HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUBLE!!!WE LOVE YOU KYLENNE!
WE LOVE YOU DARRIELLE!
KARLISSE LOVES YOU BOTH!
MOM & DAD LOVE YOU BOTH!
WE ALL LOVE YOU!!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
...because i am forgetful!!!
You lost items in school for the third time. First, you said you lost a bag/toy which was placed inside your office. The next time you said you lost your hand phone near the dining area. Then this afternoon you said you lost the make-up kit you bought to be used for the K2's concert. So you asked for a meeting. Of course it is really pathetic that things will be lost in school considering we are all educators. You then told us that you lodged a police report when you lost your hand phone. You added that when you found out that you lost the make-up kit, you called the higher up. If that someone will be found out to be the culprit, her name will be stripped from MOE's register and will not be able to teach the rest of her life. Correct, correct. We all agreed. But when you added, " so when I go to your classroom, you must keep whatever I left behind or tell me that I left something because I am forgetful" an obvious affirmation of your irreponsibility, made me irritated. So I told you that you should also change your behaviour. You must change your attitude. Girl, you must first learn how to take care and be responsible of your own things. If they got lost, it is your responsibility. Yes, I pity that you lost things. May the real culprit be named. Not only she is a disgrace to our organization she also tainted our profession. But girl, you blew this big time. Yes, big time. You just cannot rationalize that you are forgetful. Blame yourself for losing things. It is not our fault that you are forgetful. Do remember that those who are not doing anything wrong have their dignity also. And I am one of them. Tell me, how can you let us work with dignity knowing that because you are forgetful you might lost things again and we can be the suspects???Ahhhh girl!!!
and the main qurestion.. how if teachers are not registered or when you register them the registration does not reflect the correct qualifications.. hmmm it gets me thinking, girl....
and the main qurestion.. how if teachers are not registered or when you register them the registration does not reflect the correct qualifications.. hmmm it gets me thinking, girl....
Saturday, September 27, 2008
F1 Singapore....and I am for Lewis Hamilton
Surely almost everybody knows F1 Singapore. Why so? It is because this is the first night street race. Like everyone around, my family is into it also. My second daughter just watched the practice last night and she went home so overwhelmed and proud. Right now, my two daughters are over there watching the live Qualifying Round while my husband and me are so glued on the TV screen. I am rooting for Lewis Hamilton but my husband wants either Massa or Kimi Raikkonen to win. I am confident Hamilton will win.
Here are some information about Lewis Hamilton:
Lewis Carl Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Hamilton started karting aged eight. When he was ten, he approached McLaren team owner Ron Dennis at an awards ceremony and told him he would drive for McLaren one day.
Hamilton, whose grandfather moved to the UK from Grenada in the 1950s, started his rise to the pinnacle of the sport in karts in 1995 taking top honours in the Masters at Bercy in 2000. A move to single seaters followed in 2001 with Hamilton taking part in the Formula Renault Winter Series finishing fifth overall. 2002 saw Hamilton back in Formula Renault, recording three wins with Manor Motorsport and finishing third in the championship standings.The championship followed in 2003 – again with Manor Motorsport – and Hamilton was very much into his stride. Wins in the F3 Euroseries before the championship followed in 2005 with ASM. A jump up to GP2 did not daunt Hamilton as he won the title in style from Nelson Piquet Jr with ART Grand Prix.
The McLaren Mercedes squad had Hamilton under its protective wing since the age of 12 and with Juan Pablo Montoya making a sudden move to NASCAR and falling out of favour with the Woking based team, Hamilton’s name was suddenly in the frame for the race seat with the team in 2007.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Birthday & Children's Stories
Yesterday, a father wrote to me requesting that I give away goody bags from his child as it was his son's birthday. He added that he would appreciate it very much if her son would be greeted by the children and by me also. Of course, I obliged happily.
So we sang the birthday song to Nigel, the birthday celebrator. One child asked, "Ms. Luchie why Nigel has no cake for us?" You see, the children got used to the tradition that a birthday celebrator brings cake and goody bags. I just answered that " ringing cake is just an option, what's more important is we greet him on his birthday."
