For My Students...I am Their Plain...Friend, Comic Teacher:-)...and a Lot More:-)

with my very creative Science Class students from the Grade 8

Looking back, I stopped with post graduate studies for 5 years thinking I could not see myself in such direction.  There were lots of uncertainties and lack of meaning to what I did.  But when I engaged in public service, I thought of finding more meaning everytime I see the eyes of my students who were so hungry of learning - the concepts and stories that I shared with them which ignited me to very creative displaying my comic face, funny voice, stretched arms...."action stories" which cause my students to giggle, laugh, etc.  To them, I am their "comic " teacher.  To them, I am just their plain, simple, funny teacher.

When I told them before the school year (2014-2015) ended that I will be graduating soon, one innocently blurted " you have not finished college ma'am".  I just laughed at it and told them that I was into another higher course.  And the class' fun continued...

the best card design

I like to be known to them as a teacher without those other "flowers", with that my students will be at home with me. I feel the same to them, too.

As I teacher, I have varied ways of presenting and facilitating learning in class such as discussion of concepts, hands-on activities where they create crafts, do some group presentation such as drama, business proposals for those who prefer putting up their business over simply becoming an employee and multiple intelligence type activities.

after the Business proposal presentations of the Grade 7 

But the most fun, fun, time we had was when they had to read their love letters to their parents, friends or special someone where they are allowed to express themselves to their crushes or boyfriend at that (if they have).  The reading for parents was very dramatic,  I witnessed several of them shed tears for their love and gratefulness for their parents or when they have not seen them for a long time and were longing to have them back or the pain at not being taken cared of.  Well they went really wild when they read letters to their special girl or gentlemen in their lives.

At my end, I feel so much for them.  You see, I find them like my own children who would expect so much from their own mother. AT my end I don't want to fail providing them as far as I could to satisfy that hunger for learning.  Even to that extent when I use myself just to animate them in class... And find it meaningful and really fun...:-)

The Most Awaited Bonding Time With Mikaela:-)I

I was so excited when summer vacation (2015) began for it meant more time with family - bonding with my daughter and of course my husband. But I and my husband know that we need to make time and expose more our daughter.  I felt so short with that.  So I thought  of spending more time with the following :

1.  Heart to heart talks 

I have noticed that Mikaela can only speak few words.  I was in panic at first about it.  In my desperation, I researched on premature's ability to speak from where I learned that 30 percent or less speak late but does not really mean inferior intelligence.  So we had to double our effort with it.  I and my husband spent a great deal of time talking with her and discuss anything we see even during watching television time.  She positively responded with it.  At my end, I speak to her like she is one of the adults in the family.  I express how I feel and deeply look into her eyes.   

Truly intelligence is not a concern.  She is so smart with responding to instructions like getting things and giving it to me, turning "on" the switch, climbing up and down the bed as early as 1 year old, shaking hands, or "mano po",  her sensitivity with estimating possibility of falling, sensing emotion with tones of voices (I saw how she responded through her eyes) or putting her hands together during prayer time with giggles in between ( she knows full well that it's prayer time). 

2.  Socialize and Connect with Other kids

Since summer vacation started, I swore to bring my daughter out of the house everyday either for the regular walking or to just socialize with friends.  Now, she is enjoying playing with the neighbor kids running around or walking holding hands with them. It melts my heart seeing her value friendship at 2 years old and appreciating friends and giggling with them.  

Lately, these same friends  looked for her in the morning or afternoon checking if she's awake so they could play.  Then I would hurry to prepare her but I would not wake her up if she is so sound asleep.  So we will just have to do our regular walking without her group of friends but with her dad.

3.  Engage her with other activities 

There are other activities that we engage her such as allowing her to spend time to watch her learning videos - ABCD, music, art etc, explore her books where she points some letters and say them, throw and catch a beach ball (we prefer the softer one for her), dancing together as a family ( hmm Mikaela made my serious husband dance several times already), praying and going to Church together (the usual one), doing grocery together and allow her to explore the vast store running around, scribble the white board with a pen just to allow her to imagine and sketch and so many more.  

I have a very assertive girl.  One time when I tried to hold her pen and point it a certain direction, she held my hand and pushed it aside sending the message to let her be. There were times already that she insisted on her own that we realized to just have to give her that space.  

The other day, was one of the best bonding moments we had  when we just laid in bed and snuggled each other while talking about anything.  It then surprised me when she lifted her daddy's and my hand and put them together while she stayed in between us giggling.  And the best of all was when she held my face and looked straight at my eyes  while she devoured her milk.

Isn't amazing?  

The Challenge of Finishing Post Graduate Studies.....

with the Fr. R. Yap, President of XU,  husband Michael, sister Gay and the Registrar...
thanks to Denis B. Dizon for this wonderfully taken photo

When I decided to go back to school after what was once thought of as  "barren years" outside of the academe, I felt the God's hands putting back some broken pieces out of me.  I felt the direction slowly taking its shape until I was employed as a public school teacher.

Truly i had to juggle graduate school, work, being a wife and mother to my daughter.  More so when at some points we did not have anyone to assist us in the house.  I thought at times why I had to go on with my post graduate studies.  I got sick at times but still  I felt God inspiring me even more.  When I was in the middle of my dissertation, I felt God's generosity through a financing from Xavier University where I  realized He just wanted me to get through it.   

A lot of times, I felt I have physically "beaten" and stretched myself beyond limit.  There were times when I felt numbness.  When thinking was no longer possible.  When inside of me I felt like a crying child so hungry to just be assured and cuddled. I kept on saying sorry to myself. The ultimate physical breakdown came when I had anxiety attack and I felt I had shortness of breath and that I fear dozing off to sleep for I might not wake up the following day. Ohh that one I prayed hard not to happen.  

My dear husband was there all throughout. But I craved for more...prayer...to go back and strengthen my love relationship with God.  And indeed it was a "love affair" in the midst of that so very busy stage in my academic life.  I graduated by God's provisions of material blessings and mercy.  I finished post graduate studies seeing His "unlimited presence" in varied forms.  I could not ask for more...:-) except to thank My God:-)

PS...and when I get home...I felt that I was just "nobody" except a wife to my very supportive husband and mother to a very refreshingly innocent  little girl...our new naughty playmate in the house ...Maria Mikaela.:-)