I Am A Teacher

http://www.inspiredteaching.org/wp-content/uploads/inspire-teach-change.jpg

An old Jesuit priest told me years back that I am going to be a teacher.  I denied every piece of that statement since I thought I was so right into my course BS Psychology.  As years unfolded I was slowly led into becoming one.  And now after years of battling against the idea, I am now a teacher and serving in a public high school in the city.  I am currently teaching Grace 7 and fourth year students.  And I am slowly feeling the positive effect to my decision. 

Teacher.  Wow that is kind of heavy for me.  What am I teaching my students?  Values.  My God ...that is a lot of responsibilities.  The heaviest …hmmm very challenging for me. But let me first describe my Grade 7 students.  Majority of them come from really poor families in the city.  I handle 6 sections – one is an honors’ class.  I don’t really have much difficulty with them unlike the general sections.   A lot of them from the general sections are not really motivated to learn.  They come to school, making so much noise, forced to sit when asked them to.  Listens  with sometimes blank look in their eyes.  And I felt that I had to prick that spirit in them.  

I had to wake them up so I told them a story of an old woman that has an alzheimer (this part I made it appear so dramatic to make them fall into my "trap" ...that is to be really present in my class).    I described the disease to them and that if they refuse to think, and if they continue to be lazy to think and learn they could get the disease at a very young age.  And voila, I saw the eyes slowly dilating and sharpening.  I started to see the look of interest.  Though at times I feel that they are just forced to be in school because someone may have told them that they have to be in school (to which perhaps they cannot really relate huh).

What about my fourth year students?  I handle two sections.  One from the honors class and other is one from the general section.  During the first quarter, they were complacent and did not take my subject seriously.  For them it was “only” Values Education and so they feel the least weight it could have on their grade.  Hmmm they were just so shocked that some of them almost failed for not submitting the requirements and not really performing in the quarter exam.  To cut the long story shorter, they realize that the subject has an effect on their grades especially those in the honors’ class.  And the students from the other section feared not being able to graduate if they fail in my subject.

Well I loosen my standards.  I stopped checking attendance and focused more on output.  I did not want to be so stiff or rigid with rules.  I want so much to measure how much they learned and what they realize than the attendance (though you might argue with me that attendance has bearing with learning...and i won't argue in anyway for i believe the same also).  I realize that even if some of them may have incurred absences (since some of them are working students...some sell vegetables in the market, drives trisikad, that bicycle with a :=)side car?", etc), they can still produce the desired outcome.

It is still along way to go for me.  There are a lot of things to be done and to prepare for the next school year.  What is so evident for me is that I am so glad I did not make it in the job that I applied prior to my current job.  Though I felt at first that I was deprived of something that I knew I could do well if given that opportunity, I still feel that God answers prayers according to where we could fit in and where we could best help in the mission.  I feel that now.  And I feel that there are many public school students to whom I could pass on that influence that may positively affect them throughout their lives....huh ..really heavy work ha...

Thank you God.  Thank you for leading me into where I am.  Amen.

PS.  I had a flashy job of working in the corporate where I had high salary plus that beautiful car.oohhh that shiny brand new car lent by the company to me to me a month after I was hired.  But…I find more fulfillment with where I am compared to that job. I find myself going out of the classroom with that beautiful smile on my face while my eyes were a little misty from the touching real life sharings that I had in my classes.   God just brought me so close to His Mission…and so close to Him:-)

3Ms Strategy of Learning

3Ms is a strategy of learning that is in the context of our family arena.  It stands of Motivating Maria Mikaela. Please don't expect so much.  This is just a simple strategy that was born out of my non-busy mode when i was pregnant with my daughter.  I was so ambitious when I got pregnant.  My a little crazy self just thought of creating a learning program for the tiny fetus inside my tummy.  Since my OB-GYNE stated that i could start stimulation for learning at 6 months. I experimented much earlier than that.  

I allocated time for listening to music, story telling while I touch my tummy, touch and talk to my baby plus praying together the moment I learned that I was pregnant. That was during the first month of my pregnancy.  When she was out I thought I could do the same, however, I had to be realistic with having and not having housekeeper while I took care of our daughter firsthand.  And so I was so dead busy with so many things including our simple time together where I could just do our regular breastfeeding session. 

