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The Accidental Teacher is now a domain!
May 14, 2009Please visit www.theaccidentalteacher.com! See you in my classroom!
Changing Classroom.
October 5, 2008The Accidental Teacher is changing classrooms.
Much as I’ve enjoyed this domain during my brief stint here, I realized I waste so much time managing three separate blogs. Not only is it time consuming, many times I can’t decide where to post what. To make it simple, The Accidental Teacher is merging with Daydream Believer.
Come visit us at http://yapatoots.blogspot.com
Learning and Gadgets
September 19, 2008It’s hard to believe that in less than a hundred days, the Yuletide season will once again leave it’s mark. It seems last Chrismas was jst yesterday, but here we are again…Carols are playing, trees are being put up and there is that excited cheer in the air. By now I would bet my little pinky that some people are already working on their Christmas lists. I’m sure people are already awai ting their bonuses and looking forward to spending it. I know I am!!!!
Anyway, with Christmas lists in mind, I’m sure the most important present many parents are thinking of are those that are for their kids. While I may not ordinarily think electronic devices or gadgets are the most ideal (especially since I prefer books and arts/crafts toys for kids), I came across this item that made me change my mind. It is called the EASY ENGLISH PSL.
The Easy English PSL is a palm sized learning tool. It looks very much like an ipod (picture to follow: takes too long to upload with my dial-up connection!!!), but geared towards teaching standard American English to young learners. It contains a wide array of Mother Goose rhymes and riddles, Aesop’s Fables, verses, and vocabulary words. In many ways, it reminds me of the audio books I used to have as a child, the kind in which you flip through a book and listen to a narrator on a tape player (yes, the one in which you turn the page when you hear the ‘ting’). This one, however, is so miuch cooler and more efficient. Here, you look at the video screen while listening and see the words light up as it is being read (and as you follow it as well). I think its a more integrated way of putting sight and sound together. The pictures are also beautifully illustrated!
Perhaps a unique feature of this gadget is it’s storage/memory chip slot. Like many of the present PDA’s, it has a memory chip slot. At present (if I remember correctly) there is one preloaded chip in the device. However, in the future, more chips can be purchased for different difficulty levels. An interesting thought for this gadget (IMHO) is that they come up with a Tagalog chip, for example. Of course, this is for when the product has already built up its market!
As a Filipino, an added feature of the Easy English PSL is the fact that Filipino artists were the one’s who illustrated the stories. I think this was important to one of it’s creators, who incidentally is also Filipino. Based in Hawaii, JJ Reyes really does make our country proud.
While many educators and the like may question the promotion of yet another gadget, I think this particular one deserves a shot. The only drawback, however, is that at present, it is still quite expensive. Initially, the unit costs Php 7,999. While cheaper than many game consoles in the market, it is a little steep given todays economy. However, it’s utility and educational value does make up for the cost. True, the Easy English PSL can not replace a parent reading a bedtime story to his/her child at night, this may be an interesting alternative bedtime ritual for parent and child. Together, they can listen and learn with the Easy English PSL.
As a preschool teacher, I used to have my doubts about learning and gadgets. While I still value the role of play, imagination and the like, I have to admit that in the advent of our technological world, gadgets indeed can also contribute to the positive learning experiences of today’s children.
Maybe No Longer Coffee, Tea and Me.
September 12, 2008While this post may come across as super whiney, and perhaps even “babaw”, but I can’t help but blog about my annoying Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf experience today.
A few months ago, I was inspired to write my Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf story when I came across a friends story in his blog. The contest ended, with out my story making it to the website. While I was slightly disappointed, I didn’t take issue with it. After all, it’s just a contest, right? Anyway, I had just about forgotten about it when out of the blue, an email pops up in my inbox stating:
Greetings from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf!
As a sign of our deep gratitude for your taking part in our What’s Your Coffee Bean &
Tea Leaf Story? contest, we would like to present to you a small token of thanks, and
commemorate the stories you shared with us.
It proceeded to say go to CBTL Greenbelt 3 to claim your gift. Shempre na excite ako diba! It was a pleasant surprise…or so I thought.
