Teacher Connie's

Test test and more test.

2009-07-04T12:54:00.000+08:00

The last two weeks we took two reading comprehension assessments. The students did fairly well. Some had some problems with certain stories but most passed.

We will take a final reading assessment this week along with a vocabulary test.

Vocabulary is important. It is the cornerstone of comprehension and reading.

I hope the students worked hard to make sure they understand the words.

Teddy and Valerie: good job on studying your vocabulary!

Jack and Howard: you need to study more, please keep up!

Mj and Tina: i know you guys are not here all the time but I still need you guys to put effort in it. Keep studying!

Anne and Betty: keep studying =)

When you study, make sure you are making sentence and testing each other.

Teacher Paul

Vocabulary

2009-06-20T20:49:00.002+08:00

Lot of words, more than a hundred words from New Moon. We finished the book first before we began writing our vocabulary book. I wanted to make sure that we read as much as we can in class in order to maximize our pace for reading.

Make sure all of you finish the vocabulary this Tuesday, don't forget it.

Meanwhile this week....

Teddy and Howard, you guys know what you guys did wrong. Please don't let it happen again. Don't waste time in class and admit your mistakes. Howard, your attitude is poor in school and worst at home. Please take time to think about the word respect.

Anne, great job at reading ahead. You comprehend the story well and you are very active in class, make sure to speak louder.

Pon Pon, I can't wait until I read the fourth book, how far are you?

Betty and Valerie, if you have questions or difficulties with the story, feel free to ask me. I know sometimes the story can be hard to understand, so make sure you raise your hand if you don't understand something.

Teacher Paul

Methane Tower of Bubbles

Be Efficient and Fast

What is this commercial trying to tell you?

New Moon is almost finished

2009-06-14T00:31:00.002+08:00

We had a good week at school and we are almost finished with the New Moon. Edward is trying to offend the Volturi and Bella and Alice are trying to save him. We will find out this week in class and finish the book.

This week we also had science experiments and in my class, we learned about dry ice.

What is dry ice? It's not made of water, it's actually made of carbon dioxide. It is a very interesting substance because at room temperature, the solid form of CO2 turns into gas without going through liquid state. This is called sublimation.

All the students enjoyed the science experiments very much.

Anne - Good job on reading. You are answering lots of questions.

Valerie and Betty - Both of you are reading louder and I see you guys try to answer more questions. Keep trying!

Teddy - Please be more careful when you read and pay more attention to what you are reading. Try to understand the story better.

Howard - Make sure you read clearly and try not to mumble the words. I am glad you try to answer the questions and you understand the story quite well.

Pon Pon - Give others a chance first before answering, I will call on you. You are doing fantastic in class in both reading and comprehension.

I hope you enjoy the following video

Teacher Paul

Back from America

2009-06-06T09:14:00.002+08:00

Hello everybody, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, mom and dad, grandpas and grandmas, teachers and students, doctors and nurses, and all the strangers who loves to read my blog!

I was gone for quite a while and I was very pleased to hear that all of the students in my class didn't cause any trouble to Teacher Annie. During my vacation, I went to San Francisco to meet up with my friends from college days. The purpose of my trip was half business and half vacation. One of my good friends, Frank, who is very interested in coming to Taiwan. He wants to come to help me teach, and manage the school. Hopefully, if this plan goes through, we can further improve our program and make Tree House a better school.

Now back to classroom business. This week we started to read New Moon again and we are trying to finish this book quickly so we can get to the third book, Eclipse. New Moon starts off slow, talking about Edward and Bella's separation and Bella's emotions. The story gets more interesting when Jacob enters the pictures and Bella finds new purpose for her life.

Pon Pon - You are doing fine in class, please refrain answering some question because you've already read it in Chinese and make sure you raise your hands.

Betty Anne Valerie - I am happy to see all of you concentrate very hard in class to read. I also see everyone actively participate in class. Please keep up the good work and ask/answer questions.

Howard and Teddy - I am glad you guys don't bother each other. Howard please pay more attention when reading and Teddy, I am happy to see you are trying hard in reading, please keep up the effort. Hopefully, you can read more fluently.

Teacher Paul

Jump rope: http://www.wimp.com/doubledutch/
Fake Disneyland : http://www.wimp.com/fakedisneyland/
Amazing Boy: http://www.wimp.com/talentedkid/

When I was "your" age...

2009-05-25T19:00:00.002+08:00

Last week in class we read "The Three-Century Woman", which is about Megan going to visit her grandma, who is being interviewed for having lived in three centuries!

