Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections, Teaching Resources | 0 Comments

CPR: The Line Between Life and Death

A few days ago, I came across an online CPR certification information site,   www.CPRCertification101.com,and it reminded me of one of the goals I left unmet as a preschool teacher. Back then, one of the things I tried pushing for was getting all us teachers (there were 5 of us in the school) certified for CPR. I knew it was an important skill that we would need in case of an accident. Lucky for us, we never needed it (and yeah, here’s hoping no teacher ever needs it!).  Just recently, however, while teaching an alternative movement based class in one of my college classes, I found myself facing a small accident that reminded me about this goal. Although it was a mild accident, I realized that I should really work on this goal SOON. This is especially important, in my opinion, since I am a yoga teacher now, right?

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

Join the Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training in Manila!

As a child educator for almost all my adult life, i have always known that the best way to learn is through play, art, story telling, and music and movement. now, i’m looking forward to adding yoga to my list of best ways to teach kids!

Come join me at the Manila leg of the Rainbow Kids Yoga teacher training, August 18-20 at Urban Ashram Manila – Center for Yoga! this course is not exclusively designed for yoga teachers but is a great program for educators, therapists and anyone who works with kids

Check out the following articles  for  more information as to why yoga is a great  supplement for any kids programs

Fun Ways to to Yoga!

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles/fun_ways.html

Why Yoga for Kids?

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles/why_yoga_kids.html

The Importance of Fun!

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles.html

Relaxation and Visualization for Kids

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles/relaxation_visualization.html

Meditation for Kids

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles/meditation_kids.html

Posted by Teacher Ria in Random Snappies | 0 Comments

Wrap, Wrap, Wrap!!!

One of the things I didn’t really like doing when I was still a student was wrap my books. Let me rephrase that…I actually liked that A LOT but my mom was kind of a stickler for having the plastic strait and evenly measured and so it was a chore.

The other day I wrapped my YTT books and I had to laugh at myself…I was, unintentionally and unconsciously, exactly like my mother

Posted by Teacher Ria in Teacher's Corner | 1 Comment

Making Math Fun in the Home

As public school students continue to fall behind in their test scores, more parents are choosing to homeschool. Homeschooling allows parents to control what their children learn and at what pace. However, like their public school counterparts, homeschooled children often do not find learning math to be enjoyable. They may dread the subject and struggle to master basic math skills. When homeschooling parents want to make learning math more fun, they can utilize several techniques to both entertain and instruct their children.

Consider Games

Playing games with their children can be an effective way for parents to teach math. In fact, they might utilize DreamBox math games for kindergartners as they instruct their children in math skills like counting and adding numbers. Children may believe that they are playing and having fun; however, they are absorbing the lessons found within the games themselves. As they continue to play, they retain what they have learned through having fun with their parents. 

Posted by Teacher Ria in Teacher's Corner | 7 Comments

Keeping Your Mind Active Over Summer Vacation

Keeping Your Mind Active Over Summer Vacation

Summer vacation is almost upon teachers and students alike, and it is such a relief with it finally comes around. While I love to be in the classroom, enjoying a month to myself and family is always nice too. However, summer time doesn’t mean that our brains should go to mush.

Both teachers and students alike benefit from keeping their minds active, and they don’t necessarily need to enroll in seminars or sign up for summer classes to do so. Simply by getting online – something most of us enjoy on a regular basis anyway – both teachers and students can learn something new by doing one of the following:

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

Dear APA…

Well, this is me, finally making my way through the last of my thesis. Yay. I must say, however, this whole APA style formatting is driving me crazy!!! I know it’s not THAT hard to do, but following all the rules, working on this and that, and making sure I am citing things correctly is kinda nakakapraning. I know I’m referencing my sources, but I can’t help but worry that I might do something wrong. Har.

Thank God for the OWL….no, not Harry Potter’s owl, but the Purdue OWL

Posted by Teacher Ria in Classroom Escapades, College, Reflections | 0 Comments

Multiple Intelligences

Yesterday was grade consultation day and for the first time ever, I had more than 3 students come to me for consultation. The funny thing is for most of them, it wasn’t about their performance in their class that they came to talk to me about, but about other things they were feeling and going through. Some of them were struggling in their courses (and mind you, not in my subject!) and so they were asking what they should do next. They were feeling conflicted about whether they should stay in their current programs or whether they should shift to another. I told them I did not have an answer for them, and that only they can make that decision, but that they really have to think about a few things before making a choice. First off, what are they interested in? What are their strengths and weaknesses? After that I said they have to take into consideration their resources. Lastly, I asked them to think about what they want and what is holding them back from achieving this.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections | 0 Comments

Never on a Sunday.