Since I already saw the difficulty, I had to live our life one day at a time and observed what might be best thing to do to continue with my sort of  crazy (nyahaha)  program.  Since I did not have much time to really stay beside her I and my husband bought books, learning Video – audio CDs and toys.   There were times when I and my husband really spent time to just stay with her when she opens books or watch ABC videos and numbers yet I feel that she has her own movements that I realize I should respect. 

What is my simple premise to stop me from worrying about her learning style.  “I grew up not having what she has right now and still I feel so motivated to learn. Why not leave her however she wanted it or just allow her to explore her books and toys”.  That I could say really went well as of now.  Since we prepared a small play pen for her with toys and books on the floor.  We realized that she got bored with toys already and now she is spending more time with books and it keeps her focused when we give her ABC flash cards.  Sometimes she tears pages of books that it worried my husband yet I stopped him from doing that saying “it does not matter if she tears pages of books for as long as it would build her interest with it”.  Hahaha my husband may be thinking of additional expenses again.  Yet as early as this stage…este 1 year old, we are building her interest and motivating her to explore by herself. 

And so to motivate our daughter, we simply leave her to explore among other options that we lay on the floor for her.  And we notice lately that she spends more time with opening the pages of books and tearing them sometimes than her toys.  Hmm I thought of slowly buying more books for her.  But don’t worry we will still balance it with toys and socialization.  Hmmm she just went out  of the house and out in the street few hours ago  to witness children playing patentero and habulan   and gave her look of excitement with with everyone.  I told her “soon I will be allowing you to play with them Mikaela” …but with mommy around whehhehe.

A question before i end this article...will those children whose parents could not really afford to buy extra learning materials be deprived with learning if they won't have them?    My answer is a big NO.  I was a product of a COULD NOT AFFORD PARENTS...By God's provision i was able to make it through despite its absence during the earliest part of my life.  :-)  God still provides :-) Amen...:-) and Praise the Lord:-)

Exploring Learning

http://infed.org/mobi/learning-theory-models-product-and-process/

I never had the fancy of my childhood years such as having story books or videos to enhance learning.  We hardly even had a television set.  We only had it when I was in Grade 1 with that cheapest black and white television that I adore so much as a kid.  I loved that TV. It was where I got to watch cartoon movies of superman, batman and robin, wonder twins and the Wonder woman series that was beautifully performed the sexy and beautiful Linda Carter. 

With school, I started at a community Day care center.  Our parents cannot afford a private pre school for us so after my simple exposure at that center, I immediately went to Grade 1 at a public elementary school.  I was not able to read yet that time.  One memory I had related to being interested with learning was when I picked up a small book brought it in the bedroom.  I rested on bed, imagined that I could read and mumbled as if I could.  My mother saw me doing that but hardly had the time to be with me since she had to do so many chores in the house. 

I felt my interest with books.  I tried to read books even  without those colorful photos in the story book. This interest slowly dwindled when the public school where I was enrolled indirectly did not build that interest with their students.  Though I was an honor student I felt so laid back when placed side by side by students from the private school.  I felt I had to catch up fast.  It was initiative that pushed me hard so that I would learn English, writing, grammar, etc.  I never appreciated English as a subject since I felt so contained within the walls of rules on “how to do it” like the sentence patterns.  I rsealized that I would have appreciated it even more if our teachers threw us into a lot of writing activities so that I would have discovered much earlier then my love …if not passion for it.

My parents inability to provide us with learning materials to spark that interest did not really stop me from exploring other means of learning.  In fact I was challenged from our lack to becoming more creative and inspired to be the best person I can be in all aspects. 

For I believe in God’s grace…thus, I praise Him for his ultimate provision…the inspiration to explore my capacities…to explores His gifts that He once planted while I was yet a small seed in the womb of my mother… Amen.

My "Small Heaven" On Earth...:-)

I was playing with my daughter in bed a while ago.  I was so fascinated with her that I whispered in here ear “you and daddy are my small heaven on earth”.   I was teary eyed after that. 

You see since I got married and my daughter came, I became more emotional.  I wanted to express every bit of what I feel and the story behind it.  I rejoice at every small piece of her growth.

