Are we really the third?????

Now is the time of the year that a lot of students decide to whether they should work through summer or take a break. A lot have already decided to take off in the whole month of August. That means, less income for us and that also means i'll have deficit of income. Urrrgh! business talk. I wish I can just teach and not care about that at all.

Anyway, my staff and I have decided to distribute flyers around the neighbourhood tomorrow. So, we'll all be in jeans and t-shirts, walking around the neighbourhood.

The last time I did that was 7 years ago. My then partner and her husband and her daughter went around the neighbourhood. I was many times surprised by the barking dogs, chased by them and bitten alive by mosquitoes.

The other day, my brother and I went to the apartment nearby and the guards agreed to help us out to put the flyers in the mail boxes. When I sent my brother again to give them the flyers, they rejected him. they said it's not allowed. I had to go back and see the guard who agreed and everything went well. It's funny how people here work sometimes. However, I have doubts now.... did they really help us? Or just took what I gave them to shut me up.

Recently, in the newspaper, we were shocked by the survey some people did about rudeness. We were third in the world. WOW!!!! I'm going to use that fact to promote curteous in the centre. Thank you mam! Thank you sir! Should I teach them to bow too????

Seriously, I think all that comes not only from home. The school system should add a subject about it. I remember learning all that in my civics class. We were even taught to pull the chain in the toilet after using it. Actually, that's all I can remember from my civics class.

In the centre, we introduced a little dust pan and a small broom for the students to use to clean their tables. At first we did see some students being reluctant, after awhile, they're used to it. Little Floopy Head always cleans the tables before he even started his work. My little helper. When asked, he said at home he wasn't allowed to do anything like it. Poor boy! Today, Little Miss Punjabi and Little "my mom was my teacher's class mate" were both cleaning everyone's tables. It's funny because they were not asked to. I did thank them by the way.

Latest Update......

Little Miss Yokohama, she forgave me and turned around to look for me as soon as she heard my voice and gave me a big big smile when I looked back at her.....phew!

Recently, we started a reading competition for the English students. Using the 56 Recommended Books by our company, we told students that every end of the month, we'll count how many books everyone has read and the top 5 readers will be given a book voucher. Most of them never even asked about the prize but started to read non stop. Mr Dyslexic Artist and his brother who told me recently that they "hate reading!" are actually competing against each other. To date, both have read more than 15 books in a week.

I'm actually very happy about the progress of our readers. Sometimes, children need some kind of motivation. I only started reading a lot when I was 12. I must have read more than 100 books in 2 months. I can clearly remember because "Sweet Dreams" at that time had 120 books altogether and I read them all.....which was funny because I needed "romance" to motivate me.

Today I had to be in charge of the English Area. Our English teacher, Miss Italiano could not make it today. Little Labenese has always been a shy boy. I remember once I could not resist to kiss him, (sorry, I can't help it! It usually happen when I see girls and boys under 5 years old) and as soon as I turned back to walk to my sittting area, I heard noises like something was falling. IT WAS HIM!!!! His knee got weak after the kiss.

He read to me and was always distracted by the pictures. Looking at the picture of a big boat, he told me his dad is an engineer. Looking at the picture of sanwiches, he told me about how Mr Bean made his sandwiches and when he saw a picture of a spotted lizard, he started to talk about dinosaurs. I let him talk and at times he was mumbling about other things. I was just adoring his face today. I guess that was part of his lesson, talk freely, while dear teacher just nod and said "really??"

Monday Blues......

Today, dearest teacher (ME!) had mood swing. Managed to smile as much as I can but somehow I must have been too harsh to Little Miss Yokohama and made her cry. She was finding it difficult to cope with the work she was doing but without checking, i told her she MUST! finish it before she goes home and told her to stop looking around and waste time. Not long after that she was sobbing. ALAMAK!!!! Realizing my mistake, i hugged her and told her to just complete the page she was doing. After that I realized she was doing that particular set for the first time and she's an Advance student. No wonder it was difficult for her. As an adult, it's never easy to say sorry to the little ones....but I did. I told her I was really sorry that I made her cry. Poor girl.

How can a teacher control her mood swings? Deep breath? yoga? pilates? or just throw some fiery breath and start being a dragon????

When I was 8, I wasn't the cleverest in the class .... in fact I wasn't clever. I remembered having my teacher looking up to heaven. I cannot remember over what, but I knew it was meant to be for me. Somehow, I can still rememebr that because she never apologized!!!! and she has appeared in my nightmares. With her short, curly hair and XL spectacles....I hope she's well now or if she's no longer in this world may peace be upon her.

