Whenever an incident such as cheating or theft happened in the class, I always feel it is a sign of failure in the area of character development. A teacher has the responsibility to seize this teachable moment for teaching moral standards in class. It is not easy to deal with a case of theft because the school is not like a CSI crime scene investigator who can collect clues and evidence to prove who did it (although I would love to have some finger printing done, hehehe). What if we do know who did it, and then what? Do we have any way of knowing that this person would never steal again after the discipline? A thief would not stop stealing unless he has truly learned a lesson, thoroughly understands the consequences and, more importantly, is able to relate to the victim with empathy. It is my job as a teacher to teach the thief and all students and make sure that they have learned the lesson well.
 
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 In the morning of the last day of school, I gathered all the students to the carpet area right after the morning announcement. I told the class that, for the last 12 years, Santa always visited my class on the last day of school before Christmas break; however, I was very disappointed that Santa did not show up to bring each person a small package this year. I told the class that I finally figured it out why he did not show up because one of us had done something terribly wrong in the class! (I know it was a white lie about Santa, but I needed to build up the climax.) I revealed to them that VT’s prizes were taken from his backpack yesterday and it was clearly that someone in our class did it. The whole class was very attentive and waited to hear what had happened to their dear friend VT.
 
I explained to the class that two of VT’s prized toys were taken from his backpack. Those were the rewards for VT’s hard work and now all his efforts had been stolen from him. It was very sad that VT had to experience what I had been through the other day when my toy kit was broken into. Now he could truly understand how I felt then. I told the class that VT has been everybody’s best friend and how could “WE” do this to our best friend? I confessed to them that I was truly saddened by this incident. A few students raised their hands to express how sorry they felt for VT and how angry they felt about this incident.
 
When I saw the class had generated some discussion to show their emotions with empathy and justice, I went further to emphasize that I was glad that many people had shown concerns for VT and I was pretty sure that the person who did it must be feeling really terrible for VT as well. At that point, I announced to the class that I would like to give everybody a chance to write a kind note to VT to tell him how each one of us was feeling. I also hoped that this culprit would admit what he did was wrong and then apologize to VT. No one needed to sign their name on the note. Again, I reinforced what I have been preaching to the class, “We all make mistakes but it is not acceptable to make the same mistake twice.” It was unfortunate that this person made a mistake by stealing the toys. Now we were willing to give this person a second chance to correct his wrong with honesty. We hoped to see a note of apology from this person to VT. We just wanted this person to finally live up to his true feeling (of guilt) by admitting it.” (Gosh, I was really taking a chance, wasn’t I?)
 
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As you have known by now, I am a designated Santa’s helper. Every year, my students would get a special package from “Santa” on the last day of school before Christmas. This year “Santa Moi” prepared a button toy for each student because we are currently studying the Pioneer Life and this traditional toy was a popular one for pioneer children. I also prepared a chapter book for each student. Unfortunately, Santa never got to deliver the package to my class this year! Here is the story.

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I am a big “Scrooge” on myself, but I don’t mind spending money on my family or on my students. Whenever I see something that I could use for my lessons or to benefit my students, I would try my best to obtain the object to enhance my program. Last month, I discovered a special 3D magnet kit on sale. Immediately, I ordered it off the catalogue because I would be teaching Magnetism right after the New Year. What could be better than learning and playing with a box of magnetic sticks to build 3D structures? After I received the package in the mail, I opened the box to check if all 72 pieces were in tack and then put it away on the bookshelf behind my desk.

About three weeks ago while I was organizing my resources, I noticed that the brand new box of magnetic toy kit had been opened and all the colourful magnet sticks were gone. The only things left in the box were 15 magnetic iron balls out of the whole 72 pieces. Any stranger/outsider would have taken the whole box instead of picking out small colourful pieces. I was very upset because this must be an “inside” job, which meant that someone in my class took out the pretty colourful pieces from the box but was not smart enough to take the magnetic balls (a dumb thief in my view).

I had a big talk with the class about the theft after my discovery. I told them how disappointed I was with this “Grinch” who took the colourful magnetic pieces from the kit which I was hoping to use for our science experiment after the New Year. Now the thief had robbed the joy from the class by denying all of us a chance to a fun learning experience. I thought I did a pretty good job explaining to the class about the consequences and effects of this incident. However, I did not tell them that I suspected that someone in the class did it. I couldn’t! How could I? I certainly didn’t want to point the finger at anybody or paint the whole class under the cloud of suspicion. At least, I had my feelings known clearly to the class, I thought.

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I am posting it a bit early here because your time is 12 hours ahead of mine and I don't want to miss your count down. 
Happy New Year! Welcome 2008! Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!