In my classroom, if I have the time I normally make a birthday card for the birthday celebrator of the day. Since I had time yesterday, I made a birthday card for Nigel. I showed it to the whole class and they all applauded for Nigel. Hong Yu suddenly blurted out; "Ms. Luchie you did not give me a card on my birthday!" I was not able to utter a word and later asked "Really?" Sarah answered for Hong Yu, "Yes. You did not give me a card too." I was a little shock. Deep inside me I want to say "Oh my! These children can remember. Did I hurt their feelings?" When I gained my composure, I promised to them that I will be giving them cards on Children's Day.
Children do really make us stop, think and wonder. They may look innocent but actually thay are geniuses who make our life more meaningful and enjoyable. Oh, how I love them.
How I love my grand daughters too. They are angels. That is why I wrote a story titled "The Three Angels Versus The Five Witches". I know that someday they will enjoy reading my stories for them.
If you are interested to read my stories do visit my site titled LUCHIE"S CHERUBIM TALES at www.lggklm.blogspot.com
So we sang the birthday song to Nigel, the birthday celebrator. One child asked, "Ms. Luchie why Nigel has no cake for us?" You see, the children got used to the tradition that a birthday celebrator brings cake and goody bags. I just answered that " ringing cake is just an option, what's more important is we greet him on his birthday."
In my classroom, if I have the time I normally make a birthday card for the birthday celebrator of the day. Since I had time yesterday, I made a birthday card for Nigel. I showed it to the whole class and they all applauded for Nigel. Hong Yu suddenly blurted out; "Ms. Luchie you did not give me a card on my birthday!" I was not able to utter a word and later asked "Really?" Sarah answered for Hong Yu, "Yes. You did not give me a card too." I was a little shock. Deep inside me I want to say "Oh my! These children can remember. Did I hurt their feelings?" When I gained my composure, I promised to them that I will be giving them cards on Children's Day.
Children do really make us stop, think and wonder. They may look innocent but actually thay are geniuses who make our life more meaningful and enjoyable. Oh, how I love them.
How I love my grand daughters too. They are angels. That is why I wrote a story titled "The Three Angels Versus The Five Witches". I know that someday they will enjoy reading my stories for them.
If you are interested to read my stories do visit my site titled LUCHIE"S CHERUBIM TALES at www.lggklm.blogspot.com
Monday, September 08, 2008
Dramatic Play : Food Court
As you can see above, my children in school are so engaged as they pretend play in my Dramatic Corner. You see, I decorated my classroom last Friday in preparation for Term 4 which began today. I made learning centres which include this interest area which I named Admiralty Food Court. Of course I am so proud of my work. Why so? My children were so engaged. They even said: "so nice Ms. Luchie", when they entered my classroom.Yes dearie, my children play in the classroom for they learn through play. So you want to know more information about dramatic play? Please read.
Very early in life children show us that they have an amazing ability to use their imaginations in "let’s pretend" play. Children often use objects as symbols from past experiences. For instance, a child may use a block of wood to represent a loaf of bread. When children pretend to be someone or something else we call their activities "dramatic play".
Watching children’s dramatic play as it develops through the early childhood years lets us see that it becomes more complicated, extensive and prolonged over time. Dramatic play provides opportunities to combine spoken language with imagination, to imitate, and to pretend to be someone or something else. It stimulates all areas of a child's growth and can in turn affect the child's success in school. Dramatic play has also been shown to enable children to be more flexible in new situations. Pretending allows children to transform real life, changing things from how they really are to how the child perceives them to be.
What children learn from daramatic play? Here they are:
1. As they play, the children learn about themselves, their families, and the world around them. They clarify their impressions of what they have seen or experienced.
2.Play helps children to think about the way others act, think, and feel. It enables them to "try on" a role, experience, or feeling and to reflect on experiences that have been important to them. Children can act out times that they have found upsetting or hard to understand and show their feelings safely. Children may use play in this way to express their feelings about a new baby, or a visit to the doctor. When adults can understand the messages children send through play we can be more helpful in providing information and help.
3.Dramatic play helps children develop problem solving skills
4. Through dramatic play children develop communication skills. When children ask other children to play they must use language. As the play develops, they practice talking with each other and listening to what others have to say.
5.Children learn cooperation! Dramatic play provides unlimited opportunities for children to interact with each other and to learn to get along with others and to feel good about working together.
