Tinokla Scribbles and Doodles

A New Year’s Prayer for the Preschool Department

Tinokla — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:43:02 +0000

After the fuss and buzz of the holidays, it is now time to welcome 2009. Like many organizations, starting off the year would include meetings and probably, some activities to jump start and set every employee to ‘work mode’. In our year-opener meeting, I was tasked to lead the group in prayer. A friend once told me that composing a prayer is not an easy task. Well , she can say that again! She added that their are three elements involved: First, find the right words to say. Second, speak from the heart and with deep sincerity. Lastly, pray in a manner that would reach the highest of heavens.

I tried to keep her pointers in mind. After about 2 hours of intense concentration, I came up with a prayer that was, I believe, good enough in many respects.

A New Year’s Prayer for the Preschool Department

Lord Almighty, Thank you for an abundant and meaningful 2008! Despite the hurdles and turmoil, the challenges and the pains, the sadness and the hurt, we have emerged triumphant and strong, eager to face head-on, the challenges of the new year.

O Holy God of new beginnings and infinite surprises, we embrace 2009 with renewed spirits! In strong faith, we believe that this will be a better year. May it be a time of grace and abundance, of financial security and better relationships, of good health and bright tomorrows. May it be a year of blessings- a time to cherish our families and friends, a time to renew our efforts at work, a time to embrace You our God faithfully and with conviction.

Walk with us Lord as we journey towards 2009. Hold our hands as we trek through the paths of doubts and misgivings. Carry us on Your back in our troubled times. Give us the gift of enlightenment in times of darkness.

Bless the teachers whom you called upon to take on this worthy profession. Bless Teacher Cielo and Teacher Tin- theirs is the responsibility of molding the love for learning even at an early age. Bless Teacher Lani, Teacher Love and Teacher Chi- as they fashion their children’s minds and hearts and gear them for challenges ahead. Bless Teacher Dianne, Teacher Kim and Teacher Maricel, as they armor their children with life skills that would enable them to be better individuals. Bless Teacher Rej, Teacher Anji, and Teacher Raisa, theirs is the challenge of refining our students and enriching their experiences as they finally bid preschool goodbye and cross-over to more difficult academic lives ahead.

Bless Teacher Joy. May she continually guide and lead the preschool department with fervor and high hopes. Bless Teacher Ana and Brightwoods School, may this institution thrive with zeal in the coming years. May the people continue to embody qualities of excellence, be living epitomes of goodness and walking instruments of hope.

In great devotion we honor and believe in you O Lord. We will continue to work, live, and model your goodness to us. Help us to be more for the people who depend on us…

In everything, in anything, we glorify your name O Lord over and beyond anything else. AMEN

Missing the MacBook

Tinokla — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:08:13 +0000

It has been months since my last sensible blog. Many factors can be attributed to this decline. For one, my day job has eaten my spirits away- with all the work load and Christmas prep, I have only little time left to do other things. Another very painful occurance is the bugging down of the Apple MacBook Pro that I so so love. I woke up one day and it refused to start-up. I was confident that my techie spouse could whip up his computer wizardry and make it work but alas, it was not as simple as that.

To resolve the concern, we browsed through apple sites and forums and searched for related problems. We found one that enumerated the same symptoms that our MacBook was experiencing. We were disheartened to find out that in order for us to address the problem, we have to shell out at least Php50,000 to purchase an important hardware. My goodness, it was as if buying a whole new unit again! So naturally, we have to plan this out first and see how we can squeeze it in our finances.

Now I am back to using my dear old Compaq Presario 2100. From being totally disregarded for the past several months, we now see it to be a durable and reliable piece of machine. I would want to one day own a Sony Vaio for a change but in the meantime, I do not see any harm in settling for my dependable and sturdy laptop.

What really bugs me is that I had 100% faith over Apple and all its products. For me, an Apple shutting down and refusing to start up is way impossible. I mean, isn’t Apple the best? Isn’t Apple top-of-the-line? I am not computer geek. I am simply expressing my sentiments. Regardless, I am still hopeful that the MacBook will soon be repaired and start running again. Even with my experience, I am still relying on the fact that the laptop is still an MacBook and so it will be revived again. In a way, I am also to be blamed for its temporary demise. I mean, I am not the most careful person in the world… Well then, if given a second chance I will surely be more cautious- I will really give the MacBook the care and concern that it deserves… Anyway, my blogging need not be curtailed as I have my durable Compaq at my disposal.

Remarks for Report Cards (Pre-Nursery Level)

Tinokla — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:37:06 +0000

After almost a month and a half with my students, I am now obliged to do an assessment of each one of them. For me to fairly and accurately evaluate their performance, I sought feedbacks from their previous teacher. Remarks writing for the pre-nursery level proved to be somehow difficult. Another thing that complicated this task further is that I only spent little time with them. Usually, a grading period requires at least three months of exposure. That is why it is imperative that the grading process be done in consultation with the previous teacher. Anyway, for those who would be handling and consequently grading pre-nursery students (with ages from 1 year and 6 months to 2 years and 11 months), here are some sample remarks that may be useful to supplement their grades.

