As preschool teachers, we often hear comments about how patient we are when it comes to handling children. In fact, a lot of people are well aware of how challenging our job is… I mean, I have seen mothers on the brink of losing their sanity, to think that they are only taking care of one or two children… what more for teachers who are tasked to look after a group of at least 10 kids!
But, admittedly, even with the passion and commitment I put into my profession, I am still human- hence, like many, I also lose my temper.
These past few weeks have been particularly difficult for me. Given the entry of the newest addition in my class, a boy with boundless energy and a first-timer, things in the classroom have been pretty chaotic.
I have been appropriately briefed as to what I should be expecting from this child. With enough background knowledge I braced myself for what was to come. And, he did not fail me. Honestly, the kid was really a handful.
The new student was easy. What caught me off guard was the ripple effect of misbehavior that pervaded in my class. My old students, who have been well trained and fully aware of classroom rules and regulations, started to suddenly act like newcomers. Being a teacher of 7 years, I tried to act as composed as I can… laughing it off and regarding it as an isolated case… It would have been easier for me… except that I was in a state of emotional instability, which regularly happens to me prior to my period.
As expected, my children saw the other… and darker… side of their teacher. I was furious! I talked to them like they were like teenagers or something. After that, I felt guilty and embarrassed. I thought, this was not to be expected from an experienced teacher! What the hell was I thinking?
With awareness comes effort to change. Good thing children are easy to forgive and forget. So after a few games, songs, and dancing, they, thankfully got distracted and were again fully attentive… Dang, why didn’t I think of that earlier…
Well, anyways, as a teacher, I plan my lessons carefully and set daily objectives that I want to be attained. But with this thinking, I am only focusing on what I want… which should not be the case. Even with the years that I have had behind me, I still forget to be relaxed sometimes… to be flexible enough to bend the rules and trash my plan in response to what my students’ current conditions are… Well, thankfully, I do not claim to be the best and most patient educator in the world. On the contrary, I am fully aware that like many, I am still in the process of learning and continuous discovery. Children are such wondrous beings that they are virtually unpredictable! And now… minus the PMS… I believe I can start anew…

If there is one word that I can use to describe my first time high school teaching experience, that would be ‘haaay…’  I have been told that among the high school students in my school, the sophomores are the most difficult to handle.  In fact, at the moment, the parents of these sophomores have already entered the picture- bringing out their concerns about the surmounting behavioral concerns of these students.  To add to this, the head teachers of the high school department are now conducting a research to determine the cause, and consequently the solution to this problem.  I do not know why among the four levels, I chose to do my practicum here.  Prior to my first classroom visit, I was so confident that I could handle it. I keep telling myself that I am a good and experienced teacher.  I have had various experiences reporting to older and matured people-my classmates in MA and my co-teachers. Dealing with older children won’t be a problem for me.  But I guess, I cannot really and completely meet all my expectations.  I prepared well, slept late for a week just to finish my powerpoint presentation and materials.  I was to discuss three body systems- Integumentary, Skeletal and Muscular System in 2 and a half hours.  Upon entering the class, I already felt something wrong.  The students were engaged in small chats and jokes.  It was so hard to gain their attention.  And finally, when I did, It had been difficult for me to maintain it.  That is why I could not help calling their attention every now and then.  To think that there were only a few (maybe four students) who were disruptive in class.  Somehow these four children were capable of infecting the whole class…

Then I remembered the three C’s that had allowed me to survive as a teacher- calm, composure, and cool.  Then I relaxed and went along with them.  I modified my lesson right there on the spot, and injected more questions that kept most of them attentive.  I also included a game which the students found interesting. By the time I checked my watch, It was already time.

Somehow, I believe that I was able to teach them something substantial.  This was evident in their outputs during the drill.  I was able to achieve the objectives.  I believe that in time, I can also contribute to modifying their behavior.  Beyond the limitations of my lessons, I enjoyed being in their classroom.  It was a nice, great, and oh so different experience.  I am looking forward to meeting them again tomorrow… Even though I would rather have them do something more meaningful on Tuesday, their curriculum entails that I give them a lecture. So I guess, I will be allotting a few minutes for lecture, then proceed to my Tuesday lesson about the Digestive System. Well, I am set to experiment and determine what teaching model would best apply to them…

Brightwoods Preschool Teachers

TIPS FOR WRITING REMARKS

Introduction

Remarks are invaluable tools that teachers use for parents to have an idea of what their children can do or can’t do. For many years, teachers utilize this means to supplement the grading part of report cards.

