Merry greetings to all!

We wish you a Merry Christmas & we pray this Christmas bring plentiful of joy & contentment in your life!

New template!

I'm forever changing templates here. I hope it will be the last. It's actually named as the Little United Nations. It's artistic Blogger template, with different skin colors, black, white and yellow. I love the kids on my header. It suits my blog theme-about my life with the kids as a preschool teacher.

About last week, we had 2 holidays. Last Monday is a substitute day for the Father's day celebration and last Thursday is the Constitution day of Thailand. Where did I go? Where else but at home bonding with my family and blogging...he..he...

Ta-ta for now!

How our school celebrated Father's day?

Father's Day is celebrated here in Thailand every 5th of December. It falls on the birthday of the King. The schools consider this as one of the most special events of the year. To show respect to the King, they put up shrines of the King  in every visible corner of the school, birthday messages and pictures of the king's "past and present".

an image of the King made from crumpled papers and  birthday greetings

a tree of birthday messages

The celebration of the school lasted for 2 days. Last Thursday, the preschoolers hold a program and I didn't know about this. I thought they'll have the program on Friday...too bad I wasn't able to bring my digicam:( I just captured some photos using the cam from my mobile phone.

I didn't have class for only 1 period and I wasn't able to finish the program. The K1 have their interpretative dances. Some carried it well , some just cry out there...he..he..(sayang pa naman mga uniforms nila mukhang mamahalin ) and some became amnesiac...LOL! They just stood still there wandering around and don't know what would they do. What can you expect from 3-4 years old anyway? They're just bunch of kids but at least majority of them did well. Bravo for the first timer! Even we adults have stage fright, right? Congrats kids for the job well done:)

Last Friday, I thought no more programs for the preschoolers but I was wrong. When I came in for the first period, some of the students were well-dressed. While waiting for the program to start at 9:00, they attended first my class at 8:20 am. I skipped the workbook exercises coz they need to go to the auditorium while I have to continue with my class with other sections. Too bad, I couldn't take photos with them with my digicam:( Anyway, I have some shots of my well-dressed students before their "show time"!

Aren't they adorable?

Full of Awards

It's nice to receive awards for your blogs from your fellow bloggers. It just means that you're remembered and valued:). I wanna thank Red of Simple Pero Rock for sharing to me her awards. Here they are: 

 

 

 

 

Thanks also for sharing these fabulous awards to my other blogs namely:

• Adventures with Hyzyd
• Her and History 
  
• Tasty Exploration
• Teaching Moments
• The Fashion Explorer

I will have to pass these awards sooner or later as long as I can finalize my blog list:)

Ta-ta for now.

Workbooks for little learners

School year 2009-2010 is the first trial year for my school to include teaching English for Anuban 1 (toddlers ages 3-4). The administration pulled me out from the Grade level to teach pre-schoolers (a special request from our manager). I know that it would be challenging. Though I taught preschool in the Philippines, I am not yet so confident if I could handle this class. The only assurance they gave me is that classroom management is not a problem to me coz the Anuban advisers will be there to help me. My only concern is to teach English once a week per class and prepare a worksheet for them. You should know how hard is it to prepare worksheets for little learners who just encountered English for the first time. I pass a draft worksheet every other week, number the worksheet painstakingly and checked them. The same thing I did for Anuban 2 (I’m handling Anuban 1 and 2 , by the way) I’m glad that on the second semester, the administration decided to book bind the worksheets –a workbook finally! Now, I’m more relaxed coz it doesn’t take time anymore to number each worksheets everyday over and over again. By the way, we use numbers to identify the students’ coz I couldn’t read Thai script and it’s the advisers who will help me in distributing the workbooks coz it’s impossible to memorize each students number in 25 classes! I’ll pass the pencils while the teacher is distributing and stamping dates. Now that’s teamwork!

the teacher passing on worksheets

Problem arise when the teacher is absent coz the substitute doesn’t know the name of the students and the student numbers so I’ll either choose to have a game or oral recitation. For Anuban 2, I could let them do the exercises if they know their student number. I’ll just spread it on the floor and they’ll have to find their number (just get the idea from one of the advisers . . .pretty smart huh…) This second semester, there’s one class in anuban 2 that the adviser maximize the assistance of students- one will distribute the pencils, one for erasers and 2 or more students for the workbooks (they’ve memorized the numbers of their classmates already).

 one way of distributing worksheets if teacher-adviser isn't around and if students (Anuban 2) already knew their Student No.

The sun is out, at last

I thought we’ll not be having our class today because of the heavy rain and some part of Hatyai is flooded. I’ve heard from my co-teachers that that only our school and Thidanukhro have pursue to have classes. In fact, only half of my class is present. Thanks be to God that the sun comes out already in the afternoon. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a fine day and most of my little learners will be present.

No internet connection yet

All my remaining energy were exhausted after I gave the announcement of winners yesterday. I just wanted to keep my promise to you that I will announce the winners on the 10th of November. Now that my contest concluded, all my energy to blog was temporarily drained. It's hard to blog in school you know. After lunch break, I have to go to the other building , climb the 5th storey building where the school's internet room is found, surf the internet for an hour- the most time I could spare, get downstairs and be back to the teacher's office to prepare for the afternoon's class.