Motor/Physical Development

Charlie is an energetic boy who enjoys opportunities for active play. He can push a foot vehicle and walk while stepping over obstacles. He is also observed to be fond of climbing on top of chairs and other elevated objects.

Eva is observed to interchangeably use her left and right hand when manipulating writing and coloring tools. When it comes to table activities, she seems to be fond of tracing broken lines and connecting dots. These activities contribute to the development of her eye-hand coordination.

Pauline manipulates small items with a well-developed pincer grasp. She exhibits left hand dominance as she controls pencils and crayons. She is also able to draw recognizable representations of a human figure and other objects.

Amber is steadily establishing hand preference when controlling fine-motor implements. She colors and traces broken lines with age-appropriate ability. She also actively engages in various forms of manipulative play.

Niko displays a normal level of motor activity for his age. He can move from one play area to the next without prompting. He walks, runs, and jumps with good ability.

Social and Emotional Development

When with other children, Hansen prefers to engage in solitary play. He displays some form of interaction by getting his classmate’s toys and, sometimes, by gesturing his preference to the teacher. He still needs to be guided for him to be able to make smooth transitions between classroom routines.

Though Marva still seeks the presence of her primary caregiver inside the classroom, she is beginning to accomplish different activities on her own. She eats and packs up with occasional reminders. However, she has yet to understand and appropriately respond to the word ‘no’ as she often insists on doing what she wants.

Charmaine can comfortably work and play alongside other children. She responds appropriately to positive verbal encouragements and shows affection to familiar people around her. However, she still tends to be easily distracted during concept teaching time.

Hannah now works on table assignments in an independent manner. She is gradually developing self-confidence as she now rarely seeks the presence of her primary caregiver inside the classroom.

Brad is now able to make smooth transitions between classroom routines. He can sustain his interest over play activities for fairly long periods of time. However, he still tends to be easily distracted when accomplishing worksheets.

Cognitive Development

Danny is showing early signs of math readiness as he can grasp the concept of big/small and tall/short. During playtime, he can appropriately sort toys and put them in their proper containers- an evidence of his emerging skills in classifying.

Ara communicates her needs and preferences through gestures and simple phrases. She can also verbally identify a good number of objects with clarity.

Patrice shows adequate concept formation skills. She can identify colors and associate them with objects. She is receptive to sound and visual stimuli- explaining her interest for songs and books.

Melody shows an understanding of whole to part relationships as she completes a 6-piece puzzle with minimal assistance. She can also recognize her classmates’ names in print- an evidence of emerging pre-reading skills.

Jimmy is starting to show signs of math readiness as he can compare and identify objects that are big/small and long/short. He can also associate numerals 1 to 3 to their corresponding number of objects- indicating an emerging sense of quantity.

A Teacher Again…

Tinokla — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:50:31 +0000

After about 6 months of admin duties and zero teaching load, I now enter the teaching force again. Thanks to a teacher who resigned from her post just a week ago. Nobody was qualified enough to handle her class. Even my qualifications (which include a 7 year teaching experience) were questioned. Why? simply because this class was no ordinary class- It was a baby’s class. Yes, I was rigidly trained to be a teacher- like an old teacher’s joke says- oldtime teachers can teach even while sleeping. However, I knew that regardless of my education, training, seminars, and experience, I am to face another battle in my life- another arena where the participants, the rules, and the goals are different. And of course, the cautious and paranoid individual in me prompted me to be ready and fully geared for the battle ahead.

Why others doubted my capability as a pre-nursery teacher was understandable. For one, I was known to be strict and worse, a notorious goal-setter. I maintained high expectations for my previous students in Kinder. Hence, according to my co-teachers, I may suffer from bouts of frustration.

I believe that they are wrong. One of the things that a teacher should first do is to know the learners. Knowing the learners would help you understand their nature. Understanding their nature would guide you in choosing the appropriate teaching strategies and classroom management styles.

Pre-nursery children in Brightwoods School can be as young as 1 year and 6 months to 2 years and 11 months. The approach should be non-threatening and at the same time, not overly lenient. Rapport and the building of trust were the firsts on my agenda. What made the whole thing a bit complicated was the fact that they have had a teacher before. Somehow, I had to win the kids first before I can really teach them.

In terms of activities, multi-sensorial tasks are preferable. Kids their age, learn when all senses are engaged in the learning process. Also, teachers should be entertaining as well, with plenty of gimmicks, voice modulation, and games to pique interest.

