What do I want to accomplish in 2011?

In random order,

1. graduate in February and march in May
2. BIG thanksgiving party for my graduation, birthday, and baby shower in june- ALL in ONE!
3. get a stabler teaching job at a public school
4. have a safe and not-so-painful delivery (nothing is impossible!lol)
5. happier marriage
6. get closer to God
7. better handling with my anger issues
8. visit philippines with our little tot in december (exciting!)
9. more prayers for my family and close friend who is praying for a vibrant lovelife

So help me God..

Was I able to do my 2010 plans?

2010 was my craziest year ever since I migrated to the US. I did not expect grad school is that taxing and it would take most of my time. Let me review the plans I set for myself in 2010 and evaluate them:

In random order:

1. learn Spanish (seriously learn)---- no improvement at all!
2. start studying for MA + teaching credential ---- YES!
3. transfer to a bigger place ---- my biggest frustration but in 2 weeks we are moving to an apartment.
4. visit my home country (yay!!!) ---- nope. we planned it but I got pregnant so the baby is the priority.
5. buy Skechers running shoes ---- hmmm..I bought two for my parents.
6. visit my favorite relatives in Modesto ---- yes! but only once, or twice?
7. submit more to Alex's leadership ---- still working on it =)
8. pay off some debts (LOL) ---- YES!
9. learn how to drive and pass the driving test in one take ---- YES! YES! YES!

See, it was not that bad!LOL

2010 was a blast!

Before this year ends, I would like to recollect the important events that happened to me and my family. I can say I made better decisions in 20101 than in 2009 and so here they go!

1. January: I started working as a Teacher Asst at a charter school. I was so happy that finally I got into the field I really wanted to get into. That was my first step to a good teaching career.
2. January : I also started going to graduate school at University of Southern California. I am in their MA in Teaching program.
3. March: Alex and I bought our first car in cash! Where? From Ebay!=)We had the car shipped from Pennsylvania.
4. June : Alex got a job at an IT company. That was my birthday wish granted from God! I did not tell anyone until Alex broke the good news. After all the layoffs and economic brouhaha, that job is such an answered prayer!
5. June: My college friend/orgmate/roommate became my sister-in-law. She married my brother-in-law. They had a nice wedding in Palmdale.
6. June: My dad was diagnosed with kidney failure. Dialysis was highly recommended.
7. July and August : I worked as a camp counselor at an Art Summer Camp!
8. September : I started my student teaching at Roscoe Elem School in Mrs. Binnie's class.
9. September: I started working as a tutor for LAUSD. =)
10. November : Started working at Mrs. Hadnett's class.
11. November: I learned I am pregnant!=)))))))
12. December: I passed the RICA test!

I am sure 2011 will be a blast! I will be graduating from grad school and I will be a mommy! What are we waiting for? Here we go!

Baby Glaze is coming!

9.3 weeks inside as of 12/14/2010 =)

Christmas...Christmas..

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

House furniture! My family (husband, me, and unborn child) is moving to an apartment at the end of this month and we need new furniture.=)

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?

Play Christmas music

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?

a Subaru car!

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

spend quality time with my husband at home, sing songs..

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

Scrabble

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?

Christmas

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?

Europe!

goal accomplished!

Now that summer is over and it is early Fall, I can finally announce to the world that my big summer goal was accomplished. I PASSED THE ACTUAL DRIVING TEST IN CALIFORNIA!

It is big deal because I had never driven in my life and my driving instructor was my husband. I got my driver's license last week and I am treating it like $1000 cash in my wallet. =))))

I still do not drive on a daily basis. The school I am teaching at is only 3 miles from our house and so I bike there. However, I am the driver on weekends.

Welcome me, California highways!

Fun fun fun at Art Summer Camp!

When I used to be a Pathfinder camper in 5th and 6th grade, I was always fascinated with how adults lead the kids at camp and how they can make the daily activities enjoyable for them. When I went to high school, I missed camps - sleeping in tents and waking up early, like 5am early, to start doing our responsibilities. Fast forward =====> When I arrived here in the US, I noticed that day camps are the normal thing in the summer. The camps can be anything from sports, farm, art to magic. This summer, I had the privilege to be hired as camp counselor at Summer Art Academy. And it was a wonderful experience!


I saw the job posting at craigslist and I applied right away. I met Elizabeth and Minnie, the camp directors, during my interview. The meeting was sort of orientation, that's when I realized that I would be hired. Three days later, they called me. Two months later, I was in front of kids and parents at 745am greeting them, leading them to the auditorium. My fun fun fun experience as camp counselor began.


We counselors were given different art classes where we helped the teachers and supervised the students with their work. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, my classes were Hocus Pocus (Magic class), Taekwondo, Yoga, and Lego Robotics. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my classes were two Acrylics classes (with different teachers and students), Popstarz, and Pastel perfection. I met different kids in this camp and they are children of the people working for the media industry.

