that they are learning wisely.

I hope that as my pupils enjoy our Spelling activities, they would also learn to enjoy learning.

Awesome Reward Erasers and Pencils, and Star Stickers

I finally found perfect prizes for my pupils who got perfect scores in our Spelling Activity last week!

Reward stars, erasers, and pencils!

We started doing something new in Kindergarten Senior Class last week! A list of words was posted on each child's handbook for their parents to see. They were to help their children read the words and practice spelling them. At the end of the week, we had a spelling exercise. I dictated each word for the children to write. Spelling exercises help children practice the skill of recognizing the sounds of letters and associating them with the printed letters.

I felt so happy last Friday that there were some who got perfect scores! I was excited to shop for prizes for them, but couldn't make up my mind what to buy specifically. Thank God, I found cool items a while ago: erasers and pencils with prints of affirmation, and buy 1 take 1 star stickers! The pencils and erasers are perfect items to give away to my pupils, since they have been doing a lot of writing and erasing lately. :) And oh, the stars, I won't forget of course. I will stick a star on the child's handbook for his/her parents to see. :) I'm sure the parents' efforts would get paid off once they see the shining star.

On Rewards

Giving rewards is a means of positive reinforcement. In my case, I give rewards to motivate my pupils to excel, and to desire to learn. Am I achieving my goal?

When I told my pupils last Friday that those who would get perfect scores in the Spelling Exercise would get prizes from me, I observed that most of them felt both excited and challenged. They kept asking what the prize would be. I told them it's a surprise. After the exercise, one of my pupils approached me.

Pupil: Teacher, what's the surprise?
Me: You'll see on Monday.
Pupil: Teacher, let's do the spelling quiz again!

It seemed that he knew that he was not able to perfect the exercise and wanted to do it again in order to get a prize! It was as if he wanted to tell me, "Let's do the spelling quiz again and this time I would really give my best."

Is giving rewards really effective for children to be motivated to give their best? Will it help encourage children to desire to learn? Thinking... ;)

Family Picture Frames

As part of our family theme, the Kinder Seniors made picture frames for their family photos they brought to school.

My pupils and their family picture frames

Because It's Buwan ng Wika...

...I would like to take the opportunity to write about using the Filipino language. I know it's September already; it's just that it took me days to think about this topic that's why it's only now that I was able to finally compose what I want to say. ;) Because we've just celebrated Buwan ng Wika last month, I would like to express my thoughts on teaching children to use their native language; in our case, the Filipino language.

Yes, I am promoting the use of the Filipino language and teaching children to use, study, and enjoy it.

How Many Books Can You Buy with Your P300?

With my three hundred pesos, I was able to buy 6 board books for children! For several years now, it has been my hobby to rummage through thrift book stores to find great buys. Most of the children's story books in my collection are from Book Sale.

It was not my "book-buying day" when I found a treasure in Book Sale at SM Tarlac. I saw a set of colorful books and out of curiosity, got it and checked for the price.

A colorful set of books!

I was so excited to see the price and to my surprise, this was what was written:

6 board books for P300!

How My Cupcake Baking Journey Began :)

My interest in cooking and baking began as I took a required subject in our course, Food Preparation (FN 11). The subject involved not only cooking, but also studying the chemical processes happening in the preparation of food. Syneresis, carotenoids, oxidation are only a few of the many terms I encountered in that subject. I still remember how hard I studied for our exams, and how my nose bled during exams. I can say that FN 11 was one of the very few subjects that I enjoyed despite their difficulty.

I'm sorry for the very long introduction. Let's get to the main subject of this article: how I started to get interested in baking and decorating cupcakes.

Thankfully, I found time out of my busy schedule as a college student to do some experimenting in the kitchen. Sometime in 2010 I decided to bake cupcakes, specifically. The first thing I did was to rummage through our kitchen shelves and cabinets looking for baking utensils and equipment. I did that so I could know what I still needed to purchase. My search led me to the decision to buy cupcake pans.

Why cupcakes?

