Posted by Teacher Ria in Teacher's Corner | 2 Comments

February 22 declared a Special Holiday

Another long weekend is looming for students all over the Philippines. Pursuant to Proclamation No. 1841 issued by Malacañang, there will be no classes on February 22, 2010 in commemoration of the 24th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. For Parañaque based schools, this is the second consecutive long weekend as the city celebrated it’s cityhood day this Monday.

While I love my long weekends, sometimes I feel that we are losing the spirit of commemorating a holiday because it keeps getting pushed to the Monday or Friday nearest to it. I personally think it would be better to honor the days as they are, rather than making it a long weekend. For example, People Power was on February 25. I would have wanted to keep it that way. Nonetheless, I do see the logic behind moving it around but that doesn’t change the fact that I still want it on the day it’s supposed to be. Then again…I’m not complaining!!!

Posted by Teacher Ria in Multimedia Center, Teaching Resources | 2 Comments

Meeting the Greek Gods with Percy Jackson

I’ve always maintained that movies are great springboards for classroom discussions. The flick Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is definitely one of these movies. The story revolves around a young boy who discovers he is half man, half god and is accused of stealing his uncle Zeus’ lightning bolt. Through the adventures of Percy one gets to appreciate Greek mythology and ancient history.

Whilst I try to avoid recommending movies over books, I realize that for some learners, the visual stimulation of movies really just works better. Through movies I find myself able to get the students in a more active discussion, compared to me just telling the story or lecturing about things.

A few questions I keep in mind when choosing a film, however, are the following:

1. How accurate is the information in the film?

2. Does the storyline benefit the discussion in class?

3. Is this of interest to my students?

Overall, I often pick more modern movies as compared to old documentaries because it is more able to capture the attention of the viewer. I am not discounting the value of documentaries and classics but sometimes, students are just not able to relate to them.

Here are some movies I enjoy using in my classes and it’s corresponding theme/topic for discussion:

• Human Development
  • Up
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Love, Relationships and Interpersonal Skills
  • Enchanted
  • Love Actually
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Juno
  • The Story of Us
• Leadership and Self-Awareness
  • Gran Torino
  • Invictus

Posted by Teacher Ria in Featured, Uncategorized | 0 Comments

How Rotating Brownouts can Hamper Education

In the news these past few days is the impending threat of rotating brownouts throughout Luzon. Besides the inconvenience these brownouts will bring, it will definitely have a largely negative impact on businesses, hospitals and even educational institutions. If these brownouts do happen, it’s sure to hit some school hours in some way, unless these hit at night, which then poses a fire risk.

Overall, it’s hard to imagine how the generations and generations before ours managed to live without the conveniences of modern technology, particularly electricity. I can’t imagine a classroom without it!

Posted by Teacher Ria in Teaching Resources, The Library | 0 Comments

News Online, Anytime.

Every once in a while I chance upon an issue of the Wall Street Journal in the school I work for. Being a teacher, I don’t really get into the nitty gritty of business so I don’t really enjoy reading the paper since what it covers are things not that important to me. I prefer to read newspapers that have more lifestyle features and metro news. However, my friends who dabble in stocks and understand the Dow and Forex and those foreign-sounding words to me make it a point to check on what the Wall Street Journal has to say, whether in  print or online. I browsed a little bit about the newspaper and I found out that it has a worldwide circulation of almost a million online subscribers.

I love how most publications like the Wall Street Journal and even local newspapers have gone digital. For one, it’s so much more accessible to me. I also love how, since it is online, my friends and people who know me get to send me links of articles that they think I would be interested in. However, when it comes to magazines, I still prefer a hard copy. I love the smell the glossy pages give out and the feel of it on my hands. I keep telling myself to stop buying issues one at a time and get myself a Magazine Subscription because it comes out much cheaper from the cover price. Whether it be newspapers or magazines, I believe that these are important tools to learning. Be it for fun or for business, these are definitely great resources for anybody.

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

Keeping an Eye out For Red Flags in Children’s School Performance

Being a teacher for so long, I have gotten used to watching out for red flags that may indicate problems or difficulties my students are having. However, when working in larger class sizes, it’s not as easy, especially when these red flags are the quiet ones that tend to remain unnoticed. The crying, hyperactive behavior and odd, repetitive and distracting actions are easily noticed but other more subtle indicators need to be watched out for.

Here are some things I feel are important to note:

1. Bathroom habits. I have a student who, everytime it is time for writing exercises, needs to go make poo-poo. At first I chalked it up to coincidence, but even when I switched around my routine, he would have to go. This can be an indicator of anxiety or an area of conflict for the child.

2. Aches and pains. Repeated complaints of stomachaches, headaches and the like can be an indicator of anxiety or distress as well. These somatic complaints may be their way of expressing these uneasy feelings.

