Almost there!

http://www.bestmotivationalquotes.com/graphics2/struggle.jpg

Working diligently to complete my addendum! It was a productive night working alongside a great professor, being with the other half of team MAGEC "in spirit" and missing and thinking of Christine! Yes, I'm almost there! just a few more pages and my first draft will be complete. Happy Birthday Erik, may God continue to bless you with many more birthdays to come!

A Journey Worth a Thousand Words

It's definitely that time to sit back and breathe a sigh of relief, not because it's all over, but it's the beginning of a new start in my student's pursuit of literacy growth. He's come a long way from when we first started, but to his credit he stuck it through; quite an accomplishment for one so active and easily distracted. I must say that I'm really proud of him, and although it may seem like his progress is minimal, nonetheless, it's still progress. After all, wasn't that our goal to begin with? My hope and fervent wish is that my student will stay on track, and continue to increase his literacy skills. May he overcome any obstacle that comes his way and be able to come out of it a winner!

To Erik and Mar, Happy Birthday and may you both have many more to come! To my fellow comrades in ED646, I salute you and may I say, a job well done!

Sometimes the path you're on is not as important as the direction you're heading
Kevin Smith

quote: http://www.quotegarden.com/goals.html

image: http://www.successquotes.com/

Almost at the other side!

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

Jim Rohn quotes

Wow. I'm simply amazed that I made it through 643 and 644, not to be premature, I have the livetext portfolio and the literacy event, but the addendum is done! I'm glad I didn't quit in the fall. I was extremely close to walking away because I was so scared of finding a student, getting them to UOG, doing testing in a subject I had very little background information, but I did it. And I thank God, Dr. Rivera and my classmates for being there for all of my questions and struggles! I know if I ever walk into an interview, I will be able to speak to them with confidence in my skills and be able to impart knowledge upon them! I CAN DO IT! Having said that, I am going to try and finish my TESOL degree first, and then if time and money allow, come back and finish my Reading Specialist. I only have fifteen credits in the TESOL program left, so I'm going to try and finish that in the next year and a half. We shall see. It's been a great week, and I'm looking forward to the Family Literacy Event and finishing the Livetext portfolios. I feel good. I'm also happy that after two years of long work, I've got my ESL certification, and it was paid for by MLI! That's the best part.

Quotation Credit:

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/discipline_is_the_bridge_between_goals_and/210477.html

Image Credit: http://michiganblogging.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/mackinac_bridge.jpg

"Happy Birthday Mar and Erik"

I just want to send special wishes to both Mar and Erik for this month. This is the month that you were brought into this world. We give thanks for having wonderful friends like the two of you. I submitted my report this week and will have to make the necessary revisions. However, it is a sigh of relief to get the bulk of the addendum done. I am most grateful that my student did move up a level in reading. Erik couldn't have said it any better during his practice speech today about how hard we have worked. We should all be proud of ourselves like Geri had mentioned. Team MAGEC has come a long way. With only a few courses left, I shall always cherish the friendship that I have made with each one of you. We have grown to know each other well, shared laughs here and there, and gave encouragement when one needed it. God bless you all and may you live a long and happy life!

"Thank you for joining me on this journey we call life."--Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Image courtesy of: http://www.mermaidsofthelake.com/

A bit ahead of myself.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

Mark Twain

Well, I was a bit ahead of myself with my last blog, I 've got more assessment to do with my student. Turns out I forgot about listening comprehension. Yikes! So I've got to get it all done tomorrow. I hope my student shows up to school tomorrow! Otherwise I'm going to have to meet with him during Spring Break. That would be crazy, but if I have to I'll invite him and his mother to lunch! Oh well. Anyway, lots of work to do, I know I can do it, but I just have to segment the time! As usual, it's flying by! I'm proud to say too, that God has humbled me this semester and I'm not ahead of my assignment, and I have to be okay with it. I'm actually glad for it, it's been, and continues to be a real test of my patience. I'm done preaching now.

Image Credit: http://folusho.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/getting-ahead-internet-marketing-.jpg

Quote Credit: http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_secret_of_getting_ahead_is_getting_started/216812.html

Busy as a bee...