So today, I decided to go there, claim my prize and have coffee na rin with a friend. Kill two birds with one stone diba? But when I got there, the shift manager said my name wasn’t on the list. TAMA BA YUN?!? Pagtapos ko mag aksaya ng time to go all the way there, wala rin pala?!? Not only was it a waste of my time, it was a waste of gas, toll fees and parking costs. Plus shempre nagkape pa ako at kumain habang andun diba???
While “the other shop” (aka Starbucks) will always house bittersweet memories of a lost love, I never felt offended or (for lack of a more appropriate term) betrayed by it. But now I can’t say the same thing about CBTL.
The letter ended with
Thank you and we hope to see you soon!
-From your friends at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
For this Coffee addict, however, I might have to say maybe no longer coffee, tea and me. Much as I love thier Chai Tea Latte
The Game
September 8, 2008The game…they say a person either has what it takes to play or he doesn’t…my mother was one of the greats. Me on the other hand, I’m screwed…
In 2005, my favorite TV show opened with that line. Today, as cheesy as it may seem, I find myself reflecting on that statement and asking whether or not I really have what it takes to play the game.
I am a teacher.
I make no qualms about the fact that I came into the profession unintentionally. I’ve even called myself The Accidental Teacher in my blog. While teaching was not originally in my Life Plan, I soon found myself flourishing in a career I had not laid out for myself. Enjoying a game I was not really into in the beginning. Not only was I flourishing, I was loving every moment of it. Well, almost every moment.
As a rookie, I initially saw myself knocked down by the challenges of the game, be it screaming preschoolers who wanted their mommies to undergraduate students who failed my quizzes. It took some time to get into the groove of things, to feel like every now and then I would be on the winning end. But then, as I continued training, kept on practicing, and built up my game plan, I started believing I had it in me to play the game.
Until now.
Back from Break
August 29, 2008It’s been a while since my last post, as I suddenly saw myself caught in an onslaught of work, craziness and unfortunate events. As such, the month of August has definitely posed a major challenge in many facets of my life. It has challenged my self-esteem, my pride, my “paninindigan” and even my people-skills.
With that said, this post is a list of lists…a compilation of random thoughts that need to be honored in some way.
Of course the highlight of the month would be my Davao adventure! As such, the first few lists come from the trip. So here goes….
(more…)
Not so Happy Feet
August 3, 2008
I dusted off my old pair of Happy Feet and remembered why I stopped wearing them.
They don’t make my feet happy 
I might be one of the few who would say this, but for some reason, every time I wear these shoes my feet (or at least the sides of the arch part of my feet…sorry can’t explain it any better!) hurt like all hell. Then they get swollen and i can barely put my foot flat on the floor.
I suppose it’s because I’m flat-footed (which I am literally!). I suppose the hard wood and the arched design is not that suitable to someone with my foot-type. Or maybe because it has gotten old already. I remember when I first bought it, it started out the same way: pain for days after wearing it for long. Then as my foot got accustomed to it, it started being less painful. But as it got worn out, it started to hurt again.
Too bad…it would have been perfect for days like these…
Hope for the internet-ically challenged
I am officially internet-ically challenged.
No, I’m not just talking about lacking skills in terms of computer technology (I do know the basics after all), but as of today, I am literally and figuratively internet challenged.
First it was the screwed up ym…then came the refusal of my mobile phone to access the Multiply site…and finally, yesterday, I could not even access yahoo anymore. Talk about challenged.
Again, I don’t know what happened…it just did!!! Just like my ym, when I use my brothers phone, I can access the web: both multiply and yahoo works. So? Is it me?!?
My theory here is that I gotta stop going online…especially in class, while driving, in meetings…maybe the net is teaching me a lesson.
‘Yoko nga! Bukas bibili ako ng bagong phone!!!
Buhay Coke Party!
August 1, 2008This morning I got to work and was welcomed with an announcement: “I signed you up for the Buhay Coke party”.
Yey!
