On being a teacher

Am I a teacher? Am I doing well in this field? Am I a better person as a teacher? Some things have happened recently to make me think more about the role of a teacher. My mind keeps turning over the phrase- anyone can teach someone something, but not everyone can be a real teacher. In this case, I found myself hanging in the air asking myself if how am I as a teacher? Am I the conventional type of teacher or the radical or extreme type? Am I the motivator, the encourager, or the law maker inside the classroom? Do I inspire my students or not? These are the questions that eventually lead me to frustration.
I like to think of the role of the teacher as comprised of different parts- teaching is twenty five percent providing information, forty percent guiding the students and thirty five percent getting along with the students. However, I come up with these lists for me to check and evaluate myself as a teacher.
1. Providing information simply means that- giving notes lectures etc, where the teacher shares with the students’ information that he has read or that is in the text book or other literature.
2. Guiding the students- this includes:
A. making students aware of the all the various sources of information available, e.g. i) printed material such as books, newspapers, journals, articles, instruction leaflets, brochures, and even things like cereal boxes, road signs etc., ii) electronic media, e.g. radio, television, internet , movies, etc. ,iii)people, e.g. experts and everyone else ( everyone has a story to tell and a lesson to teach or information to share) ,and iv) tours, visits and travel opportunities.
B. Teaching the students how to use information. The teacher can help the students to decide on the purpose of the information; how to gather information, through means such as by interviews, surveys, observations, making notes, memorizing, recording, and analyzing and critical reading; how to sort information and use it, e.g. how to relate pieces of information to each other, how to derive meaningfulness from the information and how to apply the information to their lives or occupations.
3. Building a relationship with the students. If the teacher’s role involves providing information and guiding the students, then how the teacher feels about these students must be central to the role. Teachers also experience feelings in the classroom. These include feelings of ‘dislike’ for some students’ behavior patterns, anger, frustration about the job and their role, anxiety and daily personal stress, fear of not doing a good job, incompetence, boredom, embarrassment, discrimination (based on intellectualism ,classism , racism, gender, etc.) The students bring their own feelings, including their own dislike of teacher and others in the classroom, fear of failure, threat of punishment, embarrassment, boredom, frustration (work too challenging or not challenging enough, pace too fast or too slow, not enough choice ) invalidation and incompetence. A teacher having to cope with any of these feelings either of his own or the students will have a hard time keeping his attention clear enough to fulfill 1 and 2 above. And it is known that at any moment in the classroom at least some of these feelings are running.
Now, I am asking myself, did I give good information to my students? Did I guide them well? Or did I build rapport to them? Did I do it well or all are just a crap?
I realized that to be called as teacher, you must possess the character as a role model to your students. As a teacher, you must teach, guide, and help the students in molding their lives. As a teacher, you also must bring out the best in every student you have. As a teacher, you must be their inspiration and not like a monster they hate. Correcting students is one of the traits a teacher should have. Teacher should know the individuality of the student. Being dynamic is not easy but it can be. You should be armed with perfection for them to respect and follow you. Correct them with compassion the same way our parent did it for us.
I personally feel hurting because of some incident happened to me. I thought my ways are better than others but I was wrong. Now, I’m beginning to pick up the broken pieces of me. However, I am open for some Changes. It’s not that easy but I know it is for my own best someday. These are all charge to me on being a teacher.

LEFT BEHIND

I’ve been repeatedly drawing eyes on any piece of paper I see, trying to capture your eyes and how they look at me as they pierce and lay right through my soul.

A hundred attempts and pieces of paper and I still can’t do it.

You’re gone. I’m gone.

I can’t look at myself in the mirror.

There's no turning back.

Sometimes, we tend to look at our past forgetting that there is still FUTURE awaits us.

All we need is the courage to strive and BE THE BEST VERSION OF US.

Holding on to the BEST AUTHOR

"Give your pen to God and allow Him to write your life story and let it be a proof of His love and compassion for His children."

