Tuesday, September 3, 2013

A Country Road

Very far from the city lived a farmer and his wife. There was a narrow dirt road in front of their house.

On the road, there was a big hole filled with water. The hole was very deep. Drivers on the road didn't know just how deep. When they drove into the hole, they could not drive out.

One day, a man in a new car was driving down the road. He noticed the hole with the water, but he didn't think it was very deep. He drove into the hole, and his car became stuck.

The man saw the farmer on his tractor, working in the field. He waved to the farmer. The farmer drove over to the man in the new car.

The farmer asked if there was problem. And the man said that his car was stuck in the hole and asked for some help. But the farmer said he was very busy.

The man said that he would pay him if he would so the farmer helped the man after agreeing on a price. The farmer towed the car out of the hole with his tractor. Then the man paid him the money.

The man looked at the farmer and said, "I guess you are rich. You must tow cars out of this hole day and night."
"Actually, no," said the farmer.
"Why not?" asked the man.
"The hole is very deep, and a lot of people get stuck and ask for help. But I don't make money day and night. I don't pull cars out at night. At night, I'm busy filling the hole with water," answered the farmer.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Let's Bake Yummy Cookies

Betty is a baker.
She bakes bread, cake, and cookies.

Today she's baking chocolate chip cookies.
Can you help her?

First you need a large bowl.
Put butter in the bowl.
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Then stir, stir, stir!
Now pour in flour.
Next come salt and baking soda.

Stir again.
Then add chocolate chips.

Stir a few more times, and...
Wow!
You already made cookie dough!

Next scoop up the dough.
Then drop spoonsfuls of dough on a tray.

Bake the cookies in the oven.
Are they ready, yet
No, not yet!

Brrring!
Oh yes, it's already ten minutes and the cookies are ready.

Mmm...
I think chocolate chips are yummy!
Do you like them too?

What you need to make yummy cookies:
225 grams of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
350 grams chocolate chips

Sunday, September 1, 2013

The Nights of Hanukkah

On the first night of Hanukkah, Ashley lights the menorah.

On the second night of Hanukkah, Ashley plays spin the dreidel.

On the third night of Hanukkah, Ashley makes potato pancakes.

On the fourth night of Hanukkah, Ashley sings songs.

On the fifth night of Hanukkah, Ashley eats doughnuts.

On the sixth night of Hanukkah, Ashley opens presents.

On the seventh night of Hanukkah, Ashley's grandparents come over to her house.

On the eighth night of Hanukkah, Ashley eats chocolates.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Rude Student

I've been teaching for more than ten years and this student is the rudest student that I've ever had. He's a third grade student who always distracts the class. He makes noise, disturbs his seatmates that sometimes causes some bruise when he hits someone next to him, doesn't do anything what you tells him to do on the computer and when you asked him to stop on his craziness then he will curse you or other teacher who asks him to do. He always bothers others but doesn't want to be bothered of his craziness.

One day, he was absent and his friend said that she was so happy that "Rudy" (let's just call him Rudy because he is rude) was absent. She said that she felt so relieved and it seems like some thorns pulled out from her heart after saying what she wanted to say without Rudy. She said she's suffocating when Rudy is around. I felt the stress that this student feels about him. Just the way that I felt when I didn't know him well but I realized that Rudy is completely special child. I don't mean he's retarded or disabled, what I mean is, he has phychological problem that he makes everyone so stressful.

When I gave them homework that I told them to write a situation when their teachers got angry with them, he said that his teacher was so angry in class when he cursed her. I found out that he says bad words to everyone even to his school teacher.

I heard that he has younger sister and his family's attention is with her sister. Since then, I realized that he needs special attention that's why he bothers everyone in class because he needs attention. When I lose patience to him, I sometimes think that his family ignores him because of his bad attitude. But deep inside, I take pity on him because of his attitude and I'm still thinking on what to do to stop his craziness.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

My Sleepyhead Student

It always irritates me when I teach the class with my sleepy head student. He always feels sleepy during the class. No matter how many times I wake him up and hit him, he doesn't do anything. His sleeping time in my class is more than the time that he studies. I don't know what this guy is doing in my class. He's just wasting some money to pay for private institutes. He can just stay home and sleep. Why does he have to pay and sleep?

