SOMETHING WORTH SHARING WITH YOUR STUDENTS

Your students will definitely be amazed to know that there are a number of things that can be kept in the refrigerator besides food. And these are...

• Camera film will often stay fresh beyond its expiration date if it's kept in the refrigerator.


• Candles won't wilt and lose their shape in hot weatherif they're refrigerated. And if they're stored for 24 hours or more in the fridge, they won't drip when burned.


• Clothing that's been ruined by chewing gum can be saved if it's placed in the freezer compartment. This will turn the gum brittle and make it easy to remove with a knife.


• If you sprinkled clothes for ironing but don't have the time to finish pressing them, you can orevent the clothes from becoming mildewed by keeping them in a plastic bag inside the refrigerator.


• Hair coloring products lose some of their effectiveness in hot weather, but you can prolong their life by refrigerating them.


• Lipsticks will hold its shape longer if refrigerated. And lipstick that is melted can be reshaped after it's chilled


• Tulip bulbs will remain dormant until planting time if they're kept in the fridge. It's best to chill them for 60 days at 40 degrees before planting.


• Both flowers and vegetable seeds will stay fresh longer if they are stored inside a jar in the refrigerator.


• Cigarettes stay fresher and flashlight batteries keep longer when they're refrigerated.


• Refrigerated storage will also help perfume and cologne retain their fragrance longer, firm up soft soap and prevent shoe polish from drying out and hardening.

Source: The Pocket Book of Information (A Little of Everything) by C.S. Canonigo, 2001.

Commonly Overused Words (C-E)

As promised, here is the list of commonly overused words starting with C, D and E. And I trust that this will be of great help to you and your students in expressing yourselves clearly, correctly and precisely.

• CAUSE origin, stimulus, inspiration, motive
• CERTAIN unquestionable, incontrovertible, unmistakable, indubitable, assured, confident
• CHANGE alter, transform, vary, replace, diversify
• CHOOSE select, elect, nominate, prefer, identify
• DESCENT respectable, adequate, fair, suitable
• DEFINITELY unquestionably, clearly, precisely, positively, inescapably
• EASY effortless, natural, comfortable, undemanding, pleasant, relaxed
• EFFECTIVE powerful, successful
• EMPHASIZE underscore, feature, accentuate
• END limit, boundary, finish, conclusion, finale, resolution
• ENERGY vitality, vigor, force, dynamism
• ENJOY savor, relish, revel, benefit
• ENTIRE complete, inclusive, unbroken, integral
• EXCELLENT superior, remarkable, splendid, unsurpass, superb, magnificent
• EXCITING thrilling, steering, rousing, dramatic

Source: Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar (Communication in Action) Platinum Level

Commonly Overused Words (A-B)

Teachers should always have to be precise with the word they use to convey their meaning when either talking or writing.

Consult this simple THESAURUS to find alternatives for some commonly overused words. Consult a full-length thesaurus to find alternatives to words that do not appear here. Keep in mind that the choices offered in a thesaurus do not all mean exactly the same. Review all the options, and choose the one that best expresses your meaning.



ABOUT approximately, nearly, almost, approaching, close to
ABSOLUTELY unconditionally, perfectly, completely, ideally, purely
ACTIVITY action, movement, operation, labor, exertion, enterprise, project, pursuit, endeavor, job, assignment, pastime, scheme, task
ADD attach, affix, join, unite, append, increase, amplify
AFFECT adjust, influence, transform, moderate, incline, motivate, prompt
AMAZING overwhelming, astonishing, stratling, unexpected, stunning, dazzling, remarkable
AWESOME impresive, stupendous, fabulous, astonishing, outstanding
BAD defective, inadequate, poor, unsatisfactory, disagreeable, offensive, repulsive, corrupt, wicked, naughty, harmful, injurious, unfavorable
BASIC essential, necessary, indispensable, vital, fundamental, elementary
BEAUTIFUL attractive, appealing, alluring, exquisite, gorgeous, handsome, stunning
BEGIN commence, found, initiate, introduce, launch, originate
BETTER preferable, superior, worthier
BIG enormous, extensive, huge, immense, massive
BORING commonplace, monotonous, tedious, tiresome
BRING accompany, cause, convey, create, conduct, deliver, produce

In my next post, I will give you commonly overused words beginning with letters C-E.


source: Writing and Grammar (Communication in Action) published by Prentice Hall

Make a Difference

Looking for meanig in your life? Feeling down and worthless? Wanting to make a difference but you seem to be too ordinary to do it? Well, here's a video that will definitely make you feel good about yourself and will move you to action. Go, be inspired and make a difference.




And to all teachers out there, you may want to share this clip with your students so that they, too, get to be inspired!

LEARNING STYLES REVIEW

Having an inventory of your students' learning styles is essential for every teacher as this guides him/her in the preparation of materials and activities that match the students' best way of understanding concepts. This way, learning in the classroom will truly be optimized.

Here is a review of the three different learning styles. Find out who among your students possess each style.

