WHO ARE YOUR TRUE FRIENDS?

Fair Weather Pals No More

Friendly acquaintances in school sometimes can escalate into something that one cannot handle. Ordinary classmate to classmate friendship soon becomes intimate connivance for something more foolish. Several junior students forged friendship only the ends of time supposedly could break. When grades in Chemistry, however, started subliming faster than any aromatic compound could, the sweet fragrance of sisterhood evaporated like any foul smelling sulfuric vomit. How can somebody, much more your (best?) friend, leave you like dirty rag on the wet floor? How can your (best?) friend ignore you at the canteen? Now you wonder. Has she ever been a friend at all? Poor, poor you girl. You've trusted so much. Friends come and go... and like the yo-yo they leave badly a bruised soul when hit they do.

FLOW OF THE RIVER -

Three Secrets of Success

Success remains elusive to most people. To some it represents the essence of life, for what is life if one lives a loser. Taking important lessons from a lowly yet determined river, life indeed can be successful with focused goal, creative resourcefulness and plenty acts of kindness. The river continuous to flow to the sea because right from the start it sees where it is going. To succeed, one needs a goal, a vision to work for. The river when hot goes underground to escape the scorching sun only to re-emerged farther down crystal clear and more determined than before. Lastly, the river does not forget to feed water even to its smallest tributary. Kindness begets kindness. From the lowly river, one needs to focus on a goal, be creative around problems and spread kindness to all to succeed.

I AM ABSENT TODAY

The Price(?) for Being 40

Many said life begins at forty. I don't know what to say but I think this idea holds much water. Whether one needs life because he has not yet lived one or simply because he has to re-live, I don't know too. One thing for sure, I need a new life.

When I am almost 40, I often feel tired almost always at the end of an academic year. Maybe I have started zealously that I got tired later. It could also be just plain burnout. I maybe stressed too from to many things to think of. Definitely I have nobody to blame but myself.

Or maybe I have to have a new life after all. How will I do this? I could always quit my work and find another. I may, however, rebirth back to just being a plain classroom teacher. I have better plans though. I want to live town for a while and live where no man has been before. In this case, I just do not live again, but more so be born again.

WOE TO YOU, GRADES

What's in them really?

Four times in the life of a student, he is sucked in a swallowing vortex of fear for what he dreadedly calls as the report card. Every grading period is a struggle to all hard working students to stare point blank at their grades, passed or failed. A failed grade not only vouches one's lack luster performance but also carries with it a depressing stigma that maybe the student is not performing very well or worse, that he does not really know. All of these indeed are causes to fear for a student who fails.

When a student fails and when the teacher is "good" in all the real sense, the former may indeed have not been performing very well. It would, however, be prudent to note that grades are not solely based on performance alone. There are intangible factors that go with grades. A student may have been performing very well but his sense of time management may have prevented him from giving adequate and equal attention to all subjects. he may have some preferences and may have used up all his time on a few subjects only.

Behavior also counts in some subjects, most especially the non-academic ones. A student may fail because he is misbehaving inside the school. The students should remember that the vision of the school does not only stop at them acquiring academic skills but also for them to be able to develop good manners and acceptable behavior in the community where they belong. It is sad that a lot of students today are needing of good manners. There are just so many students now that have clouded perception of what is good, acceptable and downright offensive behavior.

The parents too figure in the school performance of a student. Parents are the motivating factors for them to excel. What happens, though, if the parents are not there? If the latter may not be motivating enough, at least there are people who may be deterrent for the student to be not doing his job at school. The parents may monitor the study habits of their children. They may also be checking their children for requirements they may have to perform as other evidences of learning. Sadly, some parents are not at home.

It is indeed frightening to receive a report card with a failed grade. How much more, failed grades! A student may not deserve the scorn when he fails precisely because there are intangibles that come with failures. Yes, he may not be performing very well, but his lack luster performance may have been due to poor time management and the absence of parents who are the cheer leaders on the side. Worse and these may not be easy to remedy is bad behavior. Simply there are students that are annoying, the school is better off without them inside the class.

KM. 15 - DEAD END

What My Life Will Not Be 15 Years Hence

Fifteen years from now, my life would be worthless if I am loveless, penniless and homeless. Without love, I would not have inspiration. Without money, what's the purpose of living? Without a home but only a house to stay lessens my being into mere animal existence. What is there to live for, therefore, without love, money and the warmth of a home?

