Those IR laser pointy things

I finally bought one of those IR presenters to use in class. I've been stalling on them for the longest prices, discouraged at how much they would set me back by.

Control the lesson from the back of the class for $150? Other alternatives I came up with could have been more effective but far more expensive too. Like the wireless blackboard system that I can tote around and write all over in digital ink.

Last week, I finally decided I was going to make some changes in my teaching style to make life generally more managable. So I bought those IR presenters with a laser pointer.

What I'm stoked about is that it only cost me US$11.95 before international shipping. Even with first class express postage my total cost comes up to less than half of what I would pay in Singapore.

This serves to support my preference for online shopping!

Sending some up

Dear God,

Thank you for the beautiful sunset on the way home. The silouette of the cross against the blazing sky was a reminder that you are sovereign over all things.

I cannot control what others think of me, I have no power to influence what they say of me. I know that no matter what they think or what they say that you love me all the same. And what matters most is the heart of the matter.

Help me to show the heart of the matter in all things I do. I pray that I will reflect the heart of the matter in everything I do.

Thank you for a great day and for holding me up despite the long hours. And despite my complaints, thank you for a job I love, a job worth doing, one that has rewards even though I may not see them everyday.

Thank you for work that holds up your love to all. It is a great opportunity to be working in such an environment where I know and believe I can speak my mind about who you are.

Thank you for colleagues that show love to me, that are kind and thoughtful and encouraging. Thank you for understanding mentors who guide me. Help me to always see them and think of them in humility so that I may learn from them and become what you need me to be. I pray that for some of these great people that they will one day come to know your great love.

Help me remain steadfast in my principles, in my vision even though Satan bares his ugly teeth at me. Help me to always see your face, your vision and your business in all that I do.

Lastly, help me be a beacon for love and change.

My kids are in your hands. My work is in your hands. My peers are in your hands as is our future.

Sending some up to you.

Principles for School

I finally tweaked my iTunes account from Japan so now that I can have a billing address Stateside, I can have my iTunes in Singapore! Fwah Ha!

At US$9.99 an album, it makes so much more financial sense to buy albums at SGD$15 after tax, off iTunes this way. And I don't have to buy whole albums and live with the duds.

First up - tobyMac's Portable Sounds and DCB's Remedy.

First week of school was much better than I anticipated. I have more of a grip on things, the kids know me better and I of them, I take mostly graduating classes so I get to work them real hard and most of them likewise want to make the rest of the year count. My freshmen scholars are so far wide-eyed and eager to please. Suspect they also want to live up to their 'scholar' class status. Works well enough for me.

Even the ASD boy in the class is pretty bright. Not exceptionally communicative but he shows signs of savant intelligence. He's lovely - he doesn't have much expression. I have only seen two: wariness and being pleased himself when he knows he's done well following instructions and completing his work. When I see that smile across I have to try to spy from the side cause if he sees me looking at him, the smile melts and he has the wary look as if I was expecting something from him.

I inherited some new classes this year because one of the teachers who is responsible for the graduating batches will be leaving mid-year. I've been getting feedback from her that the current students in my 2nd Literature class who from her class previously have lamented, "Why arn't you teaching us! please come back! Mrs. Chilibuddy is so fierce! She makes us work SO hard!"

This class is also my form class of 30 under-acheivers. They made similar comments to me last year "why can't you just give us the answers on the board over-head. Our previous teacher did that. Now we have to think and work so much harder." I was laughing all the way back to my office.

On the other side of the door however, I got a nice affirmation from an experienced teacher. First, she asked me how old I was while we were in-between classes. I told her later when we were out of the ear-shot vicinity of my students and asked why she made such an effort to find out. She said, "Oh. It just seems that you really seem to know what you are doing and handling the kids."

The next day in the lounge we were discussing table setups in the classroom. She said again, "I think you are a very hip teacher!" I didn't quite know how to respond to that so I said thanks and shrugged my shoulders and she explained, "I see how the kids are with you and I think the kids really look up to you. You're interesting enough that they want to know you, old enough that they know they can't mess around too much with you (and you are strict and have very high expectations of them). But, you're young enough that they can relate to you."

No peer has said that of me so far in my teaching career here. It's nice to know that despite how I feel - frustrations with being myself, being a good educator, being a good older mentor and being a good employee (add to that, wife) - that some of it does come through even though I can't imagine or see how.

Lately, the other thing I've been thinking about are the expectations on children and children's expectations. My kids regularly ask me to play ball with them, I have never said yes although I am beginning to be warmed to the idea. Andy said he would jump at the chance if he were me - of course, my husband (there, I said it) is all sport. He asked, would I play easy so that they would feel small successes over their teacher. Actually, I think the kids would play extra hard against their teacher at ball.

This is because, I believe the kids want to measure themselves against the adults and to see where they stand. It would be too patrionizing to let them win easy. They do enjoy a challenge even if they don't know it.

