Any comments on your students?

I have no idea what's happened to my students. Today, one of them said to me through msn "Ms Quek, long time no see, I thought you mati (died)."

I have had a very bad week and now this nonsense. What happen to the angels? They were not like this EVER before. A huge disappointment. I'm recovering from a huge shock and disappointment and please don't be a 'dipper' and scoop water away from my 'bucket'.

Everyone should read "How full is your bucket?". It explains everything that you feel. The official website for this wonderful book: http://www.bucketbook.com/

Fellow comrades, any comments on students nowadays? Are there any remedies for super bruised ego?

Looking at my sign off below: "The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher." I doubt Singapore children can get along without a teacher. They don't feel comfortable WITHOUT someone breathing down their necks and screaming at them. I have no idea why. Will anything get into their heads? I admit that I'm pessimistic at this moment. Hoping that I'll pick up fast and revert back to the old me with a sophisticated touch to teaching.

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Explanation of mixed number video clip by a gangster boss

I love this video clip a lot! It is extracted from "My Boss, My Hero", a Japanese drama. I got my CT hooked on this show after I showed this video clip during my Math observation. Oops.

It explain how the denominator is the mother while the numerator is the child, as you add fractions together, the 'child' gets fatter and heavier. Once it's too heavy to carry the child, the 'mother' will throw a 'one size adult' out into the society. That's how you get mixed number.

LOVE this explanation. Makes mixed number fun and easier to understand :)

Just want to share with you and hope you like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMv_3QiKWEI

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Teaching pupils biographies (Primary 5) Part 2

For primary 5 English teachers, you should know that there's a text on Raffles in your My Pals textbook. The text is extracted from http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/history/raffles.htm and for schools which do not use My Pals textbook series, you may want to take a look at the website mentioned.

I have used the video clips that I have extracted and created to teach this text. The children loved it.

Here's the video and if you want a copy of it, just email me.

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

STAGNANT

In the profession of teaching, feedbacks are very important for a rookie like me. I can even count the number of days that I actually take over a class. It's not many. I don't mind criticism at all. Just as long as I know that I can move on to a newer level, improving on what I know and do. I know that I can do better than that. In the recent events that I have experienced over this week, I find myself in a stagnant water. A place where I feel that I cannot move on. No feedbacks are given, at least a scolding will make me feel much better. I need to know what's the next action that I can take to improve.

It's a terrible feeling for someone with so much passion for teaching to feel like total CRAP. I have reflected a lot on my actions and I can't pinpoint what went wrong. I have children being very rude to me, one even stuffed (literally) object into my face. I have reprimanded that boy and I'm sure nothing get into his head. What's wrong with the children?

I'm in a stagnant stage right now, totally paralyzed to what I shall do next. I would really appreciate if someone could offer a piece of advice. I'm almost coming to a conclusion that putting effort to do something creative and fun for children to learn DOES NOT PAY.

Fellow colleagues, I do hope that I'll find back my old self and be motivated to churn out more ideas to share. Feeling really down at the moment. I've prepared some lesson plans and ideas before my worst experience. Here's the items.

Thanks.

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Crazy week

I got what I want and it's more than what I asked for. Haha... This week is really a crazy week for me as Hong Kong exchange students are in my class. One more day tomorrow and I can update this blog with lotsa teaching ideas and sharing.

Sorry! Will update really soon.

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Lesson learnt

Through my first week of teaching, I realized that it is not about how fanciful your lesson need to be to engage the students. It is how you make a dull lesson interesting. I was assigned to teach the topic "Matter" for primary 4 students. Initially, I thought: "This is a boring topic, there's nothing interesting about it."

After conducting science lessons on Wednesday and Thursday, I realized that simple things can make students happy.

1. By bringing them to the Science lab (They are exhilarated with the idea of having lessons in the science lab.)
2. Getting each groups of students to challenge one another in estimating how many marbles will equal to the weight of the sand bag they received.
3. Getting the students to decide in groups to measure the mass of their personal items (They were so excited to find out that one of the student's pencil case with items inside weighs 550g. I got a shock too!)
4. Science activity in the book to illustrate that air takes up space can be extremely fun! I told them that there's a magic to make the tissue paper inside the cup dry even if I submerge the whole cup into the tub of water. Some of them didn't believe and I got them to come up to the teacher's bench to feel the tissue. They were shocked!