6. Children use dramatic play to discover the role of humor in human relationships.
7.Dramatic play encourages children to organize, predict and develop planning skills.
8.When children get involved in dramatic play they show a remarkable ability to focus, concentrate and stay on task. Once they are involved in play, adults are often astounded at how long children will continue to cooperate and work together.
9. Children learn to think by using symbols when they are playing pretend. Learning to use symbols is what learning to read and write is all about.
10.Dramatic play allows children to learn about feelings and explore power.
(Source: betterkidcare by: J. Birckmayer)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Observation in Early Childhood
As an early childhood educator I am used to observing children. I always like to write anecdotal recordings. In there, I write what the particular child did and say and how he interacted with his peers. Now you want me to write my observations in only a few sentences, at least in two to three sentences. How can I do that, tell me? Your words and actions then and now just prove how "raw" you are. Sorry dearie, but I cannot for the life of me follow what you want.
Here are some information to enlighten you up. This information is not my own words. They are professional information taken from ECRP Early Childhood Research and Practice titled Wondering with Children: The Importance of Observation in Early Childhood as written by George Foreman & Ellen Hall.
Introduction
Children are sometimes spontaneous, sometimes reserved; joyful now, sad later; friendly and reserved; competent and naïve; talkative and quiet. To be childlike is to experience an almost unpredictable array of discoveries, emotions, and levels of energy. Children are unique and complex and thus often difficult to comprehend. And they do not readily engage us in dialogue in order to explain the reasons for their caprice as they explore the world that surrounds them. Yet, as teachers, it is important for us to know our children deeply, to flow with their currents, and to extend their nascent theories about how the world works.
Given the delightful yet often enigmatic characteristics of young children, we learned decades ago that in order to comprehend children we must begin by observing them as they play. But what do we see as we observe, and how do we use our observations to enhance our effectiveness as teachers?
Five Reasons to Observe Children
Here are some of the reasons that teachers offer when asked about the value of watching and listening to children:
If I watch the children play, I can discover their interests.
By observing children, I can assess their developmental levels.
I look to see what strategies children use to attain their goals.
Observing children helps me know what skills the children need to practice.
When I observe children at play, I learn a lot about their personalities.
We want to use these reasons again, so we will provide an example that illustrates the general meaning of each:
Interests—He loves to play with trucks.
Developmental level—She throws the ball either very hard or not at all, but she does not vary the throw along a continuum of very hard, hard, and soft.
Strategies—She tries to influence her friend’s actions by controlling all of the crayons.
Skills—She has trouble stringing beads onto a knotted shoestring.
Personality—She is reserved and does not like to take risks.
In essence, we can learn at least five attributes of our children when we observe them closely:
Their interests and preferences
Their levels of cognitive and social development
Their strategies for creating desired effects
Their skills and accomplishments
Their personalities and temperaments
Each of the preceding objectives for observing is relevant if we desire to learn about children and thus improve the quality of our teaching. But we think that one of these objectives is best suited for gathering information in order to engage in high-level conversations with young children about their theories and attitudes, conversations that can support and extend their learning in both depth and breadth.
If we truly want to have high-level conversations with children about their beliefs, expectations, and assumptions about how something works or why something occurs, what do we need to know about the children? Quite simply, we need to know their beliefs, assumptions, and expectations so that we might enter the conversation with a paraphrase or counterpoint:
Knowing children’s interests might help us prepare the environment, but it does not help us have better conversations.
Knowing children’s skills might help us think about games to play that might encourage them to practice their skills, but it does not help us have better conversations.
Knowing children’s developmental level might help us predict what questions the children can answer, but it does not help us enter into a meaningful conversation with the children.
Knowing something about a child’s personality might help us be sensitive about our tone of voice or help us know what topics to avoid, but it does not help us have better conversations.
In order to have a meaningful conversation with a child, we need to know what the child thinks can be done in real situations (possible goals), and we need to know the procedures that the child believes will make things happen (possible strategies). If we have watched and listened long enough to determine the child’s goals and his strategies for attaining those goals, then we have both a resource for understanding the child and an interesting basis for a high-level conversation.