The credits for the inspiring words above goes to our church Pastor who preached in the morning service at VCF Ortigas-Galleria. His preaching and the string of words were just so powerful I couldn't afford to not blog about it.

As a Christian, I've long submitted my life to God. I know I always say that God will always be on top of my every decisions. I must admit, however, that there were times when I seem to set God aside and just went on with my heart's desire without earnestly asking for His guidance. Some on purpose, some just being the unmindful and careless me. And yes, I know that by being this way, I am not fulfilling my duty as a daughter of God. I am hurting Him in ways I could not imagine. I am neglecting His purpose and His will for my life which I know is too painful to bear if you are a parent or if you care for someone so much.

Good thing about being a born again Christian, though, I already have knowledge about these things. Since the time I welcomed God in my life and in my heart, I know that God should be the center of all my actions, my thoughts, and even my words. I may have failed in a number of moments in my life because I'm still a work in progress, but still, I have this conviction of God's glorious role in my life my role in His Kingdom as well.

The desires of my heart which I pursued without seeking for God's approval just gave me failures and disappointments. The decisions I made without totally listening to God's voice brought me twinges and despair. The moments of despair for those decisions made not centered on God were special moments for me to realize that God so love me that He wants me to live a wonderful and happy life, but I am just too stubborn to follow His will.

God has a various ways of showing us His love and concern, and sometimes, we are just too self-centered or perhaps too numb brought about by worldly pleasures that we don't seem to feel His love.

Today, I once again lifted my hopes and my heart's desires to God. I asked for forgiveness for those times that I seemed to disregard His will sometimes. There is only one God and I vow never to follow again the scheming god within me. For now until forever, I will only entrust my life to the hands of God and I will let Him write my story the way He wants it to be. My own pen will run out of ink and could be broken easily but God's plans and His words will endure forever.

ONLY FOR YOU

ONLY FOR YOU
Verse 1:
...
Boy: I, I have been waiting all my life for someone like you
Girl: you, you make me feel like I'm new all because of you

Refrain:

Boy: God has make things right now baby
Girl: gonna get into your life now baby

Chorus:

Both: I can be all you what you want me to be..
When everything's small and I'd still be here
If your feeling this pain and I'll still be waiting for you.. only for you

Verse 2:

Boy: now, now is the right time to say, things left unsaid..
Girl: we, we can make this work for love, all because of love...

Repeat refrain and chorus-2x

Only With You

I'm loss inside my mind
I'm loss inside my feelings
Thinking about you
Missin' your touch and your kiss
I can't believe you got be fallin' like this
And I don't wanna end it feeling like this

CHORUS:
You know I want to share my world with you
I wanna be with you this feelings will never change
You know I want to forever livin' this moment
I wanna spend the rest of my life
Only with you

Feelin' never alive a lifetime live with you
I couldn't imagine if that it would be with you
I wanna take it to forever with me
You're just the best thing that happen to me

(Repeat Chorus 2x)
Only with you
I wanna spend the rest of my life
Only with you
I love this song.

Pieces of YOU from within

been so long since I wrote a literary piece...
So here yeah go.
A poem edge from the heart
Hope You'll like it as much as I Do.

==============================

I know that I wasn’t thinkin’ before
I never knew that you were askin for more
I know not all the time I’ve been true,
I never knew that you already have a clue.

Today I’ll a write song, memories of you as I remember,
If time would permit, You and I grow always together.
Together until the end of time.
Always and forever you are mine.

Even if I close my eyes, your face is always on my sight.
Even if fate would stand still, all I want now is what I feel.

I never thought this could be,
Writing a song for you, seems so hard to do.
I never imagine this is what I’d feel
Singing this to you feels so real.

My hands are shaking,
My heart is beating fast.
But In front you everything seems so slow mo.