I've poked a hole in the plastic cup and covered the hole with my thumb for the first time round of submerging the cup in water. For the second time, I told them that I will tell the tissue that it is going to get wet. (I even got students praying to the tissue to get wet! That was really an eye-opener for me that kids can be REALLY CUTE!) Then when they saw bubbles coming out of the submerged cup this time round, they were so excited! Then I got them to try out the activity.

It was a crazy week for me and I hope there are more craziness for me in the coming weeks.

Gambatte my fellow colleagues!

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Teaching children biographies (Primary 5)

My class went through biography of Marco Polo. It is in the theme "The Great Explorers" in My Pals 5A for English.

I used this video for my class and it was rather useful as it allowed pupils to visualize the places that Marco Polo went to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ihQi5-JUoI

More lesson ideas for "The Great Explorers" to come :)

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Back to school...

Saw this on a t-shirt at Giordano:

"A hug a day keeps the psychiatrist away"

I really think this is true for me. My students are keeping me sane by giving me hugs when I needed the most. They fuel my passion for teaching.

Hope that you get hugs from the people that you love and from the little 'angels' that you will be seeing everyday :) Good luck for your practicum!

Back to school...

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Science MCQ constructed for Theme: Interactions - 'Adaptations for Survival' and 'Our Impact on the Environment'

1. Air spaces help aquatic plants to ________________________.

A) float

B) photosynthesize

C) keep upright

1) A and B only

2) B and C only

3) A and C only

4) All of the above

( )

2. Which of the following best describes man’s positive impact on the environment?

1) Activities that affect our environment in a harmful way.

2) Activities that does not affect our environment in any ways.

3) Activities that affect our environment in slightly harmful way.

4) Activities that affect our environment in a helpful way.

( )

3. Which of the following animals display behavioural adaptations?

1) Banded gecko having to hide in the shade, away from the sun.

2) Camel having humps to contain energy to keep going for long.

3) Desert fox having large ears to help get rid of excess body heat.

4) Polar bear having thick fur and fat to protect itself from cold.

( )

4. Which of the following best describes the greenhouse effect?

1) The Sun’s heat reaches the Earth and all of the heat reflected is trapped by the greenhouse gases.

2) The Sun’s heat reaches the Earth and some of the heat reflected is trapped by the greenhouse gases.

3) The Sun’s heat reaches the Earth and more heat is reflected and trapped by the greenhouse gases.

4) The Sun’s heat reaches the Earth and no heat is reflected and trapped by the greenhouse gases.

( )

5. Joe wants to know whether an animal living in water is a mammal. What should he ask?

1) Does the animal have a streamlined body shape?

2) Does the animal have a blowhole or nostrils?

3) Does the animal have an air tube or air bubble?

4) Does the animal have blubber under its skin?

( )

Answers:

Q1: (3); Q2: (4); Q3: (1); Q4: (2); Q5: (2)

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Use of Graphic Organiser

The use of graphic organiser for teaching is excellent! I have not thought about it before. Will adopt it for some of my lessons. Yee Ping, thanks a lot for sharing.

Here's the website to get some ideas on how your graphic organiser can look like and some ways to carry out lessons.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/index.shtml

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Tuning in website for Mathematics

Songs to teach Mathematics. Good for tuning in :)

Thanks to Yee Ping for finding this amazing website. Using Yee Ping's words: "Lets sing to the tune!!!!"

http://www.songsforteaching.com/mathsongs.htm

-elly-

The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher.
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Inspiring quote

"I am not a teacher; only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way.

I pointed ahead – ahead of myself as well as of you."

- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) British dramatist, critic, writer.

I am captivated by this quote.

-elly-

"The objective of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher."
- Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.

Good website for teaching multiplication table (Primary 2)

This is the best website for teaching of multiplication table! I totally recommend it.

http://www.multiplication.com/teach.htm

Remember: Multiplication is repeated addition. (Get the children to see this.)

I know it can be daunting for primary 2 children to learn multiplication, so fellow teachers, try your best to make them love mathematics :) Math rocks!

-elly-

Education is teaching people behaviors they don't currently practice.

Idea for teaching apostrophe S

There are different uses for apostrophe S ('s). It is used in indicating possession - example: This pen is May's. Or it can be used in speeches to combine two words - example: "What's (what is) in this box?".

Most of the children will have seen apostrophe S with or without the knowledge of the appropriate use in different sentence structure. Perhaps using this activity may help to promote awareness of the existence of apostrophe S in different forms and the original form of the word.

Using cards, write down the pair of words containing a word showing apostrophe S and the other showing the original word. Randomly give each of the pupils a card containing the word and they have to go around the class to find their matching partner. After they have found their partner, they will have to come up with a simple sentence each to illustrate the use of the words that their cards show.