VISUAL LEARNERS

• comprise 40%-50% of the general population
• learn best by seeing the materialsappreciate visual representation of the materials such as graphs, tables, charts, diagrams
• best remember what is read rather than what is listened to
• like videos, filmstrips, computer-aided instruction
• have the most efficient way of storing information learned

AUDITORY LEARNERS

• comprise 10%-20% of the general population
• learn best by listening to the materials
• appreciate using audio tapes and other types of audio recordings
• best remember what is listened to rather than what is read
• employ a much less efficient way of storing information compared with the visual learners
• do some type of transfer of information to a visual storage system

KINESTHETIC LEARNERS

• comprise 20%-50%of the general population predominant in male population especially African, American and Hispanic males
• learn best by physically interacting with the materials
• are in continual motion with hands, feet, and will move and doodle most of the time
• need to have frequent breaks when asked to accomplish a certain task
• best remember what is done rather than what is seen or listened to
• employ the least efficient way to store academic information but have the best way to store athletic and artistic information

Teachers are faced with the challenge of making every lesson truly beneficial to all students in the classroom; therefore, it is important that when the teacher prepares a lesson plan, there is always something that cater to everyone: something to see and read, something to hear and listened to, and something to do.

Phrase Your Praise

There are different ways on how we could actually praise a child for what he/she has done well. There are indeed a hundred ways on how to phrase your praise so that it continues to inspire, motivate and empower those boys and girls in class.

Wow*Way to Go*Outstanding*Excellent*Great*Good*Very Good*Well Done*Remarkable*I Knew You Could Do It*I'm Proud of You*Fantastic*That's Indeed Super*Nice Work*Looking Good*That's Beautiful*Now You've Got It*You're Incredible*Bravo*How Nice*You're On The Right Tract*You're So Smart*Good Job*That's Incredible*Good For You*I Like That* You're A Winner*Remarkable Work*Beautiful Work*Spectacular*That's A Great Discovery*Brilliant*You've Figured It Out*Magnificent*Marvelous*Terrific*That's So Creative Of You*You're Truly Responsible*Exceptional Performance*You Learned It Right*What An Imagination*What A Good Listener*Wonderful Job*I Know You Tried Real Hard*I Know You Care*Beautiful Sharing*Outstanding Performance*i Trust You*You Mean A Lot To This Class*You Make Us Truly Happy*You Belong*That's Correct*You're Wonderful*You Brighten Up Our Day*That's Perfect*A+ Job*That's The Best Answer*I Salute You*You've Explained It Real Well*I Have No Doubts That You Can Do It*That's Brilliant Idea*I Haven't Even Thought About That Idea*Your Output is Worth Displaying *

Start using them to your students and see the magic these can bring to them. You may also have other power lines which you can include in the list. However, always remember... your SMILE is worth 1000 words!

WHEN YOU'RE "NOT SMART ENOUGH": On Inspiring and Empowering Students

I would like to dedicate this blog entry to all you, kids, out there... yes, to all of you especially those who get easily frustrated and discouraged by the low grades they receive in school. Well, let me tell you one thing: Sure, grades are important, but your future doesn't wholly depend on what your card shows.

Let me then share with you this article, When You're 'Not Smart Enough,' which a colleague of mine shared with me a long time ago, and which I have never failed to share with my students to inspire them and to empower them.

1. Don't label yourself according to your grades. They measure how well you do things, not your value as a person - or even your intelligence. (It's a fact that some intelligent people don't do well in school.) And getting all perfect scores on all your exams doesn't make a student a better person than someone who gets a merely passing mark.
Besides, the abilities that grades measure are very few. Grades rarely show your ability to make friends, your knack to think up new ideas, or to solve problems in real life situations, or to take initiatives - all of which are important for general succes in life.

2. Learn about yourself as you go - and build on your strengths. Some people remember best the material they read; others remember best the lessons that they hear; still others learn best through discussion and hands-on.
Think about the way you seem to pick up things most easily, and look for ways to put your strength to work in all your classes. For example, Diana realized that she learned best through stories. When she began to think of History, a subject she disliked, as a series of stories about people and what they had done, her History grades improved.

3. Concentrate more on learning and understanding the lesson than getting a high score. Aim to learn. Some people can recite a whole chapter of a book or a long poem from memory, but when asked to explain it, they can't! It's because they only memorized but never understood it at all.

4. Learn from your mistakes as well as from your successes. When Dennis gets his graded exams back from his teachers, he goes over all the mistakes again, looking for the correct answer in his notes and in his books. This way, his mistakes help him remember what is right.

5. Develop non-academic interests to balance out your life. Sports, church assignments and extra curricular activities such as drama guild, glee club, or school band, can develop your other talents. Such activities provide new friends and teach you more about yourself and your strengths. When you have interest outside of school, you are able to lead a well-rounded life. People who've made a name for themselves after leaving school will tell you that what you do outside the classroom is very important too.

6. Most importantly, put God into the picture. The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and learn not from your own understanding. In all ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Ask Him to help you make the most out of school. Make every effort to do your best and then leave the results with Him. He cares about your future and He cares about you even more than you do.