A lot of resources are available on the internet. However, make sure that the remark really fit the student you are referring to. These internet resources are guides. Modify some terms if necessary. Most early childhood education books are also good references. In most instances, it is better to refer to these books to see developmental milestones in student achievement.

How to write remarks

When writing remarks, the following are immensely important:

1) Basic knowledge on subject verb agreement. Of course, this is so important because this is something that is readily evident. Mistakes made that are of this nature create a negative impression since it is assumed that as teachers, we are already well aware of this. Hence, always scan your remarks for subject-verb errors. Ask if uncertain or refer to this site: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu.

2) Do a spell-check. Check out spellings of tricky words. If unsure, ask somebody. Keep a dictionary handy.

3) Familiarity with ‘teacher jargon’. Remarks made should somehow sound professional. Being teachers, it is a must that we are attuned with the vocabulary being used to refer to many aspects of childhood development and learning. It is also imperative that the term we will be using matches the level or age group we are handling.

4) Minimize hitting many birds in one stone. Remember, we have 3 areas of development X 3 semesters to comment on that’s why it is always wise to leave some remark to expound on for the next semester. However, if some behavior really requires attending to, or if the grade may elicit a reaction from the parents, then we can say something about it.

5) Enrich your vocabulary. A thesaurus is a remark-writer’s best friend. Aside from helping you with the spelling, it can provide you with alternatives that would minimize the usage of same terms over and over again. However, in some instances, it is advisable that we stick with words that we are familiar with. When experimenting with new words, try writing the sentence down and read it out aloud to somebody else. If it is understood, then it is likely that you have correctly chosen the most appropriate word.

5) Go beyond rote learning. Ideal remarks go beyond narrating the numerals, letters, or words that a student can recognize. Remember, the way a remark is written actually reflects the method or strategy that the teacher uses in the classroom. Sticking to these types of remarks suggests that the teacher is focused on lower level skills, hence, it is possible that important skills such as critical thinking or comprehension might be sacrificed.

Instead of sticking with one format, try out new strategies in writing remarks. The possibilities are endless. Some suggestions are as follows:

* Comment on ability- This is the most common way of writing remarks- stating what the child can do, can identify, what he is good at, etc. Examples below:

1. Jenny exhibits increased numeracy skills.
2. Bogart manifests a budding sense of orderliness.
3. Jaime possesses high logical thinking skills.
4. Carmen demonstrates satisfactory understanding of patterns and sequence.
5. Coco can identify most letter sounds.

* Behavior manifested- Usually, we include this kind of remark to supplement what we have mentioned about their ability. Such as this example- Jenny exhibits increased numeracy skills. She is receptive when it comes to activities involving numbers and quantity. Instead of using it as a support, try making it your opening salvo such as the examples below:

1. Sho is able to count sets of objects with increasing accuracy.
2. Matti interacts comfortably with other children during play settings.
3. Yoj performs many locomotor activities with fervor and competence.
4. Nate appears to be especially good in activities requiring logical thinking skills.
5. Colin is gradually becoming more expressive during informal conversations.

* Comment on capacity to learn- Instead of stating what the child can do, try commenting on the student’s potentials.

1. Jenny can grasp concepts presented in class at a fast pace.
2. Bless finds creative writing as an important medium for expressing her ideas.
3. Martin is at his best when involved in reading activities.

* Comment on the learning style

1. Dominic appears to be a kinesthetic learner.
2. Amber is more receptive to lessons discussed when presented in the context of games.

* Tell the truth

1. Though Jenny can now associate most letters with their frequent sounds, intervention is still required for her to utilize this skill in reading.