The story is full of humor and sarcasm as we are first given an image of old "grandma" through the eyes of Megan (as her and her mom is driving to the "institution") and then a complete contrast hits us when we are introduced to grandma all ready for her interview.

Throughout the story one main technique the author uses to create humor is through the use of metaphors; for example, he describes the old grandmas and grandpas as "inmates" (which literally means prisoners).

At the end of the story we find out that what the author is trying to say is that many times we have stereotypes that we place on people. For example, Megan thinks that her grandma is just old, unaware, has Alzheimers and can not remember things. But we actually find out that grandma is funny and smart as she tricks the reporter into thinking her stories are true.

In class we went through examples of various stereotypes that people have, and the students drew up an extensive list; however we learned that stereotypes can be subjective in that people think differently about, for example, certain races.

After reading the story we worked on supplementary materials in our reading practice book which clarified some of the vocabulary and main ideas in the story.

Jacky: Class vocabulary book was your responsibility and that means you have to ensure it's 1) done and 2) not lost!

Pon Pon: You're able to correctly connect the less obvious ideas in the story and answer the questions asked in class which is impressive.

Howard: I think it's great you will ask questions when you don't understand something; not being afraid to ask questions is one of the first steps to success.

Teddy: Well behaved in class but I would also like to hear more of your opinions in class too.

Valerie: Would like you to try speaking up more in class and participate in discussions

Anne: Sometimes you seem unsure of yourself but I'd like you to participate regardless and not be afraid of being right or wrong.

Betty: I sense you understand the materials in class or in our reading well, but don't be afraid to voice your opinions in class.

Full of ENERGY!

2009-05-18T19:00:00.002+08:00

Hello!
This is Teacher Annie and because Teacher Paul is away I'm filling in until end of May. I apologize for the late entry but here's a recap of what we did last Wed.-Fri.!

On Wednesday we started Chapter 14 in the Science textbook. It's about the different types of "Energy". Energy is always around us and it just transfers from one place to another. In Lesson 1 we learned about "light
energy" and how light energy can transfer into thermal energy (Ex. lightbulb). In Lesson 2 we learned about "sound energy" and how sound energy can be created, for example, through hitting a drum and the kinetic energy from the beating movement turning into the sound energy or beats that we hear.

The concepts learned in the Chapter can be complex so on Thursday we went through the pages in Lesson 1-2 again. The students were asked questions based on the materials to make sure they 'really' understood.The corresponding pages in the Science Workbook was also done as well.

On Friday we had fun day ofcourse! After wishing our shining star Betty and fellow Treehouse friends a Happy Birthday, we had cake and smeared cream on their faces- a must-do! Then we took a small walk to Far Eastern Mall, got some drinks/snacks at the supermarket, and had fun chatting at the foodcourt.

This is a pleasant class to teach; very intelligent students who not only can understand materials in English but actually grasp new concepts that are introduced. I look forward to another week with them.

Betty: Quiet in class but I noticed she knows the answers to most questions asked.

Ann: Sometimes seem uninterested in materials being covered; no reading Chinese novels in class.

Valerie: Great reader but can slow down a bit.

Jacky: Often times not paying attention in class; washroom breaks should not take 10 minutes.

Pon Pon: Very attentive in class; can rely on him to tell me what is normally done in class.

MJ: Understands materials well but let other students try reading on their own rather than correcting them right away.

Howard: Will voice questions and attentive most of the time.

Teddy: Fluent reader and can concentrate when given tasks.

Take it from the top again!

2009-05-08T09:05:00.002+08:00

What is take it from the top again? It means to start all over from the beginning.

For performance, director says very often to the actors. We have been practicing a lot and very hard. I felt they learned a lot and something very different from books and pencils. From conversation, creative thinking, facial expressions, body language, and stage directions.

The show is in American style and it is creative. We also have the script translated to Chinese for the parents to follow.

Howard and Teddy, you guys are amazing. You guys are the best and the dumbest pandas ever! The practice was tough but you guys enjoyed it.

Pon Pon and Betty, both of you memorized your line well and the body language too.

Valerie and Anne, both of you worked hard and practiced outside of class time. Excellent.

Jack, you like being funny, so be funny at the show and be less funny in class. Remember to be respectful and listen to others.

MJ, and Tina, thank you all for participating and being a good sport.

I hope everyone sees that hard work, extra hard hard work equals extra rewards in yourself.

Teacher Paul
Being funny is being serious

Practice Practice

2009-05-02T15:59:00.001+08:00

If you want to be funny, you have to be serious. Sounds weird doesn't it? For mother's day performance we are doing a show to make fun of the reality. We practice our lines, tone of our voice, body language, and facial expressions.