Is it me, or are we all just busy as ever? Every year during April and May there is an entire list of things to do for work. S.A.T. 10 scheduled during our last month. Everyone better use up their personal leave before the start of May. I think that's why teachers definitely need a summer vacation too! It seems that when summer comes along our bodies are so drained from the workload that doing nothing seems impossible. I met up with some old classmates who are not in the education field and are working 8-5 jobs. It's funny how even after 5:00, they're clothes are still neatly pressed and uniforms tucked in. They even look like how they did back in the days. However, as teachers, the eyes are twitching, hair dying is a must, and denim jeans becomes a favorite work uniform (plus the slippers to bring along to your classroom). Let's give ourselves a pat in the back for multi-tasking. We're not just teachers, we're parents for these students, counselors for those in need, and office clerks for all the paper work we have to do each day. Have a great Easter break everyone. God bless you all Team MAGEC!

"In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking."--Sir John Lubbock

Image courtesy of: http://www.infantbumblebeecostume.org/

Let's Dance!

taken from http://cbswomc.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/dancing-baby-2131530781.jpg?w=385&h=285&h=285

"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music" (Angela Monet, http://thinkexist.com/quotations/music/). 


This quote was inspired by Geri's dancing--okay, just joking.  But thanks, Geri, for sharing some oldies with us.  It helped motivate me and keep me on task.  I think I'll keep that in mind as I really buckle down and work during the coming days.  I think this quote speaks to what we as tutors have been privy to after spending so much time with our students--things that outsiders might not appreciate.  But our assessments are bearing out and showing just how much potential our students truly have.  Now it's up to them and their future teachers to take advantage of it.


As glad, happy, and overjoyed I am to visit my husband (and have my yearly thyroid check-up...not so excited about that, I guess) after four months away from him, I'm disappointed that I'll be missing Erik and Mar's birthday outing!  Hopefully my husband can get here soon and meet you all--the famous Team MAGEC!

Challenges

http://www.truewhisper.com/media/48273-meaningful-life.jpg We finally have completed the written evidence for my addendum. It was intensive but I'm glad we were able to complete the work. I see the improvement in his work however small it was, I have to remind myself it still an improvement from his last assessment. Now I can fill in the charts and results needed to complete my addendum. I was asked by his mother to sit in during his IEP meeting on May 2nd. @ 11:00am. (Since it was during class time I told her I won't be able to make it) I wished it were scheduled earlier, so I could include it in the report, but just the same, Mom agreed to share the results with me. Well let's go team MAGEC let's finish our addendum!!

Almost There

The road is Better than the Inn
Cervantes

It seems that testing my student is never ending; the more I test, the more I have to, and itdoesn't help when he dilly-dallies so that I can only perform a few assessments at a time. My student has a completely laid back nature, and for as much as I would like for him to speed things up, it just doesn't work that way with him. So, I suppose that I'll probably be the last one to finish again, but I will get it done!

I just found out through our session tonight that I actually performed more assessments than I should have. So,as an "addendum" to the first paragraph, I can now officially state that I'm done testing (I composed the first paragraph before the session). Yeah!! So now, were on the homestretch...oh, the sweet agony of being so close, but not quite there,yet. I can't wait until May 5th when we present our students with proof of their accomplishments.

On a lighter note, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves tonight; I guess the "Pandora" music that I played while working, added a nice touch to our working session. MAGECal music was definitely in the air!

Image: www.dft.gov.uk/trafficsignsimages/

quote: http://www.leading-learning.co.nz/

Uh oh...

“'Tis healthy to be sick sometimes.”

Henry David Thoreau

Well, after an awesome week for me and my wife, I think I'm getting sick. Yikes. I think I might be burned out from eustress rather than distress! I've been busy with the Youth for Youth conference, my in-laws visiting, and of course multiple celebrations for my wife successfully defending her thesis. On an exciting note, I have finished collecting data from my student, he scored independent on a level three and frustrational on a level six which means I can peg him at instructional at levels four and five this semester rather than just level four. I think he'll be happy to know he doesn't have to come in to do more testing in the morning again. So basically, I can really begin to knock out the addendum and hopefully have the draft done by Monday or Tuesday of Spring Break. We shall see. I also want to take it easy to and make sure my health comes first too. Bring on the Halls and the tea!