We had theme days most of the time. We had Pajama Day, Rock star day, Cartoon Day, Superhero day, and Crazy Hair Day. My co-counselors, 15 of us, got along pretty well. We had jobs starting an hour before camps starts in the morning until 30mins after camp ends in the afternoon.We were also divided into two lunch breaks. I was in the 2nd break. The one I got closest to was Nare, a 20-yr old Armenian girl who is going to UC Berkeley this fall. We shared stories everyday during lunch and when we were both supervising the kids in the cubbie area when they got their lunches.

Here are some pics of the 4-wk camp! Enjoy!


She just got out from her Stage Makeup class


Lego Robotics class


Cartoon Day


Getting messy in Acrylics class


Showing off their pastel masterpieces


Cubbie area


Crazy hair Day with some counselors-in-training


Nare with two boys on Rock Star Day


Coool

Bye, Crescendo... for now.

From January to June,I was working as a Teacher Assistant at a charter school named Crescendo Charter School. I was also studying full-time to be a teacher at University of Southern California. It was the craziest 6months of my life! I worked full time and studied full time. After the school year ended on June 25, I was on a crossroad. If I would get a teaching job this coming Fall, I needed to transfer to another university and start the teacher prep program all over again. That means more $$$ and time before I become a credentialed teacher. That may mean two more years. By June, I was already halfway through my MA in Teaching (credential track) at USC and by Feb 2011, I will be done. Yes, that soon. So what should I choose? I decided to just get over my studies. With California's economy right now and teacher situation, I need to be qualified and more prepared for a teaching job. I do not want to be fired in the middle of the school year just because I am not credentialed or a Master's degree holder. I am doing student teaching in the Fall, instead of the full-time teaching job. By Feb, I will be a full-pledged Trojan! Fight on!

I was so happy when I got that job. I was finally able to creep in the educational sector which I am focusing myself into. I have learned a lot in my 6-month stay at the school. Miss Panaga, the 3rd grade teacher I was closely working with, was helpful. It was her first time to teach and she was learning some things too. We learned them together. The kids there were predominantly African-Americans and I learned a lot about their families, culture, attitudes, and many more. I did not have an easy time there. It was a challenging experience. I had to be careful with my words, jokes, dealing with my Hispanic co-workers, and making my Master Teacher and Mr. O'daniel happy. And this school is in downtown LA. Because I do not drive, I always took the bus and train to get there which is fine because I would have more study time. That was a one-hour trip one way everyday. More importantly, at that school, I learned how to become an affective teacher. I knew more about teaching strategies. I was able to observe what methods teachers use to encourage the kids and make them on task. With my studies at USC and daily exposure at school everyday, I was definitely getting the reaching my dream.=)

I will miss Crescendo. I would like to work with them again when I am done with my MA and credential. That would be awesome.. but nobody can tell what the future holds. I want to experience other schools too in other parts of LA. More exposure, the better. USC is trying to place me in a predominantly white school in the Fall and I am excited about that. I want to know how they are doing too.

Twas a date!

Spring Break

Spring Break is over!

It was a fun week. Alex and I drove to Modesto, 300 miles from Burbank, to visit my relatives. It was my uncle's birthday, and that means, pigging out!!!I missed Filipino food and it was awesome to be able to eat lutong-bahay again. Alex and I stayed there until Tuesday. We drove back to Burbank because I had a job interview the next day. The job was Receptionist at the Hollywood Bowl Museum. The interview went well but the director said they were looking forward to hire someone that can go on even after summer. Well, I could not do that so I moved on. Alex and I went to visit his bestfriend's family in Moreno Valley, a 1.5 hr drive from us. We had not seen them for more than a year!the get-together was a blast!Brad and Denae had two beautiful kids. (I am sure Alex envies them.)We were supposed to leave their place at 7pm but we decided to extend our stay and so we left at 12mn. That's how much fun we had!

Then my allergies struck. I was coughing really hard and my runny nose came the day after. So for the rest of the week, I have been nursing myself. I was supposed to relax, have fun, go to the beach maybe. But I guess my busy life has finally gotten a toll on me. Until now, I still have my allergies. I heard in the news, this is the worse allergy season in LA in a decade. Sigh*

Spring is ending. I hope I will feel better soon. I need to go back to work tomorrow.

Subaru Forester is here!!!

No complaints..

Last Friday, I was with my group of 7 students reviewing the long division process when my principal's boss, Mr. Allen, and someone from LAUSD came to observe the class. They were in our small room for just 2 minutes and they left.

During lunch at the cafeteria while I was supervising the 3rd graders, Mr. Allen came. We said our usual, "How are you doing?" Then this conversation followed:

Allen : Ms Glaze, do you have a teaching credential?
Me : I am actually working on it. I will be done next year. By the time I complete my program, I will have my Masters and credential.
Allen : What are your plans for the fall? Are you staying or leaving?
Me : It is really up to you. As long as you want me here...
Allen: (extends his hand to me) Well, Ms Glaze, you are guaranteed a full-time teaching job in the fall. Mark my word.

