The B-E-S-T School

What standards should be met in order to be considered as a BEST school?

What are the factors that makes a school a good one?

In my observation in St. Paul-Pasig, I discovered that in order for a school to be acknowledge as the best school the following should matter to them foremost:

Benchmark of learning - Every school should be a place where students learn most. It is where they discover their gifts and acquire skills that they need as they face the present and prepare for the future. There should be a well facilitated environment and an atmosphere where respect and love for one another is of primary importance. They are not just doing business but are busy of influencing the lives entrusted to them. They should be a vast opportunity available to students in order for them to discover what their gifts are and be able to enhance those.

Efficient and effective teachers - No matter how well facilitated the school is if the teachers are not capable of transmitting excellent learning to the students that would still be considered as a failure to the school. An efficient and effective teacher is a must for a school to be considered best for they are the ones who think outside the box and are able to motivate their students to become the best of what they can be. They are good managers of classrooms and a good communicator of knowledge, they keep on learning but acknowledges that their is no monopoly of learning since they recognize their students are capable of discovering things for themselves. Indeed, The teacher is a great factor in order to become the best school. 

Student-centered - There is no better place to be considered best when you know you are the most important and your needs are the priority to be addressed. Same for a school that has no greater desire than to recognize what is the need of the students and are in the business of making better lives.

Technology (up to date) - Technology is a great tool in order to achieve excellence in learning, with all the inventions made today they are very helpful in reaching the student's need including wants. The school should recognize that they cannot do it alone without the help of what is IN today which technology is a big one. They should not be after to the Department of Education's standard but they have to consider that this is one of the essential factor for the enrollees since they are all aware and looking for something that they like that could motivate them to learn.

To be considered as the BEST School is just the reward of being in the business of transforming lives. Every school would like to be recognize as one but not all are ready for the responsibility behind it.

The Most Useful Aid

The most useful aid for the teachers to help them achieve their desired objective is through the use of Training Aids. They are the supplementary tools of teachers in order to achieve retention and mastery to the students but should be careful enough to take it as a replacement to the teacher for they can never be replaced by any training aids. 

Its purpose is best achieved when the appropriate aid is used to let the point or concept be understood by the students. The preparation will take time in the part of the teacher but it will surely help her in presenting her lesson in a way the student can understand and comprehend it, the manner of presentation should also be considered for it will affect its results.

Training aid should be readable and legible in the eyes of the readers and be visible from the nearest to the farthest person inside the room so the teacher should also consider the quantity of the learners. Part of preparing the aid is to make sure that it will be relevant to the topic at the same time up to date so it will be more easy for them to connect what the teacher is saying to what they are seeing in the aid.

Since training aids are designed to help the teacher it is expected that more than one of the five sense will be involve so the retention will be achieve at a more rapid phasing

Training Aids do have some disadvantages if not properly used, it can cause confusion to the students especially if what the teacher is saying is different from what is being presented by the aid or it could be that the teacher would depend on the aid alone for the topic to be explained.

If I were to ask what the most useful aid to use is, I should say the one that is most appropriate to the topic the teacher will present. Therefore, the teacher should learn how to carefully choose what aid would best fit her lesson. 

First-Last Impression

Dont think the title is misplaced,
it is something the teacher should have to consider in order to have another meaningful and fruitful learning.

For a teacher to maintain the students attention is one thing but to get their attention and bring them to each phasing smoothly is another that is why OPENERS and ENDERS are a crucial part of the teaching session

A song, poem, quote, joke, story, game are just few of the ways the teacher can start the session. Anything can be done in the opening as long as it gets their attention and engage them to get to know each other. the teacher has to take note that it should still be appropriate to the entire session

For the ENDERS the teachers on this part should let the students do something that will keep them on thinking and reflecting to what has transpired that day, something they will bring as they go to their own homes. 

The OPENER AND ENDER should work together to achieve the set objectives that is why there should be careful selection of the activity in this part. Careful also to the time that will be alloted for this should be very simple and yet sweet enough to set the mood of the students. 

HOMEless but not HOPEless

Today marks the 95th day of Typhoon Yolanda when it hit the Philippines last November 8, 2013. It was considered to be one of the greatest typhoon humans had ever face and Filipinos are the most affected by it. Billions of money were extended to the Philippines all over the world.

I have seen with my own eyes how every Filipino tried to extend help with what they have by volunteering to repack goods after their work, making errands in delivering packages, recruiting people who would like to rebuild houses, counseling to the survivors, teaching livelihood programs and the list goes on..

I have never seen the Filipinos as united as before due to this calamity but I wonder right now how is help being extended to them during these times where publicity are no longer updating us what is happening there. The momentum is gone where everyone was all motivated to help and I know during these times they will all need more help because they are trying to rebuild not only their houses but from what’s left to them.  

I, together with my Coro Cantabile Family, decided to continue on in the endeavor of helping these people by raising funds through music and as I talked to one of the survivors I saw how the tragedy brought her to a faith-humbling state that she can still say “The Lord is good”. And with all the stories she heard that was shared to me, it is really hard to utter those words especially in crisis times. It takes a life fully anchored on Him to weather the storms in life has to bring.

The Yolanda survivors are a living example to me that there are more important things in life that we don’t necessarily hold with our hand that are more important - HOPE. The message of hope would be shallow if the giver of hope is not recognized. Yes they are homeless but they are not hopeless, what happened to them did not make them any bitter to the Creator but made them more aware that He is real because they had survived. 

The Learner's Market

I'm happy, super happy, dancing happy for today's learning opportunities! 

It was all new experience for me by really putting the learner at the very center of learning.