As babaw or shallow as it may sound, ever since my first blogger’s event, I have increasingly become caught up with the whole blogger thing and blogger communities. With that said, obviously looking forward uli ako to the next Buhay Coke party. Too bad Jonel won’t be there! Grace, Janine and I will definitely make our way down to Taste Asia, MOA on August 8 for the Buhay Coke Vlog Contest Announcement of Winners Party
Wanna come? http://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2008/07/buhay-coke-party-ulit-announcement-of.html
What did I get myself in to???
July 29, 2008Being a teacher, as rewarding as it often can be, also brings with it it’s share of disasters and troubles. Today was no exception.
End of term is coming up, so papers are due and things to check are piling up…and yes, thesis is due. Not just my masteral thesis, but that of my mentees as well. To make a long story short, they fell short and I’m afraid I have to fail them. It feels like crap. I don’t really know why I’m letting myself get troubled by it, but I am. I don’t like failing students but in this case, I don’t think I have much of a choice….haaaaayyyyy…
Then came another disaster. Perhaps one of my inadvertant wrong doing. It appears that a piece of equipment that I had used in class somehow broke sometime after my class and before the equipment people checked it. Even though I know there is a solution to this problem, I’m getting all frustrated and stressed out about it.
As if matters were not bad enough, the field trip from hell problem has also escalated to new levels. Terrible allegations have been raised, but to keep myself sane, I will stay out of it.
In any case, days like this make me wanna throw in the towel and get another job. Call center anyone? No grades, no take-home-overtime-crap, a social life, big money…hmmm…
Beauty in the Mundane
July 28, 2008Still reeling from the wake of my field trip from hell, I started thinking about trying to find meaning in the seemingly useless experience. Maybe this is what it really means to “grow up” 
Letting go of annoying experiences has never been (and perhaps will never really be) simple for me. It usually stays with me for days on end and it’s negativity tends to seep into my waking moments. However, this time I am trying to rechannel the negative energy to something better.
Given that the trip was not so much fun (what with having to work overtime and having horrible living conditions), I am taking the opportunity to appreciate the mundane, to find beauty in otherwise terrible conditions.
Aside from the beautiful handicrafts and church in Lumban, I have to admit that being away from the hustle and bustle of Manila life, even for a short time, gave me a chance to appreciate the beauty and power of nature.
Old Town Charm
July 27, 2008This weekend I went on what can only be known as the “Field Trip from Hell”. While the experience was something I hope never to go through again, I have to admit I was struck by the novelty and charm the Old Town of Lumban.
This picturesque little town boasts of it’s handcrafted trade: embroidery. The dainty patterns and pretty products really made me smile. I have always loved embellished and embroidered patterns, especially in clothing, but I never really stopped to think about it’s history. Anyway, the field trip I took my students to this weekend allowed me to enjoy such quaint charm.
Doctor, Doctor
July 22, 2008Today I came from the doctors office. Being a first time HMO user, I was not expecting the runaround involved with the whole service. This is especially true since I have been so lucky with my regular doctor, who always would be in her clinic on time and would make sure she is able to attend to all her patients quickly.
Anyway, because my doctor was not accredited with my HMO, I had no choice but to consult with another physician. In all fairness to this new doctor, she was very nice and accommodating. And she wasn’t super, uber late either, like other doctors who make their patients wait FOREVER!!! However, it was annoying that the HMO Coordinators office informed me that her clinic hours were from 1-6 pm, when in fact it was from 2-5. This after being given the wrong doctors name…
Anyway, after having the forms filled up, I finally made my way to the doc’s clinic and saw her for shorter than the time I spent waiting (which was not her fault, I repeat. She was so nice, it would be unfair to diss her). Then I made my way back to the HMO office so I could get the lab request forms.
This is when it got uber frustrating!!! The secretary left the clinic for errands (which I’m sure is part of her job) but she took almost an hour to return! Then I saw her taking her time, walking leisurely while chatting with a friend. Finally I got the forms approved and made my way to the Women’s Health Center where I was to have my ultrasound. In the cashier’s counter, however, I found out that the secretary screwed up and forgot to include one of the tests being ordered!!! I made my way back to the HMO office only to find it locked. Twenty minutes later, I find her inside (I was waiting outside the whole time so I couldn’t have missed her!) with two friends. Grr….
