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Going With The Dress Code

After my last post, it occurred to me that perhaps even my college students need reminders on going with the dress code. In fact, even I, on occasion, need to be reminded. Especially with footwear! It’s so much more comfortable to just go to school in flip flops rather than heels…especially now that I have discovered the joy of not squeezing my feet into those stilettos (haha). I remember that when I first started teaching, I’d wear not just heels, but formal business attire. Now I don’t. I have only one or two colleagues left who really get all formal now (complete with the tie, tie clips and steel cufflinks). Perhaps I should start going more with the dress code and I can have my students follow suit. What do you think???

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Today’s Random Snappy: This is what school shoes should look like!

Last week I went to Payless shoe store in Nuvali and got a good laugh when I tried on these shoes It reminded me of shoes I  had in the first grade! Although it made me laugh, I liked how they had this in the store because, as those who have read in this blog several times over, one of my pet peeves is really how kids now wear shoes with heels. HELLO!!! It really gets to me because it is such a dangerous option for the kids. I have had many kids in class fall over and get hurt because of their shoes. This, on the other hand, is really how school shoes for kids should look like.

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Getting Back in the Thesis Groove

Okay…I quit my preschool teaching job in order to get my priorities straight, right? I said I would finish my thesis and get the ball rolling with the rest of my professional career. Buy yeah…once again I lost my bearings and got lost in the shuffle of daily life. Since September my thesis has been sitting in a little shelf, the books I meant to read remain shut, and well, I just haven’t gotten things done.

This has to stop.

Wish me luck…

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Make or Break Term

Well, well, well…it seems like only yesterday when the second trimester ended and now I’m at the cusp of what is turning out to be a make or break term for me. I really, really have to figure things out by the end of this school year. Do I want to trade in my books and chalk for something new? As many of my friends know I have given up the preschool classroom this past year (or 2011 should I say) and now I wonder if my classroom has really gone beyond the four walls of a building. Don’t get me wrong: I am not giving up my university teaching job. I’ve just been thinking, maybe I need to teach something more creative…howsabout arts and crafts?? Maybe a class that teaches mandala making or perhaps jewelry making, such as those threaded friendship bands or perhapsmacrame shamballa bracelets? Let’s see, let’s see.

Midlife crisis much? Har.

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Teacher’s New Job

Well, well, well…it’s been six months since I have been “unemployed” (in the preschool setting that is!) and so I really have been exploring all sorts of options that interest me. This is one of my latest explorations…

Cute, right? It was made for my best friends baby shower. Her sister decided she didn’t wanna buy cakes anywhere else but from me. Mwahaha.  Short notice, though, so I couldn’t really experiment much. The icing needs work (flavor wise that is), but I’d like to think it’s pretty cute, yes? So…new project? Let’s see!!!

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The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

This year, the Grinch who stole Christmas is not a green faced cartoon character, but the wrath of Mother Nature. It is so heartbreaking to see pictures of the devastation in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities brought about by Typhoon Sendong. I never imagined that the pictures reminiscent of Ondoy would, pardon the choice of words but I can’t think of any other one to say it, flood my Facebook wall. It is encouraging, however, to see how people are utilizing the power of social media and modern technology to once more rekindle the spirit of Bayanihan and pakikipagkapwa at this time of need.

As many list out relief centers, calls for help, and means of making donations, I’d like to make a shout out too, but this time for the children who are suffering from post-traumatic stress at this point. Besides food, water, and clothing, if you have any old stuffed toys to share, or new if you’d care to do so, please take the time to send them too. After caring for the physical selves of those who survived the disaster, let’s try and help care for the emotional and mental hurts left by Sendong. For more information, please get in touch with Ms. Cathy Babao who is working on a healing project for the children of CDO and Iligan. Quoting from her Facebook page,

Children in trauma have a lot of nightmares. The power of a hug, or something that they can hug cannot be underestimated. If you have old (or new) stuffed toys, ideally teddy bears, that you can donate to the children of CDO and Iligan, please send them to me. I’m working with the Regional Missionaries of the Philippines in Northern Mindanao on this healing project. Please feel free to message me here or send me an email at cathybabao@gmail.com if you would like to help us out. Thanks much!

It’s not much of a Christmas, and yes, we all know Christmas is more than just new things and celebrations, but maybe this time we can really make an effort to bring some sense of comfort and love to our brothers and sisters down south.

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Term End Evaluation

Well, well, well…..the term has gone by so fast. It’s hard to believe that I’m in my last week of the trimester Woot. I guess. This has been a trying one for me, more on the personal side though to be honest, but on the super rough days that came my way this term, I kinda wished I had a stay at home job, like maybe that of a freelance writer or maybe one of those Web Developer Jobs, essentially one that would let me do my work in jammies and have minimal contact with the outside world. However, though there were many days that felt that way, I must admit whenever I’d get out of my classes, I’d always feel so much better. So I guess as a whole the term hasn’t been all that bad. Let’s see how I feel in the next few days, though….grading time. Gaaaah.

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One Step at a Time Mommy Dearest…

Once again I found myself shaking my head in amazement at how some parents become too overzealous about their children’s progress. Maybe I feel this way because I am not yet a mommy, or maybe because I don’t understand where they’re coming from. However, after being around so many mommies and their kids over so long, I realize that there are indeed those parents who just get too worried about the progress of their children. Imagine, I have some parents who want their kids to already be reading and writing, when in fact their fine motors aren’t totally developed yet. In fact, they’re barely out of their baby jogger city mini gt double strollers and so the big motors are still developing. The only thing I could reply to that parent I was talking to then was, slowly mommy, it will come when the time is right. One step at a time.