I am demanding the students to pay a lot of attention to details and require high standard. Even though the practice can be tough, I see the students enjoy the process and learn a lot from it.

Teddy and Howard: I am very impressed about the hard work both of you put into it. You guys make the characters really funny. Howard please respect other people.

Betty and Pon Pon: You guys are doing a good job with your lines but make sure you have facial expressions and hand motions.

Anne and Valerie: good work, make sure you read the lines loudly and remember you have body language and hand motions.

MJ: good job for keeping up with class work. You are also a good sport for taking your role.

Tina: thank you for staying after for friday to make sure everything is organized.

Jack: I care a lot about you, please don't let me down. Please remember to stay til 9 pm next week.

Everyone please remember to read your lines slow and slow down your body expressions.

Have a good weekend,
Teacher Paul

New Moon!

2009-04-24T12:11:00.002+08:00

Hello Everyone!

I have to apologize for the past few posts because it was late. I will make sure from now on, it is on time.

We've started reading New Moon and it has been very exciting to read. We've finished the first two chapters in the first week. I will be mixing science and reading together from now on. We will continue to do more critical thinking questions pertaining to the novel we read.

For the Mother's Day Performance, we will be practicing in the coming weeks. All the roles have been assigned, please remember to practice at home.

Betty, you are doing well and you ask and answer questions in class. Keep up the good work.

Valerie, I see you are trying in class and you are also studying your vocabulary. However, when you are studying vocabulary, you are not paying attention. I assigned small writings for you and you don't complete them. Please remember next time :)

Teddy and Howard, if you guys do something wrong, please remember to admit your fault. Don't sit there and say nothing, it could be seen as disrespect and infuriate the teachers.

Anne, you are doing great, you pay attention and answer difficult questions. I like that very much.

Jack, please come in class on time and don't be funny in class when we are reading or studying. There is a time and place for everything, please try not to act like a clown in class.

Chapter 12 and Mother's Day Play

2009-04-20T10:49:00.002+08:00

Chapter 12 of science was interesting and not too difficult. Everyone did quite well.

We had a good time practicing the script for Mother's Day and everyone is excited. On Sunday, we came together and practiced once more.

Jack, tried to answer many question in class which is good but please put more effort in thinking and try not to be funny all the time.

MJ, Effort and responsibility, you are capable of doing much more.

Val, you haven't been here for two weeks and you just need to catch up. Don't give up, you can do it! School can be easy if you manage your time well.

Betty and Anne, both you have been doing well and keep up the good work :)

Howard, you still need to work faster and speak louder. You have good attitude but you have to be stronger in front others when we are practicing the script.

Teddy, don't take short cuts. You can do well in class when you put in your effort, keep trying! I gave you the new Heroes, make sure you do your work completely and responsibly before you watch them.

Pon Pon, please be more aware with your writing and the details of spelling. Please pay attention to grammar and sentence structure. You're doing well and certainly you can improve more.

Teacher Paul

Vocabulary and Reading Assessment

2009-04-10T23:38:00.000+08:00

The vocabulary is finished and most of the students did very well. Reading assessment was much easier than the assigned reading, Twilight, however, some students made careless mistakes. We reviewed our test and went over all the questions to make sure we understand.

This week we reviewed science. It has been a long time since we worked on our science and we're a bit rusty. I spent a lot of time explaining science concepts and I think the kids really appreciated it. We are currently studying atoms, molecuoles, density, volume, mass, and etc. It's quite exciting if you can apply it.

Comments for my students:

Teddy, your vocabulary was good but your reading assessment was horrible. You need to be more careful next time when you take the test. For science review, you left early and you didn't finish. You didn't even clean up. Please be more responsible next time.

Pon Pon, you did a great job for both of your tests. Your reading assessment was excellent and your writing was very well written aside from few spelling and grammar mistakes.

MJ, vocabulary is fine but I am disappointed about your reading assessment because you just wrote it very fast without thinking about it. Your essay was rushed too. It repeated the same thing over and over again to fill up the page. Don't let me see you do that next time.

Anne, I see you try in class and I do see the improvements. Please keep it up and I think school work will become easier and easier.

Betty, you did a fantastic job on both of the exams. I see a huge improvement in you. Congratulations.

Howard, both test you did fine but I think you really need to concentrate in class so you can finish your work earlier so you can have more free time to relax or do things you like. You waste a lot of time watching other people. This is not a people watching class.

Hope you guys have a good weekend. See you Monday.