Teachers and Tutor moms will find this website useful. It features an addition and subtraction worksheets generator that allows you to have access to an unlimited number of worksheets at the fastest time possible. Just key in the data requested, click generate or generatePDF and it’s ready to print! Amazing…. 
Try it… http://www.softschools.com/math/worksheets/addition_worksheets.jsp

Having been a teacher myself in a semi-progressive, semi-traditional school, I was made aware of the significance of DAP or Developmentally Appropriate Practices- something that most traditional schools seemingly ignore… or probably, (though, I really hope not) haven’t heard of…
Every night, I dread having to witness my Grade 1 nephew’s misery- as he is made to do tons and tons of writing, drawing, coloring, and textbook assignments… Some of the preposterous homework that he was subjected to are the following:

1. Draw the parts of the computer (which his Mom did… worst, 5 points were deducted from his score because he forgot to draw the printer…)
2. Draw the map of the Philippines (which I did because apparently, even the Mom’s drawing skills were not enough to complete the task)
3. Draw several fruits, objects, people, and other things that even me would find challenging to do (which again, the Mom mostly did… )
4. Complete hundreds of lectures (It takes my nephew an awful lot of time to write, the tendency is, he lags in his lectures)
5. Practice cursive writing (and he has not yet even fully mastered the basics of simple hand writing!)
… and etc. etc.
Imagine this little child’s nightly agony! And he is just 7 years old for goodness’ sake!
I am not entirely opposed to the means and ways of traditional schools. (Being a product of one myself, I somehow turned out OK in many respects)  Nor do I conclude that all trad school are like this!  I bet some schools find ways to adapt themselves to the changing times… I am merely pointing out that there are better alternatives, or should I say, more developmentally appropriate practices that are proven to generate more positive results when it comes to teaching kids…
My nephew, who has been in this school since his kindergarten years, was scantily given opportunities to strengthen his fine motor control and dexterity when he was in preschool… how then can he suddenly be expected to draw a computer? Why oblige him to draw the map of the Philippines when he was not given tasks such as copying balls, balloons, and shapes when he was in Kinder or Prep? My goodness… seeing and hearing him whine and complain to his mom every night upset me… I just wished he had better options in his school life… better experiences to live out and remember… better activities that would make him smile and laugh and be eager to go to school again the next day…
Sadder even is that his limitations in the fine motor area are the ones frequently highlighted… never did I hear anybody (except his family of course) marvel in this young boy’s amazing skills in running, jumping, and in several sports. He is also a very inquisitive and imaginative lad… somebody brimming with potentials, waiting to be tapped…
Thankfully, a lot of schools that are now emerging are more aware of DAP. DAP is student-centered and realistic. It promotes feelings of successes and achievements- – – ultimately leading to learners loving learning itself…

Nothing in this world can be likened to teaching children as young as 2 to 3 years old… It is definitely tiring, but also unbelievably gratifying!  10 years ago, I’ve never thought of myself as a teacher… 3 years ago, I would have said no to teaching babies… And about 2 months ago, I would have opted to go back teaching older kids… But now, as fate would have it… I am again trekking the same path as I’ve done in my last year in BWS.

It was not forced upon me… it was just because among the three new Noblesse Early Years teachers, I was the one with the experience.  I stepped into the Toddler classroom with 2 bubbly and easy to handle children… After almost 2 months, the Toddler class population catapulted to a whooping 12 students!  To add to my growing incredulity, the task seems to get more challenging each day.. 12 different children- all egoistic, territorial, and with vague awareness and compliance to classroom rules!  Moreso, being gifted with an enormously sized classroom proved to have its own disadvantages- to them, they have before themselves the crude rendition of a playground where they can run, jump, and play to their hearts’ content!

However, beyond the day-to-day physical exhaustion and endless motivational strategies, I cannot cite any other profession that is as utterly gratifying… The pleasure comes from seeing their faces beam with joy and appreciation after a wonderfully planned activity, laugh like there’s no tomorrow over your clown-like antics, and sing and dance without inhibitions… Wow… dang, I sound like a newbie…

Well, anyways, I am applauding all the noble Preschool Teachers of the world… It takes a great deal of commitment and dedication to engage in this kind of profession.. Regardless of whether the job is a calling or forced upon us (mostly because of the growing unemployment rate)…  the rewards are true and the same for all us… more than the financial and material gains.. we leave indelible traces of ourselves to these children… we make them learn while being happy and secure… we give them moments to appreciate the joys of being young and carefree… Hey, having said this, I just realized that they, too, do the same for us… hmmm….

Teaching is the noblest of professions.  Indeed, it takes a tremendous amount of patience and commitment to survive in this career.  However, more than being an idealist, teachers should also be realists.  We also have to dream for ourselves and for our families.  We have to plan for our future and build financial security.  With the dawning of a global financial crisis, the more that we should start scouting for other means to supplement our incomes.