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Sorry Goes a Long Way

Last week in class I lost my temper. No, I did not throw a hissy fit, but I did let my students know I was upset. I was annoyed at how they take my class for granted and how they feel that they can easily whip out their iPhones with all those flashy iphone covers and play games or take random photos during the session. I hate too how they walk in and out of the room and do other things for their other classes. I’ve even had students who say “I’m sorry Miss, my other major had a project/paper/exam”. Grrr. As if mine was not important.  Grrr grrr grrr.

When I came home, I got an email from one of the kids in the class apologizing for the behavior I had called out. It was nice to receive an apology and though the behavior was annoying, the sorry did go a long way Teachers, after all, are still human

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Today’s Random Snappy: Goodbye Sembreak

Although I technically do not have a real semestral break (since I teach in a school with a trimestral system), I can’t help but feel a little sad that the sem break is over. I was lucky enough to have been able to take a few days off because of the holidays and so I kinda had about 11 days off as well. Tomorrow is my last day and I’m maximizing the break by doing nothing. Well, nothing cognitive or school related that is. Instead, I went to yoga, I sorted pictures, I slept, slept and slept some more haha. While sorting photos I came across this:

These were one of the “sembreak” trips I got to take with my colleagues, although I must admit, I don’t wanna do that again. My other friends, however, loved it. One of them even had the whole shebang of accessories: from sierra designs camping gear, portable water containers (those with the straws hanging from the bags) and even cooling equipment. As for me, I’d rather go to the beach. Hehe.

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Dear Teacher Ria…

Dear Teacher Ria,

I miss being you. I miss how you would goto work in just t-shirts and jeans, and just be so casual and free.  I miss how it felt to just be  playing with clay and getting all sticky with glue. I miss the joy of  laughing and running around with careless abandon. I even  miss opening all those weirdly shaped tetra packs during snack time.

I miss random questions that are just so innocent and pure. I miss not worrying about what others will think. I miss just being carefree and childlike. I miss reading silly stories and singing songs even if I can’t sing.

I miss you. I really do.

Love,

Miss Ria.

Yes, this is me thinking about the preschool and how much I miss it. Was it the right choice? In my heart I know, sometimes though I can’t help but miss it

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Today’s Random Snappy: I Miss Sembreak

Today I realized how much I miss sembreak. Since I am not teaching preschool this year, I am missing out on one of the kids’ favorite parties: our halloween celebration! Sure we don’t go with the whole witches, goblins and monsters theme, but it still is fun One year our theme was storybook characters. One of the kids came in such a cute Harry Potter costume!! We do remind our parents not to let their kids come in dressed inappropriately (which surprisingly does happen a lot! can you imagine I saw a picture once of a kid dressed up in french maid lingerie??? errr…hello!?!) and in something that they can relate to or recognize.

Right after the halloween party comes our sembreak. For the preschool I was teaching in, they end this week…and they have a vacation…I DONT!!! WAAAAH…..

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Classroom Pet Peeves

One of my biggest pet peeves in class has always been tardiness. Sometimes that gets to  me even more than the noise the kids make, especially since the noise in class is often a sign of them just having fun in my class. But coming in late??? Grrr. Gets to  me all the time.

However lately there is a new pet peeve that gets to me: taking photos in class. No, I’m not just talking about photos of my power points taken with their phone cameras, but in one of my classes, during group activities, they even take out their canon slr cameras to take photos of themselves while working. GRRRR. And yes, I have given A LOT of warnings about it.

But yeah, the taking photos of my notes, that gets me too. Hay. Teacher rants. Bow.

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Seasons Change

It’s just about that time of the year again that the seasons change and as always, as the rains come in, school days are once again compromised. We may not need to drag out tire chains and shovels because there is no snow here in the Philippines, but the change of the weather does bring so much disruption to classes and work alike. Just last week we found ourselves caught in a lot of weather disturbances and classes were canceled quite a bit. While there really isn’t much we can do about the weather, there are some things we can do to keep up pace with the changes. For one, in my class I have set up yahoogroups so we can disseminate information better. I also try to give readings in advance so even if classes get suspended, we can have our materials ready.

What strategies do you use to maximize class time given the potential for suspensions? Do share

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Today’s Random Snappy: My Crazy Joe

Don’t be fooled by this innocent face, I tell ya!!!

I do love this crazy, kooky little boy of mine but unlike his older brother, it has been very difficult to train him. He still isn’t completely housebroken (okay, okay, I will admit, he barely is!!!). He loves chewing on everything…my shoes, my clothes, the furniture, and even the Table top displays in our living room. Oh noes. I buy him chew toys, mind you, but he doesn’t like them. But like I said, despite the difficulty I am having training him, I love him to bits He makes me smile

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Today’s Random Snappy: It’s Missing!!!

I was cleaning my room today and for some reason, I had this urge to take a random snapshot of this giant bar of natural/organic mango-melon soap I had received some time ago. So I got my camera ready and headed off to the closet where I knew it was kept and surprise, surprise….it wasn’t there anymore!!!

Anyway, I found a photo of it from my friend’s Facebook page and so here it is:

photo by Iris Acosta of www.pinayads.com

Talk about a big bar of soap right? This was a prize courtesy of Body Flavors, a local organic soap company in the Philippines. I never got to use this bar of soap (haha!) mainly because I was too lazy to cut it up and then I forgot all about it I did try their other variants though, such as the one with tea tree oil and it was nice I don’t know what other kinds they make since I never really had a chance to go and get some and whether or not they carry those african black soaps I’ve heard about.

Anyway, like I said, today this giant bar of soap came to mind and I really wish I can figure out what I did to it!!! Hehe. I can’t have misplaced something this huge, right????

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