I called TOT yesterday to follow-up our telephone and internet connection. They asked us to wait for another 3 days! Okay, what can I do? I just have to wait....Anyway, I'm enjoying my life being temporarily disconnected to the blogosphere though I miss my friends in here and joining interesting memes- Girls Talk, Couples Corner, Mommy Moments and more! I simply enjoy the life I used to be without the internet. I hope to back here in blogosphere as soon as possible.

We've moved and blogging is impossible these days...

We moved to a new apartment last Saturday. I haven't yet settled in our new place and maybe it will take me a month to unpack and arrange everything. We already started our class today and it seems that I'm cramming with my lessons..Waaahhhhh....but thanks be to God that I'm doing fine this morning in my class - workbooks were already distributed in each class and during the review my learners remembered the past vocabularies they've learned and the songs that I've taught them.

It may take a week before I'll be connected to internet again. So just please bear with me this time. This is the reason why I can't visit you back nor reply to your comments. I couldn't join memes too. I appreciate your visit here, your sweet messages and comments. Thank you so much.

About the contest, it will difinitely end on the 5th of November and I hope we'll have internet connection again ASAP so that I could announce the winnners on the 10th. Thank you for supporting my first contest.

Update

Our break is almost finished. Next week we'll go back to school but my hubby already started their classes today. Tomorrow, I need to go to school for a general check-up. I supposed to post here some photos taken during our English camp but I'm still too busy. I had to do it the next time I have time. Stay tuned:)

Teaching with Impact

If you want your teaching to have impact, you must do these three things:

1. Know your students. And that takes commitment and time. This is where we lose a lot of teachers. There's no magic formula. Good teaching has a price tag: you've got to be willing to pour out your life for others. If your students have to trip you up on your way out of class in order to have a moment with you, you're not going to reach them. People don't care how much you know, until they first know how much you care (Watch the Freedom Writers).

2. Earn the right to be heard. Walk out on the street and tell the first guy you meet that you know what his problem is-and he'll probably give you a piece of his mind. Even you know what his problem is , you won't get through to him . Credibility must precede communication. And our celebrity society has never figured that out. You must earn a hearing!

3. Be willing to become vulnerable. It's the broken who become masters at mending. Don't be afraid to let people know what you're struggling with, and what you've struggled with through the years. People tend to see us in terms of where we are now, rather than in light of where we've come from and what we've been through. They didn't see the process. So tell them about the God you know personally, and what He's brought you through. That'll impact them every time!

Want to be a teacher who "gets through?" Practice these principles.

English Camp starts tomorrow!

Our English camp will start tomorrow until the 16th from 9-12 noon. It's termed "English camp" but don't expect that we're going somewhere else and have the real camping. We'll just stay in our classroom and do the regular class but I wanna make it different. I want my learners to enjoy our class through games and songs. I wanna let them explore their speaking skill. By the way, I'll be teaching Anuban 2- the same students I handled on the first semester so it's not so hard for me to adjust and teach them coz I already had background on their learning capacity. I was not formally informed as always but I've heard that I'll be handling about 25 Anuban 2 students so for me it's just a piece of cake with my God as my strength and guide.

Though my class stops at 12 noon. I planned to stay the whole afternoon at school coz I'm not yet done with my worksheets for K2 for the second semester. I've done the worksheets for K1 already last Thursday. Last Friday, I supposed to finish the K2 worksheets but I wasn't able to go to school due to bad weather, laziness and health condition. I'm also planning to devote my afternoons for 2 weeks to accomplish the visual aids that I'll be using for the 2nd semester.

I need your prayers.

Two absents in a week...first time in my teaching career

Last time I posted HERE that if I'll be absent today that we'll make a history and YES it is!

Yesterday, when my hubby came to school to fetched me he told me that there's a change of schedule in their school's calendar...instead of having their final test on SUNDAY, it is moved TODAY! OH no...I can't do a thing so before I went home, I went to see the head of the kindergarten department and told her of my predicament. Glad that she's considerate and understands my situation.

So, I'm at home now taking care and bonding with my baby.

I'm sick today...

My energy has zapped today! I felt so drained today that I don't have energy left to do anything plus I have sore throat...I finally decided not to go to school so I just stayed at home blogging resting. I feel better today. I want to wake up early tomorrow and I'm hoping that my body won't feel lack of pep and vitality again.

The babysitter asked me today that on Friday she will not be able to come because she's going to have a "visa run"..Oh no..I have to be absent again...:( Thank God that when I told my hubby he said they don't have class on Friday so he'll be the one to take care of our baby. Thank you so much my dear. You really help unload the burden I felt this morning that I'll be absent from school for 2 days in a week. If it happens, this will be the first in history...he..he...

Buzz: 2 more weeks to go!

...two more weeks to go and it's sembreak! Yeheeyyyy! By October we'll only have class from 9-12 noon and we're free for the rest of the day.

I'm I really free for the rest of the day? I don't think so...I need to finish the worksheet for K-1 and K-2 for the head teacher told me that she planned to have them book-bind .