One period of time, a few years ago, when my hormone level was going on a roller coaster ride, many times, I felt like hiding under the table. Many times it makes me wonder if there's some kind of formula to keep our cool as a teacher.

Along the years, my consolation was that I don't have to spend a long time with my students per session. I am just baby sitting them for a short time. I hope when the time comes for me to take care a little person for real and 24/7, I'm ready.

to be or not to be????

Parents always want what's best for their children. I guess I'll be the same if put in the same situation. My parents must have wanted the same thing....maybe that's why they secretly destroyed my application to a boarding school when I was 12. I badly wanted to be accepted but months later, I was told they never got my application. Somehow, someone let the cat out of the bag and I found out. So sad, but like always, have to look at it positively. If I were to be accepted, I would not play tennis in the hot sun till I got "black". Oh yeah! and also I would not have the chance to torture my brother much. Torture???? made him dance to the tune of Michael Jackson and Culture Club on the coffee table!!! That was actually entertaining.

In my early days, I told parents children can start at any age because in some countries, like Japan, children as young as 18 months are allowed to start their education. My youngest, so far, must have been about 2 years old. It was not that easy to first get their attention and interest at the same time. However, children are full of surprises. After months of inputs (or I call it suffering on my part!!) at times, some can surprise us with outputs.

I've stopped taking children too young now because some (actually ALL!!!) parents will start to put presssure on their children when they start to see progress. In the end, the children get all stressed out and there goes our hope of a long term joy in learning. Only if parents can let their children grow gracefully.....just like how they hope to age gracefully.

Misspelled or misguided?????

Can you remember how we were made to memorize the spelling of 10 or more words of English and at the end of the day we were asked to spell? As far as I can remember, I never scored 100%. It was upsetting being the competitive person I am. However, I had to endure that humiliation for years.

I wish someone would tell me the best way to learn at that time. I'm still trying to figure out what formula my teacher used on me to enable me to spell better.

I do remember looking up for every single word in a dictionary just to understand what it's all about. If I'm not wrong, the first book I read was "The Emperor's New Clothes" (http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html). It took me awhile to understand that the King was actually tricked and ended up wearing nothing in front of his people. When I said "it took me awhile" I meant like for years..... so embarassing!!!!

I was introduced to Dyslexic (http://www.medicalhelpers.com/medical_illness/dyslexia.html) which is a Learning Disability in Children about 6 years ago. A child will have difficulties in reading and recognition of alphabets or recognition of words if they have this disorder. I can't imagine trying to read but not being able to when all your friends are progressing in reading. It's pretty sad, but it's never too late to get help. My student, Little Thumb Sucker took pretty long to read and spell. He's still a student with dyslexic problem but he can read and write quite well now. Not quite at par to his age but he's almost there.

My only formula for children with learning disabilities would be to never stop encouraging them, no matter how tiresome it can be. It may take weeks, it may take months or it may take years, but with patience, it'll happen.

By the way, the picture was drawn by a dyslexic student in the centre. Did you know they see things differently???....they actually get a different visual from we do???? So, that explains....about my potrait!!!!!!

Once Upon A Time.....

I'm trying to remember the time when I was in pre school and Primary School. During those times were the most important in my growing up years because if I can remember those times, I can relate to what's going on in my students' mind. What it's like to look at things from their perspective.

Yesterday, Little Miss Jay came with her little sis Gee. Lately Little Miss Jay has been so sweet and giving me things to show me her love. Last week, she picked up some flowers on her way to the centre and presented them to me proudly. I was delighted. Yesterday, she came with a used envelope that has I Love You...all over it and some cut papers in it. I really didn't quite understand what the cut papers were for. However on one of the paper she pasted one green duck with a blue beak sticker. Quite cute.

While she was doing her work, I thought of an idea. I wanted to surprise her with a story. So I started composing a story on the papers that she gave. I clipped all the papers together and made it into a little book. Here's how the story goes.

Once Upon a time, there was a Princess. Her name was Princess Jay. She is 6 years old.

Princess Jay has a little sister. Her name is Princess Gee.

Princess Jay and Princess Gee live in a big castle on a hill.

One day, Princess Gee saw Princess Jay doing her homework. She got very curious with all the additions and subtractions that Princess Jay had to do. Princess Jay could count very fast. She's a very cleverPrincess.

When Princess Gee woke up the next day, she saw many birds at her window sill. However, she does not know how many there were.

