Basic Classroom Management for Sunday School Teachers

Our church has an ongoing training for Sunday School Teachers and Assistant, this is being held every Saturday from 1:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon. Most of the attendees are young people from 14 to 20 plus years old. I praise God for these young people who have heart to teach kids about God.

I was assigned to teach last Saturday and my topic is “Basic Classroom Management” I compiled tips from my own experience when I was still in the Academe and from the tips I got over the internet . I surfed endlessly last week hoping i could find one ready material (well I happen to search for liftmaster garage door opener parts too) anyways, here’s what I come up to :

1. Arrive Early - I told them if you’re going to be a teacher, you need to be at your classroom at least 15 minutes before the kids arrive.

2. Class Schedule - Just like teaching kids at a regular school, I follow a schedule.

3. Set rules (i.e, no littering, no talking, etc..) - One kid in my class wrestle with other kids most of the time, so I made a "No Wrestling" rule. You can always make rules that best fit with your class.

4. Be consistent - if you have rules then make sure you are consistent in disciplining them

5. Don’t talk too much (activity) - younger kids have a very short span of attention and you can't keep talking an talking, they'll get bored. They need to do something that's why activities are important, (crafts,coloring,drawing)

6. Seating arrangement - If you would like to be more organized you can have seat plan, like what I did with my class I put the older kids at the back because the younger ones needed more attention.

7. Look in the eye - It makes them feel that you are confident with what you are teaching and you connect with them.

8. Lesson plan (read/pray the whole week) - Never go in front of your class without lesson plan and ready. This one is very important, everyone needs to get ready and you can't get your teaching materials ready in one night.

9. Visual Aids -They remember lessons when you use visual aids and it keep them entertained while listening.

10. Do not chat with your assistant teacher (personal)- I said "do not talk about personal stuff in your life with your assistant where the kids can hear you (I observed this from new and young teachers that's why I put this one up)

11. Never leave a classroom full of kids - you'll never know what's gonna happen when you go back to your room.


12. Rewards and Appreciate - Because kids love prizes and it motivates them, a pat in the back, a "very good" mark in their paper work makes them happy and makes them want to go bak the next Sunday :)

I hope this would somehow help Sunday School ministers out there and I hope I was able to impart something to our future teachers.

Beat Poverty Through Education

I believe in that slogan so much that is why my advocacy in our ministry is in the Education Program. It is sad to know that the poor in this country of mine stay poor because of lack of education.

How can they land a nice paying job when they didn't even finish high school? some didn't even finish elementary school? How do you expect companies to hire them?  How could they apply for an office job even if it's only a clerk and earn a minimum wage if the very first requirement is a college graduate?

So they end up getting the jobs that needs no college diploma- and what is that? a food server in a small canteen, a sidecar (pedicab) driver? where you earn not even half of what you need for the day?

And not only that-because they are not educated and know nothing or little about family planning or anything about reproductive health -some in desperate move to get out of poverty ends up selling their bodies for money and then get pregnant at a very young age, and then the cycle repeats again.

I am praying we can at least give them better chance to uplift their lives, there are poor young teens that wants to finish school but poverty hinders them much. If we help them finish school, we are giving them a level playing field not only for job hunting but in life . We are giving them hope that life can get better, we are helping them lift their morale and aspire for better future for their families.

You don't have to be rich to send a child to school, my friends who are supporting this cause are regular employees and do not even have extra money but they do share. If once in a while you eat in Jolibee or Mcdonalds or KFC or Mang Inasal..for sure you are able also to help these kids finish school.

Call International Teams at 832-5142 if you are want to help :) and please know also that we have a dinner fund raising night on May 20. Let me know if you are interested. God bless everyone!

Antique

I do not have any antique collection and I don’t think I would have one in the future because well antiques are expensive. But I will have antique furniture someday and that is my mom’s pillow cabinet? I do not even know how to call it but it’s where we stack our pillows, and it’s antique as it was formerly owned by my grandparents. I would like to have that piece in my own house someday, it’s like I’m having a piece of our family history and I love it.

Speaking of antique, for those who have them and wants to restore it you can  have antique hardware reproductions and restoration at houseofantiquehardware.com. I visited the site and found very nice door and window antique accessories. 

Not feeling well

 This evening when I came back from the office I immediately ask my husband to rub me some muscle pain ointment and massage my head because it is hurting so bad plus I am coughing so hard. I don't feel well but I cannot afford to get sick. Medicines and doctor's check up is out of our budget right as we have already drained whatever we can drain in our recent trip. In times like this I wish I availed a Medicare plan that would cover all our medical expenses including regular check-ups. :(

But since I have none, I guess I have to take extra care of my health. I don't know where I got this cold and cough.

Please pray it would go away soon.

Occupied or just lazy?