See you next time...I have so much to tell you about my joy of knowing that my labor in teaching is not in vain. I'll tell you next time with tons of photos and videos. You
ll surely love my kiddos.

I'm free!

...so glad to know that today and tomorrow, I don't have class for K-2 coz they're having test . Thus, making my load of 5 classes per day reduced to 3 classes. I'm free from 10:00 am-1:40 PM...then 2:30 I'll be going home. I'm free again! Yehheyyyy!!! I'm able to do my writing tasks at PPP and post on some of my blogs.

By the way, we'll start our sembreak on Oct.1 and I'm kinda excited for that!

It's Sports Day and I'm out!

It's Sports Day today at Suwanwong School but only K-3 students up to Grade 6 participates. As a K-1 and K-2 ESL teacher, I am left without choice to conduct class amidst the unbearable noise of cheering squads and audience, drum beatings and shouting from the top of the studen'ts lungs! That's why I'm out today from the campus. I'm right here in an internet cafe enjoying the peaceful and cold environment .

I have some snapshots of the event but posting them can wait. I have to gather my energy to face my K-2 students this afternoon. I'll just review to them the songs that we've learned about numbers 1-10 and colors before I let them do their worksheet on COLORS.

Thanks God it's Friday!

Chants for preschool

These are some of the chants that I taught to my kindergarten. I'm glad that they're able to master them.

Classroom Language

Stand up

Sit down

Listen

Quiet

Open your book

Close your book

Take out your pencil

Put away your pencil

Make a circle

Make a line

Two Little Eyes

Two little eyes

to look around

Two little ears

to hear each sound

One little nose

to smell what's sweet

One little mouth

that loves to eat...Yummy!

Benefits of using Songs and Chants in teaching English

There is power in music—power to motivate students and to help their memories when they are learning a new language. For these reasons, I've been using songs and chants eversince I started teaching here in Thailand since 2006. Although I shouldn’t rely on music-based activities exclusively (they provide, at best, rehearsed practice), songs and chants can be helpful additions to many lessons—especially when they are used properly.

The benefits of music and rhyme

Songs (and related forms of music and rhyme, including rhythmic chants) can produce many benefits in your language class.

•  When chosen wisely and used properly, they can produce greater motivation and involvement of students because they involve them actively and naturally in language practice.
• When they have fun singing songs in their English class, students can develop improved attitudes toward the class and the target language.
• The melody, rhythm, active involvement, natural repetition, and enjoyment all work together to produce increased retention of the language in the songs. In other words, songs help improve your students’ memory of the material they are being taught as part of the song.
• Songs and other forms of music can also be used as vehicles for teaching culture. This cultural awareness can be taught directly (along with the other aspects of the song, such as its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation) or indirectly (simulating native-like experiences in which students pick up the cultural content naturally).  (Source) 

Wan Pen Duan Sip- All Souls Day!?!

 

 Last Friday I was curious why this ugly statue was erected at the playground. The teacher told me that it's "Wan Pen Duan Sip". The purpose of this is to give offering to ghosts and dead people and one reason is giving the offering to themselves when they die. This explains why a lot of Thai desserts (kanom) were spread on the table:

 

 

The event is similar to the "All Souls Day" we have in the Philippines.


I got the chance to mingle with my Anuban 1/3 students and have some pictures with them:

 

 

of Chanting and ABC song

My K2/8 students doing the CHANT (Classroom Language)

Singing the "ABC" song

Teaching Numbers 1-5 to K-2 (Part 2)

Teaching numbers 1-5 is very easy for my Anuban 2/10 students!

Teaching Song: Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes

As part of my lesson about the Body Parts, I teach them the nursery song "Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes".

This is my Anuban 1/9 learners:

Teaching Body Parts to K1

Matching body parts:
 

Teaching Numbers 1-5 to K-2

Teaching numbers 1-5 to my Anuban 2 is already easy because they're already learning these numbers since they're on their Anuban 1 days. What need to do is they could pronounce the numbers correctly especially Number 5. They have to say "fayv" rather than saying "fay". It took me 5-10 minutes to drill them one by one just to let them get the hang of saying "five" correctly.

For boardwork, I posted a picture and let them count. I displayed below the picture 1-5 numbers and let them encircle the correct number. I then call students randomly.

Lesson on Number 1 (Part 2)

The lesson is the same with Anuban 1/12. Majority of the students also got excellent result!

Today's Lesson is Number 1

The Thai teachers already introduced numbers 1-5 but in their own vernacular. It's my tuen to teach them numbers in English. So I have to start on the basics. I introduce Number 1 and let them follow after me on how to say it in English. As time permits, I go over with each student and let them say "one",

After the drill, it's time to teach number 1 with illustration. I write number 1 on the center and surrounded it with objects. I showed to them that the number 1 is matched to an object before I'll call one student to do the same and I'm so glad of the result. They easily get it. My model class for this day is Anuban 1/12.

What's on my worksheet is usually discussed first and done through boardwork. I make it as easy as possible for my 3-year-old learners. Majority of these students did the worksheet without my assistance and you'll see how they're able to comprehend my lesson about NUMBER 1! I'm so glad of the result.