So far, I have had one successful day with them. Tomorrow will be a new adventure, a new experience to learn from. And as always, I will give it my 100% effort.

Another Progress Report Sample

Tinokla — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:27:10 +0000

This is the assessment report that I made for my student with Noonan Syndrome. The sample below focuses on her Social and Emotional Development.

Hannah recognizes familiar people around her. Often, she would greet them with a ‘hi’ and a smile. She seems to be comfortable around her classmates and is receptive when called. She is often seen engaging in parallel play with her classmates. Sometimes, she attempts to initiate interactions with other children. This is evident in the way she tends to reach and call out when she needs a pencil or a crayon. Her classmates usually react positively to these manifestations. They are receptive and helpful- willing to help or to give her toys. She is also seen to exhibit a fondness for songs. Every so often, she imitates hand movements while singing songs or dancing. As with circle time activities, she is encouraged to participate. However, she still has the tendency to be shy and reluctant to stand up and accomplish teacher’s instructions such as getting an item from a pocket chart. Simple self-help activities are likewise being repeatedly exposed to her. She is asked to help other children when packing up toys, crayons, and other school materials. She is also beginning to wash her hands on her own. However, she still needs somebody to instruct and tell her the step by step procedures such as open the faucet, get the soap, wipe your hand, etc. Preparing light and easy-to-eat snacks will help develop her self-help skills.

Table activities remain to be a challenge for Hannah. She may color when instructed but still tends to stop after a few seconds. She needs to be thoroughly guided and hand-held before she can adequately complete a task.

Sample Preschool Progress Report

Tinokla — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:12:48 +0000

A reader recently requested for remarks in paragraph form. In my school, we usually give out narrative reports like the ones below for children with special cases. These children are under our Learning Assistance Program- they usually have special needs, hence, it would be unfair to evaluate them using the same instruments for children in mainstream classes. To gauge their developmental progress over a period of time, we construct progress reports indicating their degree of achievement, learning styles, and some other behavioral manifestations. We also supplement this report with a developmental checklist.

Sample Progress Report

Kimberly is seen to be an energetic and active child. She moves around the classroom a lot, finding enjoyment in exploring her environment. She can adequately maintain her balance as seen when walking along straight and curved beams and going up and down the stairs. However, her growing adeptness in gross motor skills is more apparent during individual sessions. Up to know, she still has her hesitations when it comes to joining her classmates in group exercises. As regards to fine motor activities, she is still more inclined to engage in manipulative play such as rolling and pounding play dough, building structures out of blocks, and completing 5 to 10 piece puzzles. She still requires a great deal of encouragement and prodding during paper and pencil assignments.

Kimberly is becoming more comfortable with other children. She is beginning to engage in simple conversations and sometimes, even greets familiar people with a ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’. She is also observed seeking the presence of her classmates, often asking the Teacher about their whereabouts. Sometimes, she is seen exhibiting early signs of cooperative play- she shares her toys when encouraged and is now learning to wait for her turn. However, there are still instances when she disregards teacher’s directions and insists on what she wants. This usually happens during worksheet time as she prefers to play rather than accomplish her table work. She needs to be urged and promised that she can play for as long as she completes her assigned task.

Kimberly can adequately follow directions involving spatial concepts such as on, under, over, top, bottom, etc. She is also able to identify a growing number of things and pictures and can sufficiently answer basic questions about them. Her beginning skills in sorting and categorizing are also becoming apparent as she can enumerate 2 to 4 examples of things we can eat, wear, and play with. In terms of numeracy skills, she is now starting to be familiar with numerals 0 to 10. However, it is still a challenge for her to count with a sense of one-to-one correspondence. As of now, she still requires a great deal of intervention in a one-on-one setting for her to polish her reading and counting skills.

Les Miserables- BWS Showtime Presentation

Tinokla — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:23:10 +0000

Just recently, I was given the opportunity of becoming one of the production members of Les Miserables- the showtime presentation of Brightwoods School’s highschool graduating batch. I was tasked to handle the costumes and inspite of the short notice, I believe that I was able to do my part well… However, what was really memorable was the collective efforts of each and everyone in the team. Under the helm of our showtime director, Ditas Yap, everything went on smoothly and according to plan. We are overwhelmed with the rave reviews of people who witnessed the event. Again, we have proven that, together, we can really make great things happen!

Allow me to share my experience as a prod staff. Being in-charge of costumes, I was able to mingle with the cast. Just like any highschool batch, theirs was an interesting bunch of personalities. Being a preschool teacher, they do not really know me, but then again, they welcomed me heartily and appreciated the help I have extended to them. Penetrating the group and earning their support came in easy. I have realized that inspite of their natural playfulness and easy going attitude, they were all for the success of the play! I have been a witness to the hard work that each of them had accorded to the presentation… They helped each other, becoming leaders in each of their own way. Indeed, it was a remarkable display of team work and camaraderie… To everybody, Congratulations!

