T-Party :)

It's my first day of class with the Kinder Seniors this 2013. I was planning to prepare surprises for them but decided to let them do some reflection instead. We had a tea, I mean, T-Party. I got this idea from one of the animal stories from the School of Tomorrow curriculum. It's a story about keeping an attitude of gratitude. The animals in the story had a T-Party. Thanksgiving Party. They simply shared their thanksgiving items over tea. I just regret that we weren't able to have tea a while ago. Milk tea sana. I'm sure they'd enjoy the activity more.

I really learn a lot from kids. They never fail to make me realize important things. What made our activity interesting was how quickly each child was able to think of his/her thanksgiving item. I asked them to complete the statement "Thank You God for..." I was expecting common answers from young children like "Thank You God for toys, gifts, etc." I was surprised when I heard their answers. I wrote each answer on the board. My pupils are thanking God for providing their needs more than thanking Him for giving their wants. I was rebuked. I often forget to express my gratitude towards God for providing my needs, probably because I got used to His nature of being gracious that He provides all of our needs. Indeed, I should learn to give thanks for every thing, at all times.

It's true that teachers learn as much as students learn inside the classroom. :) Thank You, Lord. :)

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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. :)

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.