Paul

Just got back from Korea

2009-04-05T22:34:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone,

I had an eventful weekend in Seoul. The education fair was good and I saw a lot of good materials for Tree House. Unfortunately I missed my flight this morning so I had to catch a later flight back. It was really hectic and aggravating running around in the airport. I just got home and I am super hungry and don't know what to eat. I wish I live in a hotel sometimes because room service is so convenient.

Back on the topic of this week's progress, everyone who came to class worked hard and studied for the vocabulary. I am really happy to see everyone putting in effort. Remember, don't think about the score you need to reach because if you do that, you might feel you can't reach your target. Life and school can be easy, just put in your effort and don't be lazy and you're there, SUCCESS!

Jack, hope your trip is good in the states!

MJ, it's not how high your scores is but it's how much honest effort you put into. I see you work hard in my class, make sure you do that in everything else you do, just like basketball.

Teddy, you were falling behind because you were getting lazy but I think you are catching up.

Anne, I haven't corrected your test yet. I am a little worried. I know the feeling of pressure when you fall behind. Just stay on top your work and you will be fine.

Pon Pon, you are doing pretty well but sometimes you fall asleep. I think it's getting better.

Howard, do your work faster and keep your attitude respectful. You've been good recently, keep it up.

Betty, I am really impressed about you and your work. Both in school and at home and at friends house, you put in the effort of working hard. I am proud.

Val, I hope you did well on your test, say hello to your friend for me!

Luv you guys all,

Teacher Paul

Vocabulary and Reading Assessment

2009-03-29T15:27:00.003+08:00

This week, we have spent much of the time editing and reviewing words that we have learned from the past 4 - 5 weeks. We have some vocabulary from science and the reading book, but the bulk of the words came from the book we've recently finished, Twilight.

I have purchased the 2nd book already and hopefully in few weeks we can continue with that novel. Meanwhile, this week we will be reviewing the words and next week we will have the vocabulary test and reading assessment.

MJ- please complete your vocabulary book and thank you for finishing the class copy. It's good that I see you are using bigger words in your vocabulary.

Teddy- make sure you spend time studying your words and I will have your Heroes ready after the test.

Valerie and Anne- please make sure you spend time study your words, you both have been doing well in class so make sure you do well too on the vocabulary test.

Pon Pon- Mr. Dictionary, I think you will do fine on the vocabulary test but make sure you get enough rest.

Howard- you've been doing better in class but often you still waste time and watch other people. I think you can be a much better student if you manage your time. You will also have more free time.

Betty- you are doing a fantastic job, keep up the good work.

Teacher Paul

Finished!

2009-03-22T09:38:00.003+08:00

We finished Twilight in about three ~ four weeks. I want to congratulate everyone in the class for putting in the effort in reading and participating in class. I believe this book has helped everyone's reading ability and speed, comprehension, critical thinking, and writing.

We will continue to read the second novel later. We will do some science and stories from our textbook. we probably will continue in about 2-3 weeks. We can finish two novels to three novels without a problem this semester. I hope maybe we can finish reading all four. It's a bit ambitious but I think challenges are always good.

Teddy, good job in reading in class and at home. I've spoken to your Mom and dad, they are proud of you.

Howard, please watch your attitude with other people and teachers. Let's not make this a problem again this semester. You've been doing better in my class, so please carry the same respect for others.

Pon Pon, please stay awake.

Anne, good job on the reading and participating in class. You just have to speak louder and my hearing is not so good.

Valerie, good job on reading this week. Much better than weeks before. I see you participate in class!

Jack, please read and try to come to class on time.

Betty, you are doing awesome, you read and you participate. Very proud of you!

Teacher Paul

I can't stop reading!

2009-03-13T11:52:00.003+08:00

Twilight has been really addicting to read for almost everyone in class including myself.
Some of the students even read ahead of the schedule which I am very proud of.

The story content can be quite mature. It talks about about love and relationships and intimacy. It talks about one's struggle within oneself. It definitely broaden the horizon for their thinking. It's an area where they have never thought about before.

We will continue to read and progress. Please remember to read at home and pre-read next chapter. We have been doing some writing in class and it has been productive.

Howard, you surprised me and I am very proud of your attitude, please keep up the good work and read!

Teddy, you're reading better and better in class. It's more fluent when you read. Find out what fluent means. Please pay more attention in writing.

Jack, please read :)

Tina, congratulations for winning the second place in the speech contest. We are very proud of you at Tree House. Now you have to do it again for Tree House TV.