Then we exchanged phone numbers.

I could not ask for more. God is truly amazing!!! Since the beginning of this year, I have been silently praying for a teaching job in the fall. If I won't get one, I will quit working as a teacher assistant because I need to comply with my student teaching requirements with my graduate school. However, God has some other plans. With this full-time teaching job this September, my student teaching experience is my job! I am earning money and studying for my credential at the same time. That is really neat.

I remember Isaiah 65:24 (King James Version): "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

Friends, I can only give praises to God right now. His will be done.

Work and school

So since January 4, I have started working as a Teacher Assistant at Crescendo Charter School. I am so happy to have gotten out from my previous job. Let's just say, it was for me a second-best decision to have stayed there. I am glad I have moved on, and this time, I am in the field where I am passionate about and where I am really directing my career into - EDUCATION.

Crescendo Charter School is under LA Unified School District. It has many locations but I am assigned in the LA campus, along Western/Martin Luther King Blvd. With this job, I get to work under the direction of a credentialed teacher, Miss Panaga, in her 3rd grade class. I assist her in everything, from sharpening students' pencils to teaching the lessons in small groups in her class. I greatly admire her for organizing her big class of 29 third graders - how she can lead them to enter the classroom in the morning without noise, make them write in their journals quietly, make them all listen to her, and many more. She is Filipino, by the way. I was not sure at first but when I entered her classroom and saw the pictures of her family and boyfriend (?)displayed on her table, I was 85% sure she is. We have not talked anything about our personal lives. We do not have time. We have not talked in Filipino yet. I am not even sure if she speaks it because her English fluency is excellent. I finally became certain that she is Filipino due to two instances : 1.One morning, she is talking about imagination in class and her example was that she is imagining she is in the Philippines and she even mentioned that it takes almost 16 hrs to get there: 2.While she was relating a story in class, she has interchanged HE and SHE and she only realized it 3 minutes later. The latter is so common among Filipinos who do not grow up and whose first language is not English. I know I will learn a lot from her and her class. I am so receptive to learning new ideas. I am trying to gather as many ideas as I can for future use.

I work from 8am to 1pm every school day in Miss Panaga's class. Then I get a 2hr break. I usually stay at the conference room with my co-Teacher Assistants Miss Newton and Miss Guerrerro to chat and surf the internet. Then at 2:45, we start getting ready for the After School program. I handle the first graders who stay after school to do their homework while waiting for their parents to pick them up.My day ends at 4:45.

This job is soooo much better than my previous job. I love it. It is sometimes hard to deal with kids but that is the challenge there. You get to listen to them, anticipate what they are thinking, discipline them, talk to them, help them, and most especially, care for them.

This year also marks my first time to be in a Masters program. USC accepted me last year and I did not expect I would finally get myself into this. I am with their Masters in Teaching program + credential. It is a one-year program and at the end of this, I will be a credentialed teacher. I will be able to teach finally at any elementary school in California. I am very much looking forward to that.

As I was reading the syllabus of my first class, I realized that God is indeed the best Director in my life. My first class requires me to do school observations, interview school staff, analyze instructional materials, etc. and with my present job, I need not go out to complete such activities because I can do it in my school. Amazingly perfect. Had I stayed at my previous job, I would be a bad employee because I need to be absent every time to do school observations and interviews. I could not afford not to work. Bills need to be paid so this setup is perfect. Thank you, Lord.

I do not have complaints. Everything has turned out perfectly and I credit everything to God.

My motto for this year "No Complaints" is still on. =)

2010 little hopes and dreams

Here they are, in random order:

1. learn Spanish (seriously learn)
2. start studying for MA + teaching credential
3. transfer to a bigger place
4. visit my home country (yay!!!)
5. buy Skechers running shoes
6. visit my favorite relatives in Modesto
7. submit more to Alex's leadership
8. pay off some debts (LOL)
9. learn how to drive and pass the driving test in one take

I will get back to this list at the end of 2010. Happy New Year everyone! Be stronger, wiser, and smarter!=)

Bye, 2009.. Ready for you, 2010!

Alex and I agreed last night that 2009 was a bad year for us. I need not enumerate why was it bad. But despite the bad-ness of it, I will still dwell on the blessings we both received last year:

1. I passed CSET: Multiple Subjects (Subtests 1 and II)
2. I got my greencard!
3. I was able to go to UCLA to take an Education course.
4. I got accepted at USC for their MA teaching program + teaching credential. I will start in January.
5. I was interviewed in early December for a school job. I will also start in January.
6. Alex went to tax school and he is now a licensed tax preparer. I am so proud of him. He will also start his new job in January.

Our goal for 2010 is: to do God's will in our lives. God has blessed us tremendously but we still made 2nd best decisions last year because we did not listen to Him enough. So I claim that this is will be a better year for me and Alex!!!Goodbye, 2009!And here we come, 2010!

New year. New life. New jobs.=)