Vacation Bible School

i just came from day 1 of vacation bible school at my church. i volunteered to help out, but ended up being one of the teachers since, hey, i do it for a living. :)

it's a new adventure, to say the least. i feel weird being there being a teacher and all, when i know i have a lot of learning to do when it comes to the bible. but y heart is in the right place. it was a joy to see little ones so enthusiastic to participate as romans, visiting Paul and the underground church.

i have the oldest kids, and because there were only two in my class, it was pretty easy. what caught my heart were the pre-K kids. they are so cute. i want to take one home.

during the drama part where we visited Paul in his prison cell, i felt a tear fall on my face. i remember Sunday school and for a second, i was reminded of my young self, sitting in class, listening to my sunday school teacher, basking in the wonders of Jesus' love for us. I thank my mom's family for instilling the value of worship at an early age. it faded during my smart ass/angsty stage, but when I reunited with Jesus, I felt i had that in me all along.

as i looked at the innocent faces of those children, the yearning to have one of my own became clear. if God sees it fit to bless me with a child, i know where i can raise him/her.

for now, it would be my joy to spend time with the little ones, and hear what they have to say.

Getting an A

Dear Mr. J.B.,


I got my A because I am a more passionate "showgirl" in my classroom. I have learned to manage my time, resources and energy to come up with a bag of tricks i have designed for the entertainment, enjoyment and growth of my students.



I am a teacher reformed by my experience in teaching Special Ed. I smile more openly to my students and colleagues. I welcome each class with an unwavering vigor, because I know that I am blessed to love what I do.

I no longer seek to punish students who are lazy. I seek to recognize their efforts and their good points. When I enter a grade on the computer, I try to think far ahead into the future and see how a grade would impact my student's future?


I am now preparing for a presentation for my colleagues on how to enrich their bacg of tricks in the classroom using technology. I am excited to share with them the wonders of podcasting, short videos and, online collaboration. I am thrilled to help them befriend technology.


Thank you for being an A profoessor.

oh the drama

there are times when i can do with a little drama, and then of course there are times when I wish I can be spared of it.

a few days ago, i have been approached by my co-teachers about my transfer back to the middle school. when they asked me how i felt about being transferred, i said, it was okay, it was like coming back home. i'm not overjoyed and leaping and dancing, but i welcome the idea of going back to a place that has made me a better teacher. i am glad to return to a family of not just co-workers, but also friends.

it did not occur to me that most of my coworkers at the HS would think that i requested the transfer.

i didn't.


my transfer back to the MS meant that someone from the MS would have to be transferred to the SH to cover my position. this teacher was not so happy with this change/transfer. she was upset.

i didn't understand why she was upset. but then again, when i got the job two years ago, wasn't too excited either. what baffled me about her reaction was the fact that she is a more experienced teacher than me. i did't think i had anything to tell her that she didn't already know.


i wish her and my kids the best.

in the world of possibility, this may be a whole new world of wonderful adventures.

lighting a spark

Roz and Ben Zanders shared stories in a world of possibilities when someone entertains, or even embrace the possibility in an otherwise hopeless situation.

I'm sure you've all had teachers who have lit a spark in your life, one way or another. They have left a warm ember in your heart that you kept within you, and before you know it, it had lit up inside of you and have resided in there, with a steady burn.

Although I'm an English teacher, it was not my favorite subject in school. It was not because I did have excellent teachers, it's just that my Social Studies teachers have always lit a spark in me.


I have always maintained close ties with my first batch of students. Most teachers will never forget the first batch of kids that they taught. On the weekend before my birthday, I saw 3 of my former students, all professionals, all grown up.





It always gives me pride to see them, and how well they have succeeded in life. We talked about their high school days, the laughable moments and the silly stunts they pulled. I look at the man and two ladies and for myself, I wish that from then until my last teaching day, I can light a at least a tiny spark in my students' life.

scratch that...

i'm one of those kids who get very excited about new things. a new kin d of shampoo, new seasoning mix, a new candy flavor, new book.


a new program to create games.... hmmmm.


and so last year in my mythology class, i thought of using scratch. We didn't really get too far with it. I was a bat frustrated because I felt like an idiot most of the time. But then again, I wasn't a student of EDMT yet so it was not natural (yet) for me to get my fingers dancing on the keys to type and search for video tutorials.


I saw the video tutorials about scratch. it was simple enough, but I think someone, if not me, can make an easier and a simpler and ,ore effective video tutorial. My teacher in our Digital Media and Education Applications class have ingrained a standard in me about length and coverage of video tutorial. "keep it short and simple; break it down."


i'm gonna try scratch with my mythology class again. Maybe we'll get farther this year. :)

Here's Showing you what I Know

Wow, This is it, the last day. Unbelievable. No bull, I didn't think I would like this course as much as I do. I love this course, I've learned so much about different aspects of Media Presentation, and I am embarrassed to say that I haven't even seen all of the tech advice my teacher has prepared for us. No excuses, Sir B. I do want to take your course, (I mean audit it) because I think I want to learn more so I can share more with my kids.


In terms of my final media project, I am still undecided as to which media I will use. I have learned though that thoughtful planning and insightful thinking are both beneficial for a good choice. I am comfy with making slide show with audio, but is that the best medium for mt thesis presentation. I'm still not sure.


Here's what I know though. Technology, or media presentation tools in particular have been created to make the teaching and learning experience mire dynamic and engaging. This generation of students are more challenging to engage, and it is up to us, to keep up their interest. It is our responsibility to give them our best so that we can cultivate the best in them. (yes, this is still, no bull doodoo).



I have my first day of camp tomorrow, and I still have last day of school, as in my work, so I can't make it to my first class in camp. I could have easily just asked for a substitute and give my kids some busy work until I can meet them on Tuesday.
BUT...

I want them to feel that I am thinking about them, and I am excited about learning with them.


Paper or plastic"

Eerr, I mean a letter or something else?


I got on my trusty Mac and recorded a laughable video of me talking to them since I can't be with them live.



I used Keynote, got some images off the nest and pasted their URLs, and voila, uploaded it on YouTube.

And oh, this is also to show my latest action figure.


Of course I could've made an a longer video, but then I had to stop myself and assess the situation. I just want to introduce them to the course. That 3 minute video is actually long and cold be edited, now that I think about it, but then there's tomorrow, and the next day and that gives me time to think of exploring other media to use in class.


I'm thinking of trying Mr. Smith's top picks of free 3D animation software for my class. I'm so excited, I'm so excited!!!!


Thanks Mr. B, for giving us some direction to make our presentation skills better, and more organized (crossing my fingers on that).

gym happy

i went back to gym after, oh two months. it took me long enough, huh? i have so many excuses i don't even know where to begin.

today was quite difficult, but the endorphons kicked in. i feel that i have ,melted a bite out of the cupcake i just ate yesterday.

48 thousand more calories to go.
48 red velvet cupcakes to go
5 cream puffs.
5 pieces of party puto.


huff huff huff.


i can do this.