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.