Greener Pasture?

I saw the chaotic and funny makings the teachers are into at the school where I am planning to stay. If I  should  be taken in, I will have lost a lot of the things I am enjoying now. Salary-wise, I do not consider it a greener pasture because I have to start  from scratch. The "school" doesn't consider my more than 10 years teaching experiences. I also heard that I have to pay for my daughter's tuition fee while she enjoyed free eduction in the school where I teach now. I am enjoying the monthly allowance provided for by the local government which they do not have in that "brown pasture".

Awww, what shall I do?

What Not to Do with pictures

Now I know what not to do with my class pictures.....

Looking Back on Photos

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'"

A small voice from the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher; she's still old, nasty, and wrinkled".

thanks to arcamax

If Johnny Were A Millionaire...

In a classroom: "Take a pencil and paper," the teacher said, "and write an essay with the title 'If I Were a Millionaire.'" 

Everyone but Johnny, who leaned back with arms folded, began to write furiously. 

"What's the matter," the teacher asked. "Why don't you begin?" 

"I'm waiting for my secretary," he replied. 

- from arcamax

Johnny's Christmas Story

Here's something that made me smile........

Johnny  returned from Sunday school with a new perspective on the Christmas story. He had learned all about the Wise Men from the East who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus. He was so excited he could hardly wait to tell his parents.

As soon as he arrived home, he immediately began, "I learned all about the very first Christmas in Sunday school today! There wasn't a Santa Claus way back then, so these three skinny guys on camels had to deliver all the toys!

"And Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with his nose so bright wasn't there yet, so they had to have this big spotlight in the sky to find their way around!"

from arcamax

Real Teachers?

Let's see if the following statements about teachers are true......

Real teachers buy Excedrin and Advil in bulk at Sam's.

Real teachers will eat anything left in the teacher's lounge.

Real teachers grade papers in the car, during commercials, in faculty meetings, in the bathroom, and at the end of nine weeks have even been seen grading in church.

Real teachers know that sixth graders get hormones from Santa at Christmas.

Real teachers cheer when they hear that April 1st does not fall on a school day.

Real teachers can't walk past a crowd of kids without straightening up the line.

Real teachers never sit down without first checking the seat of the chair.

Real teachers have disjointed necks from writing on boards without turning around.

Real teachers are written up in medical journals for the size and elasticity of their bladders.

Real teachers wear glasses from trying to read the fine print in the teacher's manuals.

Real teachers have been timed gulping down lunch in 2 minutes 18 seconds. Master teachers can eat faster than that.

Real teachers can predict exactly which parents show up at open house.

Real teachers understand the importance of making sure every kid gets a Valentine.

Real teachers never teach the conjugations of "lie" and "lay" to eighth graders. 

The "Always Happy Jedja"

It’s so inspiring to see Jedja (my grade 1 student) happy working at his coloring book.  I cracked a joke today and it took my students’ heart away- away from reality.(when I say reality I mean “The hard day.”)My students were really happy, especially Jedja.

Jedja is a healthy boy with a cute smile.  Whenever he smiles, his missing-four-front-teeth make him so cute and I couldn’t help myself but smile. 

I have to keep my correct guess that every time I step into their class, Jedja always smile and approach me.  He taps at my shoulder and whispers , “Teacher, we wanna play game.” So I let them played for at least three minutes in class. This made all of the students very happy. 

Teach and Learn Part5

My Naughty Students Have Improved

Today, I wasn’t expecting a good change from my beloved 5J’s. After the  heart to heart talk  last meeting with them , I wasn’t expecting much. I was used to their  broken promises.  I quietly waited for the class in my room as usual. They came in and settled themselves. As usual the leader of the class  announced to everybody to greet the teacher. So, all the students stood up and greeted me "Good afternoon". I started  the days’ lesson and hoped they will listen. To my surprise all of the  students  were all listening to me. What a mystery! Did heaven strike on them? Deep inside I was smiling and hoped this will last for centuries. I took  the chance  who knows this might not last for a minute, an hour  or for days.  I went on with the lesson. They were all participating in the discussion. There were still noise in the classroom but it was lesser than before and I could still manage. I praised the whole class  when they answered me correctly. I saw smiling faces .

 If Tommy has improved, my naughty students did, too.

How about next meeting? Well let’s see…. Coming up next…

With or Without You?

 There must be something with the use of punctuation marks. In written English, we understand each other by the correct usage of punctuation marks. Mechanics of writing, as they say, put meanings to the way we write our messages. Here's a good example:

An English professor wrote the words, "A woman without her man is nothing" on the blackboard and directed the students to punctuate it correctly.


The men wrote: "A woman, without her man, is nothing."


The women wrote: "A woman: without her, man is nothing."

