Teacher Lei

Catching up on my reading.  Very happy to see that Teacher Lei updated Pinoy Weekend Warrior.  Here is an excerpt, where he trains for a marathon, and helps a young person out by accepting [the young person's] offer to help.

As some of you already know, my full-time job is not the typical M-F, 9-5 workweek, which wreaks havoc on a training program that is best followed to the letter. Right now, I get a run in whenever I can, and fortunately, I have found a little help from a friend.

I told the young person I am working with about my plan to run my first marathon in September, and since he found out, he has taken on the role of being my personal coach. It's incredible. If I am on shift, at half past eight in the morning, he would tell me to lace up and go for a run while he rides his bike beside me. We do this twice a day, once in the morning, and again in the evening. In terms of training, this is great for me; but with regard to personal development, this is a step towards the right direction for him. The set-up we have could not have worked better.

For the fund raising portion of the run, I have found inspiration with some of the kids I used to work with at Kids Ahoy. Together, they have all raised money to contribute to the organization I'm running for, by performing chores around the house, or doing some fund raising of their own. I am grateful and truly inspired by the support they have shown.

• Full blog post here

• Help out his organization here

 

Off Campus Reading List

Part of the Blended Learning curriculum, are off - campus supplement work.  Even the teachers do this. Since today is a non-working holiday, I'm catching up on a lot of reading, via Google reader, where I store a few blog subscriptions.

Here are my most-read and must-read.

• Imaginative Bloom - great visuals, great stories about people who hand-make; the independent craft makers and sellers.  It makes me want to make stuff.
• Cut out and Keep - Again, handmade heaven! And this site teaches you how.
• Peppercliff - like minded teacher keeps blog.  Shameless, shameless plug.
• Teacher Tales - Like minded pre-school teacher. Another Shameless plug.
• Moonlight Chronicles - From the author of Radical Simplicity.  The articles are a bit old, but I never tire of reading them and looking at his drawings.

• RePlayground - Easy and cheap how-tos
• Design Sponge - when my interior-design-consultant past comes back to remind me of good design.
• The Art of Nonconformity - You already know most of what is written here, but often forget it as you go through the frustrations of have to as opposed to want to; when you want to strangle that salesperson. Chris Guillebeau's posts are short and underwritten, yet packs that punch that you want.  You'll keep re-reading until your day is all better. 

• Ben Does Life - He's funny, he's inspiring. Best when read in the morning, right before or right after you look at Marc Johns artwork.
• Marc Johns - see Ben Does Life
• Danny Gregory and Nina Johansson - The sites that got me drawing again.  You'll want to start after you see them.
• The Hero Handbook - the name speaks for itself, yeah?
• Pinoy Weekend Warrior - Possibly the coolest, nicest, kindest person I have ever met.  The kind of person who embodies heroic attributes; a hero if I ever saw one. A good writer, to boot.  The blog isn't regularly updated, but when he does update, the posts are nice and lengthy.

Hopefully there are some good reads there for you as well. The weather is just right for a reading day, isn't it?

Routine Week

By Monday all the Mise en place was done, teaching materials bought, cut, personalized, signs and labels written, schedules set.  At least 2 weeks in advance.

And on Tuesday we met our students.  

We spent the first day laying down the schedule, the routine, designing name plates for each cubby hole. In the big kids' class (9 - 10 year olds) we wrote out the rules.  For each of the values we will learn, the students were asked to come up with a rule; written without the words, "Do not" and "never" and "no."  We call it THE CODE.

The values are: Peace, Spirit-lifting; Generosity; Persistence; Humility; Courage; Innovation; Responsibility; Concentration; and Ecological awareness.

And here is the code as the kids define them.

1. Keep [the environment] clean and all the inhabitants.

(Ecological awareness)

2. Think of other ways to solve a problem. (Innovation)

3. Keep on trying. (Persistence)

4. Practice quiet pride. (Humility)

5. Do a good job! (Responsibility. Not the enthusiastic punctuation mark)

6. Try something you've never done before. (Courage)  

7. Focus (Concentration)

8. Help other people, and they may help you! (Generosity)

Earlier, it was announced that there are only 2 absolutely unacceptable, non-negotiable behavior: Violence towards others; and Disrespect (Peace and Spirit-lifting)

Everyone agreed, and signed.

Reading through the list again, rules written in this manner appears easier to follow and is even encouraging. 

If only all rules were written as such.

It makes me look forward to teaching (and learning) from the kids.