I learned several skills such as:

1. Crochet

2. Zumba

3. Breathing Exercise

4. Sketching

In all these, I have proven that this learning opportunity will be really effective if the following principles are carefully observed:

On the teacher:

1. Has a bird's eye view of what is happening.

The teacher is responsible for creating and maintaining excitement, they have to be observant towards the attitude and response of each learner and even the student-trader in the process of trading.

2. Considers the Capability of the Recipients of Knowledge

Response to the knowledge being imparted is different from one person to another because their interest and need is the primary measurement if they will be motivated or not. The teacher should carefully choose what appeals to them most. It is important to note also that it should be a voluntary task in presenting the skill they most desired.

3. Develops relationship with their students. All personalities get to appreciate one another if they have something in common; it builds a community of people open for mistake and creativity so regardless if they are the teacher or the student. As the teachers allow it to happen relationship will blossom and that would make them realize that they are a community of learners and they ought to help each other hand-in-hand.

On the students:

1. Know what they know

There should be mastery of the skill they're about to present and the ability to communicate the instructions clear and precise to their classmates. As they showcase their talents it gives them confidence for the accomplishment being made that would greatly affect their self-efficacy in handling different circumstances as they grow older.

2. Share what they know

To be able to learn a skill is one thing, but to share it with others is another. Clear communication is the key to be able to impart learning with their peers. From giving instruction, noting the steps, doing how it should be done creates creativity and allows discovery on their part as well as to their hearers. Moreover, as my professor said the best way to reinforce learning is to teach it to others.

Genuine learning springs from accepting that there is no monopoly of gifts and we can always trade it for a new one.

Happy Trading!

THE 4 A’s

For 2 consecutive sessions our class was conducting a demonstration of different methods as assigned to us by our professor and as teachers we ought to make our class as student-centered as possible.

The collaborative effort of the students and teachers is a must in order to make a meaningful and creative learning and 4A’s could be one of the most useful tools towards it. Based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory it aims to approach the child holistically. It also acknowledges the past schemes of the student and integrating it to a new one so most likely this format will bring out what has been in stored and what is missing will be filled in eventually towards a deeper knowledge of the lesson.

Brief explanation of 4A’s

I. Activity – This will bring understanding to what the learners already know and clarity to what learners should learn further. At this early stage, the student should already have a retrospect of what they will be learning through the activity that will be presented.

II. Analysis – A more in-depth understanding of the lesson, it is another phase where the students will process and classify what is valid and not. The teacher on this part will ask further questions and will also lead as a facilitator rather than mere lecturing and sharing facts and ideas. The students know gains a wider view of the lesson but at the same time draws closer to the main topic.

III. Abstraction – The teacher on this part will now focus entirely on the lesson being presented and ask more lead questions to lead the students in reinforcing what they know and should know more. The student here starts to feel more the importance of the lesson to her and see the necessity of it to his/her life.

IV. Application – The word itself describes the stage as bringing the student to a more practical way of using HOW are they going to use what they have learned and thinking of new ways on how it can be improve further.

To add, this format will best affect learning when we facilitate more rather than placing the lesson in their heads. We aim to keep them at phase but not to the point of dragging them to what we would like them to achieve. And last but not the least, Mastery of the Lesson – when the teacher is prepared and has mastered the lesson it will surely surprise you with good results.

which is which?

More often than not there is a possibility to use several methods at once. Perhaps, its because the difference is not set or not known to the teacher

In choosing methods, It is important to:

1. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE do you know the differences of group discussion,buzz group,round table? how about panel interview,panel discussion, and panel presentation? They seem to be the same to many, but there is a difference and it is important to know it.

2. MASTERY OF THE METHODS It is the key towards maximizing each method. When the teacher knows the steps including strengths and weaknesses of it,this will help the teacher choose the most appropriate method for his/her lesson.

3. TIMING IS ESSENTIAL Knowing the difference is one thing, but choosing the most appropriate one is another. It is important to use the method where it is best fit.

Once,the difference is set and clear it will lead to a more useful way in using the methods which will eventually result to meaningful learning.

Remember methods should be helping you accomplish your objectives not mislead them.

Capture the Moments

Its been another year since my paternal side, who happens to be the youngest of the 12th children of lolo Roberto C. Fermin, had a get together and today we had another chance to do so in commemoration of his 87th birthday.

We're on the 3rd year of celebrating and it is wonderful to see how my lolo's 12 children literally scattered and multiply.

My favorite part is when I literally capture moments by taking pictures from the oldest to youngest member of the family; from candid to the most serious (pertaining to the 12 oldies when they are in front of the camera). 

Truly, there's no other way to preserve moments than to use a camera and capture moments you have with your loved ones.

Thank God for Cameras, isn't it? :)

Ask Right!

Someone jokingly said that there are right answers to wrong questions. Perhaps, It’s because questioning is a skill to be learned especially for educators who embodies learning.

4 TYPES ON "HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS"

A. Kick-off Question – At the beginning of each class, questions can be a great motivational tool in order for the teacher to catch their interest and attention.

B. Direct Question – There is always a tendency that one of the students might ‘know-all” the answers, a teacher is careful not for that student to monopolize the class so s/he uses this type of questioning. You call them by name; you throw them questions specifically for them.

C. Reverse -Relay Question – In order for students to get out of their shells, they should be thought how to think by and for themselves. The teacher returns the question to the student by asking “What do you think?” or ask another student to answer the question for their classmate.

D. Follow-up Question – This is usually used after a prior question, or when the teacher needs more clarity to the answers being given by the students.

A good teacher will always know how to strike the balance, what to use and when to use these four types of question that will surely bring improvement not only to the teacher but also to the students for these four encourages active classroom participation, empowers students to stand up for what they believe in and enhances their thinking skills.