In the end, despite the aggravation of waiting and having to go all around the frigging hospital, I have to admit it was worth it as I saved over five thousand bucks on tests and doctors fees.
I just wish there was a better way of getting it done.
Tall, dark and yummy
No, I’m not talking about a guy here…I’m talking about my new favorite drink. A few days ago I gave in to the craving and found myself home (a.k.a. Starbucks BF) and I ordered their new drink, the DARK MOCHA FRAP.
Dark Mocha Frap (on the left)
It was so yummy It reminded me of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s Black Forest Frapuccino, except without the cherry. I liked it because it gave the typical mocha flavor a deeper, richer, sorta bitter-chocolatey flavor which I absolutely loved. Too bad the next time I went back it was gone…apparently it was one of them limited drinks huhu.
Classes Suspended
July 20, 2008 
The week that passed was once again filled with rain and floods, as well as bouts of bright sunshine and hot, humid air. Talk about screwed up weather. All the kids in my class have runny noses and terrible coughs, which I attribute to the weird weather.
Anyway, as a preschool teacher, I wished for signal number 1 to be raised, even for just one day…I needed a morning off, I rationalized Unfortunately (for me that is, fortunately for many others who suffer when it rains), I had no such luck.
Although I did not get my signal-number-one-day-off, Wednesday came and finally I heard those sweet words: Classes Suspended! I was just about done with my first undergrad class when the announcement came. After the initial thrill of having a free afternoon, I realized how annoying it was that the announcement came so late. Kung kelan andun na ako sa school, diba?!?
I’m sure this is an endless discussion, but it was just so frustrating that classes are often called off too late: it comes when the flood waters rise, when the rain is pouring like mad, and when we make it to our destinations soaked and drenched. I can’t help but wonder what or how the screwed-up calling-off of classes system can be improved. While I do understand and agree that classes can’t always be called off at the slightest indication of rainfall, I still hope there is some way where everyone can be spared from the inconveniences of late suspensions, especially since we end up getting even more wet when we are sent home from school, where, incidentally, I could stay dry and warm for the meantime.
As always, when classes were called off the rains stopped…the flood waters subsided…and the sad part of it all was I couldn’t go home: my car was coded.
photo courtesy of Marshall Valencia
Must See: D-Cinema
July 13, 2008
Last Wednesday, the D-Cinema at The Block, SM North Edsa was launched. Despite having classes to attend and reports to cram, I wiggled my way out of that to attend to “more pressing events” mwahaha!!!
Anyway, given my new-found commuting powers, I decided to figure out how to get to SM North without my trusty car (besides, coding ako nun hehe!). Met Janine mid-way from DLSU and PLM (also known as SM Manila). Unfortunately, we couldn’t get an FX or an Airconditioned bus to get to where we needed to go. Minutes away from giving up, we finally found a jeep with the long-awaited plackard: SM West/Trinoma.
So off we went…
First time mo?
July 8, 2008
Yes, first time ko 
Two weeks ago i attended my first blogger event. I was a ‘blogger’s companion’. Being a highly introverted person, I was quite apprehensive about venturing into this new thing. Ako pa!!! Although I may not look it, super mahiyain ako…meeting new people and going to strange things really stir up so much anxiety in me. Nonetheless, my friend Janine convinced me it would be a fun thing to do and so I went. I figured, what’s the worst thing that can happen diba?!?
Anyway, the Coke blogger’s event was held in Taste Asia, MOA. It was an interesting mix of music, food, games and prizes. Being a first timer, I didn’t really know what to expect. When my friends and I got there, we were greeted by a line at the entrance and the blaring music inside the venue. When we got in, my friends met up with fellow bloggers. It was somewhat uncomfortable for me in the beginning, simply because I take time to adjust to new situations. After some time though I felt more at ease and was beginning to have a good time. Especially after having a few Cokes!
For the most part, my first time was a good one. At the end of the day I came out of the Coke event with more than just that free case of coke, a ticket for an Imax movie (c/o my banana dancing friend), and a belly full of yummy food. I was able to challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone and be okay with it. I not only met new people, but I even maintained contact with they. More importantly, I developed a whole new respect for the World Wide Web, the home of all our blogs. I can say “our” now because due to the Coke event, my blogging life was reborn
Ika nga ng Coke…buhay Coke, buksan mo…ang sarap dito!