3. Slow or incomplete work, such as writing, particularly copying from the blackboard. Sometimes I am quick to assume that my students are dilly-dallying or just getting distracted instead of working when it comes to copying time. I’ve heard a myriad of excuses from my hand hurts, I can’t see and so on and so forth. However, it is important to take these statements with a grain of salt. Just recently, a child in my class (who was notorious for working too slowly) was once again last in copying from the board. When I asked why she was taking so long, she said she couldn’t see. I initially thought she was acting up again, but the next day, I transferred her seat and was amazed to see that she finished very quickly. Apparently, she was indeed having eye problems.

4. Selective in verbal interaction. A very prevalent problem I see in my practice nowadays is selective mutism. This is an anxiety disorder in which a child refuses to talk or communicate with others. Typically, this was previously not the case. Selective Mutism can be a manifestation of stress, anxiety or even childhood depression.

These are some important red flags I watch out for. Other things that could be of note include absenteeism, low energy, lack of motivation and refusal of tasks.

As teachers we should try our best to identify these red flags. Of course an issue that may arise would be when would we be reading too much in to nothing. However, in my opinion, it’s better to play it safe and take note of these behaviors as soon as possible.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Teaching Resources | 4 Comments

Win “The Spell Quizzer” Software with ChristianHomeschooler.info

Teaching spelling can be a tedious task, especially since it is not always a fun task. However, with the Spell Quizzer software, struggling to get kids to sit and work on spelling lists can be a thing of the past! Check out the Christian Homeschooler’s review of the software and comment/join to win your own licensed Spell Quizzer software.

Technology has definitely grown leaps and bounds since the time of my childhood! I remember learning how to read and spell using computer games but I did not have access to something like this. While many teachers and parents point out that computers and technology can be detrimental to a child’s learning, I think it is just a matter of assessing the potential of  a product that makes the difference.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Featured, Teaching Resources | 3 Comments

Education UK Makes Dreams for Higher Education Come True

This January, the British Council launched their GO: Know More Do More Live More Campaign, a campaign that opens up exciting opportunities for Filipino students interested in the fields of Technology, Beauty and Fashion, and Business and Entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom. Dubbed Education UK, the project highlights the message that if you want something, GO for it! Here is, as they put it, “Your Future on Track”.

As part of their campaign, the British Council will be offering a series of activities that will allow interested university and post-graduate students to explore course offerings, find out funding options and interact with alumni from prestigious UK universities who will share their first hand experience of getting an education abroad. These events are all offered FREE OF CHARGE! Who knows, by next school year you can be pursuing a degree in F1 Engineering or some other amazing course in one of reputable UK schools such as University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, University of Oxford or University of Leeds

The events are as follows:

• Alumni Counselling Session. Slated for January 29, 2010 at the Makati Shangri-la, the session will showcase alumni from various universities in the UK. Alumni from top schools such as Oxford University and Cambridge University will be there to talk about their schools, their experiences as students and what it is like to live in the UK.  Schools participating in this session are as follows:  University of Birmingham, University of Bradford, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Education, University of London, Kings College London, University of Leeds, London Business School, Loughborough University, London School of Economics, University of Manchester, Middlesex University, University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, University of Wales Bangor, University of York, University of Warwick, University of London- Queen Mary and Westfield College.

• Funding Options Seminar. This seminar will help potential students explore scholarships, financial aid and other funding options available to them. This will be held on February 19, 2010 at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street.

• Education UK Exhibition. In culmination, an exhibit will be held at the ballroom of the EDSA Shangri-La hotel on March 5-6, 2010 where representatives from UK Universities will be on hand to talk to students about course offerings and their universities.

For more information, log on to www.britishcouncil.org.ph.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Pronunciation Peeves.

I won’t assume that just because I am a teacher, I have a good grasp on the proper pronunciation of words.  However, I do have a few pet peeves when it comes to the way these two words should be said : jewelry and ask. I can live with the mispronounced f’s and p’s, especially in the case of Filipinos, but jewelry and ask? I can never get why people say it as “jewLEry” and “aks”. For some reason, it always gets my goat!!! I’ve checked dictionaries and even listened to tapes and online references on how it is pronounced and so far, I haven’t come across one that says jew-LE-ry. It’s gotten me to thinking: whats up with that??? Any answers?

In case you’re wondering where this rant is coming from, I’m watching an old episode of 7th Heaven and there was an episode where the dad was trying to teach his young twins about the right way to say “ask”!

Posted by Teacher Ria in Featured, Lessons for Teacher | 2 Comments

Beyond the Blind Side: Harnessing a Child’s Learning Style

Every once in a while a movie comes my way that makes me realize the extent of my powers as an educator. The film The Blind Side is one of them. Starring Sandra Bullock in her Golden Globe Award Winning role as Best Lead Actress and Quinton Aaron as the future NHL Baltimore Ravens Pick Michael Oher, the movie reminded me about opening my eyes and embracing a child’s potentials by checking out my blind side. You see, as a teacher for almost ten years now, I cannot deny that many times I work by routine alone. Everything I do in class has become almost muscle memory that sometimes, I need to be reminded that not all students learn the same way. In essence, I tend to forget to check my blind side to see if all my kids are learning and if they’re not, what I can do to help them learn better.