I am not going to share obviously of the Heaven promised as our final destination.  I need not go far in order to do that.  My small heaven are those closest to my heart.  Those that I share my life with every single day of my life on this earth.  Thus, heaven is just right here where I stand, sleep, eat, sing, play, wash clothes, shape up, etc.  My small heaven are my husband and my daughter and the home we are building as a family.

Let  me first share my first small heaven…my husband.  Hmmm lately, our relationship seems to go up and downhill.  I feel the challenge of shifts of mine and his moods.  We clash a lot and I should say it is not that pleasing to share.  But here I am sharing it still.  To him I am not the ideal or perfect wife.  I do irritate him a lot of times.  I am not the obedient and a lot of times I am not the submissive wife.  I hurt him a lot of times.  But I do apologize, talk and discuss my behaviour with him, pray, eat, giggle, laugh, joke, cry and I feel the comfort of my small heaven when he just wraps me in his arms and say “I love you honey”.  That’s it.  I feel I get the infinite chances at living life again with him (hahahahaha so dramatic of meh!!!!), plus the joy of having him in my life and the truest and purest of love that I have received on earth at this time in my life.  Heaven is not far.  My small heaven is right in our home …with my husband.

My second small heaven?...oh my…our little lady Maria Mikaela.  Ohh I hope I am not giving you an impression of perfection with my little girl.  She is the regular one year old girl that plays, throws her stuffed toys when bored, or cries and is a grouch in the morning, covers her eyes and peeps a little to check if her cry has any effect to daddy and mommy.  She likes to dance and again tries to get our attention. She hums songs and is very  curious with books.  She is so awed with watching her ABCD and number videos. Moreover, she excitedly surveys the mall and giggles in front of displayed huge Televisions and touches anything out of utmost curiousity (this part I dilated my eyes  like a walking CCTV).

Praying I believe is not for a regular one year old girl to do though.  That is something extra special about her.  And everytime she does that with white cloth that she playfully put on top of her head  (aha yes tat is so true heheh) and extends her palms up to pray, she just melts my heart saying how beautiful she is to be able to do that (nobody taught her that huhuhu). 

Did I ever think that I would reach the height of my small heaven at this time in my life?  Never…never…never…If I  have known it earlier I would have gotten married …earlier (waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh…got yah! Hahahha.

Steady now…THANK YOU GODJ FOR MAKING ME TASTE YOUR HEAVEN ON  EARTHJ  AMEN :-)

Trying To Get Back

Voila….I’m back.  What is the drama now?  Nothing.  I just want to send the message that this blog is still alive and I am so alive and so inspired!!!!  Hahhaha Truly and dearly.  I realized  that writing makes me happy.  And that I have been walking around trying to write something in my mind which I can’t just put into this computer.  I feel that I am wasting a lot of time desiring it.  To solve that?  I just have to sit and write no matter what.

To be honest?  I did not have any nanny and housekeeper for more than a month now.  It is a long story why.  Yet I hope to be able to post in here the story some day soon.  So I have been juggling doing wifely, mommy, and housekeeping at the same time.  Of course my husband is alternating and my oh so dear sister who has been offering such help from sometimes cleaning to taking care of Mikaela.   And I rejoice at every part of it despite of the tough, tough times we have. 

All things shall pass away…. including our current situation.  I still declare that our daughter is a joyful addition to our small family.  I rejoice to God that there are members of our family that are willing to extend such help.  I and my husband just feel so blessed at that.  Thank you dearest God…Ohhh halleluiah:-)

Life Begins At "40"...

Here is a confession.  I turned 40 on January 8.  Haaaah...you need not count backwards.  I was born in the year 1974.  Oops why am i telling you my age?. Ohhhhhhhhhh noooooo.  But..ohhhh Yess...I will never stop myself from doing that.  I was inspired by one very popular author whose book I came across with 4 or 5 years ago named Eckhart Tolle mentioned a thought that sounds like ...if you hide your age, you have not really lived your life well in that particular age...

Big ooopps... after that, I declared I will never hide my age from anyone...hahha just to fake that I lived my life well.  Did I?  I cannot really totally say that.  But again i am ready for my answer anytime I am asked about age hahahha....But seriously, I have seen a little truth about it.  When i was warned several times over by friends to never ask them about age.  