Image Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2MyUUorjFHMZgO-l7zBm68IjkiHN3PzAi9pyfr0G5UTWTHD6UyeyU148a3elxhizN5GetsPWD_inM9LY_f8v4viaHjJzOTHhyphenhyphen9qK1H4HvJFXTWSOJQh-1Dm_dG8Q6BDRKLlkJfLsM_ea/s400/sick-computer-777168.gif

Quote Credit: http://en.thinkexist.com/reference/quotes_about_being_sick/

Erik's time to shine!! (again)

http://www.asergeev.com/pictures/archives/2003/357/jpeg/03.jpg "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." -Oprah Winfrey -http://quotations.about.com/cs/inspirationquotes/a/Celebration1.htm CONGRATULATIONS Erik! Best Wishes from Team MAGEC!!

All we need is just a little patience...

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."--John Quincy Adams


Things are getting quite busy with only two months left of the school year. I am currently working with my grade level on our 5th grade promotion and had to rush this week to get the purchase orders for the trophies, certificates, Student Council sashes, etc. We also have three upcoming field trips and have to start planning and calculating our expenses. This week was practice for the students for our Chamorro program tomorrow. Students have been sent to the office for fighting and many other discipline concerns. It sure has been a rough year and yet I can only thank the Lord for his guidance throughout the way. I must remember at all times to continue to be patient with not only myself but the behavioral students as well. As teachers we are with these kids for at last half of the day trying to instill values. However, the home is the foundation where they should be taught right from wrong. Bless those parents who are supportive and set good examples for their children. Bullying has also become another problem in the elementary schools. Whenever I turn on the television there are so many channels that children shouldn't be watching. Whatever happened to censorship? Let's just light a candle and hope that the upcoming generations will make a change for the better. Now time to get working on the addendum again. Good luck everyone.

Image courtesy of: http://www.quotexite.com

Still Assessing

Today's session brought good news from Erik, since he passed the Praxis Test II and his wife successfully defended her master's thesis. Congratulations to both them; a job well done, Erik! Hearing Erik's great news gives me hope that if I study hard enough, I just might be able to pull it off, myself. On a different note, I have been assessing my student at my jobsite over several days now, and I'm still not quite finished. Thankfully, I'm able to do this since he is from the same school. I thought that with all the assessments that I've performed on him, he would get tired of being tested, but somehow it's just the opposite. He seems to really enjoy being tested; I don't know if it's because of all the "treats and little prizes" afterwards, but I'm not complaining. However, I can't wait for the day when I can say that, finally, my addendum is complete. I'm sure that everyone agrees with me on this.

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.

A.A. Milne

image: http://www.civicmirror.com

quote: http://www.quotegarden.com/education.html

Not staring...

from http://legacythumbs.weheartit.netdna-cdn.com/20081114195638.jpg

No, I'm not criticizing you; nor do I find you hard to understand.  My eyes are just bothering me.  


I'm sorry that I can't attend class today and get the updates about the parapro lesson plans--and just catch up with my favorite classmates.  My eyes have been bothering me too much lately.  I had hoped to power through it, but as the day went on, I just couldn't bear it.  Now at home, I think I might have to add the sniffles to my "symptoms."  At least I can also avoid the bright lights of oncoming headlights tonight as well.  


On a side note, my students have finished reading Under the Blood-Red Sun and loved it!  So many of my students, the male ones especially, might usually "clock out" of class when they get bored, but this novel kept them engaged.  I think it's the combination of action, camaraderie, themes of immigration and discrimination, and a solid family unit that resonate so much with them. I would be very happy to find more novels and/or short stories that are culturally relevant to our local population and "literarily" substantive.


Well, my infinitesimal progress on my addendum is progress nonetheless.  I have my data ready to go, but just need to input it and discuss it.  His uncle has shared that he is making much social and academic progress.  My student celebrated his birthday with a big party at their church.  I'm excited to share just how much he's grown and the potential growth I foresee.  I'm confident the my student has all the tools ready to live and learn successfully, toward success.


"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, http://thinkexist.com/quotations/progress/).