ONLY WITH YOU

I'm lost inside my mind, I'm lost inside my feelings, Thinking about you, Missing your touch and your kiss, I can't believe you got me fallin' like this, And I dont wanna end a feeling like this. You know I want to share my world with you, I wanna be with you, this feelings will never change, You know I want to, forever and ever live for this moment, I wanna spent the rest of my life, ONLY WITH YOU. ^_^

This is part of the song which makes me realized that music really makes me immeasurably happy.

IS SOCIAL NETWORKING NOW A NEW MASS MEDIA?

Is the cross-over complete? Is social media now a part of everyone’s day-to-day lives, and does everyone now know what it is and how to use it? Has social media reached mass media status?

What I mean by mass media is TV, radio and the press etc that are common communications platforms. Mass media is traditionally one dimensional in terms of communication, and social media of course is the complete opposite.

Over the past couple of months, social media references seem to be wherever I look, being highlighted in varied aspects of everyday life. For instance, on the radio you hear musicians such as Maria Carey singing about YouTube and other social networks, mainstream TV programmes are mentioning the use of blogs in their storylines (Eastenders), and mobile phone company advertisements (billboards) with social networking features are now a powerful way of selling handsets. As I saw yesterday in TV station,they used mobile phones to report news, Vodafone has massive banners hanging from the terminal building promoting the social networking functionality on its handsets.

That’s just a few instances I have noticed, and I bet you have noticed some too!

Is social media mass media yet or just a flash in the pan?

Quite interesting that people nowadays are involve in mass media as a watch dog on our own way.

YOU

We've just put down our phone after our last phone conversation for the day and up to now I am smiling as your words "I love you" still rings in my ear and makes my heart pound.

I never thought that I would feel this intense towards you.

We've known each other for years and never did I think in the past that you could be the one that I would want for the rest of my life. You tried to reach out as far as you could just so you could make me feel that you love me but I never trusted your feelings. I tried to love you back then but I felt that what we know about each other wasn't enough so I tried to push you away.

Our story was an untold one, a story I tried to forget and a story that you tried to hold on to.

Countless of times, you asked for a second chance and yes lots of times, I said no. I don't know why this time, I tried to open my heart and let myself see if there could be really something beyond these indescribable feeling that we have for each other. Maybe because I felt that there was something between us that's wonderful and surreal.

I am so glad I made the right choice and opened up myself to you.

Even since the day you came back into my life, my life was like a fairytale. I get suprises from you from left to right, no one would even think that harana would still be done by someone like you and who would have thought you would have the guts to dance with me on stage with lots of people watching. You tried to go out of your way just to be with me, and you even literally crossed the ocean on a dangerous night just to be with me for a few hours.

You always made me feel good and giddy in many different ways.You accept me for who and what I am. When you hold my hand, you make me feel safe and that you'd never let go of me. When you're staring at me, I feel that I am beautiful and important even thought I think I am not especially when I am alone. Your hugs make it hard for me to breathe, not because you hold me too tight, but because my heart wants to explode with so much happiness.Your kisses makes me feel loved and makes me want to kiss you for the rest of my life.

You hold my fragile heart very carefully and I feel that in your hands, it could not ever be broken. When you are with me, I am at my happiest and I feel like I am on a natural high because I know that what we have is real. You believe in my dreams and you always intertwine it with yours. You take good care of your little nephews and cousins because you want to have kids with me and take care of them yourself. You believe in me and you entrust yourself to me wholeheartedly.

You always made me feel that I have an imperative to live, that I am alive because I have a purpose in life and that is to love you.

And now, I am taking this hopeless, crazy chance to thank you, for waiting that long just so you could love me and let me love you back.

We know problems cannot even be avoided, and we can never swear we wouldn't hurt or make each other cry, but what's important for me is that we love each other.

Never ever be afraid again that you would lose me; I lost you once and I would never ever want you to go through all of that pain again.

We can never promise each other the perfect life, but what I could promise is that I would never let go of you again. If you have to go through heaven and hell, I'd make sure that we'd go through it together.

I love you
I am loving you more each day and I swear
I'm going to love you every day for the rest of my life.