Transportation Math
July 6, 2008The latest round of oil price hikes has made me do something I wouldn’t ordinarily do: take public transportation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I think commuting is beneath me, but having gotten used to driving myself around, it has been quite some time since I’ve taken public transpo within the city. If ever I had to, I often took cabs. It’s really just so much more convenient….
Well, since last nights increase finally tipped gas prices over sixty bucks, I decided to give up using my car whenever I go to the clinic in Cubao. After all, I figured it was not that difficult to get to Cubao from Paranaque anyway. Before the prices went up, I would only be saving about 50-80 pesos if I took the bus rather than the car. Not really that bad a price to pay for convenience, comfort and feeling safe during the trip. However, now that I stop and think about it, because gas prices are so high, taking the car to Cubao has truly ceased being cost-efficient, especially since I don’t earn a fixed income at the clinic. As a psychologist, I don’t take in a standard salary, rather I’m limited to a consultation fee depending on the number of clients I see. Given that there are days when I only see one client, my fees are dispensed completely in gas and toll fees, not to mention the wear-and-tear of the car. (more…)
ittybittytvSAYWHAT?!?
July 1, 2008I am a certified couch potato. Well, at least after work. If not for discovering this whole blogging world, I’d probably be popping in one DVD after another into my player, watching endless marathons of Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, The Practice, Sex and the City, Friends, and Ally Mc Beal. I don’t really watch movies much on my DVD, just TV series. At one point I watched the entire 5 seasons of Ally in 4 and a half days. How, you may ask? Well, to put it simply: di ako natutulog! Luckily it was a point in time where I took a leave from work for personal reasons so I had no worries about waking up early to go to work or whatnot.
Anyway, in the past few days I’ve been noticing the dialogues in these shows that I’ve been watching. Not that I didn’t notice it before, but before, I think I was more focused on the storyline of the show, rather than honing in on specific statements said in the show. Because of this, it dawned on me how much of an influence television really is. It’s apparently not only true for kids, but even for adults as well. Of course shows like Oprah, Dateline, and the like are definitely highly influential, I often used to regard TV series’ as simple entertainment. Now I realize I was wrong.
These TV series’ (I gotta give props to the writers of these shows because they are brilliant!) have influenced and changed a lot of my perceptions, beliefs and ideas in their own subtle ways. Those opening and closing narratives in Grey’s, for example, helped me get through a very rough time in my life. Comments made on Ally McBeal made me rethink old ideas I’ve had for the longest time. When watching Sex and the City, the questions Carrie would post when she’d be writing her column were things I could not just laugh or cry about, but it would be a reminder for me to take pause and to listen.
With that said, I decided to start a new category of posts in my blog. Because TV is such an influential teacher, this Teacher will also give Teacher TV a space in her blog
The title of this post is taken from something I often hear Miley Cyrus say in her show Hannah Montana. (yes, I watch the Disney Channel…no, I don’t have a Hannah Montana DVD!). More posts on TV series to come!
Nachachallenge IQ ko…
June 30, 2008Blogging is bad.
Yeah right!!!
I have to admit, as a relatively new blogger (although I did the whole blogging thing with my Friendster and Multiply accounts, as well as in a brief stint with Blogspot), I am still reeling in amazement about how this whole thing works (OMFG…I can just imagine you laughing as you read this…that sounded so flakey!). Talagang nachachallenge and IQ ko, pati EQ pa minsan. Half the time I don’t know what I’m doing, the other half naman di kaya ng powers ko gawin yung kailangan ko gawin. Hirap ng technologically-challenged!!! Thankfully I have a friend who I can kulit all the time with my stupid questions, kahit na ba tinawanan niya ako kanina about the help message I sent to the i.ph help forum Evil, evil, evil!!!
Anyway, now that I’ve explored the world of blogging, I can’t help but feel relatively idiotic and clueless as I go about figuring this out! It definitely has been a new and exciting challenge…one that’s taken away too much time from the things I HAVE TO DO!! But like that’s gonna stop me!!! Hence my statement, blogging is bad!!!