There are several opportunities available.  However, we should be fastidious enough to discern which income-earning scheme is dignified and fitting in relation to our current profession.  Also, it is important that we give due respect to the educational institution that we are apart of.  Second jobs should not interfere with the fulfillment of our daily obligations as teachers.  Most importantly, do not keep it a secret.  It’s better to avoid skeletons in the closet.  Inform management and ask for permission.

For starters, here are some ideas that I have thought of…

1.  Go into blogging.  Earning via blogging does not guarantee a stable monthly income.  I for one have been blogging for several months now and I have not yet earned as much as my one month salary as a teacher. The profitability of blogging lies in the appropriateness and appeal of your site’s content.  Also, the would-be blogger should be committed enough to write on a regular basis.

2.  Design and produce instructional materials. Some teachers have the talent for producing unique teaching aids.  Usually, years in the teaching field hones the educator’s creativity.  You can come up with unique materials and probably produce them yourselves or have them made elsewhere.  I was able to meet a teacher who was in this line of business.  Now, they are one of the suppliers of a well-known brand in the US.

3.  Write children’s books.  Someday, I would also love to come up with my own series of books that can be used to supplement a school’s reading program.  Teachers can start with a few lines, find illustrators, then source out a publisher for your material.  With enough marketing savvy, you may just be successful in encouraging day care or pres-elementary schools to make use of your books.

4.  Blogging to the next level.  Teachers all around the globe are constantly on the look out for resources that would help them in their careers.  For example, if you are talented in lesson planning, you can make extra income by writing lesson plans for other teachers.  You can sell your ideas over the net or through your blog sites.  Another alternative is for you to come up with an e-book that may contain a compilation of interesting lesson plans that you have done over the years.

5.  Go into buy and sell.  Some teachers discretely sell all sorts of items to their co-teachers after office hours.  Though this may seem to be a promising endeavor, some schools may not allow this.

6.  Get a second teaching job.  Some universities accept part-time college instructors who teach on Saturdays or in night classes.  Besides giving yourself the extra money, you will also benefit as far as teaching experience is concerned.

7.  With the influx of foreigners in our country, tutorials are really in demand.  I have friends who opted to be full time tutors as this seems more profitable and hassle-free.  Offering tutorial classes can be a full-time or a part-time endeavor.  Just make sure that your employer allows it.

Regardless of what money-making scheme you are in, it is imperative that we maintain our dignity as teachers… Goodluck and hail to all the noble educators of the world!

Assessment period is here again and as requested, here are some sample remarks again for Cognitive Development…  As these may prove to be useful, it is still wise and advisable that comments written about your students be truly representative of their skills and abilities…

Marj attentively listens to gain information.  She possesses a good understanding of spatial concepts and direction- allowing her to execute verbal instructions well.

Honey continues to strengthen her skills in number-related concepts.  She can identify, compare, and sequence numerals from 1 to 100 with ease.

Bea’s high level of focus and concentration enables her to immediately grasp concepts presented in class.  She demonstrates increased memory skills, evidently manifested when she responds to questions that call for information previously taught.

Bob remains to be strong in expressive language skills.  He has a good command of the English language and speaks with proper articulation and fluency.  He can respond to questions with depth and relevance- indicating an expansive vocabulary and satisfactory comprehension skills.

Henry can quickly grasp concepts presented in class.  His good observation skills allow him to detect logical relationships among pictures or objects.  He is proficient in labeling, matching, and sorting things according to relevant categories.

Joe’s creative and imaginative mind continues to be evident as he participates in creative writing tasks.  With an established oral language facility and commendable phonetic knowledge, he somehow finds it effortless to convey his thoughts through print.

Nate can respond to simple questions in an accurate way- indicating adequate comprehension skills.  He also shows understanding of basic positional words and concepts which allows him to appropriately execute oral instructions.  However, much has to be done to develop letter sound knowledge and print awareness.

Sam can give favorable insights about topics being discussed.  He seems to be more receptive when stories are presented using puppets or pictures.  Activities to address sight reading skills are provided.

Bill has gained a better understanding of number concepts presented in class.  He can now solve simple addition and subtraction equations with a good level of accuracy.

Maki’s good listening and comprehension skills allow him to accurately respond to simple questions asked. He seems to be more receptive with lessons presented through games and stories.