I am the type of teacher who often lets her students get away with almost anything. And when I say that, I mean it. Seriously. My philosophy as a teacher in the undergraduate level, after all, has always been that my students are no longer children who need constant supervision and reminders of what is right and wrong. Rather, they are young adults who are capable of making personal choices and are aware of what is good for them. Therefore if they want to cut my class, by all means, it’s not my problem. Sorry nalang pag dating sa course card day. I may not seem like I check attendance or give a high premium to it, but I do take note of it for a purpose after all. If they don’t want to submit work, that’s fine, too, but it’s their call. Like I said, malalaki na naman sila.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Teacher's Corner | 1 Comment

My Dog Ate Your Homework

Remember that old cliché of an excuse that goes, “Teacher, I’m sorry but my dog ate my homework”? Um…what is one to do when she’s the teacher and she needs to use this excuse???

Egaaad.

Sometime ago I brought home my students projects so I could grade them at home and to my dismay, when I woke up I found that my little rascal Joe had, yes, eaten their homework. Har.  It’s a good thing most my other assignments and projects are technology based, such as the video projects for my clinical psych students and electronic books and manuals/guides for my psych measurement students.

I guess as evidence shows dogs do eat homework hehe. Now…the question is what do you think my students will say when I come to class on Wednesday and say, Kids, I’m sorry but my dog ate your homework???

I'm sorry, Mommy, I didn't mean to eat the homework....

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

2012 Holidays Declared: Long Weekends Ahead!

A few days ago news on the proclamation of the 2012 holidays were all over Facebook and Twitter. In a way, I’m glad that President Aquino has done away with the whole “holiday economics” thing President Arroyo had because let’s face it: while long weekends are great and we all enjoy it, it does affect the school calendar greatly. And as a teacher, this can be somewhat of a hassle. And let’s not forget that we also miss out on days from sudden suspensions due to bad weather.

Anyway, here are the declared holidays for 2012. I am only listing those that will affect school days. For a complete list you can check out http://www.gov.ph/2011/11/24/proclamation-no-295-s-2011/

January 23 (Monday) – Chinese New Year
February 25 (Saturday) – EDSA Revolution Anniversary
June 12 (Tuesday) – Independence Day
August 21 (Tuesday) – Ninoy Aquino Day
August 27 (Last Monday of August) – National Heroes Day
November 1 (Thursday) – All Saints Day
November 2 (Friday) – Additional special (non-working) day
November 30 (Friday) – Bonifacio Day

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

Teacher Says Thank You…

To all the teachers who have come my way, both inside and outside of the four walls of the classroom.

To all the teachers who, at one point or another, picked me up by my boots and helped me get back on my feet

To all the teachers who patiently waited until I got it right, and those who, when the need arose, pushed me to the limit just to prove I can do it after all

To all the teachers who taught me what life is all about

Thank you.

Thank you for teaching me more than just my ABC’s

Thank you for showing me that what really counts goes beyond just 123

Thank you for being patient with me when I make mistakes

Thank you for not just bearing with but also accepting the difficulties and flaws I came with

Thank you for loving your job even when it was unlovable,

more so thank you for loving the things that came with the job, even when it was hard

Thank you too, for loving students like me, who may not always be easy to love, nor deserve it for that matter

Thank you for inspiring me to also teach

and not just that, thank you for inspiring me to teach with heart and not just mind.

And yes, like I said last year, I teach because you taught me well

For all you’ve done, I will always be thankful.

Happy, happy teachers day

Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections | 0 Comments

Something to Look Forward To!

Yesterday I was just saying that I miss being a preschool teacher…

Today I saw a post on Facebook from a friend of mine asking if anyone had an early childhood education background and I so I said I did and asked why…maybe this is the project I was praying for Let’s see

Then I checked my email and I was reminded of an invitation I received from a local foundation to be their plenary speaker for a preschool teacher training this coming October. It dawned on me that’s just about a month away Apparently I still have my toes in the preschool waters, so to speak! That realization suddenly brought so much lightness in my heart and I was reminded that I may have changed classrooms, but yes, Teacher Ria is still in there somewhere

Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections | 0 Comments

Teacher, Teacher…

These past few weeks have been, to say the least, quite rough and rocky. It’s hard being all grown up after all. Haha. Seriously though, last week a friend and I were talking and I said that since I gave up the preschool, I suddenly feel like I’m a million years older. Yes, I kinda feel like since March, it’s been a million years and so I feel tired and all worn out.

