Apples and Chalkdust

For three days, we stayed in Corregidor. We went inside its tunnels and caves and foxholes. We went over its mountains and dove in the sea that surrounds it. There is so much to be said of the experience. This I will do in the coming days. Stay connected! God bless you. cliche: I was here!  

I did not report for work yesterday, Thursday. I felt so tired. My muscles ached and it feels like I need another whole day of sleep. Yet, I am here, Friday morning, still very much awake. I did not do anything yesterday for the whole day. I decided to that I should start working again Friday. I am about to sleep now. God morning dear readers....and greetings to you ms rojo...I know that you are reading my blog. YOU don't have to print this copy, just go to view above and find text, then chose the largest. And you too chalyz...I am actually looking forward to see you again. I hope that life is kind to you. I had a small talk with tahnee this evening. Nice kid. Always beautiful inside and out. So there. Have a nice day.

My body aches. I am very very tired from todays work. Yet, I cannot rest since I still have to prepare for tomorrows activity. I finished and passed two syllabi for today. I am also done with one schedule which is to be given to the students. I still have to do two more syllabi. I will finish one this sunday and work for the other after next week. Yes, there are lots and lots of work. I have no regrets however of leaving Jubilee. I know that I am in a right direction. It seems that I am with people who are not simply bright. They all manifest the drive for excellence. I have to rest my finger for a while. I have to work after 15 minutes. God bless you.

One of my co-teachers shared that he learned his Latin right after college. He took pains to study the language every summer. That made him qualified to teach Latin though he was a chemical engineering professor at the university of the Philippines. He is young; he looks intelligent too considering his young age. There is something puzzling with the teachers in PAREF northfield. Each one seems to be so qualified to teach in a big school yet they chose to teach in PAREF. I have my own reason and that make me somehow accepts that talented teachers do teach in a school that does not offer a competitive salary. I have also observed that most of the teachers are ambitious. Every one wants to advance in his career. PAREF offers each teacher a training which is a little bit of all the good things. This is very much a unique school. Something like a seminary in a layman's world. Some may not like the involvement of parents in the management of the schools. But PAREF way is di...

I am done writing all the competencies for all the four sections assigned to me. I think I am one of the early one who were able to pass on time. The others are still writing theirs until today. The more difficult task is to write the syllabus. I am still starting. Maybe tomorrow morning. We have a seminar this morning and I have to finalize my handouts for Saturday. On Saturday, I will be a resource speaker for the seminar of the high school teachers of the Central Colleges of the Philippines. I have to really prepare for it. Anyways, the syllabus has no deadline yet. This is just for now as I have to leave for school. God bless to everyone.

I am listening now to a song of the same title as this entry. I am done writing the minimum competencies for 2nd and 3rd year high school. I am yet to write one for the 4th year. These minimum competencies will become the bases of the syllabus that we teachers are to design. As I was writing the curriculum objectives, I was visited with an army of ideas on how to execute them in the classroom. I have learned so many techniques in my eight years of teaching. Yet, none of these technique is a sure fire in the classroom. Every child in the classroom is a new being I have to deal with. Every classroom is different to every other classroom I have handled before. One prominent thought that visited me was a warning. Most of what are education today trained students on how to answer questions like WHAT IS THE CAPITAL OF Paris? or WHAT IS A VERB, A NOUN, AN ADJECTIVE, GALAXY, NEUTRON, MEAN, CHI SQUARE, OR ANYTHING? which if given just another short glance would amount to nothing. I...

Today is one of the many birthings in my life. I am to decide between character and career. I know it would not be easy since I loathe the reality that I wasn't able to do what I have always wanted to do. But definitely, I cannot sacrifice my character. I do welcome a new birth. I will get through this with pride.