Congratulations to Basil who plays Valjean, the lead character. He seems to have it all- good looks, brains, and most importantly, sheer determination. His leadership qualities emanate as he steers the group towards focusing on the success of the play.

Congratulations to Marius and Javert, played by Papo and Gelo. With their intensity as actors, they might even make it big in the movie industry!

Congratulations to the Thenardiers, played by Mao and Miko. What a funny tandem! Their appalling behavior towards young Cosette was overshadowed by their comical and hilarious antics.

Congratulations to Fantine, Cosette, and Eponine… their realistic portrayals brought tears to the audience’s eyes.

Congratulations also to Eugene and Gaston, who brought justice to their roles as support for the leads!

And of course, to the whole fourth year highschool brood, Congratulations! A big hand to you guys!

To the Brightwoods School Prod Staff, what can I say but, WE DID IT AGAIN… Three cheers for us! Congrats Ditas, Marvin, Jhoan, X, Eric, John, Joy, Shiela, James, Jay, Ryan, Leilah, and Francis!

What do you really want in life?

Tinokla — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:01:12 +0000

A friend once asked me this question: What do you really want in life? This seemingly simple question proved to be so difficult to answer. However, Oprah posits that to answer this question, we have to first determine what makes us the happiest every day. I can only think of one thing- everytime I go home after an exhausting day at work and find my family’s welcoming embrace and happy smiles, then I am truly happy.

I guess, it had been hard for me because I have always associated my sense of achievement with career. Upon reflection, I realized that our personal successes would mean nothing if we are unable to share them with someone else. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson’s quotation rings true… The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.

Working hard and excelling in one’s field is not a sin. However, as we trod the path towards financial and professional success, we must not forget to stop and take the hand of those that really matter along the way.

Long wearing Blush

Tinokla — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:40:30 +0000

Make-up is not really my thing. Actually, it took me a long time before finally accepting the fact that I need to look good every time I go to work. For the past years, I have grown to love the process of putting make-up on my face. Because of my fear of allergies and blemishes, I sought to purchase only the best brands in the market. For today, let me talk about blush-ons.

The best blush that I have used so far is Revlon’s swirl blush (this was probably 2006). During that time, it was Halle Berry who was the model for Revlon. I was fascinated with the way it looks, pink blush with swirls of darker pink. Also, it was probably one of the first blush-ons that had that shimmery effect on your face. Most importantly, even with a relatively higher price compared to others, it was a good buy because I was able to use it for more than a year! However, by the time I went out to buy another, I was told that they phased-out the product already… sad… And so I shifted to other Revlon blush-ons. However, nothing can beat my swirl blush!

I remained loyal to Revlon. Just recently, I bought their newest product- colorstay mineral blush. The packaging was good- it kind of has a 3D effect with the blush protruding out of its socket. Anyway, the Revlon girl claimed that it was long wearing. And so she said that for an expensive price of Php898- it was a great buy. When it comes to beauty products, I admit that I am not an expert. So, I trusted her and bought one.

I admit that the color was good on my face. It also gave my face a nice shimmer which I liked. However, it was not as long wearing as I have expected. One day, I was surprised that I have already consumed the whole thing! After 3 months, I needed to buy a new blush-on! Disappointed, I went to Watsons and sought to find another brand.

In2it is one of the make-up brands that I really don’t give much attention to when I am in the cosmetics section. Usually, I settle for Revlon, Maybelline, and Max Factor. This time, I gave it a closer look… I then realized that it was a good find!

For one, it was very affordable! At Php379, I already have a dual blush which was also long wearing according to the sales lady. And what’s best is that the applicator is so soft and easy to use.

Because I found it to be so cheap, I decided to buy something else. I heard from a friend that blush-ons look good if you blend it with a highlighter- more like a white blush if you’d ask me. I discovered that in2it has a nice product like this and so I bought one. Since I do not know how to use it, I asked the sales lady to give me a short demo. True enough, it gave my face a beautiful and shimmery glow. My friends and I were so excited to try it out and we had fun putting make-up on each other. It is really a must-by for ladies!

In times of Misery

Tinokla — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:05:58 +0000

In many instances in my life, I have sought refuge and encouragement from inspiring words of different people. This motivated me to post quotations that somehow reflect my feelings at the moment. Right about now, I can feel a sense of distress and helplessness enveloping my being. This is my emotional state when I came across the Stockdale Paradox:

You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time have the discipline to confront the brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

From-”Good to Great” by Jim Collins

Comforting as it may be, the words allow us to be in touch with the harsh realities of life. Challenges in life are but a part of being human. As we find the path that would lead us to the resolution of our difficulties, being armed with a strong faith will somehow help us alleviate the pressing circumstances that are weighing us down.