Whenever I hit him, he wakes up and write some words. Then he's asleep again when I'm not beside him. I understand that he's tired but it doesn't mean that I can allow him to sleep. He just changes the mood of the class. What I mean is, he doesn't have to pay if he's not interested in studying. I don't know why their parents have to send their children in private institutes when their children are not interested in studying?

Parents think that their children study hard. Some of them even think that because their children have been studying for many years, they think they are better than others who study less time than their kids. But they don't know that their kids don't really focus in class. Going to institutes just became their habits.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Story of the Teddy Bear

Jenny loves stuffed animals. Her room is filled with them. One day, Jenny's grandmother had a surprise for her. It was a teddy bear. Jenny suddenly curious about teddy bear. She knows about black bears and grizzly bears but she has no idea what kind of bear is teddy bear so she asked her grandmother.

Jenny's grandmother told her that teddy bear has a very special story. She said "Teddy" is the nickname of Theodore Roosevelt, the President of the United States many years ago. Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed the outdoors and nature. One of his hobby was going hunting. One day, he went out to hunt animals with his men but he didn't catch anything. His men thinks that the President has to catch something so they tied a small bear to a tree.

The President was about to give up and go home but one of his men said that he saw a bear. He pointed the small bear tied in the tree. The other man told him to shoot the bear so President Roosevelt aimed his rifle at the bear. The bear looked at the president and the gun.

President Roosevelt looked at the bear and shouted "What am I doing? How can I kill this helpless animal? I can't! I won't kill it!" Then he headed home.

The next day, the story about the president and the bear was in the newspaper which entitled "Theodore Roosevelt and the 'Teddy' Bear."

The owner of the toy store read the article in the newspaper so he and his wife decided to make a stuffed bear, and they named it "Teddy". The teddy bear was born! Everyone wanted one. The "Teddy Bear" became very popular.

Jenny was so happy to hear about the story. Now she knows about the Teddy bear and she loves it more than any other stuffed because she said that President Roosevelt was a kind man. She also said that teddy bears are so special just like her grandmother.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Birthdays Around the World

Children around the world have different kinds of celebrations on their birthday parties. What do they do?

In Argentina, the family and friends will pull the ear of the celebrant according to their ages. If you are ten years old, then they will pull your ear ten times.

In China, the family and friends of the celebrants will eat noodles together and they wish the celebrant a long life. Noodles are long so they mean long life.

In Denmark, the cake of the celebrant is decorated with the Danish flag.

In England, the mother of the celebrant bakes a cake with coins in it. If the celebrant finds a coin in her piece of cake, then she will grow up to be rich.

In India, the birthday celebrant wears a colorful dress. Also, her bestfriend gives out chocolates to the celebrant's friends.

In Israel, at the birthday party, the grown ups lift the celebrant up into the air and put her back down again. (I wonder what happens to chubby kids.)

In Korea, at the birthday party, the mother of the celebrant serves seaweed soup and rice cakes. Then the family and friends all eat together. (Seaweed soup must be eaten by a mom who has just delivered a baby. I think it's the reason why they also serve seaweed soup on birthdays. Rice cake to make you strong so it also means long life.)

In Mexico, at the birthday party, the celebrant wears a blindfold and hit a piñata until it breaks open. (A piñata is a container often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth; it is decorated, and filled with small toys or candy, or both, and then broken as part of a celebration.) Then everybody shares all the candies inside.

In the Philippines, before the birthday party, the celebrant goes to church to pray. Either alone, with friends or family.

In the United States, the celebrant makes a wish and blow out the candles on his/her birthday cake. If the candles blown out once, then the celebrant's wish will come true.