This is why it is in teenagers genetics to misbehave and push the envelope. It works two ways. It keeps us adults on our toes and reminds us of what it means to be creative. Secondly, they are trying to see how far they can go: how far they can push and how far they can soar.

This translates to having high expectations for them so that they have a worthy challenge to work toward. It is still my innate reaction to take the back seat at an unworthy challenge, one that doesn't require that much of me, one that I know that if I put in just a little bit of effort that I will succeed. I already know I will succeed so I won't even try. Wierd isn't it?

On the other hand, if its something immensely challenging in an area that intrests me than it is in my interest that I sweat for it no matter how difficult it is. Japan is a great example. There was the possibility I would cower and head back to Sydney but then, I remember thinking to myself, success only came with perserverance. So with much prayer and God's help I think I made it a success for myself.

So, back to the kids, if you have high expectations for them - one that is just beyond their reach, that requires them to work and sweat for it for success - then I think they will want to step up to the plate and bat. This is also where discipline plays a big part.

I have a system in the class which I have found works very well. I tell them that nothing comes for free - if you want to be in my class, then you have to work for it. Technically, they don't have a choice but this is how it works: If there is homework due, you do not get to enter my class until I see that you have completed it. This works in my favour because, I have an a/c'd classroom on the first floor, which is also the same floor that the Principal likes to go walkabout. My under-acheivers have 'met' him twice this year and school has only been one and a half weeks.

When you are in my class, I don't give out answers until I see that you have tried them out yourself. I tell my kids, I am not interested in correct answers because they are easy to get. Crib sheets. I tell them I am interested in their thinking of it and to do that they have to produce it, verbalize it, explain it etc. It's a good exercise to help them be cognitively aware of their thinking processes and find the flaws in their logic when they discuss with their friends, before they get a red mark on their sheets.

I am also less interested in how well they do than how they do it. I think this is a biblical principle. God's not interested in who you are, how well you do but how you do it and with what heart. Of course, discipline, patience, perserverance and hard work are all the same keys to success in life as it is in success in education. This is why children must go to school. Not just to do well, but to learn those life lessons.

I also give them as much opportunities as I can afford to help them succeed: I will explain, I will guide, I will chide but they have to complete your class work before you leave for recess. This is time set aside for them to learn and I cannot control what affects them after class, so this is the best I can do for them.

While I have very high expectations for them, there is also one thing I will not tolerate in my classroom: rudeness and discouragement. That is the best I can do to give them a conducive environment.

This year, I endeavour to give a lot to them and to expect a lot from them. I know they will let me down sometimes but I also have faith that come next year this time, they would have done me so proud.

The Love Tank

In his endeavours to be a good spouse, Andy took to reading one of those how-to-make-your-marriage-work books. I won't say what it is though...

Since it was targetted for men, the author wrote about how men had the biblical responsibility to please their wives and one way of doing this was to make sure the 'love tank' was filled up.

Readers may be familiar with the analogy of the Love tank from the series of books on Langauages of Love. In this case, the author spun off from there to say that women were a lot like automobiles. (It's a men's book afterall and there must be a car in the book somewhere in there apparently to keep them reading).

It's easy to take offence at the women = automobiles analogy. I had many good reactions when I shared this with my colleagues. WHAT?! A machine?!

Despite my initial disdain for the authors snap analogy, Andy did an excellent job of redeeming it. He explained that a car can only go so far on an empty gas tank and likewise a woman's love tank needs to be filled for her to be happy etc. There are some cars who are guzzlers and then there are some women who are very fuel efficient. Right.

"So, what sort of automobile does that make me?" I attempted to stump him.
"Hrrrrm. You'd be a volkswagon beetle"
"What?!"
"When you see a Beetle, the car is all curves!"

I almost hit my head falling off the bed laughing.

"It's pretty and its powerful at the same time!".

"It's a fun car and its got a colourful personality and its german technology!"

The boy was on a roll for the rest of it. I never thought of how far the analogy could go but I suddenly realized, there were a lot of different types of car for all the different types of women out there.

And this, is how men think.

* * *

When I told him I was writing this, he made sure to remind me, "did you mention the location of the engine? You're uniquely different, everyone would think the engine is in front, but yours is at the back!"

At first I thought he was referring about my milkshake - which is such a male thing - so I had to get him to explain so I wouldn't get it wrong: "You are different. Most guys would think, "Oh I have this figured, I know where the engine is, in front!" And most car engines are in front, but you're not so easy to figure and you are definitely not like the rest!"

Oh bless his heart.

Coping with some special kids

I knew this year will be challenging. Not in the way that there are hurdles and goals to attain or big changes and transitions but in the slow ache of settling into phases that have changed.

The good news is that I have some special kids I'll teach; a Scholar's class at Sec 1 that I will take for English. What is daunting is that I'll have a student with ASD - Austism Spectrum Disorder. He'll be slow in verbal and communication skills but he must be pretty good at his work for him to have made the cut to the class.

As usual, this will call for lots of prayers.