fly with mhe

A site I once read had this advise, “turn your work into a game and you will find joy and satisfaction in it.” That was what I did with my preschool class yesterday. We had a short game of patterns and instead of supervising them from my usual place at the front, I joined their circle and played with them. Though they were quite uncontrollable yet they enjoyed it immensely, which prompted my teacher assistant to join us. After our snack, I had them identify the pictures of animals and match them with their young. I intentionally made extras just in case a kid picks his choice of animal. Fortunately, they didn’t mind what animal they were coloring so in effect I am left with 2 extra animal pictures. Seeing that they were busy with their works, I grabbed a crayon and started coloring on the extra sheet. My assistant joined in too. It felt good, was not stressful and I felt light afterward. Turning it into a play was good and definitely a learning experience as well.

Which also reminded me to take each day as it comes. I may have a lot to attend to these days yet it doesn’t mean that everything has to be done all at the same time. I may procrastinate at times. Loss sleep and suffer headaches afterward. Yet things had to be done and all at the appropriate time. Trust that it is still okay and that I can still breathe even if these tasks overwhelms me. Breathe.. Breathe.. Smile..

Haven’t been on the net lately. I’ve been gone for 3 days I think. So what updates have I missed? Hmm.. I hope not much. Wonder what I had been up to when I’m at home and not doing work-related activities or not yet in my bed? Been glued to NUMB3RS the television series and would watch a marathon run of it without getting bored. In fact, it got me interested that I’ve planned to buy the other 2 series soon. Calculations, math, numbers, hypothesis and proving it through numbers, family relationships, etc., count to that randomness. Would do a marathon run on it again even if I still have classes to attend to the following day. Haha..

With the entries I posted, I’m sure you’ve come to know the nature of my income generating job. You’ve known of the struggles I endured to defend myself though there were times that I wasn’t successful. I get to receive punches, kicks, spits, slaps, shoes thrown, etc. every now and then and I just address it as part of the job. Why? Because even if I wanted so much to restrain, scold or punish her, she wouldn’t even understand why I had to do it nor would she understand that it hurts. Unless maybe if  I do to her what she does to me, revenge. NO, can’t. With the case of the ADHD kid, it was his impulses that made him do it. And that’s what he is trying to control. That’s why he is my student. Patience is an essential virtue in my line of work, much patience that is. Even if my student had punched me on the head 5 times, 2 on my back, 1 on my right temple, 1 on my right jaw and 1 on my face, I could only cry from the pain. I could not hit her back or restrain her with my anger, I might hurt her and I don’t want to do that. My license will also be at stake. I just don’t want to mind it and concentrate more on how I can help my students. Even if sometimes, waking up to another teaching day is hard, much more when upon entering the gate, my students would then show hyperactive gestures. Expect that I’d be stern with my ADHD kid and merciful with my MR student. My Bipolar student was also different, I still had to get to know her more. As well as my other 2 students who were not so difficult to deal with anyway.

I am very glad we have Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. I sometimes wish that there won’t be Tuesdays and Thursdays to deal with. Hehe.. I’m glad there’s Fridays to end the workweek. Saturdays and Sundays to wake up late, have some alone, quiet time without my students, leisure, meet up with the youths, jam with them and be recharged.

Thankful also to the food that relieves my stress, even if it makes me fat.

When we started our class, my student was talkative and was her usual self. 1o minutes into our time, she wouldn’t do the task I asked her to do. She was blabbering about the chalk, about standing up, kicked her shoes, slapped me with the book and threw the manipulative tool. Suddenly she sobbed and said something about spanking. It was about halfway on our class. I didn’t get her so I tried to appease by comforting her. She stopped for a while. Slumped on her chair, looked at me and said something inaudible again. Sobbed some more. This time she was really in tears and her eyes were red and wouldn’t stop crying. She just hugged me all those times while saying something.

I told her Nanang about it and found out that she was spanked by her older brother last night. Pitiful girl. She felt the rejection but couldn’t understand why she was beaten. She has feelings, genuine feelings. Children with mental retardation does. They just don’t know how to understand and express it appropriately.

A friend asked for my helped regarding his study skills lately. It seemed as though he no longer doesn’t know how to study (I’m guilty with this at times), can’t memorize and comprehend facts easily. He’s a college freshmen and is really serious with his schooling this time (meaning: his high school days were spent loitering in their hallways and being inattentive in class, if not spent with his friends outside their school on school time.. ).

Let me share to you guys a copy of the learning styles outline I gave him. This might be of help to you too.

Are you an AUDITORY LEARNER?

Auditory learners learn best when information id presented in an auditory language format. Do you seem to learn best in classes that emphasize teacher lectures and class discussions? Does listening to audio tapes help you learn better? Do you find your self reading aloud or talking things out to gain better understanding? If yes, you are probably an Auditory Learner.

Are you a VISUAL LEARNER?

Visual learners learn best when information is presented in a written language format or in another format: such as pictures or diagrams. Do you do best in classes in which teachers do a lot of writing at the chalkboard, provide clear handouts, and make extensive use of an overhead projector? Do you try to remember information by creating pictures in your mind? Do you take detailed written notes from your textbooks and in class? If yes, you are probably a Visual Learner.

Are you a TACTILE/KINESTHETIC LEARNER?

Tactile/Kinesthetic learners learn best in hands-on learning settings in which they can physically manipulate something in order to learn about it. do you learn best when you can move about and handle things? Do you do well in classes in which there is a lab component? Do you learn better when you have an actual object in your hands rather than a picture of the object or a verbal or written description of it? if yes, you are probably a TACTILE/KINESTHETIC LEARNER.

There it is. So what type are you?