A Date to Remember

         My princess (Jhoanna) and I went at PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) yesterday to file the important documents that we need before we take the LET (Licensure Examination for Teachers) on September. Thanks to the jeepney driver who gave us the direction how to get here. We arrived at 8:30 am, and there were already many people! The giving of application forms didn’t start yet because the PRC officials were having a flag ceremony.  We fell in line to get our application forms. This was the first time we went here, and we didn’t know the steps how to file our documents. We have to ask some PRC officials about the next processes that we need to do. It took us almost 2 hours to finish all the processes! What took us so long was the ink pad! (hahahaha) It was so tiring going up and down stairs. We were looking for an ink pad because we need it for our thumb marks. After we have filed our documents, we had our lunch at Jollibee located somewhere in Recto and went at St. Jude Church. We walked from Jollibee to St. Jude located in Loyola. It was so hassle walking under the rain! We supposed to ride on a jeepney, but there were no jeepneys that will bring us straightly to St. Jude Church, so we have no choice but to walk! hahaha

            This was the first time I went at St. Jude Church. Thanks to princess (Jhoanna), because she was the one who told me to go here with her. Princess and I prayed hearty to St. Jude to give us good memory for our licensure examination on September. We also lighted some candles that symbolize what we have prayed for. It is very important to seek guidance to our Almighty God in everything that we do. Prayer and hard work will bring you to the path of success. Princess and I feel so blessed because we were able to visit and pray to St. Jude!

            I got home at 2:30 pm. I was so tired, so I went in my room and slept. After a few hours, I was awakened by my ringing and vibrating phone! Hahaha! My friend was calling me!

 This was our phone conversation:

Friend: Pwede ba tayo magkita?

Me: Bakit? Anong meron?

Friend: Yung promise kong date sayo! Di ba sabi ko i–save mo ang last week ng May!

Me: ha? kakauwi ko lang eh. Pwede naman tayong magkita ng  June? July? August?

Friend: Hindi na ko pwede dahil aalis na ko!

Me: cge cge..

Friend: I love you!

Me: oh bakit may I love you?

Friend: hahaha! Namiss lang kita!

Me: *KILIG*

            This is it! One of my prayers has been answered! Thank you so much St. Jude!

            I told my parents that I will attend a birthday party! I have to lie because they won’t allow me to go out at night for a date. This was the longest night in my life! hahaha! My friend and I had more time to talk different things while on our trip, because we went to Cubao at the same time! Six years has gone so fast, and I couldn’t believe that I was talking to the boy who once taught me how to love and wait. We had our dinner date at Shakey’s along Cubao Araneta.  

Thanks Xier for these yummy treats!!

  

            What made the night sweeter was the song 'In Love with You' haha. I couldn’t imagine that I was talking to him while my favorite song ‘’In Love’ With You' was playing! hahaha!

             I got home at 10:30 pm. Thank goodness my parents didn’t scold me! Thank you so much Princess (Jhoanna) and Xier for this wonderful day! I love you both!

The Values of Instructional Materials

     ‘’Teaching materials/ instructional materials’’ is a generic term to describe the resources teachers use to deliver instruction. Teaching materials can support student learning and increase success. Ideally, the teaching materials will be tailored to the content in which they’re being used, to the students in whose class they are being used, and the teacher. Teaching materials come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have in common the ability to support student learning. Instructional materials are highly important for teaching especially for inexperienced teachers. Teachers rely on instructional materials in every aspect of teaching. They need materials for background information on the subject they are teaching. Young teachers usually have not built up their expertise whenever they enter into the field. Teachers often use instructional materials for lesson planning. These materials are also needed by teachers to assess the knowledge of their students. Teachers often assess students by assigning tasks, creating projects, and administering exams. Instructional materials are essential for all of these activities, because they can significantly increase student achievement by supporting student learning. For example, a worksheet may provide a student with important opportunities to practice a new skill gained in class. This process aids in the learning process by allowing the student to explore the knowledge independently as well as providing repetition. Learning materials regardless of what kind, all have some function in student learning. In addition to support learning, more generally, learning materials can assist teachers in an important professional duty: the differentiation of instruction. Differentiation of instruction is the tailoring of lessons and instruction to the different learning styles and capacities within your classroom. Learning materials such as worksheets, group activity instructions, games, or homework assignments all allow you to modify assignments to best activate each individual student’s learning style. 

These are some examples of Instructional materials!  I made these big books!

What Effects Does a Good Lesson Plan Bring?

        A lesson plan is a plan for learning. As is true in most activities, the quality of planning affects the quality of results. Successful executives and professional people know that the price of excellence is careful preparation. The lesson plan is for teachers and students, it is a roadmap for daily use in the classroom, a working guide, a handbook of constant use. It is based on a line of thought and action. 