Shempre kahit bad siya, pwede ba siyang tigilan???
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
June 28, 2008Last night I got to thinking about how unfair the nursery rhyme What Little Boys Are Made Of is. Little boys are made of snips of snails and puppy tails while girls are made of everything nice?!? Hmmm. Much too sexist I would have to say.
I would have to admit that for a long time, I’ve held on to the idea that men are jerks. The operative word here being HELD ON TO. Last night I was proven wrong, once again, by good men behavior Admittedly they may be far and few between, but they do still exist.
It may have been coincidence, but I would like to believe it was synchronicity, but when I got home, I caught an rerun of Sex and the City. and it was the episode where Miranda hooked up with Steve, the bartender, and he was trying to get to know her and all, but she remained cynical about men. Then towards the end of the episode, Mr. Big cancelled on dinner with Carrie and her friends and she was obviously so disappointed (how apt…it was called Denial!). To make the long story short, Carrie was getting chewed on by Miranda about how typical it was for men to be jerks and to flake on their girls yadiyadiya then out of nowhere, he came. See, guys aren’t always so bad after all.
So going back to what I was saying, because of yesterday, plus the converging of the stars (aka having more male counterparts at the office that prove to me that there are indeed nice (REAL) guys, as well as my male undergrad students who are polite, decent and sincere), I have to admit: men can also be made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Now if only I knew where to find them…
Re-post: My Youngblood Article. Making the most while youngblood pa ako hehe
June 25, 2008ABC
First posted 01:14:03 (Mla time) July 18, 2006 Ria Tirazona
Inquirer
AFTER seven years of teaching preschool children, I put away my crayons, washed off the finger paints and took off the glitters from my face for the very last time. But as I looked at the murals we had painstakingly made, I felt a lump grow in my throat and tears began to well in my eyes. Then it hit me: I was really bidding goodbye. Now that a new school year has started, it has dawned on me that even though I am at peace with my decision to “grow up” and move to another level in my career, I do miss being “Teacher Ria.” For seven years, I had sung silly songs and choreographed and danced with the kids (even if I cannot carry a tune and I have two left feet!). I think I’ve seen all possible shapes and sizes of cookies, biscuits and cupcakes, and punched hole after hole in all kinds of tetra-pack juices. I’ve been mother, nanny, friend, nurse, and everything in between to my kids! People used to ask why I chose to be a preschool teacher, when it was a thankless job, one that was little more than “just playing” and definitely not very financially rewarding. At every high school reunion or get-together, I would become painfully aware of how my friends had become “successful” and conscious that I still had glue on my pants and stains on my shirt from my kids’ spilled snacks. But every time a mother called to say that her son got a Gold Eagle or her daughter earned first honors again, I felt like I had made the right choice. Reflecting upon my experience, I realize that I didn’t just teach children, I learned a lot from them, too. When I taught them the ABC, I learned the ABC, too. And it wasn’t just the alphabet: I saw how everything in life can be put together with the alphabet, just like the words the children learned to read. The ABC I learned in preschool made me see what is truly important in life:
Life in bite size.