My first choco cupcakes, fresh from the oven! :)

Hello Kinder Seniors! :)

Yes, I said hello to Kinder Seniors two weeks ago. And saying hello to Kinder Seniors meant saying goodbye to Toddlers. :( This change is really challenging. Last year, I was teaching the youngest children in the preschool department. Now, I am teaching the oldest ones. How do I adjust? Thank God, He is teaching me how to.

Last year, I focused on helping children socialize with their peers. It was fulfilling to see the toddlers learn how to share, take turns, say "please" and "May I borrow?", line up, go to the comfort room, and things like these. Now, without forgetting the children's socio-emotional development, I should focus on helping them learn important academic skills such as reading and writing, etc. It feels fulfilling seeing the Kinder Seniors figure out how to write words by sounding the letters, blending them, and finally forming the words. The things I do now may be different from what I used to do last year, but one thing never changed. I am still teaching and learning from children. And that's what matters most to me. 

With Teacher Daisy and the Kinder Seniors (Kindness), having fun with letters! :)

Life won't be meaningful without challenges. Once you feel that you are in your comfort zone, you need to get out of it or else you won't grow. Most of the time, most of us are just too stubborn to leave. Thank God because He intervenes by providing a way for us to move out. I thank God that's what He does in my life.

Work

Work. This word has both negative and positive implications. For the jobless, this is something positive. A jobless person wants work. He/she looks for a job to earn. For people who have jobs, however, work may be negative. Work may mean stress. Employed people look forward to holidays.


Just before this school year started, just before my work began, I was able to listen to a very meaningful and useful talk from a pastor about work. The following ideas are the important things I want to keep in mind as I work.

Happy Colors!

How do you make something look appealing to children? Make it colorful! I have proven a lot of times that children like and enjoy colorful objects. They find them interesting.


When I was hired as a preschool teacher, I was tasked to decorate our classroom. I didn't know where to start! My co-teachers were starting to paint and cut, coming up with beautiful decorations for their classrooms. I didn't know what to do. I don't have any experience in painting, I thought then. In addition, I was not exposed to fully-decorated preschool classrooms. Faced with a situation like this, one learns. Thank God I did learn... a bit.


When summer break came in, I started to plan and imagine what decorations I would make for our classroom. Then, I remembered how often most of my former pupils used to talk about buses, cars, and airplanes. *Light bulb* Why not make transportation devices the theme for the decors I will make for our classroom? Right then and there, I embraced the idea. Visit our classroom today and you might think that you landed on a bus station or an airport, or you may find yourself on the street waiting for a jeepney, or by the beach watching  boats that are sailing.


At the last minute, I thought of adding a decoration I haven't tried yet, something that I had wanted to try long, long ago. Glass door painting! Way back college, an organization would annually paint our college building's glass door with colorful drawings. It was only last week that I discovered that poster paint can be used to do it. And so I tried painting our room's glass door.

Glass door painting 1 (reflecting the school grounds)

Day 1 of Year 2

Today was the first day of the new school year. I had mixed emotions as the day ended. I was happy because I met my new pupils and the school year seemed to have started right. However, I also felt sad because I won't be handling last year's toddlers anymore.


But let me start with the positive side.


A while ago, I met this school year's batch of toddlers, my second batch of pupils. Here's how our day went.


To give them time to warm up, I let them choose the toys they want to play with. Free Play Time was a big help to my pupils because they easily became comfortable staying in class. I had no difficulty convincing them to let their parents and guardians leave and come back after 3 hours!

Playing with colorful blocks

Play dough molding

Dear Bubbles

Indeed, the Lord knows everything. He knows what I've been feeling lately. For two consecutive days, His Word to me has been about frustrations. He used Harold J. Sala's devotional guide, Just For Today to speak to me. It's as if God speaks to me through a letter. The letter may go like this:




Dear Bubbles,


Always remember that I will never leave you nor forsake you. You discover that many things are beyond your control. Don't worry. I am in control. You live in a world of frustrations. Don't worry. I am with you. Don't focus on what makes you feel frustrated or the frustration itself. Focus on your attitude towards it. Your attitude makes all the difference.

Discoveries at Year 1

This week, I'm gonna see children in school again. This week, I'm gonna meet new adorable faces! I'm also gonna see my pupils last year who I missed a lot! This week, I'm gonna meet my second batch of toddlers class. This week, my second year of teaching starts. Today, I reminisce and reflect on my first year experience as a teacher.