Princess Jay was in school, so Princess Gee started to cry because she really wanted to know how many birds were chirping to her that morning.

During dinner time, Princess Gee told the King and Queen how much she wants to learn counting like Princess Jay. She wants to be as clever as her sister.

The next day, both the King and the Queen went to the counting school near their Castle and enrolled Princess Gee in in counting school.

After a few months, Prncess Gee could count very well. She can now count all the birds that always stop by to chirp by her window in the morning.

Everywhere, Princess Jay and Princess Gee went, there are always a lot of things to count. They are both happy that now thay can count together.

THE END

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I've decided to share a page from what I read many years ago. This is a famous book by Mr Antoine de Saint-Exupery.....

What does that mean - "tame"?

It is an act too often neglected ...
It means to establish ties.
To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part have no need of me...
But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world...
If you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow ... Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me!...
Please tame me!
One only understands the things that one tames ... there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship ... If you want a friend, tame me ...
What must I do to tame you?
You must be very patient ... first you will sit down at a little distance from me - like that - in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But you will sit a little closer to me every day ...
As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one ... But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world.

While I was teaching.......

This week has been quite smooth at the centre. I take the opportunity to interact more with my students. Even though that's what I've been doing , at times when things get busy, I can only have 1 minute of quality time with each one of them before they go back. So, this week, all English students get to read with me and the little ones got more hugs from me.

Seeing me being so free, Little Mr Hindustani (again!!!) wanted extra attention. He's been trying to do this every now and again, but yesterday was a classic case. Usually when he tells me that he has a little cut on his hand or on his leg, I would personally get a plaster and tend to it. Sometimes, when I see the cut is too small to make such a big fuss out of it, I'd tease him, telling him that maybe I should call the ambulance. That usually get him to laugh and forget about trying to stop doing his work.

Well, yesterday, when he came in, he complained that one of his fingers was in pain. As usual, I showed a little concern. Seeing that from me, he actually asked me to "massage" his finger. Can you ever imagine asking your teacher to massage your finger?????? I did anyway! but laughed so much while doing it.

My English area looks so much better now, with the bookshelf up and all the books there. Mr Korean Boy saw all the books being donated by my graduated students and got curious and ended up promising me that he'll donate all his books to us soon. What luck huh? Maybe I'll open a mini library not just for my students but for the children in the area. We'll see how it goes.

I love meeting parents. However, at times, I have to spend more than one hour talking to them. By end of the day, I'd feel all drained out. However, meeting parents will give them a better idea of what their child/children are doing at the centre. One time I had a "very difficult" student. I never gave up on my student but I had to with this one. How would you give up on students if their parents keep telling them they cannot stop coming to the centre? Well......you first talk to them nicely, if that fails, you talk to them sternly, if that fails again talk to them with frustratation written all over your face, .....if that fails again, ignore them for a few classes....the last resort would be.....tell their mom that you don't think there's chemistry between the two of you and it's better for them to stop before more damage is done.

What would you do without them????

What would you do if you get a child looking like this??? 1) Ignore???, 2) ask him nicely, "what's wrong my dear????, 3) make him come to you and explain???, 4) pull him by the hand and start to look angry???, 5) give up and mumble to yourself how difficult it is to be an adult having to deal with a little person like him??? OR 6) look up to heaven and start praying for god to give you the strength to deal with this situation???.

As an educator, of course you'd rather have one coming in looking like this. By the way, this is little Mr sweet talker. He has his way of getting things his way.

Early this year, we gave out medals to our advance students. Advance students meaning students studying topics from beyond their grade level. Little Mr Sweet Talker saw the medals and made a fuss of wanting one. It actually put me in a difficult position. It didn't stop after he left the centre. I got a call not long after he left.....imagine his face up there and talking on the phone. The conversation went like this..... "Hello teacher....sob sob....i want the necklace (he was referring to the medals) .... i live very nearby...can you please send it to me. When you come out from the centre, turn left.....(he didn't let me talk but went on and on...) ...when you see the tree, turn left again...." How could you get angry????

I don't usually share pictures from the centre...but, i can't help sharing these two pictures. It made me realize how easy it is to get the students smiling after a bad day...just show them a camera. Funny huh?

Today, little mr sweet talker came and did his acting up again....as usual....

Ask any teacher, if they like teaching.... I think the first respond would be YES....

If you ask me......I'd say YES YES and YES. Despite having to always look ever ready for anything even though your stomach is hurting or your head is spinning.