A simple realization.

I wanted to write about the new music I've been listening to. But I looked around me as I sit here on my bed and realized how tragic my life has been the past two days. I don't know why I just can't seem to stop attracting tragedy in my life. And what's most annoying is the possibility that I just could be getting used to it already.

I look at my bedside table and it's full of stuff from last night. Traces of the terrible nights I had been through. There's a book that's opened in the first few pages lying there facing down. I seriously wanted to take sleeping pills but I thought reading a book might just benefit me more. Crumpled tissue paper have piled up beside a now half roll of tissue paper.

It isn't a pretty sight I know. But I figured that if I cry a few more tears later tonight, I will still need that roll of tissue, and will still keep turning this bedside table into a convenient trash bin for my little white tear relievers.

When was the last time I faced God at my best? Must've been forever. It almost felt like I was raising my arms to him, with a piece of rag in my my hands because THAT was all I had to offer.

Well, at the end of the road, it's God who knows me best.

That no matter what happened, I am so blessed and I am who I am now because of GOD.

A need to CHANGE

My sister told me that whatever you do to make your life go the way you want it, there will always be something that will come along to mess it all up. I guess that's what we all have to live with as long as we're here...change.

There are only so many things you can do to prepare yourself for things to come. Most of which are preparations that deal with financial and emotional concerns. But you know, come to think of it, how can we prepare for everything when our understanding of the world and our lives are limited to only what our minds can comprehend? I guess the answer is simple. We can't.

It goes the same way in relationships the way I see it. You love the only way you know how, thinking that it's going to be enough. But it never is. Change takes place in you, in your partner, and in the world that your relationship exists in. Again, there is no way of stopping the forces of change.

So what is there left to do? Do we just grovel in a corner and let change take away all the permanence we so deeply long for? Is there no reason to hold on to anything in this life?

The answer lies in what we use to "see" things, our mind or our heart. When our heart is open and allows love and contentment to blossom, no matter what happens around us, we'll feel complete. Losing a partner, a friend, a loved one, or a job does not mean that the love and concern you extended for each them disappears along with it. That's what stays behind. That is what change can never ever reach.

Thinking too much and seeing with our minds normally leads to more confusion because we tend to over- rationalize things, without really remembering that it's an exercise in futility. There is no way you can fully justify all the events in life. Just embrace everything that's going on, ride it through and keep on remembering that as long as you have love to give, life will find a way for you to use it. It may not come when you want it and how you want it but that's change...unpredictable.

Life still is beautiful. And I can't wait for the next roll of the dice.

What will i do my Lord?

I’m still thinking about what I should write about.. As apparently any good content won’t be rewarded since the penalty continues and continues and may last for the next half year, if at worst state. But anyways, let me bring out some good content for today. Seems like recently we’ve just played around and haven’t released any lesson or so. But now, let’s grasp something from the emo side.

I believe all of us, you and I and everyone out there has encountered at least a single problem in life. At times, it can be a difficult one, sometimes a little bump you need to move over. And sometimes it also happens, that the problems that you encounter are quite bigger ones that need more of your attention, time and everything. For most christians or Roman Catholics, this is the time when we look back and remember again the master above us, our creator; God. How awful it may sound, we come to forget him often in times we don’t need him. After those trials came into our country, what will be the next? To whom are we going to trust?

Yet, anyway, rest assure that he’s still there for all of us, he’s around us and will guide us through all the odds. (just don’t do the too obvious and too abusive way of asking for his guidance and enlightenment). So, what would be the next thing that you’d gonna do after closing to God? You would come to ask him, What Will I Do My Lord? Am I correct?

To start a little discussion, may I ask all of you; besides asking God for guidance, what else do you do in times of frustration and defeat, else, if you also would come to ask God for something, what would that be?

my wish list...

I want to work as soon as possible after studying. I promise myself to not be a slacker come graduation and find myself a decent job because I have so many plans with my life. I know, I am expecting a bit too much about my future, but I think these big goals will keep me on my toes and work harder when I officially start working.

