Sweet Grade 2 Experience 3

A girl always holds muk muk with her. She begged me to let her bring it to the playground and I said nope because I don't want her to lose it or get it dirty. Suddenly, she burst into tears, holding muk muk in her hand with a thick and long blue mark on muk muk's face.

Me: Oh no... What happens?
Adam (came to me): I was trying to open the pen and the ink came out. She was just right beside me.
Me: okay, you go throw the pen away.

Me to the girl: okay, so that's why you shouldn't take muk muk out to the field. Put it in your bag now.

The girl was sobbing badly and nodding her head.

Molly said to this girl: well, do you need a hug?
The muk muk girl: (sobbing and nodding)
Then Molly hugged her.
Then another girl offered to hug her too.

After 3-5 hugs, the muk muk girl stoped crying and played happily.

How nice to see a hug can solve everything!

Sweet Grade 2 Experience 2

The other day, this girl tap my arm and ask:

Kayla: hmmm Miss Yam are you coming tomorrow?
Me: I don't know yet.
Kayla: well, I just want to tell you that it's good to have you here.
Me: Thank you!

Such a sweet girl!

Sweet Grade 2 Experience 1

The school board sent me to a grade 2 classroom and honey told me to give it a try because it should be similar to teaching the kids in church

okay, so I went for to days and it turns out to be a sweet and memorable experience.

The grade 2, the 7-8 years old , is a group of children who is so cute.

One boy would come to you and tell you that he has to water the plant. He's responsible for watering it everyday. Later I found out it's a plant his mother gave the teacher. But seriously, it's over-watering!

Another boy would come to you at story time:

Ben: I can read the story for you. I can read really well
Me: okay, thank you. But I'll read it.
Ben: If you need help, I am here right beside you. And I can help when you need me.
Me: okay.
Ben: Okay. (Start looking around at other students and stand beside me)
Me: Ben, sit down.
Ben (whisper): okay

Throughout the story-telling time, he kept whispering the words beside my ear to help me pronounce it.

The best quote ever...

When I sub in a class, I saw this quote on the wall:

Silence is Gold, Duct tape is Silver.

wahhahahahhaaa.. I can't stop laughing and I should start to bring duct tape to class.

don't worry

One of my tutor students (B) has a very kind personality.

M: Hmmm... this question is hard... (I was just warning him)
B: Don't worry! I can do it. I'll take my time.

I can't stop laughing because he *comforted* me and ensured me that he can handle the problem.

Usually, it should be the one who cannot do it so he worries. Well.. I guess I am wrong. The adults worry more than the kids do.

He is a very cute and polite boy because he would pat on his mother's or his grandma's shoulder to show them the "don't worry", instead of what most kids do - giving their parents a "don't bug me and stay away" look.

Can you resist the temptation of a marshmallow?

Tell a 4-year old kid not to eat the marshmallow for 15 min. Then shut the door and leave the room.
one-third of the kids eat the marshmallow right away.
another third eat it w/in the next 14 min.
less than one-third can resist.

These kids, after they grow up, are those who "succeed" academically and in jobs coz they can self-control, delay of instant gratification....

Friends, try it on your kids and let me know the result!!!

Back to student mode

The first week back to ubc was horrible.

This is how we entertain ourselves and our teacher:

We LEARNT from our students during practicum and behaved like a student IS in our UBC classroom.

Our teacher gave us something to work on. After she gave the instruction and handed a worksheet to each of us, we began yelling from our seats:

S: Do we need to put our names on?
T: YES

S: What's today's date?
T: May something

S: What's our block?
T: G *we actually don't have a block name!!!*

S: Is it for marks?
T: YES
S(from whole class): ar....... *complain*

S: Pen or pencil?
T: doesn't matter

S: I don't get it.
T (in her heart and on her face): I just gave the instruction. Were you not listening or just dumb?

What would happen when astronauts burp in space? - 2

According to http://www.einsteinyear.org/facts/physicsFacts/

Do astronauts burp? Because you are weightless in space, the contents of your stomach float and tend to stay at the top of your stomach, under the rib cage and close to the valve at the top of your stomach. Because this valve isn't a complete closure (just a muscle that works with gravity), if you burp, it becomes a wet burp from the contents in your stomach. Gross!

The question I initially want to ask was: Do astronaut fart in space? Explain.

But I think this will be too engaging... Plus, does anyone know the answer? I remember I've heard that they won't because the gas cannot be separated due to *no* gravity.

What would happen when astronauts burp in space?

I asked such a question in the unit test after i taught my students on fluid, density, forces, and pressure.

Answer:

- When astronauts burp in space, I think it will go on forever like a never-ending echo because of the lack of gravity. However, I also think no sound will come out because there is no pressure. In conclusion, I think nothing will happen.

- I predict that if astronauts burp in space, the burp would last a lot longer because there is no gravity as there is nothing pressing down on it.

- If tehy are wearing a space suit, nothing major would happen, as if they burped on earth. If they aren't wearing a space suit, they are long dead from their body particles trying to spread.

- I think that when they burp, a little gas bubble will come out of their mouths.

- I think when the astronauts burp in space, the burp spreads around their whole ship and tries to get out of the ship, just like the rest of the air.