Love, money and home are what will make my life fifteen years hence worth living. Love inspires me to work harder and be the best husband for my wife, the best father for my children. Money as they say makes the world go round; thus, my life in riches revolves with the world. A home is not a house where only animals live. Definitely with love, money and home my life would be worth living.

I look around and worthless life is governed by the absence of love, paucity of money and the lack of warm embrace of a home. How many men have been mercilessly broken down into boys because they have not loved at all? How many men live on streets literally begging for their existence? How many men are contented with just boxes for shelter, rags to warm their nights? Should I decide to make my life worth living, I would have loved, earned my keep and build a home fifteen years from now.

MY DAY TODAY

I started early for school today. Though it was a Saturday, we had to be in school for our club moderators' updating. I was thankful I arrived earlier than the resource person. She happened to be a very close friend. Just the same, I still had to prepare the venue, set the AV equipment - all to my discomfort because my sweat was dripping wet my polo barong. I wanted to lose my cool, but I got hold of myself. The day went on with all of us learning new things to prepare us better for our future work as club moderators. (I hope so.) I stayed a while and finished some work for my Reading class next week.

HERE I GO AGAIN

I think I am really growing older. I cannot understand anymore the things that are going on around me. In school and with my teachers, I expect so much that I don't know if they can deliver. I don't want to reason out for my actions and demands. Nobody will understand. I find consolation by drowning myself with work. My two English classes among the freshmen however are a welcome respite. They may still be little children, but I find my time with them so consoling...so inspiring.

WHEN YOU BELIEVED IN ME

Nazia, thank you...

There is always this one teacher who would make such a great positive impact in our lives and in my case it was he - Mr. Carlo Bejarasco, our school principal and English teacher, a simple introduction for a great man like him. Students may have labeled him ''Hitler" or "Attila the Hun" but I was one of the few who looked at him in a very different angle. I secretly looked up to him as an inspiration, a role model and a father. Here is something I made for him, a poem to show how much I appreciate him and how great a person he is. Happy Father's Day Sir !

WHEN YOU BELIEVED IN ME

When you believed in me and talked, I listened
When you believed in me and smiled, I enjoyed
When you believed in me and walked, I followed
When you believed in me and inspired, I engrossed

When you believed in me, you unconsciously became a father
When you believed in me, you made me adore life
When you believed in me, you made me trust myself
When you believed in me, you made a mansion in my heart

When you believed in me, you cleared my road
When you believed in me, you erased my wavering
When you believed in me, you made me care about what I have
When you believed in me, you molded me to be special

When you believed in me, I wanted to be everything I could be
When you believed in me, I could not thank you more
When you believed in me, I secretly became your daughter
When you believed in me, I believed in you

RANDOM THOUGHTS TO RUN DOOMED THOUGHTS

It has been a week since classes for the current school year started. I am looking forward to a productive year; however, thoughts of doom always keep on bugging me. I am trying to overcome them. Randomly like monsoon rains, they flood my mind. Think of the sumo wrestler, I often hear Julian. Can I not smell the crushed roses or see the diamond-paved roads? I smell the roses but who cares for the pleasant odor. We always feel the pain...I always pain and hear Philip reechoed, "Where is God when it hurts?" Could this be because I expect too much? Have anxiety been now a paranoia? I should have stopped reading long before.

WRACKING BRAINS, BREAKING BACKS

Writing UBD Units all for Enduring Understanding

For four days, eight of us teachers together with our Directress embark on an epic journey of a life time - we have been ubidized challenging our gray matter in writing UBD units for all subjects for the next school year. Worse, because there were so many English teachers, I got to write for Grade III Computer. One of the evidences is as follows:

Sample UBD Unit
First Quarter: The Computer
Unit 2
Topics: Elements of the Computer and How the Computer Works
No. of Meeting: 10 days

Stage 1
Goals
1. To distinguish the important elements of the computer
2. To analyze how the computer works

Essential Questions
1. Why should different parts of a system function as one?
2. How does the computer function?

Essential Understanding
The pupils will understand that…
1. Every part has an important role in a system.
2. The hardware, software and people ware support each other for the computer to function.

