The final blog on TCHG 504

How blogging helped??!!
Well, I helped me pause, reflect, listen to others and reach a solution every time I wrote on a topic. Also, it act as the best medium for teachers to share experience, care and thought. I value each and very comment written and thought of it thoroughly. Some of the comments clarified things I've never thought of...for example when the professor told me that I should find a way to relieve stress and that it's about me... Also when she asked me what I intend to do about the theft in the CBL project... Despite the fact that  didn't reply in writing here I gave an answer in my presentation

Some of my students started using blogs...and I enjoy reading their thoughts...I'm sooooo glad to learn about blogs...Million thanks professor

CBL project and challenges

Yesterday, one of the poor chidlren for whom we are holding classses to wipe their illiteracy stole her friend's mobile....It's a very cheap one....and not the girl's but her father's.....and what can I do?......BTW....they were a group of eight ...we looked for the mobile but can't be found....and can't tell who is the robber.....:(

CBL Project

I had a meeting on Wednesday with university students who are volunteering to teach poor illiterate children. I pulled myself…dressed and went…there acting started….optimism and smiling is what I have to do even if I'm in the worst mood ever, as mentioned in a previous post….However, what really interested me is how they felt towards the poor children…responsibility and love…They had mid year exams and asked to cancel one week meetings with the children. I told them of course you can but before adding one more word they told me we'll make it up for them later because we feel BAD about cancelling even if it's for one week…They said this and I felt proud of them

My heart is broken But I will survive

I had a lifelong ambition and dream. The first student activity in governmental schools where students do the activity from A to Z ……..starting from choosing the activity ………on to planning ……..and ending with executing it.

Twice we held an orphans day where students did everything.

I spent 3 years trying to make it real. Then, I had to stop it for many reasons. What really struck me is that THIS changed me. Something is broken. I thought I was doing something. I believed in something. Then I had to stop.

However, I insist on fighting back and redoing it again after a while but for now I am human and I lost interest in many things. I even I got ill. I stayed in bed all Thursday and Friday when suddenly I found a notification of a new e-mail. It informed that the deadline of assignment, which I lost all hope of finishing it, was postponed. I thought I'm not an idealistic person let it go. Mistakes are human. What if I didn't do the assignment…what if has been fought by me for a long time…..I struggled as I have been the past month and got out of bed and did the worst assignment ever. No ideas came to my mind though I have been thinking of it for a week.

But I really appreciate the fact that I fought that desire to be pessimistic. I thought that whatever I wrote won't give a Zero and any number is better than zero. Then isn't that what I tell my students. It's time to tell myself. Then, I moved a further step and looked at what I'm missing. I found that the blog needs 4 new posts. I thought well tomorrow is a fine start. Then I said tomorrow sometimes never comes. I wrote the first post and then the second…..I struggled with ideas…..Then I decided to share this wierd experience…..

We can never tell what our students really capable of

I teach wuthering Heights. Last Wednesday I was ill and kept thinking of what to do on Thursady. So I told my students that should work in groups and meet today for tomorrow we'll have a competition between them. The winner is the group who will act the new two chapters. On of the group posted on facebook and asked to have the class on the stage in the theatre. I wondered why. I thought they don't have time. However, I kept my low expectations within myself and agreed. I was fascinated by the sound effects they used, how and what they wore....They were PEREFECT.....and I told them you are a traesure but a hidden one.

The Power of Silence

Sometimes we keep lecturing our students about the importance of learning while we ourselves sometimes have our moments when nothing can motivate us. Silence has its own power. It's just when to use it and for how long. Sometimes they need to be left alone and be allowed to make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes will teach them what words can't.

Administration sometimes can KILL

The headmistress of my school is a real nice lady. She makes me work on Tuesdays till the end of the day though she knows that I have an AUC course. Out of courtesy, the other headmistress let me leave early on this day and some gave me the day off. However, I never complained. Even sometimes there were problems and asked me to spend additional time to help solve it and I DID…What kept bothering me really is my student activity…It's the first in governmental school…I have exerted a lot of effort, time and money on it to make it go on for 3 years ALL ALONE…The week before the feast, we arranged with Ahmed Haggovic, an Egyptian who travelled round the world raising the egyptian flag and promoting peace campaigns, to come and give a speech, for free.  He agreed to come on Wednesday 24^th to give a lecture on how one can achieve his/her dreams and the experience he gained through his travels. I have informed her and took primary permission from the beginning. I spent a lot of time and money arranging the event. Then, out of the blue, on Tuesday 23^rd SHE refused that the school would host the event…I was SCHOCKED…..We phoned Ahmed, hired a hall and held the event…Administration killed…Killed WHAT? that student activity….Why?!! This was the last of a series of Nos and obstacles and I decided to stop……Just there is no space to say everything that happened…..BTW, I'm GLAD she knows nothing about blogs….:D....Thanks for killing the spirit and giving me the nicest holiday…:D…(Y)

When to say, NO.

Having a good rapport with students doesn't mean wasting the time of the class. Setting targets and goals at the beginning of each day, knowing when to say no, and time management are crucial as they are teens as their sneaky ways to waste time and open endless discussions at the wrong time. SAY NO and explain after the class. That's my advice to me….:D .....A hectic week.

Personal talk

I'm blessed with students who trust me with their secrets....I don't consider that a burden but rather a gift and a GREAT RESPONSIBILTY .... The ONLY problem I face is STRESS .... Sometimes I'm under a lot of stress that I have great difficulty concentrating on their topic and sometimes this leads to the inability to sleep at night... Any advice on how to cope with that?

A Perfect Plan that ended with a Boring lesson

Hi Dear Reader! Whoever you are and whereever you are I just want to say How are you and I hope that everything is fine  and life is NOT tough
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A Reflection on one of my teaching days
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Yesterday, I went back home FRUSTRATED…I kept asking myself WHY…WHAT went wrong….I had a VERY good plan….YET, the students help a solid face……Not even a smile during the whole class…..BORED that was the word…..They DID understand the lesson yet I'm NOT satisfied …..I kept thinking….Out of the blue I saw the word 'ENTHUSIAM' flashing in front of my eyes…..Nooooo, not theirs it's mine……OH God! My personal problems caused my intonation be boring…..LIVE TEACHING, ENTHUSIAM are the key to their smile…That's what 'I'  lacked……My teaching was like a movie where there was a problem with the sound system……GOD…..ENTHUSIAM makes all the difference

WHY this class was UNIQUE?
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A Reflection on my first class of TCHG 504 course
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Hi Guys, it's my last course the diploma, so sure it's UNIQUE. But what really caught my attention is the doctor giving the course. Her accent told me she wasn't American or British. Knowing that she was from Trinidad & Tobago made my head spin. How little do I know about the world we're living at. Her travelling a lot made me think of the benefits of getting in touch with different cultures.

Then, she started by asking us what did you benefit from the other courses and here came my second shock. I was ABOUT to forget A LOT of what I have learned and I decided to write notes on everything I learned in a special notebook. It can be a brief summary or a headlines with a reference to readings for more details. I'll start that.

The name of the course 'Motivating adolescent learners' caught my eye. Adolescents are quickly bored and more new ways to motivate them is only a blessing. Also, I knew that we have to make a community-based project and I though "Oh YES" as I'm already working on one that I'd like to develop. It's called New Vision. It's my passion and a dream. Knowing that I'll have to read about how to create community based ones thrilled me as I'll be working on scientific bases.

Hi to whoever read these words....:D