I have observed that children learn by discovering. And I have also discovered that this is also true for teachers. Teachers learn through discovery. I've learned a lot in my first year of teaching. I've got discoveries that I will always keep in mind as a teacher.


Discovery #1
Before anything else, apologize. Humility is the key to strong and good teacher-parent relationships.


Discovery #2
As a teacher I must kneel in prayer everyday, declaring my dependence on God for wisdom and direction for me, and safety and protection for the children.

Nongnooch Tropical Garden

I admit that I am not a pet lover. I don't have pets except for a fighting fish named Nemo, which was actually our classroom pet. I needed to purchase it and adopt it as our pet for a lesson in class. The truth is I am not really very interested in animals. I accepted this to be true for more than 20 years, but now I am having doubts. Recently, I get excited about animals. I get fascinated seeing them! In fact, I'm having thoughts of getting training to be a zookeeper. :)


I was so happy when the residents of Pattaya in Thailand recommended Nongnooch Tropical Garden. And so we visited the place.

Nongnooch Garden and Resort

The entrance fee is 500 baht per person. It's quite expensive for a zoo, but the visit is worth the fee if you love animals and fantastic landscapes.

The landscapes as you enter the garden

Just because I get fascinated with rainbows!
Rainbow wall! <3

Rest

Rest. This had been out of my vocabulary these past few months. But let me tell you that this blog entry isn't about my complaining about my tiredness but about getting through it.


Last March, I was very excited for April to come because I thought I would be able to take some rest. I knew I would be very busy during the summer vacation but I still hoped that I would get rest. What happened? April came and this meant that we, the youth leaders in church, should be preparing for the Summer Youth Camp during the Holy Week. I accomplished what was assigned to me the week before the camp. Thanks to my co-ministers because they were kind enough to understand my busy-ness. Next thing on my to-do list was the Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS)  for children in a community in our city. It was a four-day activity for children which included teaching them Bible lessons and implementing activities. I really appreciated the efforts of all the volunteers. I did not notice that my two-week vacation from work had already ended. I went back to work a week before May came in. Summer classes, seminars for teachers, and preparations for the upcoming school year were my activities from mid-May until it ended. On the second day of June, we held the Children's Day Camp in church.


I enjoyed doing all these but I won't deny that while they were happening, I felt worried, down, discouraged, pressured, and tired. I wanted to take a break but I can't. I had opportunities to rest but my mind just kept on working.


Just last week, I felt pressured, frustrated, and worried because I felt like I was not yet prepared for the opening of classes, for work. I wanted everything to be ready before June 5, so that I may enjoy our family trip. I prayed, though not constantly, that everything would be ready. But it didn't happen. June 5 came and I needed to leave work temporarily. I really felt worried.

The March 11, 2012 Story

No, there was no bombing event on March 11, 2012. This particular date is just so memorable to me.

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast array, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” This is what is written in 2 Chronicles 20:15. This was what I read on March 11, 2012 upon opening my devotional book very early in the morning.

This verse is about the story of King Jehoshaphat, one of my favorite Bible characters, facing the Moabites and the Ammonites. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 begins the story, “the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.” Now this was trouble for King Jehoshaphat! A vast army was coming to attack his people and territory! Do you know what he did? “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah (verse 3).” His immediate response was to seek the Lord. He led the people to seek help from the Lord for he knew that his forces could not withstand the army that was about to attack. King Jehoshaphat prayed, and he ended his prayer with this statement, which is one of my favorite Bible verses: “(O Lord) We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you (verse 12).” This is a statement of total surrender and dependence on God. What happened next? The Lord responded to their inquiry! The answer was: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast array, for the battle is not yours, but God’s (verse 15)… You will not have to fight this battle… Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them (the enemies) tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you (verse 17).” Wow, what a relieving response! If you were Jehoshphat, will you believe this? Will you trust God? This wise and faith-filled king did. Early in the morning, they marched to the place the Lord told them to go. Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendour of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army (verse 21). And the ending was victory for King Jehoshaphat and his people! How? Indeed, they did not have to fight! Literally! The enemies destroyed one another! When the men of Judah arrived at the place where God led them, they saw only dead bodies! Those were the remains of their enemies! Truly, it was God’s battle. God promised. Jehoshaphat believed, trusted, and obeyed. God did exactly what he promised. Jehoshaphat worshipped God. “…The battle is not yours, but God’s.”

