A School that is Conducive for Learning

I just wonder  what if our government  can provide and sustain all the need of the public schools in our country. I think the learning will be more conducive and all the students will become motivated and inspired in studying and  to go to school everyday because they know that the government is at their back and it is willing to sustain and provide all the things that they will need.

Every time  I had given a chance to go to the different schools here in Marikina , what I always did is to observe. Observe their facilities, observe their classrooms, observe their students, observe their teachers and observe the school environment. As I observe, there is a common question that kept on playing in my mind, and that is "What are the Characteristics of a good school and classroom Environment that is Conducive for Learning?".

There are lots of characteristics of a good school and classroom environment that is conducive for learning. Here are the following: It needs a well facilitated school and classrooms. A good classroom environment qualifies a clean and cozy ambiance. for the students to become focused to their study and for their mind to be relaxed. All the needed resources are well provided for. The school must be near to other substantial establishment like drug store, hospital, police station, Barangay outpost, fire department, and other government offices for easy access if any kind of emergency or accident happens they can easily seek for help. The construction of the school building must be durable enough so that if any disastrous event happens the school building will not get easily destroy. The accessibility of the school in main roads and high ways is recommended. The canteen should prepare delicious, clean, and affordable foods. Recreational area must be big enough to accommodate massive number of people. Their library should have internet connection and it must have plenty of educational books that can help the student's to become more knowledgeable and competent. The school must have science and computer laboratory for their students to experience hands on activities.

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The quality of school and classroom physical environment is connected to the educational performance of the students because it serves as their motivation to improve their learning capability.

We all know for a fact that a school that has a good environment is a much better place to study with and it can increase the development of creative and critical thinking skills of the teacher's and student's.

"Make the classroom environment a learning laboratory, an active workshop for discovery." - Unknown

A poem for my Mother

MAMA

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You've been a great mother to me
Teaching many things that others never did to me
And so I write to you this poem today
That the lord may bless you everyday

Through the years of hard work and success
You've always been there for this girl whom you love and spoil
And now I'm a lady whom you trained in the past
Though sometimes there are misunderstandings and fights

Anyway, I just want to say
THANK YOU, my mother for always being there for me
For without your teachings I'd be lost today
But because of you and God by my side
Maybe I will find the bravery inside

The strength to ignore every personal attack
That my enemies throw at me and I might just lack
And so to you the WORLD'S BEST MOM
I will say I LOVE YOU till the last beat of my heart. <3 

Every Child is Special

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I have watched a lot of Hindi movies but there is one movie that really caught my attention and heart, this movie made me laugh, smile, sing, and cry. 

Every Child is Special is a movie that touched my heart and at the same time it brings me hope that having dyslexia is not a desperate situation.  It is about a boy named Ishaan Awasthi, who was simply always getting in trouble at school for being so misbehaving and out of focus from his classes. Ishaan's father, Nandkishore Awasthi, is is a successful executive who is expecting too much from his children to excel in their studies. His mother, Maya Awasthi, a housewife who is frustrated because she is lacking abilities to education her sons especially Ishaan. Ram Nikumbh, an alternative art teacher who payed attention and understand Ishaan after he discovered that Ishaan has dylexia and consequently turned his life around and change the way Ishaan would act towards school and figure out how to appreciate himself even more.

Ishaan's character in the movie is a student who cannot cope with the academic demand in his school. He is fond of imagining things that out of this world that a normal child couldn't imagine. Because of Ishaan's poor understanding in every lesson in school, his teacher talk to his parents. That's why his father decided to send him in a boarding school but Ishaan's academic status doesn't improved instead he became loner and he is always skipping classes and crying because he misses his family so much. Then there comes the alternative art teacher named Nikumbh, he voluntarily and patiently teach Ishaan to read and write properly. And also he is the one who discovered that Ishaan has the potential and talent in painting. Teacher Nikumbh organized a painting contest where in all the teachers and students in the school are the participants including Ishaan. Ishaan is the declared winner in the competition and his work of art becomes the cover of their school's yearbook. After that his father became proud of him.

The movie made me realized that every child is different and they have their own ways of learning. Every child is a unique individual who has his/her own strenghts and weaknesses. These strenght might be in english, math, science, sports, etc. But being intelligent is not limited with academic excellence, but it's also be in the form of special skills and innate talent like being good in art (like Ishaan who has a talent in painting). The movie also emphasizes the importance of family's support, guidance and understanding. 