For example:

John - John's
what - what's
Alice - Alice's

Special cases (have to decide whether your class is ready for list below) :

*you - yours / *you - you're
he - his / he - he's
she - hers / she - she's
*it - its / *it - it's
we - ours / we - we're

*People tend to get these mixed up for their usages in sentences.


Personally, I tried this method for Mathematics in my class for equivalent fractions and it was fun! Hope that you can have fun teaching apostrophe S in your class too :)

-elly-

Education is teaching people behaviors they don't currently practice.

Great tuning in website for English

Got this website from Shihui. Thanks a lot for sharing!

http://gardenofpraise.com/mugram8.htm

-elly-

Education is teaching people behaviors they don't currently practice.

Idea for teaching adverbs of manner (Primary 3)

An idea for teaching of adverbs of manner. The theme is 'Amazing Animals'.

You will have to teach children what is adverbs before they are able to do the activity below.

Using the clip 'einstein the parrot' from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnTT7u5U4Yo, get children to take down the list of animals that the parrot mimicked.

List of animals that the parrot mimicked:
1. wolf
2. bird
3. owl
4. rooster
5. penguin
6. chimpanzee
7. pig
8. tiger
9. skunk

After the children have gotten the list of animals, get them to describe how Einstein the parrot mimicked each of the animals. For example: Einstein mimicked the owl and hooted happily.

After the children have completed the listing the adverbs of manner for each of the animals mimicked, get them to describe Einstein's performance using adverbs of manner. Example: Einstein performed proudly to the audience.

You may wish to write up a template worksheet for children to work on. After the children have completed the list of adverbs of manner, get them to present and pick out the adverbs of manner that you think are good and worth learning. Write the adverbs of manner on coloured paper and paste on the noticeboard for children to learn and use in their composition.

This idea came to me while I was surfing the net for some ideas for teaching for a friend. I find these two websites rather useful for teaching of adverbs of manner:

http://www.learnenglish.de/Games/Adverbs/Adverbs.htm

http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/adverbmanner.htm


Hope this helps :)

-elly-



Education is teaching people behaviors they don't currently practice.

Idea for teaching homophones

Teaching of homophones can be fun and enjoyable for children. Homophones appear in Primary 5 My Pals textbook.

What are homophones?
They are words that spelled differently but sound the same.

Interestingly, I was introduced to a video clip (Bush vs Rice) which largely illustrates the concept of homophones. I have censored some of the areas so that it is 'children friendly' on this page. You can get the full version of it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFSoPQbY6Uk.

LESSON PLAN
Tuning in:
1. Show the video clip of 'Bush vs Rice' to pupils.
2. Get pupils to discuss the words that sound the same which create misunderstandings in the conversation.
3. Tell students that they are to learn a new term called 'homophones'. Define the meaning of homophones.

Development:
1. Get students to come up with a pair of words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
2. After they have come up with the pair of words, get them to come up with a joke using the words to show communication misunderstanding.

Example (It is not really a good one, but hope it illustrates what the children can do.):

An illegal stall holder has a stall at the flea market. He did not know why it was called a ‘flea market’ when there was no flea there. Policemen came to catch illegal stallholders and people were shouting “Flee! Flee!”. After the stallholder got to safety, he said to himself, “So now I know why it is called a flee market.”

Flea/ Flee

3. Get pupils to present their jokes to the class. Sit back and enjoy the fun of this lesson.

Conclusion:
1. Gather some of the words from the pupils that they have presented and make a list of homophones.
2. Reinforce what homophones are and the use of homophones.


This is my first attempt at putting up teaching ideas. There is room for improvement. Do comment on the areas that I can improve on. Thanks :)

-elly-

Education is teaching people behaviors they don't currently practice.

WORK IN PROGRESS

My first time trying out the 'new' in thing for technology savvy age. Will be posting some thoughts on education and ideas for teaching. Do share your views and correct me if I make any mistakes here on pedagogy of teaching, language errors etc.

To my fellow colleagues from NIE. Welcome. Hope that this will be a helpful sharing point for us all. All of us need support in our course of 'moulding the future of our nation'. Cliche huh.

To those who have sources of getting nice blogspot 'skins', if you can find anything that can relate to education, please let me know. Still a newbie in blogging.

Thank you for taking a moment of your busy life to take a look at this.

-elly-

Education is teaching people behaviors they don't currently practice.