Aside from getting my own car (a toss up between Honda Jazz or Subaru Impreza), I'd also like to have my own place in the metro. Mama told me she plans to get out of Manila after I study college so there's a possibility that we might leave our house after school. We would probably live now on our own. The thought makes me nervous and excited at the same time. Nervous because I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with the rent and the house (not good with housekeeping) and excited to finally live and buy stuff on my own It calls for more responsibility and responsibility is always welcome! :)

sometime we need to stop and think again...

All you have to do is stop breathing, lift your head up so tears won't fall down your face, hold all the pain up inside and pretend everything's okay, then smile and tell yourself this world's a perfect place until you become numb of all its imperfections.




I'm here in the office staring at the articles I've written. I've visited every website that I could think of just to get distracted and forget what I'm feeling but it's just no use. I plug the earphones and put the volume up and listen to the upbeat songs I have, but tears keep flowing down my cheeks. I can't breathe, this pain is beyond unbearable. I just want to vanish right now.

I am who I am

I'll tell what I really want. I want someone who would let me get me the hours of sleep that I need but still wait for me to wake up and kiss and hug me when I do. I want someone who would tease me about being small and fat but still love me for who I am. I want someone who would go around bookstores and malls and watch movies with me and not complain that he got tired because he went with me. I want someone who would respect that I need to spend time with my family and friends because they are the people who love and care for me just as he does. I want someone who would not hate the boyish aura that I give out but rather be glad that he has a friend and a girl friend in me. I want someone who would have the courage to be mushy, and even write me love letters just because he wants to. I want someone who could spend a lot of time with me, someone who can just hold my hand and sit with me quietly. I want someone who would let me meet his family and make me feel that I'm part of it. I want someone who would understand me and would let me understand him. I want someone who could respect me and let me be who I want to be. I want someone who would listen to me and let me listen to him. I want someone who could be honest to me and not feed me with lies. I want someone who will stay and never go. I want someone who would be loyal and faithful to me and someone who could want, need and love me for the rest of our lives. And that's what I want.

You should know

Guys, you must know that if a girl loved you then, chances are she still loves you heaps now. She's probably crying herself to sleep every night over you while trying her hardest to keep on a happy face during the day. Most likely, she still thinks about you all the time, everyday. She probably still sits there imagining her future with you in it, then thinks back to the past and shatters. Whenever something happens to her, good or bad, she's most likely thinking of you and wishing that she could tell you all about it. Whenever she hears a song on the radio she'll think of you, not only because the song reminds her of you but also how much of her broken life right now can relate to the song. Whenever she watches a romantic movie or sees a cute couple, hand in hand, she starts to die a little more inside knowing that what used to be is now just a memory. Whenever she thinks of you, she smiles, yet at the same time, she is suffering. Although she may not show it, she is suffering a great deal of pain. She's suffering from remembering those happy moments that she'll always remember but it seemed that you've already forgotten. She's afraid that you might forget her along the way as well. On the outside, she may seem like all smiles and laughter, but what is behind the mask is someone who knows really well how to hide themselves. You have no idea just how much pain she is suffering. She still hurts, because the memories of you and her are not only too hard to forget, she also doesn't want to forget, though sometimes she tries to forget, everything just somehow reminds her of you all over again. She re-reads your old texts and convos because she misses you and what used to be. she misses your hugs, she misses your smiles. She misses you entirely. She loves you. She fell for you, and you just watched her fall. Seriously, if you didn't intend to catch her, then don't lead her on, don't get her hopes up, cause the harder she falls for you, the more pain she'll end up having to go through afterwards. Don't tell her you love her if you don't mean it, chances are, she might do something crazy like believe it. For the guys reading this, know that no matter how strong a girl may look on the outside, we all go through some sort of pain on the inside when you leave us. And for the girls reading this, there must've been one boy in particular that was on your mind the whole entire time.