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! :))

Dear You..

Dear You,

I don’t know where to begin. I can’t find the exact words to release this feeling. You are the reason of this pain. It really hurts so badly knowing that I mean nothing to you. You know that I love you and I never fail to show it to you. I always make the effort to show that I care for you even though you ignore me all the time. What hurts me the most is that you just remember me when you need something from me. I don’t know why you’re treating me like this. Well, the more you ignore me, the more I become a better person, because you’re teaching me how to live a happy life without you. After all, I don’t have regrets that I met you because you once made my life happy.

I thank you so much for hurting me because you made me a better person. I’ve already learned the lessons. As days go by I’m getting better. If you don’t love me anymore, it’s okay.. :) I don’t have the right to control your heart. Although our love didn’t work out, I’d like you to know that I still care about you and we will always be good friends..Bye. THANK YOU for the many times! :)

Meeting An Old Friend Unexpectedly

While I was walking on my way home last Thursday. I saw my old friend at the photoshop. I couldn’t explain the feeling when I saw him because it was unexpected. It’s been about 8 months since we talked. When I saw him, I had mixed emotions. I stared at him first. I came near him with doubtful feeling. I don’t know how would I greet him. He didn’t see me immediately, so I called out his name. He smiled at me and said ‘Oh Dhez, Kamusta ka na?’ I suddenly felt gladness. I replied to him with  smiling face.  It was so nice to meet him unexpectedly. We missed each other very much!

We were talking about each others lives while walking down street to find a place where in we could sit comfortably. We seated on the chairs outside the restaurant. Nothing has changed with him. He is still cute with his eyeglasses, and he’s still the most cheerful person I’ve ever met in my life. For almost one hour, we talked about different things like our career and love life. After this, he brought me to the tricycle terminal, and bid each other with sweet goodbyes. While I was inside the tricycle, I reminisced our high school days, the days in which we were in love with each other.. :)

I am glad we are good friends.. :)