These People Deserve To Be.... Part 2

B stopped schooling after she gave birth to her son. She still wanted to finish her Education degree and thus started selling food and even merchandise for a living. She sold makeup and snacks to teachers and even fellow classmates. Whatever money she has, she saves for paying off school fees apart from their food and daily expenses.

Every day she wakes up at 4 AM to prepare food and get ready for uni. Next year she will have to make arrangements with a neighbour to watch over her son because her evenings will be occupied as she reviews for the teacher’s license examination, the cost of which she will have to raise again. 

These People Deserve To Be.... Part 1

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These People Deserve...

Three weeks into this internship program and I’ve had the pleasure of knowing friends and a few people who have their own reason of becoming teachers. There are others who have nothing better to do with their time in university but there are three people who really captured my respect and attention.

R is the eldest of five children and stands as the man of his family. His mother is a laundry woman and together they go door to door in their neighbourhood taking on jobs washing clothes. He leaves his second sibling at home to watch over their younger brothers and sisters.

...To Be Teachers.

For R, his days consist of going to school in the morning on a scholarship and enjoying free tuition and in the afternoons he hurries home to assist his mother with laundry for their neighbours. He signed up for an Education degree hoping to be a teacher someday.

I wish for his dreams to come true and I know he truly deserves to be a teacher someday. His sacrifices will pay off now that he is in his senior year.

May you reach your dreams R. 

Modifying My Calling Card

I have been a technical writer and blogger for the last four years. After my journalism career, I pretty much launched into it without any question. I love writing, I decided to make a career out of it. So I thought, yeah, I could use the vintage typewriter to be my icon on a calling card even though

1. I don’t own a typewriter that’s vintage and
2. Most of my writing is completed in front of a laptop

Talk about contradictions.

But I’ve done a little tweaking and it looks better now. Besides, the important thing is to get people to ring me when they see my calling card. So I’ve retained the typewriter icon but used a vector image instead. Also, in the future I’m thinking of using an SQR code that can be scanned using a smartphone and it will link directly to my site but I still don’t know how that works.

It didn’t take a lot of work though because I knew from the start what I wanted. This looks friendlier and drives the message home.

Next, I’ll have a similar letterhead.

For Education

I have weird tendencies when it comes to note-taking, I rely on blue ink for highlighting passages and heading when I read, then just black ink for writing notes.

So when I left my pens at home, I couldn't face the end of it because my brain kept nagging me to get what I needed.

So while falling in line to pay for my pens, an elderly man in front of me was carrying about 20 thin, cheap notebooks and two pencils. There were no rulers or erasers, not even crayons- just 20 thin notebooks and a couple of pencils. I figured he was buying two of his grandchildren these school supplies.

He had a 100-peso bill in his hand and the cashier said the total is Php 120- he reached for 20 pesos. He searched his pockets for an elusive 20 peso bill, it took him a good five minutes until he finally found a bill deep in his pockets where his loose change sat. After a good search, he produced it, paid and went on his way.

If he hadn’t found the missing 20, I was willing to reach out to him. But he was proud enough to pay for all these goods himself.

From a distance, he had a weathered face, wore old clothes and wore only slippers. But his gait was that of a proud man having been able to bring home 20 notebooks and 2 pencils for eager students. For education. 

Teacher Problems and Quick Fixes

Part of a teacher’s job is to prepare instructional materials and reports. Also, as an intern, there’s the need to complete journals and scope and sequencing for each week. This means that I have to submit these documentations to my supervising teacher for approval.

The thing is, I am an independent intern and rely on part time work to complete the program. I received a call though about maintaining a blog and site for a local bakery and party factory (just among one of my interests) and luckily I was able to submit my portfolio for evaluation.

However, Friday last week my printer started to act up.

I felt paralyzed and was panicking over the weekend. I was desperate to get it fixed. In campus, some IT companies lined up for the road show and even offered me brochures of competent printers.

But I am an intern on a budget and the most practical thing to do is send it for repairs.

After class, I brought my heavy printer to the repair shop, left it and hoped I could have it back in three days tops. An hour after leaving the printer there, I received a call from the shop saying that the issues were fixed and that I could get it back. I just let out a sigh and thank you up to the heavens.

Someone really is looking out for me. =) 

Second Week of Practice Teaching

Then

I used to wake up early, enjoy my energizing body bar in the shower, follow the corporate dress code and put on makeup. I really like playing with makeup. Then in the office, my day would revolve around completing agenda briefs, executive summaries, concept notes and my boss’s favourite template that takes hours to finish- project briefs.

During my breaks, I’d stalk makeup online and dream of Magnums.

That’s what it meant to be a technical writer.

Now

I get up, get ready for school, make sure that I have teaching materials and that all my learning plans are complete especially when my supervising teacher takes a look and gives comments on each part.

“Make sure that your assessment is in line with your objectives and make sure your activity achieves your objectives.”

This is the governing rule that I will hear over and over again. 

But

There must be a reason beyond all of this. I know that this is the first step for me to shape myself and perhaps become an instrument of change.

I come from a long line of teachers. I have three grandmothers who were teachers. Three of my aunts are teachers. Heck, we could even put up a school if we wanted to. 

But for now, let's see where life takes me. 

I know what my skills are, I know what I am capable of. I will always be a lover of writing. I know there is a need for me to write everyday. But perhaps I can also be a good teacher. 

Who knows? We will find out someday. 

Learning Plan Format- Following the K-12 Program Guidelines

An overview of the prescribed learning plan for Grade 7-10 English following the K+12 paradigm

Level

Topic

I. Learning Target 

A1: Cognitive 1

A2: Cognitive 2

B: (Values)

II. Topic

A. Exploring 

 1. Activation of Prior Knowledge

    a. Questioning/ Anticipated Answers

    b. Linking Statement 

    c. Concept Notes

  

  2. Activity "Title of Activity"

    a. Learning Materials

    b. Graphic Organizer

    c. Questioning/ Anticipated Answers

  3. Firming Up
    a. Formative (Traditional)/ Alternative (Performance Task)

Teaching Different Types of Irony, Teachers Have to Be Creative and Focused

Second day in practice teaching and I have realized that I have to focus on which strategies work well when it comes to teaching topics. As for my Learning Plan, I have decided to take on Grade 8 Vocabulary and Reading. I've got to make up my mind on whether I will use a song, puppets, or a story board developed especially for the lesson. 

The catch is that I have to make sure I have the materials I will need in time for demo-teaching. 

Being a teacher is not easy. And yet people in society don't even appreciate teachers over here.