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"Every Child is Special" is a must watch movie because it tackles a lot of social issues that is really happening in real life and maybe a lot of students and teachers are experiencing it. It is definitely a life moving movie that will surely made you realized that every child is unique in their own ways and every child is indeed special. 

The Power to Time Travel

Have you dream to have the power of invisibility so that you can go in any places that you want without people noticing you?, have you dream to have the power to control  time so that you will be able to stop, rewind, or fast forward everything in your life?, or have you dream to have the power to have an eternal life so that you will never get old and you will not die?. Whether we admit it or not and for what ever reason, we all came to a point in our lives where we dream to have those powers. 

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If I would be given a chance to have a power, it would be the power to time travel. I would like to go back to my childhood years, wherein I don't have major problems in life to deal with, wherein the only person that I think about is myself, wherein all the attention and time of my parents are all mine, wherein imagination is the limit, wherein there is no drama and fake people, wherein I don't care what I look like, wherein I can do whatever I want to without being judge or criticize,  wherein I don't care if other people would like me, and wherein it's easier to heal wounds than broken hearts. 

Childhood years are the best years in life. You must enjoy it while it lasts because you only live once so you better live your life to the fullest. You will never ever take back a time that has been lost so you have to seize every second and every minute of your life so that you won't have any regrets when it's already gone.

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If you would have given a chance to have a power, what would it be? And why?

A night to Reminisce

Aside from a fairy tale wedding one of the greatest dream of a  girl is to have a debut party, because this is the time where you will feel you are special, people will treat you like a princess and you are the center of attraction. Back when I was a little girl, I don't have any idea on what a debut is or what happened in a debut party. Until my cousins, neighbors and high school friends invited me to their debut parties.. and I became part of their 18 candles and 18 treasure/gift. From that moment, I got ideas what is debut party is and I also dream to have my own debut party.

When the year 2013 started, I already have plans in my mind on what will be the theme and on what will going to happen on my party. Even though I haven't discuss it with my family, I already made up my mind that I will going to have a party. Until the month of April comes,  my eldest brother who is now a graduate and who is now working on a restaurant discuss to the family on what will going to happen on my debut. "Ako naman sobrang excited kase matutupad na yung pangarap ko na maicelebrate yung debut ko. Haha" The day after that talk, we go to Marikina Youth Camp to have my "Pre-debut photo shoot", I am so happy during that time because I love to pose to the camera and to take pictures and I am a frustrated model. Through the help of my talented college friends namely Yeye, Marcris, Abby, Pattar and Marex my dream photo shoot become a reality. After the photo shoot, I finalize all the details for my invitation because Marex will be the one who will make my invitation. (Super laki ng utang na loob ko kay Marex during that time, kung di dahil sa kanya wala akong invitation. Haha)  Then we go to Divisoria to canvass for the gown that I will going to wear and to buy stuffs that we will use for my debut like balloons, candles, ribbons, utensils, tokens, etc. Two weeks before I turn 18, I distribute my invitations to my friends and classmates so that they will still have the time to prepare.

At last, my most awaited day come... sobrang aga kong nagising kahit gabi pa naman yung party ko, hindi ko alam kung sobrang excited lang ako or what. Hahaha! I check if all the things that we will use for my debut are complete. Then my cousin who is a hair and make up artist arrive at our house, she starts to do my hair and make up. By 6-6:30 pm, my friends, relatives and classmates are starting to arrive at the place which held my debut. 7 PM naaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! This is it, eto na talaga yon! Rak na. Party! Party! HAHAHA After my grand entrance, we started the ceremony with a prayer then we proceed to 18 shots where in my Tita's are in the entourage. "wag ka munang mag bo-boyfriend... tapusin mo muna yung pag aaral mo kase pag nakatapos ka madali na lang yung paghahanap nun", those were the words that they kept on saying in their mesages for me (gusto ko sanang sabihin sa kanila na.. as if I have a boyfriend naman mga Tita. HAHA) Then we moved on to 18 treasures where in the entourage is my college and high school closest friends who knows me well so that they will not going to find it hard to think for a gift that suits for me. (hindi ako nagkamali sa pagpili sa kanila pero binuking nila ang mga sikreto ko sa harap ng family ko! hahaha) After the 18 teasures, my classmtes perform a song number for me and after that it's eating time. while the visitors eats their food, I roam around to take some pictures with them and to ask them if they're having fun. The 18 candles follows and the entourage is my cousins, they give touching messages for me which made me cry a river. The last part of the ceremony is the 18 Roses, and this is the highlight of most debut party. My cousins, my college classmates, my best friend, my 2 big brothers and my Father is in the 18 Roses entourage. Unfortunately one of my classmate wasn't able to be part of the entourage because he is in the province, but my college friends surprised me because they invited my crush who is a 4th year education student that time. Actually I already invited him but he said that he will going to have a vacation on his province that's why he won't be able to attend my party. So I got shock when I saw him because I wasn't expecting that he will be coming. He becomes the substitute of my classmate, he is my 15th dance. I can't remember a thing while we are dancing, and I haven't utter a word or two during that time. It feels like I'm in heaven "wala pa sa kalahati nang naramdaman ko sa first dance ko nung JS Prom". After the 18 Roses, they lit the candles of my birthday cake and they sing a birthday song for me. I made a wish then I blow my birthday candles. My parents give me a heart warming message that made me cry a river again because I was so touched by their message.

