blue room

I was giving a quiz to one of my programming classes. After explaining on how their program will be graded, one student asked, “Kung wa mi answer, Ma’am…?”

Alangan naman ma-perfect!

I just answered, ” Aw, hayahay ko kay wa koy checkanan.”

—oo00oo—

This one is very common in Programming 1 subjects.

Problem that I give: Write a C program that accepts as input the radius of a circle then output its area.

In a class of more than 40 students, you can always find this line in some students’ codes:

printf(”Enter the area: “);

User: Migamit pa ko sa program nga ako ra man diay gihapon mo-compute!

Yesterday (May 1) was Labor Day in the Philippines and so in honor of the “Manggagawang Pinoy”, it was declared a national holiday. When it’s a holiday, that means absolutely no laboring for me. I didn’t set my alarm the night before coz I had no intention of waking up early. I didn’t, however, intend to wake up as late as 11am either. But I did. When I saw the time on my clock I thought my clock broke but when I looked at my cellphone it was the same time. So I really did wake up so late, huh? Then I stayed at home all day and spent most my time online with games on Facebook. I ate rice only once coz I didn’t wanna go out and buy a proper meal. When I got tired of the computer, I started reading a book (The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy). I didn’t go out somewhere coz I didn’t wanna take a bath (eeeewww!, I know) and partly bcoz I’m broke coz I left my ATM card in my sister’s purse (which is already in Leyte). And before I knew it, it was nighttime already and the day’s ending. How short the day was! I wish there would be more Labor Days in a year. Perhaps at least once a month…what do you think?

If you’re a teacher you don’t need a watch (or a school bell) to tell when is it time to end the lecture. When your look-conscious (a.k.a. vain) students start retouching their makeup, then it’s about time for your next class.

—–o00o—–

When students don’t ask any questions after your lecture, it only means any of the two: either they totally understand so there’s no need to ask any questions OR they have no idea whatsoever what you were talking about so they don’t know what to ask.

—–o00o—–

In most cases, students are like cans—the empty ones make the most noise.

This morning, I am grateful for drivers who actually stop even on a rush hour to let me cross the busy road and who brighten my day by smiling at me as I pass by.
I really need some brightening up today coz I have an exam (of the most boring subject ever) coming later, of which I’m already late by the way (but I don’t really care).
Seriously, I’m really late. Ciao!

Click: CCS Days 2009 Update (kapoy post ug balik kay naay pictures)

It was WOW! I was so right in my predictions that Slumdog Millionaire will rip all the major awards: Best Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Musical Score, Original Song, etc. And I believe the movie deserves all of it. I was right with the acting awards too: Best Actress Kate Winslet for The Reader, Best Supporting Actress Penelope Cruz for Vicky Christina Barcelona, and Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger (posthumous) for The Dark Knight. All of them I have predicted except for Best Actor Sean Penn for Milk, which was a pleasant surprise (mainly because I didn’t have a bet for best actor and I haven’t seen Penn’s acting for Milk). All I knew was that Brad Pitt won’t win it. And I was right again. I never thought Hugh Jackman would make a great host.  I didn’t know Wolverine could sing and dance either and I was glad he did coz he really can. And he was sooooo handsome too (without the beard). 

All in all it was a great show and I was happy with the results. The best thing about it is that I got to watch it at the comforts of our own living room (whilst vegging around) coz there are no classes today (Monday) because it’s a national holiday (People Power Revolution Anniversary). And still at best is that tomorrow is another no-school-or-work local holiday coz it’s the Cebu City Charter Day celebration. I really could get used to these holidays.

The bad thing is that my Internet connection at home has been totally crappy lately.

> Why is it that when you give instructions to your students, their first instinct is to ask it back? (Ex. Teacher: “Get one-fourth sheet of paper.” Students: “One-fourth, Ma’am?”)

> Why do students NEVER read the instructions carefully when you tell them to read the instructions carefully?

> Why do students NEVER listen when you ask them to listen?

> How come a student has answers on all questions on the quiz when he arrived in class only by the time you gave the last question?

> How come a student can answer the questions on a quiz in his regular seat but not when you change seating arrangements? Are the answers written on the chair?

> Why do students give the answers for Set B when you’ve given him Set A questions? Is he answering for his seatmate?

> How come students can perform laboratory exercises but not be able to answer when asked about the same concepts in the lecture?

> Why do students ask how they got a failing grade when they didn’t pass any of the quizzes and exams?

> Why is it that when you give assignments/homeworks, they always submit the same answers/solutions (including spacing, commas, symbols, etc.)?

WHY…? HOW COME…?

