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Tools for the Techie Teacher!

I think I have written about several tools for the techie teacher in the past, but I can’t remember what they were anymore! Haha. As such, I shall make this a new category on my blog to be able to help out other teachers like me.

For today, my featured tool is the headset microphone from musicians friend. I’ve tried different versions of headset microphones with portable speakers in class, and it really helps, especially when my classes are large. I even used it for a yoga class once. It saves me from having to exert too much effort to speak up especially in rooms where the acoustics are not that great. These kinds of microphones are definitely an amazing addition to any teachers arsenal

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Summer Activities

Summertime is usually one of the busiest times of the school year. While the students may be on vacation from their regular classes, this is when they are enrolled in a whole bunch of other extra curricular activities. While some still come in for reading and math tutorials, many of the younger ones come in for trial runs for the upcoming school year. Older students come in for summer camps, some of which can include art, music an movement activities. Here are a few great ideas for summer activities:

1. Clean and Green – environmental awareness. Can include planting, composting and recycling activities
2. Rainbow Art – this can be done through tie dying projects (and the summer heat is perfect for drying up these art works easily even when you need your dryer repaired like I did hahaha) or paint popsicle art (freeze some poster color into popsicle crayons and let the kids loose on the sidewalk!)
3. Treasure Hunt – check out my previous post for map sample
4. Animal Parade
5. Seed art

These are pretty straightforward and simple activities Any other suggestions?

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Treasure Hunting!

In my last kids yoga class, we went on a treasure hunt. I hadn’t planned on making a map or what not, but five minutes before class this suddenly came to fruition! Not the best drawing, but the kids loved it I was able to incorporate a quick math lesson, a science exploration and even a language building activity in the yoga class. This, my dear, is what a preschool teacher is all about I’ve missed it!

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The Sounds of Summer

The summer heat is beginning to scorch and it’s that time of the year again where kids have no more classes and their parents are starting to scratch their heads thinking of what to do with them for the next two months or so.

One of the many suggestions I give parents for their kids is to enroll them in an activity that does not have anything to do with academics. After all, they have a whole school year of that. I tell them music and movement classes, for one, is a really good thing for their kids to explore. They can even gather up a few kids from the neighborhood hire a tutor or teacher to come to the house or to the clubhouse and they can do whatever lessons or activities together. All they really need is space, a music player (such as an ipod with a portable bluetooth speaker) and makeshift instruments (they don’t really have to be the real deal or be the best percussion instruments). This has the makings of a great summer.

So, allow your kids to explore the sounds of summer In the next few days I will give other suggestions for activities for kids

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Congratulations, Graduates!

It’s just about that time of the year again when we congratulate the students who move on to the next phase in their lives as they graduate from whatever level they are in For those in college (then again for all levels, I guess) this is a major turning point.

One of the things I wish for this years graduates is that they find what they really want to do in life. As I said in my positive psychology class the other day, I wish they find what makes their hearts sing. Whether they want to pursue a career in the field they finished or if they want to become one of those dj mixers, or even a stylist or what not, I wish they find that connection and pursue what makes them happy.

Here’s to the graduates

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Dear Students…

Dear Students,

Yes, this is another one of those letters from your teacher. This will be brief, however, because it seems that that’s all we can manage for now…I read through your papers recently and all I can do is ask WHAT HAPPENED???? I am saddened by the poor quality I see in your work now. I may not be pertaining to one student particularly, but for the most part.

I do hope you get to realize that reading and writing will still be an important part of your life.

With love,
Your Teacher

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Classroom Safety

Since I stopped teaching in the preschool level, I thought the concept of classroom safety was a thing in my past. Apparently I was wrong! Even as a college lecturer, I still have to remind my students to be careful and watch out for equipment and materials in the classroom as it may pose a threat unintentionally to the students. For example, a protruding nail underneath the desk chair. Although I may not need to safety proof my classroom the way I would have in a preschool setting, such as by ensuring drawers had cabinet latches and that sockets had seals, I still need to keep an eye out for things. I was reminded of this importance yesterday as I taught in class and sat on a chair that was kinda brittle and weak. Although it withstood my weight, I realized that if I had sat down quicker or with less finesse, it would have probably fallen! Gah!

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The Babies are Here!!!