The movie revolves around the story of a young boy dubbed Big Mike who, for all intents and purposes, was passed along through the public school system. However, after being given a scholarship in a private Christian school, his teachers saw how delayed he was in terms of academic competencies. Many of his teachers all but gave up on him and did not exert much effort to help educate him. All except his Biology teacher who saw a spark of potential in Michael. Because she believed he had it in him to learn, she tried to find a way to help harness his learning style. Because Michael refused to talk and would not answer test questions given to him, teachers assumed he was dumb and hopeless. However, when given oral tests, his Biology teacher saw that he knew the subject matter. He understood what was going on in class. Because of this, he began to flourish.

Teaching a class with over 40 students, which is the norm here in the Philippines, can definitely be a difficult task for a single teacher. We do not have the luxury of giving different kinds of tests to all our students depending on their learning styles. However, by simply making small concessions, we can help our students succeed, especially those who need the extra support. There are debates about this, nonetheless. Some will say it is unfair to other students if we make adjustments. Some will say that it gives those who receive accommodations an unfair advantage.

The discussions can go on but at the end of the day, let me pose this question: as a teacher, what are you willing to do to ensure all your students are learning to the best of their abilities?

For me, the answer is not always simple. Much as I would like to say I will make all adjustments necessary to embrace ALL my kids’ learning styles, I know I am limited by requirements in class and our educational system as well. One thing I know for sure is that I will do my best to encourage my students to do their best by being more sensitive to what my kids are feeling in class. I think with this, by building their self-esteem and helping them realize their potentials, I can help make a difference.

Posted by Teacher Ria in Advocacies, Autism, Featured | 10 Comments

Apparently, not every Juan can fly with Cebu Pacific after all

Apparently, not every Juan can fly after all.

Contrary to Cebu Pacific‘s tag line that it’s time everyone flies (or every Juan as they so creatively coined), there are exemptions to who they are willing to fly. This is the message they gave to the public when they so insensitively tried to coerce a mother and her son to disembark from the plane they were taking because the son had special needs. The incident took place last December 23, 2009. According to news reports, Mrs. Mylene Alcantara was told by the flight crew that they cannot go on with their flight after finding out that her son was a special child. More specifically, she was informed that the company policy was that no two special needs passengers can be on the same flight. Apparently, there was another child with Down’s Syndrome already aboard the aircraft. They reportedly were insisting that her son was mentally ill, thus they could not travel. I applaud this mother’s strength and courage as she not only refused to be coerced and intimidated by these crew members but also for continuing the fight against the airline. Mrs. Alcantara is now filing a multi-million lawsuit against the carrier.

This is not the first time Cebu Pacific has displayed obvious descirmination towards PWD’s or Persons with Disabilities. In a previous incident (which if not for a blogger’s Plurk I would not have known about), Cebu Pacific refused to board a group of  deaf passengers because of a policy against having two unescorted passengers that require special handling. They explained further that “special handling” pertained to passengers who were pregnant, had disabilities,  medical cases, minors travelling alone and individuals whose physical, medical or mental conditions need special or individual attention (read the entire response via Filipino Deaf from the Eyes of a Hearing Person here and here).

Granted that having unassisted and unaccompanied individuals who need special attention may tax the resources of the cabin crew in case of emergency and increase the carrier’s liability, this seems to not be the case in the situations of both the group of hearing impaired tourists and Mrs. Alcantara’s son. For one, the child was accompanied by his mother who clearly is able to care for her son and attend to his needs. Secondly, as heard over the radio this morning, the lawyer of the family pointed out that special children are not considered mentally ill.

What ignorance on the part of a company! Just because someone has special needs does not make them less of an individual nor does it mean they do not deserve opportunities granted to everyone else. So long as they have their support system on hand, there should be no problems or issues at all. Conrtary to the belief that children with autism or mental retardation cannot behave and act inappropriately, they can be just like other kids in many, many ways. In fact, a lot of times it is the so-called “normal” population that acts inappropriately in-flight. The Cebu Pacific crew‘s behavior takes us back to a time when children with autism, Down’s Syndrome and other physical, mental or other handicaps were institutionalized and hidden from the rest of the world. I, for one, am not willing to go back to that kind of a mind-set. I enjoin a fellow autism advocate and another brave mom of a child with autism as she calls for the airline industry to accommodate individuals with special needs. If I may add, this accommodations should be done with no questions asked!

In the last year alone, I have read so many gripes and rants about the airline, from faulty online bookings to poor customer service, and now this. It is time that the airline started making changes about their policies and procedures. Further, their training of their staff should be revamped. I remember on my Davao trip last year, I had taken another carrier but my friends had taken Cebu Pacific and they had a major rant about one of the crew. I don’t remember what it was exactly anymore, but the point is Cebu Pacific should work on better customer service. While the airline has made apologies to the family, it is not enough. The damage is done.

Cebu Pacific does offer low fares. But their claim on great value? This is something we now have to think about.