June 19, 2008 
In class today, we had a birthday party. Unlike the usual parties where there’d be a huge cake, Cara’s mom brought a cupcake tree. Each cupcake was decorated with a swirl of brightly colored frosting and topped with a sugar Mickey and Friends character…yes, the classic Disney characters many of us older people grew up with! There were no Disney Princesses, or Pooh bears or what not, just the simple basic characters of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy. Put together on a stand, the cupcakes were an interesting substitute to a regular cake Looking at that cupcake tree got me to thinking about how I tend to take things in as a whole, just like a regular cake. It reminded me that things need not to be so big and grand to be beautiful. As simple as it was, it reminded me not to always take too big a bite at life…that life in bite-size pieces can be just as good. I forget many times that a whole is made up of the sum of it’s parts and that while put together it makes something grand, individually it stands it’s own ground. A few months ago I was struggling with just that in my life: taking in everything as a big, giant chunk. I started seeing myself only as the totality of all my parts, very much like a puzzle that would only look good if all parts were complete. Every little thing said, done, not said or not done was seen in as one, not itty bitty parts of my reality. As such, it soon became too overwhelming and this ginormous weight soon became much too much to bare. When things get stuck together, like a three-tiered cake for example, it is difficult to carry, and to move around. Further, it requires so much more effort and commitment to complete and maintain. I suppose it can also be said that in many instances a big cake ends up with more wastage at the end as people tend to slice a piece bigger than intended them it gets thrown out. Cupcakes, on the other hand, are smaller, single-serve sizes that most anyone can finish. As such, it doesn’t get wasted. Similarly, because these pieces are smaller, they’re easy to take along. Until I started seeing things as their own little ‘cupcakes’, I couldn’t make big strides in my emotional growth. Once I did, however, I was able to choose what cupcake to put where and how each cupcake can be put together to make a pretty whole. The cupcake tree reminded me of lessons I’ve learned these past few months while struggling to make sense of my reality. With the wisdom and guidance of my wise old crone, I discovered the different bits and pieces that made up the whole me. Much like those cupcakes, each part of me, be it the creative, free-flowing child, the bright and shiny optimist, the dark and twisty single girl, the damsel in distress, the independent woman,or the wisened old soul, all were important parts of who I am today. Unlike a puzzle, I’d still be okay, but like the cupcake tree, all those parts just make it nicer, not necessarily more ‘whole’.
The simplicity of the structure, as well as Cara’s mommy’s choice of characters also reminded me that we always need to go back to the basics. And while the basics may not be so cool, or hip, or even interesting, it is something that is essential to the soul. I realized that often times I get caught up in the accessorizing and decorating of my inner and outer selves that I start to lose sight of what is really important.
Although the cupcakes have found their ways into the hungry tummies of the kids and their equally starving teachers, the lesson of the cupcake tree is staying with me: take life in bite size pieces.
Lessons from the First Day of School
June 18, 2008Today was our first day of classes. Oh my golly gumdrop (yes, after two weeeks of struggling with my stubborn, dirty mouth that kept cussing, I finally switched to more kid-friendly language!), it was a major paradigm shift! This year I am teaching the toddlers’ class…yup, 11 two and three year olds!!!
It was not only the kids’ first day of school today, but mine as well. After two years of semi-retirement from the preschool world, it took some readjusting for me to get back in sync with being Teacher Ria. Some lessons and realizations from today are the following:
My Most Unforgettable Teacher
June 15, 2008 
There’s a song in my head, it’s been playing like a broken record over and over again. It started when I caught Miley Cyrus singing it on Oprah while I was channel surfing. In the show, she sang the song “I miss you”. In the background was a heart-shaped locket with the photo of her grandfather on it. It had a catchy tune, and it sounded kinda nice, so much as it may seem like such a juvenile song for someone like me, I went and downloaded it and put it on my ipod.
All this week I listened to it often, specially when I would be stuck in the car on my way to work. Every time I’d hear it, I’d feel a lump form in my throat and tears well-up in my eyes. Today, however, it hit home hard. I missed my lolo so much I could barely see straight.
It’s been about a dozen years now since he passed and while the pain of missing him has faded much over the years, there are days, like now, when the sadness is so fresh and raw that it really takes my breath away. At times I wish he were here to see me as I am living out my dreams, and succeeding in so many ways. Even though I knew he wouldn’t see me, when I first lost weight I went to the cemetery to show him how thin I was because that was the one thing I was never able to give him when he was alive. I remember crying so much that day because I wished I could see him smile and tell me “I knew you could do it”.
Earlier this afternoon my mom was trying to convince me to come and join the family for prayers at his gravesite. I chose not to, even jokingly saying “sabi naman ni lolo don’t bother kasi it’s not like he’ll see me there anyway”. While he did tell me that when I was younger, I used it as an excuse not to go. When she turned around, I told my mom, “and besides, masasad lang naman ako if I go”. So I stayed home and tried to get some work done, but to no avail.