We might say, “It seems like you think the ball will roll faster if you make the incline steeper.” Or we might say, “Do you think you will have more friends if you have crayons?” But then in revisiting an experience with a child, putting that experience into words, we need to go beyond the observed strategies and consider the theories that make those strategies reasonable.
Considering children’s theories requires more than a careful transcription of what they say and do. We have to dig. We have to abstract the meaning of elliptical sentences, aborted movements, or a confusing explanation, request, or description. Children are competent learners, but as teachers, we have to slow down, carefully observe, and study our documented observations in order to understand the ideas that they are attempting to convey. In addition to slowing down, observing, and studying children’s actions and narration, understanding children’s theories requires a general knowledge of child development and a willingness to speculate.
Now tell me, how to write an observation in two to three sentences?
Here are some information to enlighten you up. This information is not my own words. They are professional information taken from ECRP Early Childhood Research and Practice titled Wondering with Children: The Importance of Observation in Early Childhood as written by George Foreman & Ellen Hall.
Introduction
Children are sometimes spontaneous, sometimes reserved; joyful now, sad later; friendly and reserved; competent and naïve; talkative and quiet. To be childlike is to experience an almost unpredictable array of discoveries, emotions, and levels of energy. Children are unique and complex and thus often difficult to comprehend. And they do not readily engage us in dialogue in order to explain the reasons for their caprice as they explore the world that surrounds them. Yet, as teachers, it is important for us to know our children deeply, to flow with their currents, and to extend their nascent theories about how the world works.
Given the delightful yet often enigmatic characteristics of young children, we learned decades ago that in order to comprehend children we must begin by observing them as they play. But what do we see as we observe, and how do we use our observations to enhance our effectiveness as teachers?
Five Reasons to Observe Children
Here are some of the reasons that teachers offer when asked about the value of watching and listening to children:
If I watch the children play, I can discover their interests.
By observing children, I can assess their developmental levels.
I look to see what strategies children use to attain their goals.
Observing children helps me know what skills the children need to practice.
When I observe children at play, I learn a lot about their personalities.
We want to use these reasons again, so we will provide an example that illustrates the general meaning of each:
Interests—He loves to play with trucks.
Developmental level—She throws the ball either very hard or not at all, but she does not vary the throw along a continuum of very hard, hard, and soft.
Strategies—She tries to influence her friend’s actions by controlling all of the crayons.
Skills—She has trouble stringing beads onto a knotted shoestring.
Personality—She is reserved and does not like to take risks.
In essence, we can learn at least five attributes of our children when we observe them closely:
Their interests and preferences
Their levels of cognitive and social development
Their strategies for creating desired effects
Their skills and accomplishments
Their personalities and temperaments
Each of the preceding objectives for observing is relevant if we desire to learn about children and thus improve the quality of our teaching. But we think that one of these objectives is best suited for gathering information in order to engage in high-level conversations with young children about their theories and attitudes, conversations that can support and extend their learning in both depth and breadth.
If we truly want to have high-level conversations with children about their beliefs, expectations, and assumptions about how something works or why something occurs, what do we need to know about the children? Quite simply, we need to know their beliefs, assumptions, and expectations so that we might enter the conversation with a paraphrase or counterpoint:
Knowing children’s interests might help us prepare the environment, but it does not help us have better conversations.
Knowing children’s skills might help us think about games to play that might encourage them to practice their skills, but it does not help us have better conversations.
Knowing children’s developmental level might help us predict what questions the children can answer, but it does not help us enter into a meaningful conversation with the children.
Knowing something about a child’s personality might help us be sensitive about our tone of voice or help us know what topics to avoid, but it does not help us have better conversations.
In order to have a meaningful conversation with a child, we need to know what the child thinks can be done in real situations (possible goals), and we need to know the procedures that the child believes will make things happen (possible strategies). If we have watched and listened long enough to determine the child’s goals and his strategies for attaining those goals, then we have both a resource for understanding the child and an interesting basis for a high-level conversation.
We might say, “It seems like you think the ball will roll faster if you make the incline steeper.” Or we might say, “Do you think you will have more friends if you have crayons?” But then in revisiting an experience with a child, putting that experience into words, we need to go beyond the observed strategies and consider the theories that make those strategies reasonable.