Transfer
The pupils, in the long term and on their own, will be able to…
• Participate actively as members of the family, the Church and the community by fulfilling duties and responsibilities (Communion)

Knowledge
The pupils will know…
1. Classification of the basic elements of the computer
2. Sequence of the data processing cycle
3. Different elements of the data processing cycle

Skills
The pupils will be able to…
1. Analyze the function of the elements of the computer system
2. Trace the data processing cycle
3. Investigate the cause when the computer fails to function as expected

Stage 2
Performance Task
The pupils will need to show their learning by …
G – Demonstrating the functions of the different elements of the computer and tracing the data processing cycle
R – Demonstrator /lecturer during the Science and Technology Fair
A – Grade III pupils from public schools
S – The school planned for a Science and Technology Fair. The Grade III class was grouped and assigned to demonstrate the functions of the different components of the computer. Afterwards, the group will trace the data processing cycle.Each group has to prepare visual aids and necessary materials and equipment for the demonstration.
P – Lecture-demonstration of the elements of the computer and the sequence of the data processing cycle

Wholistic Rubrics
Where performance is judged in terms of …
Content of the demo – 35%
Manner of presentation – 35%
Effective use of visual aids – 15%
Use of appropriate computer realias – 15%

Other Evidence
Short quizzes
Draw and tell
Unit test
Academic prompts
Situation analysis

Stage 3
Learning Activities

DAY 1 – Introduction to the Elements of the Computer. Show the students a short clip either from The Matrix I, The Rising Sun or Enemy of the State. The short clip should be able to show the three basic elements of the computer – hardware, software and people ware.

Ask the following academic prompts and process the answer of the pupils:
1. What capabilities of the computer were shown in the movie clip?
2. Why do you think were the computers capable of doing so?
• Deepen answer to this second prompt and lead the class to reflect on the two topical questions:
a. How does the computer function?
b. How are the elements of the computer classified?

Assign the pupils to research on the answer of the foregoing topical questions. In a creative manner, introduce where the unit is heading and what are the topics to be taken up for the next 10 days. (H,W)

DAY 2 – Meaning-making: Computer Elements and Functions. Start pupil interaction by asking again the two topical questions. Facilitate pupil to pupil interaction based on the different answers given. Note prior knowledge and misconceptions about the topics to be taken up. End the day’s activity by making clear to the class the performance task to be accomplished at the end of the unit. (H,E1,E2,R,T)

DAY 3 – Computer Elements and Component Devices. Run the movie clip again showing the three basic elements of the computer. Using drawing materials, the pupils will illustrate the different component devices of each element of the computer. Facilitated interaction and discussion follow using the output of the drawing activity. Short quiz may be given to assess understanding of concepts taught. (H,E1,E2,R,T)

DAY 4 – Data Processing Cycle. Review the elements of the computer system. Through a cartoon drawing, ask the class to analyze the sequence of processes that take place in most of our daily routine activities. Introduce the data processing cycle. Have the pupils compare the data processing cycle to the sequence of activities we usually do every day. Assign each pupil to think of one more human activity that follows similarly the steps of the data processing cycle. This is to be submitted the next day, illustrated and captioned. (E2, E1, R)

DAYS 5 and 6 – Transfer: Data Processing Cycle. Small group reporting on the identified human activity that follows the steps similar to the data processing cycle. After the group interaction (Day 6), the class summarizes the concept of the data processing cycle by presenting it using various graphic organizers. Ask the pupils to be creative and colorful. (E1,E2,R,T)

DAY 7 – Computer System Breakdown. Making meaning of the elements of the computer, the pupils will analyze which elements and devices go with which step of the data processing cycle. Create scenarios of computer system breakdown and ask pupils to explain which element or device is responsible for the computer failure. Let the students reflect on the role of each part or member for the success of the group. (E1,E2,R)

DAY 8 – Administer a unit test covering all the topics discussed. Evaluate result, check understanding and correct misconceptions. Ask the class to prepare for the rehearsal of their performance task the next day. (E2,R)

DAY 9 – Feedback: Performance Task. Go through the performance of the assigned task of each group. Affirm obvious signs of understanding and give constructive feedbacks to improve weak areas in the performance of the assigned task. Be clear with the procedure and order of the presentation of the performance task demanded. (E2,R,T)

DAY 10 – Performance Task. (E2,R,T)