Cris satisfactorily grasps lessons taught in class.  He possesses a good understanding of spatial relationships which allows him to follow verbal instructions appropriately.

Kiam seemingly regards his growing phonetic ability to be an important word attack skill.  Though particularly meaningful, this skill still needs to be supplemented by a suitable number of sight vocabulary.  Hence, it is recommended that he be constantly exposed to frequently used words to hone sight reading skills.

Cham possesses good vocabulary skills.  She can easily recall and identify names of things and animals presented in class.  This ability greatly helps in honing her reading skills.

Paula shows enhanced awareness of prints.  She demonstrates a growing interest for books and reads following the left to right progression.  Activities to tap expressive language skills are still encouraged.

Megan has become more responsive to simple questions asked.  She usually gives brief but accurate answers to what, where, and who questions.  She is still prompted to elaborate her ideas.

Mark shows good thinking skills.  He performs well in activities requiring comparisons and classifications.  He can respond creatively to open-ended questions.

Colin carefully evaluates instructions given to him.  His sufficient understanding of spatial concepts allows him to execute verbal directions in an appropriate manner.

John’s growing understanding of letter and sound relationships has been beneficial in making him be more confident to engage in various reading and spelling tasks.  He is now starting to utilize this skill in creative writing activities.

Yoj shows enhanced print awareness skills.  He demonstrates a growing fondness for books and stories and reads following the left to right progression.  He is now being given activities to increase skills in following directions.

Niko’s notable memory skills are evident in the way he recalls poems and songs presented in class.  He exhibits a growing sight vocabulary and is now learning to decode unfamiliar words phonetically.

Migo can respond to what, where, and who questions with good comprehension.  Activities to tap verbal reasoning skills are recommended.

The Concept of Play
Children and play are inseparable entities. To be educators of children, one should understand the important role of play in each child’s life. If well understood, play could be used as an important tool in the learning process.

Definitions of Play

Play is a child’s work (Montessori).
Play is what we enjoy while we are doing it. Work is what we enjoy when we have accomplished it (Dewey).
An activity with or without materials in which bodily movement is an end in itself (Buhler).
Play is intrinsically motivated, concerned with means rather than ends, is child-directed, nonliteral, free from externally dictated rule structures, rules that do exist can be modified by players, and requires active engagement of players (Rubin, Fein, and Vandenberg).
A current definition of play supplied by Johnson and Ershler proves to have particular merit for preschool teachers. They point out that “Play may be defined as behavior that is intrinsically motivated, freely chosen, process-oriented, and pleasurable.”
From this definition, we can derive the different characteristics of Play:
Play is intrinsically motivated. Children should be willing to engage in an activity not because of external rewards from the teacher but because they believe that they would really enjoy it, and thus would be eager to participate.
Play is freely chosen. Children should be given the liberty to choose a form of play even for a brief period of time in school.
Play is process-oriented. The play process should in itself provide satisfaction.
Play is pleasurable. Of course, children engage in play to have fun. Hence, during play activities, expect children to come out of their shells and laugh their hearts out.
Stages of Play

Researchers agree that play passes through a series of developmental stages. Many experts have attempted to categorize play according to various factors.

Parten looked into the social aspects of play. She viewed play as advancing from solitary play (playing alone, not really minding other kids, characteristic of very young children) to parallel play (playing beside, but not with, a companion child, often seen in 2 to 3 year olds), to associative play (playing together but not subordinating their individual interests to a common goal, often seen in 31/2 to 41/2 year olds) and finally to cooperative play (playing together for a common purpose, apparent in the play of 4 to 5 year olds).
Kenneth Rubin demonstrated that solitary play can be quite sophisticated and that the same child may use various forms and combinations of these stages at different times of the day and in various circumstances throughout his childhood.
For teachers, this idea helps us understand why young children seem to appear ‘selfish’ at times. Instead of concluding that they are immature, gradually guiding and encouraging them would do well in helping them proceed to a higher stage of play.
Smilansky develop another category, this time, drawing inspiration from the Piagetian theory. She divided play into functional play (with the child making simple use of movements to provide exercise), constructive play (where the child works toward a goal of some sort), and socio-dramatic play (where the child assumes roles and uses language for pretending). By the time the child is 7, he reaches the games-with-rules stage, described to be the highest form of cognitive play.
These stages allow teachers to plan play activities that are appropriate for the children’s maturity as well as cognitive ability.