Maybe I need to figure out how to work with kids again, yes? There’s really something magical that happens around them. I guess it’s their wide-eyed innocence. Or perhaps their ability to just be. And I guess it’s also because with them, what you see is what you get, no complications and whatnot.

I do know, however, I cannot go back to the preschool classroom. I feel to old for the routine of it all. Perhaps I should explore projects that allow me to work with kids instead…hmmmm….let’s see where this takes me.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Outside the Classroom | 0 Comments

A Night at the Symphony

Over the past few months I have come to discover that there’s nothing like a night of good music to soothe the tired and weary (or perhaps happy and giddy!) soul. There’s really something magical with music that just makes things so much better, yes? No matter what genre, no matter what style, it always speaks deeply to me and just at the right time.

Anyway, I’m digressing from the purpose of this post (haha). I actually thought of that whole magical musical thing because of two points: first I’m kinda hoping I get to see the Seussical the Musical by Repertory Philippine next week and second, because  a friend of mine tagged me in this post  about an upcoming concert to be held at the Philam Life Theater in Manila on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011. Sounds like an interesting way to spend the weekend, yes? Check out more of it here: http://symphonicpassion.org/about.html

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

What’s in A Name?

Yesterday over lunch, I was chatting via text messages with a dear friend of mine and we had a somewhat interesting and funny exchange about names because there was a birthday party going on in the resto I was in and the celebrant had, well, a kinda funny name. So I told my friend about it and she goes, I have a cousin with that name (toink…foot in mouth!) haha. Then again , it was indeed a sorta funny sounding name then I go, if for some crazy reason I decide to name my kids funny in the future, please toink me. Then again, when the time came I’d like to name my kids Nicholas or Chloe. Those sound nice, right? Haha.

Seriously though, as a preschool teacher I’ve heard all sorts of weird, strange and downright “what-the-heck-were-your-parents-thinking” names. Yes, granted they’re not my kids and that it’s one’s prerogative to name their kids, but sometimes I want to tell parents to be more mindful about their choices. I mean, how would you feel if you were named after a pair of womens boots for example? Or a strange sounding concept? More importantly, what if your first and last names kinda had a double meaning to it? I remember reading not too long ago about how a woman’s nickname translated to the woman’s reproductive organ in a foreign language.

So what’s in a name, after all? Well, studies suggest that it can contribute to one’s personality. On a more pragmatic reason I say be careful what you name your kids is that this can become an avenue for teasing in the future, right? But yeah, as many would say, it’s just a name. If I were a mom, though, I’d think twice

Random thoughts from this teacher who has had too many a weird name to contend with

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

Tips on Choosing A College Course – Part 2

In one of my last posts, I shared about how I simply fell into my college course. Lucky for me, I did not just earn a college degree from that, but it was actually the right one for me. Over the past few days it struck me that even my graduate school program was such a random choice as well…it wasn’t something I had planned from the beginning nor had wanted to do, but, well, it happened. And I am forever grateful.

Like I said, though, when it comes to choosing a college choice, it should not be a random decision. Maybe you can get lucky like I did, but planning ahead and making logical choices wouldn’t hurt, right? So how does one go about choosing what’s best anyway? Like Conan O’Brien said in a recent speech he gave in the Dartmouth commencement exercises, your life goals change over time, so maybe what you want to do at the start of your college career may not be what you want at the end. Some, however, are very clear on their decisions and I guess that makes the whole choosing a college course dilemma less of a dilemma for them.

I guess the most important thing to choosing a college course would include thinking about the various opportunities that go hand in hand with the degree you aim to obtain. For example, if you’re unsure whether you want to go into business, education or medicine in the beginning of your college career, maybe choosing a course such as Humanities or Psychology can be an option, rather than Biology, as there are more diverse avenues in the first two courses rather than the latter.

Other things one can do prior to choosing a course can include attending university open houses or joining campus tours. Not too long ago, for example, I saw a tarpaulin ad in an aviation school near the clinic I work in inviting interested students to attend an open house. If I’m not mistaken, he tours being offered also allowed them to see various equipment, machinery, flight gear and scopes/radars first hand. This allows one to try out, so to speak, the course to see if they actually like it.

Lastly, one can try to talk to people who have graduated from the course they are considering and to get insights from those who went through it already. That can help them gain perspective and assess the direction in which they can go.