You know what i have observed?  Let me start with the younger ones - adolescents....they want to look older so they dress up like adults.  But the older ones haaah ...that does not exclude me...we like to look younger. That is a little crazy ha.  But from the year that i declared that I was prepared for  to declare to anyone that would ask?  I felt and look much younger.  I just feel that truth and honesty relieved a lot of that tension from my body.  Waaahahahah please don't shut me off hahahah....and allow me to continue to blah blah blah blah ...perhaps there may be some truth about what i have in here that may spark you a bit hahaha....begging you ha.

They say life begins at 40.  I had mine almost 5 years ago.  I started to live life truly and with a lot of those struggles to be honest.  Ohh my ...it is not really easy.  But if if others define "LIFE BEGINS AT 40" to be the age that you start to do strange things that you did not do when you were younger or let out those issues went out and just burst so that others would just start doing foolish things that they may find it difficult to undo.  Hmmm there you are hitting the red light button of the biggest alarm in your life.  

Forty years of my life.  Hmmm and I am counting all the blessings that I have right now and the many beautiful learnings that have gathered by God's grace through the presence of my beautiful family - husband Michael and our daughter Maria Mikaela...and oops...my beautiful sisters below, my two brothers, and our beloved parents papa dodo and our late mama Gloria:-)...

Truly an Amazing God:-) Amen:-)  moving forward God...to my 41st...and beyond:-)

with my lovely sisters Grace, Gina and the yougnest - Gay......
m wd the black blouse...do I look 40? nyahahahhaa oops

RAISING EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT CHILDREN - PART 3 - BRINGING GOD,FAITH AND PRAYER TO OUR CHILDREN

http://clgonline.org/sovereignty-and-prayer-2/

This part would entails parents to get into the heart of their faith.  What do I mean by this?  This is really serious...YES ...very much.  It would entail going back into our own depth as to how much we acknowledge God in our individual lives, our faith and Prayer.  
I and my husband were brought up by Catholic parents. I beileve also that we were both strongly formed about God, faith and religion through them despite their imperfections.  Thus, we did not really find it hard to discuss faith and religion.  I greatly thank God for that.  

And...why am i including this in here?  It is because, i have seen how parents greatly and deeply influence their children. I have seen it myself with our daughter Mikaela.  I can see how fast she is with observing the things that we do at home, the words we speak and the prayer rituals that we do in the morning, at night, before meals or some mid day prayer and even going to the Church on Sundays (rain or shine hahahha) that I and my husband do together with her.  In all of those times, I realize that they positively affect her.  

What does it have to do with Emotional Intelligence?  I have a simple premise for you.  My faith dictates and formed me well believing that I am made and fashioned by an awesome God (hmmm in fact i do find myself soo awesome weheheh with all the gifts that He gave me :-) )...including the varied shades and colors of emotions.  Yes,  I am  a beautiful package put together handed as a gift for me to take care of.  In like manner also, our family is a beautiful package of awesome and beautiful individuals given by God to take care of.  

In my journey, i saw how emotions can be so clouded that they blur how we see the truth about ourselves and others and how they can have the greatest potentials of ruining our relationships including that of our family - spouse, children and the children's future.

We may have known EQ and its scope and domains.  We may have known how to transfer and train our children by it, but without prayer, knowledge looses its strength to penetrate the heart.  It is only God that has that POWER to reach even the hardest heart and shed that light and bring peace so that the most clouded emotions can settle down and lead the heart to see more.

So..what can the parents do?  

1.  Be open
2. discuss your faith to your children,  allow them to ask even if they be frightening to answer (hahaha that can happen)...
3.  Listen to how they feel about faith, God and religion

4. pray together
5.  find a way to serve the Church  (soon i and my husband will find a way to do that)  and
6.   bring your whole family to the HOUSE OF PRAYER...THE CHURCH.

LOVE...LOVE... LOVE... hhhhmmm LOVE GOD ... EQ is HIS ONE GIFT TO THE CHILDREN OF A FAMILY THAT PRAYS AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS THEIR GOD:-)...AMEN