Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections, Teacher's Corner | 0 Comments

On Growing as an Educator

Every once in a while I think I have been teaching for far too long. At times, I have to admit it gets very tiring and monotonous, especially when it comes to the routine of class (particularly in the preschool level!). However, I think everyday I still gain something new in my growth as an educator. For a little bit, when I get stuck in a rut, it was a little hard to appreciate my own growth potential. But whenever that happens, something always, always happens to remind me of why I teach.

Today the message came via an email of a former student who was asking for some help. In her letter, she talked about how much she enjoyed my class and how it has influenced her over the years. It was heartwarming, to say the least. One thing she pointed out was how much she appreciated my teaching style (which often times, admittedly, is very preschooley). She went on to say that through this she enjoyed and appreciated the class, and it made learning very fun and easy. Granted that some students may say that when they’re asking a favor of you, but I’d like to believe in my heart of hearts that maybe I did make an impact in her life. What makes me say this? She is enrolling in a masters program abroad in early childhood.

For me, I’d like to think that growing as an educator is not limited to my own personal growth and improvement. It goes beyond getting all those letters behind your name and having countless publications in journals. Growing as an educator also means being able to spark an interest in your students that allows them to explore endless possibilities that are open for them. Today, I felt that, and while I may question where I stand in my profession every now and then, I know I did well

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Teaching Resources | 0 Comments

My Favorite “Office” Supply…

Okay, brace yourself for some strange thoughts from Teacher Ria…hehe.

Since I’ve become a preschool teacher, I have discovered so many office supplies and equipment (whether they are really designed for this or not!!!) that I have fallen in love with. If I had an unlimited supply of money, I would definitely get them for myself, but since I don’t, I try to get the school head to buy them instead haha.

So, what are these supplies I love? Well, here are a few:

• Packaging tape
• Bristol Board
• Letter Shaped Punchers (as well as other craft shapes!)
• Craft scissors
• Glue sticks!!!
• Ring binders (we only have a small one, but I’d love to have one of those heavy duty VeloBind machines that can handle large volumes of paper, as well as paper with larger dimensions!)
• Photocopiers
• and best of all….laminating machines (we only have a small one that can fit regular sized papers, but I would love to one day have a big one that can laminate posters!!!)

See….weird random thoughts at midnight tonight. Haha.

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Tips and Tricks | 0 Comments

Field Trip Reminders!

One of the kids’ favorite activities EVER are field trips. I don’t think this ever goes away…even my college kids ask me to take them on little field trips all the time! However, for the teachers, field trips can be a logistical nightmare. Sometimes it can get difficult to iron out the kinks of any trip, but somehow it always works out. Some tips to keep in mind, however are as follows:

• Make sure all teachers are given copies of all lists needed (bus assignments, special considerations, etc.). That way everyone is on the same page.
• Keep a list of parents numbers handy, just in case of emergency
• Stock up the first aid kit. Be ready for anything.
• Bring extra water, clothes, barf bags, cleaning aides and the like. With kids, anything can go wrong at any moment!
• Check on the policies of the places you are visiting, so you can prepare for these. For example, if you do a theater activity, do note that snacks are not allowed, therefore the kids, their nannies and parents should be reminded to leave these in the bus instead, especially since checking them in to the counter can take a long time.
• Try to get travel and0 emergency insurance quotes included in your tour packages, even if this may up the rates a little bit. It’s better to be prepared than to be sorry, right?

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Classroom Escapades, Preschool | 0 Comments

Money Matters

This week in class we will be discussing money. I’ve never really enjoyed this particular topic, mainly because it’s so, um…complicated? In any case, I still try to make it as interesting as possible for the kids. I find it easier to just talk about the different values of the paper bills, but we also discuss coins. One funny incident that I will always remember when it comes to our discussion on money was when I was trying to introduce the Php 500.00, which bears the face of Ninoy Aquino on it. One of the kids mentioned that Ninoy Aquino was the father of a local television celebrity, Kris Aquino (who, at that time, was hosting the television show Deal or No Deal).

Since that was already brought up, the next time we reviewed about the different bills I asked the kids to name the people on the paper money. When it came to the Php 500.00 bill, I gave the clue “He is the father of Kris Aquino”.

And guess what the kids answered: Teacher, teacher…si Banker! Ay sus!!!

Posted by Teacher Ria in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Here Come the Holidays!

Happy Christmas!!!

It’s amazing how quickly time flies! In just a few hours, we’ll be welcoming October already!!! I enjoy this part of the school year for two very selfish reasons: first I get to do a lot of fun, non-academic stuff like plan our Halloween and Christmas parties complete with decorations (yes…the paper Christmas tree, the toilet paper roll ornaments we make in class, stringing some red led christmas lights around the rooms…so much fun!). We also get to do a lot of fun cooking activities which the kids love a lot!  Secondly (and more importantly or teacher hehe!) it means sembreak and Christmas vacation is just around the corner!!!

One of my favorite Christmas programs was when we did a fun night-time show with the use of black lights. The kids were delighted with the glowing effect the lights had on their white shirts and stuff. It was really a whole lot of fun. So am I looking forward to the next couple of weeks? Of course!!! Fun, fun, fun!!!

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