from http://www.redshirtfridays.org/images/Touching_Emails/soldier_kneeling.jpg 

March 11, 2012 was the day scheduled for the Licensure Examination for Teachers. That was the day I took the examination that I believed would confirm my calling as a teacher. That day, I held on to the same promise King Jehoshaphat held on to. I believed that taking the exam was not my battle, but God’s. Even before I finally decided to take the exam, I knew God was doing something far beyond my expectations and imagination. He had been telling and reminding me of his promises. At first I felt afraid. Afraid to take the exam because I was unprepared. But in December 2011, God gave me the courage (and resources) to go to the PRC Office to apply to take the examination on March 11, 2012. And the story did not end there.

Explore Pangasinan

Traveling to Dasol and Pangasinan was my first out-of-town trip with friends after finishing college. Enjoying my "freedom" from school work and my bum life as unemployed, I, together with my friends, planned a trip that was sulit on May 20-21, 2011.


We left Tarlac after lunch May 20 and went our way to an unknown place. I just printed directions I got from blogs and thanks to Google maps as well. Thank God we arrived safely at Tambobong White Beach right after the sun had set. Travel time was 4-5 hours.

It’s a Child Thing: A Collection of Anecdotes about Children

Collection 1: My First Eight Months as a Toddler Teacher

Do not underestimate the power of a toddler. ;) Laugh and learn as you read the following anecdotes involving my toddler pupils!

Teacher Lei to Pupil: Ask permission first before you get biscuits from your classmate.
Pupil to Classmate: Ask permission...
Classmate: *nod*

 ---

During Snack Time...

Child 1: May baon akong chocolates!
Child 2: Bigyan mo ako ha?
Child 1: Ayaw ko. Di kita bibigyan.
Child 2: Ayaw mo???... Sige.

 ---

Talking about pets during Meeting Time...

Me: What pets do you have at home?
Child: Monkey! (May pet monkey daw talaga sila. :D)
Me: What else?
Child: Wolf!
Me: What?
Child: Wolf!

---

I am always amazed when I hear the conversations among my TWO-YEAR-OLD PUPILS...

While playing and running...
Child 1: (Shouts the name of Child 2 because she was accidentally hurt.)
Child 2: Hindi ko sinasadya... Hindi ko sinasadya 'yun...
(Child 1 looks at Child 2 as if saying, "Okay, I accept your explanation.")
At naglaro na sila ulit. :D

 ---

Christmas in our Hearts: Featuring the Talented TLFA Students :)

Watching children as young as two years old perform onstage, with spotlights, and in front of a large audience is just heart-melting (in Tagalog: nakaka-kilig). I was such a proud teacher last December 16, 2011 as my pupils sang and danced as part of the school's Christmas play entitled Christmas in our Hearts, featuring performances from all the students of Tarlac Living Faith Academy.


The story that the preschool department presented was so simple yet very meaningful; it was about the birth of Jesus Christ, the real Christmas story. It started with a narration of what happened in the beginning: how God created everything including man, life in the Garden of Eden, and how sin entered the world. Two Preparatory pupils were the narrators. I admire those two bright children because they memorized their lengthy lines! The voices were all recorded but all of the characters memorized their lines and mouthed exact words. Amazing!

One of the narrators

Then, the birth of Jesus Christ was portrayed. Several Preparatory pupils acted as Mary, Joseph, Angel Gabriel, the shepherds, and the wise men. They were all good actors!

The shepherds, Angel Gabriel, Joseph, and Mary

Aside from acting, dance numbers were also given by the preschool children. The Prep pupils danced Christmas Praise is in the Air, showing the joyful celebration of the coming birth of Jesus Christ.

Preparatory Pupils: Christmas Praise is in the Air

Look at the skirts of the girls and the boys' costumes! The preschool teachers were the ones who made them! They were made of metallic foil. I salute the Prep teachers' creativity!