For once in my life, I've experienced to be the center of attraction, to be special to all the people, to be a princess and I was able to feel the overflowing love from the people whom I care and love. Even though my party is not that elegant like other people's debut party, I really had fun and  I enjoyed it. I will never ever
forget this very special day of my life. A night to reminisce. 

Bayani Challenge 2014

WALANG IWANAN! HUHA! That was the words we kept on shouting when we are in Tanauan, Leyte for Bayani Challenge 2014. It is one of the project of a non government organization namely Gawad Kalinga. It is an annual 5-day test of endurance, courage, camaraderie, and love for country. Volunteers from different places in the country go on an adventure to work together towards the goal of expressing their love for their country and caring for the needy by building homes, repairing schools, medical missions, tree plating, paraisong pambata (activities for the kids) and many more. 

Photo collage of the different activities that we did during our 3-day stay in Tanauan, Leyte.

Supposedly we're going to stay in Leyte for 5 days but due to some problems we only stayed there for 3 days. But I can say that so far it was the most memorable, fulfilling and meaningful summer experience ever. I experienced a lot of unforgettable moments during the whole Bayani Challenge. That was my first time to ride on a military plane, it feels like you're riding in an elevator/Lrt train when you're inside the C130 and that was the most awesome 1 1/2 hour ride ever! \m/ The 6x6 military truck is our service whenever we will go to the build site in Brgy. Pago. We went to the beach to clean it and after that we swim and relaxed to relieved our tiredness.  I also manage to mixed and shoveled sand and gravel to help build the houses of the Yolanda survivors in Barangay Pago. It's also my first time to carry hallow blocks, bucket and sacks that is full of mud and sand. I was able to see personally the coconut trees, cornfield, rice field, houses and establishments that up until now is still destroyed, the children who are still in shock and trauma, the number of families that are still living in the tent houses inside the schools and covered court, the people who are experiencing hunger because of lack of food, and I heard different stories from the Taclobanons who experienced the onslaught of the killer Typhoon Yolanda. 

Even though I lack of sleep, loose weight, get my skin even darker, felt tired and feel pain all over my body, I don't regret anything and I will absolutely not repent everything that has happened in Bayani Challenge 2014. And I will surely and definitely Volunteer again next year. 

"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart." - Elizabeth Andrew

Time Management 101

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Time Management is about making conscious decisions on how to spend your time wisely. As a human being we are not capable of doing multiple things at once because I believe that there is no such thing as "Multitasking" so we have to prioritize the things that are important to us. Choosing one thing means leaving two things undone that's why we should choose wisely. I have here number of guidelines that might help you on managing your precious time wisely, they are as follows:

1. First things First

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• You should know your priorities. You can only make wise choices on what to do first and what to leave undone if you know the things that are important and least important in your personal and school life. Take the time to think deeply on the things that makes you happy, satisfied and fulfilled, then you can now choose to align you daily activities with this overall sense of purpose. 

2. Have a daily "to do" lists

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• Make a list of tasks that you will do for the day and allot a specific time in your planner to do each task. You should also make sure that your priorities are on top of the lists. And never ever over schedule your time.

3. Manage your energy levels

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• Take a power nap. Eat healthy foods. Have an exercise. Whenever you feel fatigue or tired, you should take time to rest or play, they are not a luxury but it is a necessity to avoid burn out. It will also help to refresh your mind for you to have good products or outcome. 

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Time lost is a time wasted, you can never ever get it back. So we better set our priorities and use our time wisely so that we will never regret something when it's already gone. Hope that my guidelines will be a big help on your time management. Thank you for reading! Have a good day. God bless! :)