I was writing notes on the board in one of my Computer Fundamentals class so my back was to my students when I heard the following:

Student A: “Mag-quiz ta, Ma’am?”

Just when I was about to answer…

Student B: “Ha? Mag-quiz ta?”

Student C: “Nganu mag-quiz man ta nga wa pa man tay na discuss?”

Student D: “Ma’am, di lang gud ta mag-quiz kay bag-o pa man ta nag-exam nya wa pa man tay na-discuss?!” (in a very unrespectful tone)

All that were said even before I could utter a single word! Wa nako na-take so walk out na lang ako beauty.

{gotta go with the craze…lol…this could be totally random.}

1. I’m a coffee addict. I can never get through the day without coffee.

2. I’m a fiction book junkie. I collect books, mostly from sale (yes, I’m cheap).

3. I hate having to pass by Booksale ‘coz I can’t keep myself from getting in and buying sale books no matter how broke I am.

4. My favorite author is Anne Tyler ‘coz I love her writing style but I’m currently hooked to John Irving. I also love legal thriller authors like John Grisham, Steve Martini, Richard North Patterson, and Scott Turow.

5. I’m a multitasker! I can’t just check papers, I also have to watch movies and eat at the same time. I’m more efficient that way.

6. Math is what I do best.

7. I can play the church organ even if I’m not musically inclined because reading musical notes is just like doing math (fractions, addition, subtraction, etc.).

8. I collect mugs and puzzles (rubik’s cube, pyramix, megamix), too.

9. My style is usually “organized chaos”. I believe that if everything is in the table (or drawer), then anything can be found. This explains my oh-so messy desk and drawer.

10. I’m always mistaken for a student (which has its pros and cons).

11. I’m Papa’s girl. My father said that I have inherited everything (good or not) from him.

12. I’m a morning person. I can easily give a 3-4 hour lecture in the morning even if I’m repeating the lecture over and over…but I can’t do that in the afternoon.

13. I eat all the time. As long as there is food, I am happy.

14. I like going to the mall alone, just to unwind.

15. Spongebob Squarepants is my favorite cartoons and I think that its humor is really for adults, not kids.

16. I don’t like milk but I love milkshakes and milk candies.

17. I can remember things that happened a long time ago, as far as when I was 2 years old, but not what happened last week.

18. Sometimes I know the answer to some trivia but I can’t recall how I learned them. This makes me get top spots in tests/exams where the coverage is very general (like entrance exams), even if I’m not top in class.

19. I always suffer of a very bad case of sinusitis, and sometimes migraine.

20. I used to be very very shy as a kid. I never spoke unless I have to, but now I’m as talkative as a bee.

21. I love listening to classical music, especially piano concertos.

22. I don’t know how to throw a hissy fit, even when I’m actually boiling with rage deep inside. Most of the time I just either walk out or be silent.

23. Total silence from me is never a good sign. It usually means I’m furious, sad, or frustrated.

24. I am so organized with the presention slides I use for my lectures, not with everything else.

25. I tend to talk a lot and keep going when I’m nervous.

This is going to be the first of a series of entries about my accounts of the perks of being a teacher. I want to document those hilarious, agonizing, eye-rolling, eyebrow raising, and those simply jaw-dropping moments inside the classroom, which usually involves a lot of stupidity and close-to-complete absence of common sense (perhaps it’s not so common afterall).

Ok, here it goes…

————-oOOo————

In one of my Probability and Statistics class, I was explaining about measures of central tendency. Right after explaining the formula for mean, median, and mode and how to use them and giving sample computations I asked the class, “Any questions?”

Then a student raised a hand and asked, “Ma’am, unsaon pag-compute sa Median?”

Toinks! Unsa man diay to ang ako gi-explain bag-o lang? Diin ka man tawn namayabas oi?

————-oOOo————

In a laboratory class, I uploaded (in the COMMON folder) a set of instructions numbered 1 to 10 for my students to follow telling them to follow the instructions step-by-step and never to skip any.

Then a student asked, “Asa mi magsugod, Ma’am?”

I don’t know, maybe at step no. 10?!

————-oOOo————-

In another software laboratory class…

I uploaded my instructions in the COMMON folder (a network directory accessible by everyone in class) and all the files my students need for their lab activity. I told them to browse over the instructions and if something is not clear they just ask me.

Then a student asked, “Ma’am, kami mubuhat ani?”

Well, I’m not sure…MOST LIKELY coz you’re in this class. Basta sure ko nga dili ako kay ako ako man ang titser!

————–oOOo————-

Sometimes COLLEGE students just make me wonder how they got here…