We haven't moved a thing yet to our new place, worst we haven't started painting the walls. We are supposed to do all that last weekend (Saturday and Sunday) but I was requested to work on Saturday, Sunday after church was spent bonding with Jakob (our newest joy-a dear friend's son) and Rudolf was too lazy na to go and work there late Sunday afternoon.

I do not know when are we gonna finish the re-painting and moving of all our stuff. We are both pretty much occupied during the day. Moving is really not a pleasant thing to do. We are both like someone who wear ankle braces and we can't move. Lol. I admit we are too lazy to do this and I guess we are not both excited anymore for whatever reasons I do not know.

I guess we are currently enjoying living in the mission's house :)

Keep the fire burning!

I am so blessed with what is happening with our youth ministry these days, the concert that took place last Sunday was just the beginning of the "fire" in their hearts and I hope they will keep it ablaze forever. Sure there will be tough times but I do hope everyone gets matured spiritually by then and will not backslide anymore.

Last Friday, I was there at their prayer vigil which was their first for this year and I was in awe and amazement when I heard all their testimonies and thanksgiving. Why wouldn't you be bless when you hear someone speak of his dark days as youth and now sharing how God has been good to him and to his family. I hope that from this group, no one has to stop going to school again, no one has to stow away from their parents, no one has to be involved in drugs, no one has to smoke monte cristo cigars or any kind at all.

But I pray that these young people will become great leaders of our church, of their communities and of our nation. God bless them!

Refiner's Fire

My prayer for today ..Lord purify my heart..



Purify my heart,
let me be as gold and precious silver.
Purify my heart,
let me be as gold, pure gold.

(Chorus)
Refiner's fire,
my heart's one desire
is to be…holy;
set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be…holy;
set apart for You, my Master,
ready to do Your will.

Purify my heart,
cleanse me from within
and make me holy.
Purify my heart,
cleanse me from my sin, deep within.

Only in the Philippines

I was on twitter yesterday and I was one of those who first noticed that a certain place here in our city is trending worldwide. "Ayala-Alabang" is one of the place where the richest people in our country live. It was trending because the twitter world reacted about the Brgy City Council creating an ordinance that you can not buy condoms without prescriptions, so you see people were like..uh..are you crazy? what are you thinking? I understand if it's a pill like you know those prohibited pills that are being used to abort a baby or even a male enhancement pills but I don't get why would anyone need a prescription to buy a condom?

I'm all pro life but I find this city ordinance funny. How would a doctor prescribe a condom? Don't they have anything to do anymore beside creating an ordinance like that?

Only in the Philippines no?

Planetshakers in Manila. March 12,2011

Planetshakers will be in Manila again and will have a concert on March 12 at the Phil Sports Arena (formerly ULTRA). Me and my husband wants to go because the we missed the first time they went here last 2009. Now should be our chance to celebrate/sing/shout/worship the one true GOD with them together with all the Filipinos but we haven't bought tickets yet. We've been through many expenses the last month and we've lost money (from the t-shirt with wrong print if you remember that) and we haven't yet recovered from that. BUT I am still hoping God will make a way for us to go, if not I'll just pray that everyone who will go and watch the concert will be blessed.

I'm sure the dancing and singing that night would be like one top rated fat burner because of the many calories burned. I really wish I could go. I've never been to ULTRA through, I do not know if it's okay toi buy the 300.00 ticket price for gen. admission.

Who's going?

Isaiah 41:10

I dreamt of my parents last night, in my dreams I keep hugging them and telling them I love them. When I woke up this morning I texted my father and asked how are they doing, he sent me a sad text saying that my mom is sick and they are both feeling weak and that they both consumed all their meds already. I felt bad and sad because the last time I saw them was Christmas and I missed them terribly. I was worried (again) and began to pray.

I didn't call right away because I knew I will be crying over the phone and I do not want them to hear me cry. Instead I made arrangements (thank God I have good friends) and borrowed  their ministry van to go to ouyr home province and pick them up and bring them to my sister's house. BUT..when I finally talked to them and told them I'm going home tonight and picking them up, they refused and told me I will just waste money. I was like whaaat?

I do not understand why they wouldn't want to be here with us. I was left with no choice but to obey them.I lifted them to the Lord and asked for comfort and peace (because I've been crying the whole time in the office) when it comes to my parents I'm a cry baby. My sister also told me not to worry that much anymore and I was reminded of my devotion last night.

Isaiah 41:10 says

"So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

I immediately whispered "Thank You Lord" and I felt peaceful. I will not be afraid and be worried that something bad might happen to mom because I know the Lord will help me and have heard my prayer for them.

But of course I still miss them that much and I will definitely go home and visit them the soonest possible time. And I called a relative to go and check on them from time to time. :)

Now I can search about prevage elizabeth argen prevage in peace and read and sleep well knowing that my the Lord is protecting my parents.

It is so hard to live hundred miles away from your loved ones no?