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I was really upset when I read about the recalls of leaded toys on the news before Christmas. What a lie! It is impossible for all the toys to be retracted back to the manufacturers. I know that some of these toys will be eventually filtered through to the neighbourhood dollar stores or thrift stores everywhere. For poor families that do not have means, these stores were like the heaven outposts for holiday presents. Somehow, there are always “seasonal” stores sprung up everywhere in town just before the holiday season to compliment these thrift stores for the shopping rush. (Christmas, Eid and Hanukah are usually happening in the same month.) Somehow, the families that have a tight budget always know where to shop for the bargains.

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PH was a student in my class last year and I had known him since he was in kindergarten. I remember that his kindergarten and Grade one and two teachers used to ask me to act as an interpreter during the parent teacher interview time. His mother spoke very little English but she could understand a little Mandarin. I was invited to sit in to help explain to the parent about his behaviour in class because PH had trouble learning all throughout his primary grades. Naturally, he was then put in my class when he came to Grade three.

PH’s family ran a Chinese herbal medicine business. His mother gave me a can of tea and a few kind words for Christmas. It was very thoughtful for her to do that. On the last day of school last year, PH came to school with a bottle of ice wine. (Note 1) I almost fell off my chair when PH timidly presented the present to me. First of all, I would never entrust a child with a bottle of alcohol to bring to school. Furthermore, it is too much to thank a teacher with a bottle of ice wine. It is an expensive present from a student! I thanked PH for the present but I told him that I needed to talk to his mother at the end of the day when she came to pick him up.

In the same afternoon, while all the classes were at the school assembly, another parent showed up in the auditorium with a backpack. I taught the student a year before when he first arrive at our school. This parent saw me in the hallway and came up to me. She reached into her backpack to grab a bottle and gave it to me. She said she was sorry that she did not give me anything last year and she wanted me to have this bottle as a present. I looked at the bottle. Wow, it was another bottle of ice wine. I kindly thanked her for the gift and told her that I appreciated the thought but it was a very expensive present. She should really give such an expensive item to the current homeroom teacher. With a big smile, she opened her backpack to show me what she carried inside. Gosh, there were so many bottles of ice wine in the backpack! (What’s going on? The neighbourhood store must be having a sale or what? Wait, it is still an expensive present for a teacher or anybody!)

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Before the Christmas break or the end of each school year, teachers usually receive small presents from some students. It is not a practice that teachers would encourage students or parents to do; however, I, as well as many others, have accumulated lot of mugs, candles and countless knick-knacks over the years. Sometimes, it is really awkward for me to accept those presents because I know some of my students come from families that don’t have much for themselves to begin with. Although most of these presents were probably picked out by my little students from a “dollar store” or a thrift store, the fact is that the families have spent their hard earned dollars to buy me a present!

When the students present to me with their pride and joy, it is very difficult to tell them that I can’t accept the gift. Seeing their sparking eyes with big smiles on their faces when presenting the present, I simply can not nor do I want to crush their sweet little hearts with rejection. They present their priceless present with dignity and I have to respect that by accepting it. Well. It is really a catch-22 for me! (For the last few years, I came up with a different strategy to make it up to these children and I will explain in detail later.) Last year, I had a very sweet class but many of the students were from needy families. In fact, I had to do a special emergency Christmas shopping to help one particular family whose presents were stolen last year. (Note 1) 

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On the last day of school before Christmas break last year, I was given a special present from a student who was from one of the needy families. The child came to school with a beautiful golden package for me. She had a glorious smile on her face and proudly presented the present to me. She told me that her mother thought I would definitely enjoy it. I was so surprised to see the size of the box! It couldn't possibly be from the dollar store or the thrift store! Could it be?

It is very common that most students would pressure me to open the presents in front of the class. It took me a few years to get used to this custom because I was brought up not to open presents in front of the gift-givers. In Taiwan, it is considered a bad taste to open presents immediately while the guests are still present. Now I have adjusted to this custom and always ask the students first if they really want me to open their presents. Some of them may not want me to do just that.

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Queen gives 50th televised Christmas message

By Tariq Panja, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS





In this photo released Monday, Dec. 24, 2007, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II delivers her Christmas Day message for broadcast on television and the Internet on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007, at Buckingham Palace in London, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007. (AP Photo/PA, Steve Parsons)

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Merry Christmas to All Friends and 
Family!

If I wish hard enough, I guess my dream may come true. Hahahaha..... Check this out. http://jobedu.net/article1/science/Robots_Shoveling_Snow_Humanoid_Robot_Inspires_Students_to_Study_Science.html



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I started teaching right after I obtained a BA in English from Fu Jen. Before I graduated from Fu Jen, I received a “second-hand” information from my friend who happened to have a friend that worked at the Continuing Education at Fu Jen Catholic University. (Hahaha. Networking is very important.) Apparently, the Continuing Education Department was accepting applications for instructors at the main campus in Hsin Zhuan. They were looking for teachers to teach a pronunciation class and an introductory conversation class. All I needed to do was to submit my resume, two lesson plans along with my full English self-introduction and a demo instruction on a cassette tape. It all sounds very simple and easy right now, but I was all stressed out then.