Break out the montecristo cigars, the babies are here!!! Nope, not mine, but the babies in my DevPsyc project! Since Valentine’s day, my students have been “raising” their children! It has been so fun. And funny, I must add! Sad to say one couple lost one of their twins to an accident, but many of those that had problems at birth or were diagnosed with a special condition are doing quite well

I’m looking forward to more of how this project will unfold and when I have the final outputs, I shall share them here

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Rainbow Kids is Back!!!

One of the best things I did for myself last year was enroll in the three day Rainbow Kids Yoga teacher training program. That, coupled with my 300-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training from Beyond Yoga really changed my life immensely. This year, both teacher training programs will be doing a second run!

The Rainbow Kids Yoga teacher training will be led by my teacher, Lei Sadakari once again. It will still be hosted by Urban Ashram Manila. Please check out Rainbow Kids Yoga on Facebook or www.rainbowkidsyoga.net for more details.

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The Baby Egg Project!

For my developmental psychology class this trimester, I finally got to do the baby egg project that I always wanted to do. Yey! I paired up my students and gave them a baby egg to take care of for the trimester, documenting the various stages of development throughout the lifespan in our Facebook group. It’s so much fun, but boy, this is an expensive project!!! I had to buy about 50 eggs for my classes! I thought of getting a baby book made for them and going through the whole envelope printing online for each baby but I decided to cut costs and be kind to the environment so we just posted everything online, haha Nonetheless, it’s so cute I’m such a kooky teacher I tell ya!

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On Rain sticks and the Sounds of Nature

Among the things I have been learning to appreciate later are Native Instruments. I particularly like the sound of a rain stick and the kulintang. These are great instruments to use in my kids yoga classes. It helps add a little oomph to my stories and yoga journeys. I’ve never really been the musically inclined type of person, but having these instruments allows me and my students to explore our bodies and movement more. Fun, right?

Do you have a favorite native instrument? If yes, what? Do share

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Around the World and Back

One of the things I am enjoying in kids yoga classes are the yoga journeys we take. In our imaginations, we’ve traveled the world and back! We have even made it to the moon and the sun These stories are accompanied by the yoga poses and it is so much fun. You don’t need to check into any airpot here, all you need is to close your eyes and imagine, and viola, you’re there. Oh the joy Let’s see where tomorrow’s class takes us.

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The Facebook Challenge

So…since I finally conceded and decided to reach out to my students through the use of Facebook, I decided to throw it in to our classroom discussions. And since I am teaching Positive Psychology this trimester, I decided to use the group feature of the site to challenge my students. Everyday, or at least on every class day, they are to take a few minutes of the day to share what made them happy for the day. I call it my happiness project. So far it’s been fun The upside: even on days that they’re not required to post, they actually do Apparently this interactive technology can be a great learning experience!

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When Not to Share

As a teacher, one of the moral dilemmas I face often times is asking my students to get some materials for readings. While I always tell them to purchase reference materials and the like, I do know that more often than not, they end up photocopying stuff. I personally don’t know how to balance that out. The only thing I can think of is to come up with handouts that I can give to them and reproduce that instead. I’ve learned to share my powerpoints and files, but to be honest, sometimes that becomes a double edged sword too, especially since they upload it on Facebook and share it with people outside of the class. So…when do you not share? I tell my students that if it was open for all, I would just run a 500 cd duplication software and give it out myself. As such, if I give you a copy, means it was my decision to share with you my property. It’s not for others. At times, however, I do give permission to share. But yeah, when do we not share? Music, movies, books…these are so easily shared now. When is it crossing the line from sharing to being a pirate?

Random teacher thoughts as I draft out my files

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The Value of Branding

In a recent seminar I attended, the speaker gave a good talk about branding and how this translates to business. As a teacher, I never really gave that much thought. I didn’t think it was important. However, I realized it does. Branding allows for you to really establish a personality or something that people can expect from you. And so with that in mind, I’m being more selective about what I post in my blogs and social networking sites. Branding goes beyond ordering custom water bottles here or printing out business cards there. It goes underneath to the core of your values and what you present to the world.

And so I hope soon I can afford to customize this website and establish my blogs own branding. Yes?

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Let the Fun Begin!!!

Come join me on the mat all weekends from January 12-March 24 for lots of exciting fun at Beyond Yoga Bonifacio High Street on Saturdays and Quezon City on Sundays

Check out www.igobeyondyoga.com or look us up on Facebook for more details!