- The force of burp would push them back.

pi r square

I have taught my Gr. 7 Math tutor student about circle a while ago. Now her school finally goes over it. In order to show that she still remembers the formula in front of her mother:

me: What is the circumference of the circle?
L: you times 2 times radius times 3.14.
Me (tries to explain to L's mom): That means "2 pi r".
L's mom (looks puzzled): isn't it "pi r square"?
Me (asks L): What is "pi r square"?
L: Area!
L's mom: LOL! That's why we have Mandy here!

I think L is so glad that she knows sth that her mom doesn't know.
I am so happy that she remembers sth and begins to like Math.

Smart one

My class was conducting a lab activity to measure the volume of several objects.

One of the questions was:
What item had the largest volume? Explain.

The student's answer:
The tissue box has the largest volume because it is large in the inside in order to fit the tissues.

I can't stop laughing and this reason has filled my day!

In two weeks time

14 tasks

1 exam
1 comment paper
2 learning activities
2 reflection
1 social paper
1 Unit plan + 2 lesson plans
1 handout
1 thought question
2 lab assignments
1 binder preparation
2 lab reports to mark

hoo hoo!!! i did 2 of them....!! heehee...

what a wonderful two-week experience to be....

Inclusion of homosexuality in a classroom

I finally know how to incorporate homosexual issue in a math class.

When you create math problem in class, say "Geneen and her girlfriend", instead of "Geneen and her boyfriend".

The inclusionary language is kinda weird but I can now tell people that it is feasible, not necessarily to teach 1 + 1 = 1.

Multi-tasking

I just remember what I learn in our "Favorite" Engaging Mind lesson about Intelligence.

Is the ability of "multi-tasking" considered as intelligence? or it should be the ability to focus?

In reality, we canNOT "multi-task", i.e. perform multiple tasks at one time. We can only do one task at a time.

The term "multi-tasking" should be replaced by "flipping between tasks".

The ability of "flipping between tasks" measures how many tasks can you flip within a certain period of time, or how fast can you flip between tasks.

How many tasks have you flipped today?

I flipped a lot and got nothing done.... as usual.

實習

話咁快兩星期的短期實習尚有一天便完結。感謝神，雖然我有小小無奈，但原來我比一些同學的經歷好得多。

很多人說實習學到的比課堂上的多，甚至有人覺得上堂咩都學唔到。到這一刻，我仲未認同。

上堂的確俾咗一個comfort zone我們，我們有一班同學可以好似屋企人咁互相支持，可以一齊數實習經過的不是=D 課程內容係讓我們更認識自己，準備我們出去打仗的。

課堂的老師灌輸了一個好健康，好正面的教學態度給我們，他們教我們用不同的方法去令學生對學習產生興趣，這一些是我在學校裏尚未看到的。

我好驚訝我要回到膠片的年代，用power point用了六七年，要復古了。我希望我的power point skill唔好退步。

課程教我們好多學習方式，只是大學過程令我們溺斃於抄notes中，但原來係由十一班開始培養出來的。而我教的第一堂也讓學生抄了成堂notes =D

原來IB class係會抄足一個鐘notes㗎！唔怪之得Ｄ人話寫字寫得快係咁練回來。

我又看到Grade 8的老師每隔五分鐘就叫Ｄ學生靜一點。真係好攰。連Ｄ老師上完堂也散哂。

curriculum有咁多嘢，可以用咩方法去令學生學得到呢？學生要在這個制度下生存和取高分，就要按遊戲規則嗎？

點知今日我又看到極奇寬鬆的教學方法。我又可唔可以融合到化學內呢？

下星期又要回到校園，有一大堆功課等緊我，仲有一個月！就有假放啦！努力努力！

Sick

I am finally *sick* after half a year.. it's the longest time ever that i stayed healthy!!

if i have gone to gym.. i think i can stay another week of healthiness.. anyway... gym partner, i won't blame u.. =P I've just made u feel bad already.

I think this week of practicum is too shocking to my body as well.

Today is a Pro-D day and I made a microscope! and I won a beaker mug in a draw! Yes. a beaker mug after the entire grad school... i could have got one easily at the buck a beaker!

It's interesting to see how contradicting the dream of no rote memory yet lead to assessment of learning and still cope with your school system.

Strong thinker ≠ Strong expressor.

I strongly agree. coz I am one of those people.

Let's see how i can incorporate all these "dreams" together.

Anyway.. My throat hurts and I need to prepare to teach for next week. Pray that I am fine please....

First day of Short Practicum

I talked to all my three sponsor teachers.

Three different teaching styles.

Three different personalities.

I got home at 3:30 pm.

5 min drive to work and 5 min drive to home.

I haven't been this early since September!

I feel... weird.

To fill up my day, I went to have my eye examination.

So, I can now join my cell group to hunt for contact lenses and eye glasses!!!

learning to communicate

This month, I've learned how to present.

i.e. to learn how to ask questions

i.e. what kinds of questions to ask in addition to the 5W and H.

how does a "silence" work
how to tell if the student is lying
what my presentation style is,
various techniques in presentation
trying to speak in different tones...

I love this class.

Next stage, I need to learn how to listen.

learning to teach is:-

learning to believe that students are not empty vessels.

learning to transform what students previously have.

learning to be a human, be an actor, be an authority.

learning what "truth" is to the world.

learning to connect knowledge to the knowers.

learning "what you conceive" is not equal to "what students perceive".

The First Two Weeks

Overwhelming - by the load of reading, presentations, homework assignments

Shocking - by the course materials about social issues, people with special needs, and concepts in science