I really wanted the job but I also knew that may people, as some of my friends had revealed to me, were also eyeing for the same position. For an undergraduate student, it was very brave in my part to apply for the position. It was a good opportunity for me to go through the interview just for the experience though. I thought I probably would not get the job at all because I had to compete with all those graduate students from the Linguistics or English Literature departments. It was a bit intimidating. (Well, maybe I went to the right temple and prayed to the right God. Gee, it is too bad that I can not remember which temple I went to because I may have to ask for more luck. Hahaha…..) Somehow, I ended up with the job offer. You could imagine that I was totally on cloud nine.



I wanted to work at Fu Jen because I had full intention of applying for the graduate study in linguistics. Plus, they paid really REALLY well, way better than a language centre in Taipei. When I graduated, I was teaching at two different centres during the day in Tien-mu and Shih-lin. Life was good and the pay was even better. I liked working with children; however, without a degree in Education, a regular university graduate in English Language was not allowed to work in a formal school setting. So, it was a no brainer that I should happily accept the job to teach adults at the Continuing Education at Fu Jen Catholic University.

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Real Life Ironmen and Ironwomen

One of my co-workers will be retiring by the end of January. She has been our special education teacher for the developmentally challenged students in the DD class ever since the school was opened. I always say that it takes a special person to do the job she does in that DD class. When I heard of the announcement of her retirement, I told her that it would be very difficult to find someone to take her place. I have no doubt that we will find someone to fill the position quickly but I will not be surprised that the teacher will leave in a year or two as many had done before. There will always be teachers who would accept a difficult job assignment just to get their foot in the door; however, it has been extremely difficult to find someone who truly cares and would enjoy working with a group of DD students. I know that most people would quickly get tired of lifting and moving those students or changing their diapers. Those handicapped children have special needs, but they are just as dignified as the other students at school. They deserve to have respect and someone who is passionate enough and dedicated to their job.

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A distant family member from Belgium decided to try out the Ironman Triathlon because he wanted to have his name announced at the end of the triathlon race as Ironman So-and-So. He mentioned in his blog that it has been proven a great challenge for him to compete in the Ironman triathlon. He is very athletic but a fairly petit athlete comparing to the other “Ironmen” in the race. He said he had experienced some difficulty with extreme pain at the bike race after being kicked by someone during the jam-packed swimming event. He got a black eye after the swim and he thought he had twisted his ankle. However, he looked at those older fellow-competitors beside him and he told himself that if those 65 year-old grandfathers beside him could do it, he should at least try to finish the race. He completed the competition with triumph and finally earned the title as one of the Ironmen.

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Dear Santa,
 
I have never written to you to request anything for Christmas because Chinese New Year still holds a more important place in my heart than Christmas. After so many years of helping you get presents ready for my family and friends, now I am ready to ask you for a special present. By the way, I have been a really good girl all year and I always have been. Santa, please send a snow shoveling robot, a snow shoveling butler or a snow blower my way for Christmas!
 
We have not had much of snow for the last few winters; however, Canada is a country of winter snow. It is inevitable that we occasionally have to shovel the snow during the cold winter season. For the last few years, we have been paying the kids across the street to cut the grass and to shovel the snow, but kids are kids and they are not reliable. We also had a service come in to shovel the snow before we hired the kids, but the company had to deal with so many clients, especially the commercial plazas which always take their priority. By the time the service truck got to our house, it was dark and late and I had almost done my driveway myself. I couldn't wait for the service and had to do it on my own because I couldn’t move my car up to my driveway.
 
We are having a big snow storm which started at around eight o’clock this morning. This afternoon, I had tears in my eyes when I discovered the city’s street-plowing truck had passed by my house and shoved all the snow from the street onto the entrance of my driveway which blocked my driveway and the sidewalk. I had to climb over a knee-high of snow bank to get into my house. In a time like this, Santa, I apologize that, in order to let the frustration off my chest, I had to use a few nasty words that I normally don’t say at all. Thank God, in the end, I finally had a few good neighbours who came to the rescue with their snow blowers along with a couple of kids who were paid to shovel the driveway with me.
 
Santa, I am exhausted and damp. A mug of hot chocolate is not going to help much because I know the snow is still falling and blowing everywhere outside. When I think of that, I get chill to my bones, my old rattling achy bones after the shoveling. It will be a chore to get my car off the driveway tomorrow morning. (A snow day will be great if you could make it happen ASAP.)
 
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