Importance of lesson planning to teachers:

• Being clear on what you want to teach
• Being ready to cope with whatever happens
• Give your teaching a framework on overall shape
• A reminder for the teacher when they get distracted
• It suggest a level of professionalism and real commitment
• They don’t lose face in front of their learners
• They are clear on the procedure to follow
• They build on previous teaching and prepare for coming lessons

Importance of lesson planning to students:

• They realize that the teacher cares for their learning.
• They attend structured lesson: easier to assimilate.
• They appreciate their teacher’s works a model of well organized work to imitation

The Art of Questioning

          Questions direct critical learning of the pupils, and in order of it to be worthwhile, here are some characteristics of good questions that can help inflicting good direction to pupils:

1. Good questions must be brief and direct.

        They should be brief and direct to the point of clearness. They should be simple and reasonably short so that the thought can be easily grasp by the pupils. This makes for easy understanding and saves time. It takes less time to state and to interpret them.

        Examples: What is a noun? What are adjectives?

2. Good questions must be adapted to the ability and experience of the pupils.

        Questions must be adapted to the ability, interest, experience and maturity of the pupils. If not, they can’t provide profitable reflection and thinking. The pupils should grasp the full significance of the questions according to the aim of the lesson and its nature as well.

      Example: Have you experienced joining in a race? What race? Did you win?

3. Good questions stimulate thinking and reasoning.

        Though-provoking questions will accomplish this objective and will further stimulate reflection and encourage favorable expression. Direct questions should generally be avoided because the answer does not evince thought. If though has not been stimulated, the exercise will be considered a failure.

        Examples: Do all plants come from seeds? Why did you say so?

4. Good questions must allow logical order.

        They should be in a logical order so that the pupils may have a clear idea of the wholeness of the lesson. Otherwise, there will be confusion and the pupils will fail an adequate conception of the teacher’s purpose.

        Examples: 1. What are the parts of a plant?

                        2. What are the functions of each?

                        3. What are the proper ways of taking care of plants?

5. Good questions must be related to one another

        This results to an established relationship between facts or points. It will lead to better organization of points learned. They can bridge the gap of points

        Examples: What is a noun? Give examples of it and used it in a sentence.

Welcome to the Real World of Teaching!

            A few weeks to go and I’ll be in a real world of teaching! I feel so blessed because I was hired at Our Lady of Lourdes  School of Novaliches. I didn’t expect that I will be employed. I just passed my resume that time, and when I was about to go home, one of the faculties of OLLSN called me to go back to the school. They asked me to have my demonstration teaching. I was so nervous because I am not prepared! They gave me only 15 minutes to choose my topic and make a lesson plan.  I had my demonstration teaching about ‘Prepositions in, on and under’’, one of the topics for Grade 1. I chose this topic because I’ve already demonstrated it to other schools before. I didn’t know how to execute this topic without visual aids.  It was super unplanned.  Thank goodness I have a talent in drawing. I drew on the board the characters of the story. They praised me for my wonderful drawings!  I was also able to find alternative materials to help me go on with my demonstration teaching. I was so nervous while executing the topic because four faculty members were observing me. After my demonstration teaching, they discussed to me the positive and the negative points they have observed while I am executing the lesson. One of the observers said that I have a well-modulated voice. Haha :) The other one said that I am fluent in English, and I am well poised in front.  Haha. I was smiling while teaching to hide my nervousness. The only negative point they said was that, I taught the topic slowly. Thank God! I made this super impromptu demonstration teaching successfully! :)

            The school has a good environment and facilities. The faculty members, together with the principal, are all good to me. I was assigned to handle Grade 1 and Grade 3 class. I will teach eight subjects! haha :) I am lucky because there are teachers' manuals that will serve as my guide in executing the topics in different subjects! :) Less stress! No need to do a lesson plan everyday! haha :)

            I’m no longer a college student. This coming June is the start of the great challenge wherein I would be able to apply what I have learned from my dear Alma Mater, Philippine Normal University! Thank you so much Lord for guiding me in everything I do. I dedicate to you the product of my hard working spirit. I hope to become an EFFECTIVE and EFFECIENT TEACHER! :)

Most Unforgettable Moments in My Senior Year! :)

It's been almost 4 months since I blogged. I wasn't able to blog new entries every month because I was so busy. Haha. Let me share the most important and memorable events that happened in my senior year!

Month of January, Hello Baguio! Happy Happy!

We had a three-day retreat in Baguio City for teachers and teachers to be. Here are the pictures that we took before, during and after our retreat. If you're looking for more pictures just visit my facebook account! haha :)

Day 1, 2 and 3 :) 

Month of February, Month of Love

I celebrated Valentine's Day with my awesome classmates! We celebrated it by giving cards to each other,and of course there were a lot of surprises! Thanks to our dear classroom officers for making this party possible! haha <3

Month of March, PNU Torch Ceremony

Graduation day! :))