I then got to thinking about my lolo and how much of a great person he was for me. I have come across a lot of people who have taught me a lot, but a lot of my most important life lessons I learned from him. Though these may be common lessons, or perhaps clichés at times, these are my favorite lessons from him:
Teacher sa Pinas Po Ako
June 14, 2008Yesterday I checked the balance of my ATM account. I had exactly five thousand nine hundred sixty three pesos and sixty centavos. That was it. For a moment, I felt so tiny… almost as tiny as my bank account. Granted I have it better than many of our fellow citizens who are starving and barely making ends meet, I suddenly found myself contemplating my career choice.
I am a proud teacher. Being able to teach children, both young and old, has been such a tremendous blessing to me. It has changed my life in so many ways. Sometimes though, I have to question the practicality of my choice when I am faced with my dwindling bank account. At the end of the day, however, no matter how much I wish I had a bigger paying job, I can’t get myself to leaving the job I have grown to love.
I say ‘grown to love’ because I have to be honest — teaching was not something I had imagined myself doing as a young child. Back then I envisioned myself as a successful doctor, or perhaps a businesswoman running a lucrative company. I can even remember that early on in my college days, I proudly raised my hand when my block was asked who were planning to shift courses. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself where I am today. Due to a series of, as I’d like to believe, fortunate accidents, I found my calling in life. It is the classroom. Whether it is singing and dancing with my preschoolers or discussing life events with my college students, this is who I am meant to be. It’s as if by being inside those rooms, I find my way to my soul where I find purpose, pleasure and hope.
I have to admit every term I am faced with a bulk of students who make me feel like all my hard work and my pursuit of teaching a waste of time. While being in the classroom is my calling, sometimes it is not an easy task, especially when you have difficult students. Couple this with the knowledge that my sister, who manages a clothing store in the U.S. makes thrice what I make an hour, I begin to question the practicality of my calling. Perhaps even more so, the practicality of my decision to teach here in the Philippines.
My friends and I have had endless conversations about that, especially in the face of the economic woes, political hoopla, and depressing cost of living in our country today. Even our college dean asked me not so long ago when I was planning to follow my sister to the states. I jokingly responded, “hindi na sir, kailangan pa ng La Salle ng magaling na teacher diba”. While I said that in jest, I realized that deep down inside, it wasn’t a joke. I do want to keep on teaching here and being part of the lives of tomorrows Filipino youth.
In one of my classes, we discuss career development and awareness. In these sessions, I see how much of our youth envision themselves as earning dollars in the future. What warms my heart, however, is hearing that small minority say they still want to do something for their country. That in itself fans that small flame of hope I hold near and dear to my heart that someday, somehow, our country will become a better place for us to live in, where we can afford to live a good life without needing to work abroad and earn that proverbial dollar.
Staying in the Philippines may not be the most sensible decision. In the same breath, teaching may not also be considered to be a practical career choice, especially in comparison to the range of available higher paying jobs out there. But I will stay. I wil stay and draw inspiration from what my very good friend Che simply said once in reference to her decision to become a doctor to the barrio — why not? So as a new school year starts I say with the same conviction WHY NOT?
Now if only my bank account can say the same thing when I ask for more money
Meet the Accidental Teacher
June 13, 2008When I started thinking of what my blog would be about, I thought it was clear— it would be the chronicles of an accidental teacher… someone who never planned to be one but inexplicably ended up being a teacher to preschool children and eventually even college undergraduates. The Accidental Teacher’s blog would be filled with classroom tales, insights from students and a list of how-to’s and what-to-do’s.
But as I set up my blog (which incidentally is not easy for a psudo-techie like me!) I started realizing that my Teacher Tales weren’t enough for me. It dawned on me that often times, I am not just teaching by accident, but learning coincidentally along the way.
With that The Accidental Teacher was born.
- These are the chronicles of a teacher who apparently still has a lot to learn.
- These are the confessions of a clueless teacher who may seem like she knows what she’s doing…but often times finds herself in awe as she hits the mark by sheer luck.
- These are the tales of a teacher who loves what she does, simply because it is who she is.
So here are my stories of living, loving, learning, and yes, even teaching, all learnt through life’s greatest accidental teacher- circumstance.
See you in class