Considering children’s theories requires more than a careful transcription of what they say and do. We have to dig. We have to abstract the meaning of elliptical sentences, aborted movements, or a confusing explanation, request, or description. Children are competent learners, but as teachers, we have to slow down, carefully observe, and study our documented observations in order to understand the ideas that they are attempting to convey. In addition to slowing down, observing, and studying children’s actions and narration, understanding children’s theories requires a general knowledge of child development and a willingness to speculate.
Now tell me, how to write an observation in two to three sentences?
Saturday, August 09, 2008
43rd Birthday!!
We had a long and unique celebration of Singapore's birthday this year. We started from my classroom by hanging banners decorated by my children on the last week of July. Then ,we had a dinner on 3rd August with combined performances from Woodgrove Primary, Woodgrove Secondary and Innova Junior College. After that, we had our own centre's celebration and party yesterday. This morning, we had our observance day ceremony at Innova JC. Of course it will not end there. We will still watch on TV the National Day Celebration.Happy 43rd Birthday Singapore!!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Racial Harmony Day
Chinese Costume
Malay Costume
Indian Costume
Filipino Costume
Korean CostumeWe celebrated Racial Harmony this morning. The children were asked to wear their own ethnic costume or the traditional costume of other races. My own children wore the costumes as you can see above. Nice and adorable children and I love them all!!
I'll post more photos next time.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Difficult People
My husband sleeps early around nine o'clock to nine thirty everyday. When he's already sleeping and the next day will be a no working day, I usually visit other blogs and or post my own entries. Just now,I posted an entry about a meal I cooked ( www.angsaraptalaga.blogspot.com). I also visited blogs. One post I took notice was about the topic of difficult people. There was a question why God gave us difficult people to be with. So I asked myself that question too.
When I was younger, I thought that dealing with difficult people would be a challenge. That was why when I came face to face with real difficult people, I took that as a challenge. I gave myself only a few years, the most two to three to tame them. The first year was really challenging as I tried to revise on the different Personality Theories I learnt in the course of my degree studies. The second year was more on experimentation on why and how those people behave in such a way. The third year was frustrating as I became disoriented on why I could not pin point the rationale of their psychotic behavioural manifestations. The next year, I stopped counting but I continued praying to God to please enlighten them. As I stopped counting, I did not noticed that many years had passed by and I was getting older. When I woke up one morning, I heard a voice as if telling me:" you wasted your years waiting for them to change, did I not tell you that you should avoid loud people in the first place? " Yes, it took me years to realized that most difficult people will never ever change.
Back to the question, why did God allowed difficult people in my life? I don't know if it was fate, but all I can say is that those years with those difficult people made me a better person, mother and wife. Though it made me shaken and disoriented most of the times, I am proud to say that I survived. Yes, I am a survivor. For the strength of mind and spirit I acquired in the process. I thank God. Without God's help, surely I can imagine myself in that cold cruel basement.
So for those difficult people, always remember there will always come a day that your victims will wake up. Got it?
When I was younger, I thought that dealing with difficult people would be a challenge. That was why when I came face to face with real difficult people, I took that as a challenge. I gave myself only a few years, the most two to three to tame them. The first year was really challenging as I tried to revise on the different Personality Theories I learnt in the course of my degree studies. The second year was more on experimentation on why and how those people behave in such a way. The third year was frustrating as I became disoriented on why I could not pin point the rationale of their psychotic behavioural manifestations. The next year, I stopped counting but I continued praying to God to please enlighten them. As I stopped counting, I did not noticed that many years had passed by and I was getting older. When I woke up one morning, I heard a voice as if telling me:" you wasted your years waiting for them to change, did I not tell you that you should avoid loud people in the first place? " Yes, it took me years to realized that most difficult people will never ever change.
Back to the question, why did God allowed difficult people in my life? I don't know if it was fate, but all I can say is that those years with those difficult people made me a better person, mother and wife. Though it made me shaken and disoriented most of the times, I am proud to say that I survived. Yes, I am a survivor. For the strength of mind and spirit I acquired in the process. I thank God. Without God's help, surely I can imagine myself in that cold cruel basement.
So for those difficult people, always remember there will always come a day that your victims will wake up. Got it?
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