Teach and learn Part3

My Naughty Students Made My Day

The  students made my day yesterday. I was really boiling in my  grade 6 English class .  I have a lot of naughty students that always make my day. They were naughty students that they do what they like to do depending on their moods.  There were some  other naughty students , too but they were easier to handle than this 5 peers of students.

Yesterday I knew surely that  something was going to happen as I experienced it for the past years every time I handled this class.  This was the story.  The students were enjoying reading their “Story Tellers book”  about  “ THE RICH GIRL,POOR GIRL  EPISODE 2”. When suddenly at the middle of the class, Joshua tore a small part of  the book  then  inserted it in his mouth  as if it’s a handful of food. He enjoyed  the taste while grinding between  his teeth. All of a sudden he spitted on the table with the accompanying sound , THWEY!  Off course he got our attention the very beginning that he tore a part of his book..NO, no, not  his book .It’s the schools book we were borrowing.  I was supposed  to attack him  and tell to  mind his manners but  oh my, oh my, my pulse …take it slow. I went near  his place and ask him, “ WHY WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?”  IF YOU DON’T LIKE TO READ JUST KEEP STILL . He didn’t say any word but his eyes were ready to attack me. I didn’t bother ‘cause I know it so well something might happen if I talk a lot minding him. I know I won’t stop for sure if I start to BLAH BLAH BLAH… I was  afraid I’d hit him.

But another guy , Jessie stood up and transferred to another group and banged  the chair with the table.  He settled himself with his right foot up. My head began to ache.  I asked him: Jessie, didn’t I tell everybody to sit in his respective groups? Look at yourself . Thank you for sitting  properly.  I told him  if only  he  just  walked slowly from his group to the group he wanted to join and slowly pulled a chair to settle but  he intentionally did it noisily to attract us. He didn’t like me minding his behavior. He pouted.

I finally related the story and changed my mind not to let them make a booklet instead draw pictures reflecting the story.  I was expecting  JESSIE, JOSHUA, JUDE and JINKY  will do their work like the other students do. The students handed in their work and I took the remaining time to check. I finished checking a  number  of notebooks and I saw this word written boldy  in the cover page..… SE_( can u guess the last letter?) This notebook belongs to one of the 5 peers. I didn’t say any word. I planned next meeting I will announce to the class whose notebook had  the word SE_?

TO be continued next meeting …..What is awaiting for me?

Teach and learn Part 1

 MY naughty students  Escaped
This was from my diary that I want to share written a few weeks ago

Today I am a bit happy. I don’t see my 5 naughty students that I used to scold. They are the uncontrollable that many Thai teachers complain including their adviser. I even heard that their teacher shed a tear. But no, no ,no not to me. I won’t shed a tear to naughty students. If they won’t listen then face the consequences of their acts. After all they are not my children. As I used to tell them many times. I tried to discipline them till I got bored since this was going on for more than a year. Last year when they were in grade 5. Now they are in grade 6.
Going back, I felt a bit easy today because I don’t see the 5 heads in my class. The leader of the class told me that (The 5 J’s , JUDE, JESSIE,JEMS , JUSHUA and JINKY the only rose among the thorns) were not around. I was hesitant to order one student to follow them downstairs and call them to join the class. I have to let them join the class because I know I will be having a problem if something might happen and the worst is this group of fives like to play table tennis near the principal’s office. So, I had to call on them before the school head sees them. Quickly the boy went to see them downstairs . There they were playing table tennis near the principal’s office. Their classmate called for them but they shooed him away. The boy came back and reported what his classmates did. The leader was volunteering to call for them. I knew the leader could call for them because she talks harshly on them. I just let them forget about it and went on with the discussion. Anyway, they were playing near the principal’s office. Let the principal look after them. I will just reason out I have many students to look after than that 5 J’s. So, the class went on .I taught my students without their presence. In fact, the other students were happier when they are not around.
After the class ,to make me appear good, and to be good to the principal I ask the leader to list down the names of those who escaped and gave it to the principal. The principal knew about it and gathered the 5 students. She blah, blah ,blah I knew. So the students came one by one to say sorry. I told them I wont accept their SORRY because I knew they were not really sorry. Instead I told them to do good and if they don’t change for the better, they won’t come to my class and call for their parents to school. They will be reprimanded. I went to discuss with the principal about this but what she told me? She said I can hit the students hard. Oh no, I cant just do that with these kind of students. I know who I can hit. There were parents who like their children to be disciplined and they understand the teacher who sometimes give the stick . I told her I won’t hit. But I will just let them call their parents and talk with the principal about their behavior. This time I made the principal understand my point. She has to understand me or else I will just let them do whatever they want and I just go on teaching. Hehehehh ….What happens next?
To be continued………