Pon Pon, you need to get more sleep. You looked so tired in class. Please sleep on time.

Betty, you are doing a fantastic job, I am so proud for the effort and the changes you're making.

MJ, make sure you have caught up on reading.

Valerie and Anne, please keep up with the reading :) Don't make the class wait for you.

Paul
Online Discussion
Why do the Cullens play baseball during the thunderstorm?
Which of the Cullens do you like best and why?

Fun stuff
8 years in 2 minutes
Can you fold paper like this?
Are you this strong?
Don't dance or exercise like him

Reading Habits

2009-03-06T15:27:00.003+08:00

I am very proud of everyone in the class because all the students have been keeping up the reading. We are reading at good pace and we are on target to finish the book within March. We have been doing writing in class to check comprehension and also improve their writing.

All the students are intrigued by the plot and the characters, especially Edward and his family.

There are tons of words each day and we've been trying to keep up with all the vocabulary. It is challenging to read but I believe if they continue at this rate, by the time they finish the fourth book, their reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and critical thinking skills will improve.

When we finish the book and we will watch the movie.

Tina, I hope your speech goes well, good luck!

Betty, you are keeping up with reading, I am very glad.

Valerie, you are also keeping up with reading and you are doing well with your writing. I see you like to write more than you like to speak.

Annie, you've been more active in class and I am happy you are reading on your own time whenever you can, good job.

Howard, you are keeping up with reading but you have to work faster with your written work.

Teddy, I am proud to see you read more on your own time, please continue to keep up the good work.

MJ, have fun on your trip next week, please finish up to chapter 18 when you get back.

Jack, you surprised me when you were the only one who answered some of the tougher questions. Please put in more effort in your work, I believe you will do well. PS: Try to get to class on time and keep up the reading.

Teacher Paul

How Fast - I got 905 points, how many can you get?
What is air pressure
Mind Trick
Dino Museum in Los Angeles
Sneezing Panada

Blood, it's so tasty~

2009-02-27T16:35:00.002+08:00

We have been reading Twilight all this week and we have made some progress. We've read about 4 chapters and the students are very interested. The book is about 500 pages and we need to stay on a good pace to finish two novels this semester. Perhaps after reading the first 2, we can independent read the rest on weekends.

There are a lot of vocabulary words but slowly, new vocabulary words will decrease as they read. I believe this is one of the best book for them to read. It's interesting and challenging the same time.

MJ, good luck on your performance next week, keep practicing, don't forget to read.

Teddy, you have been trying hard in class to read clearly, keep up the effort.

Anne, I am glad you are participating and improving in class. Please do the same with Teacher Tina, as we are all trying to help you to succeed in school.

Howard, you are doing better but you have to work faster on your own time with written work.

Valerie, you are participating more and your reading fluency has improved. Please continue but don't forget to speak louder.

Betty, please think about what happened at home.

Jack, your pronounciation improved and you take reading more seriously. Make sure you keep up with the reading schedule.

Tina, make sure you keep up the reading at home and let me know if you need any help.

Teacher Paul
Amazing basketball kid
Magic Trick
Soccer Kids

Physical Science

2009-02-19T21:59:00.003+08:00

We are not talking about P.E. (physical education)

We are learning the properties of matter and the periodic table. Solid, liquid, gas are the basics. We are learning the difference between element, atom, molecuole, mixture, solution, solute, solvent, and etc. These are not difficult if you pay attention to it.

This week, we have been putting more time in science because in the weeks to come, we will be reading Twilight. Hopefully we can at least finish one or two novels this semester.

This semester is off to a good start, everyone is participating and continuing their effort from last semester.

Teddy and Jack have been putting in more focus in reading and he is speaking more clearly.

Valerie is more active in class, keep up the good work.

Anne is back, welcome back Anne!

Betty is putting in more effort as well, hopefully you will continue to do so.

Howard has a great attitude in class :)

Pon Pon is doing well, you just need more rest!

Teacher Paul

Here are some videos for you to enjoy.

this one is about Japan

this one is about basketball

this one is about beatbox

this one is about a prank

this one is about a cool song

Welcome Welcome Welcome Back!

2009-02-13T14:49:00.002+08:00

Welcome back!

Did you guys miss me? Probably not, but I missed you guys.

Dustin will be joining us this semester and we might have other new students.

This semester we will start reading novels and the first novel we've chose is Twilight.

I will have it next week so we can start Writing will be focused around the novel.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day or Singles Awareness Day!

This weekend I have to leave for Japan and I will be back Tuesday, so see you guys then.

Teacher James will be watching over my class, be nice!

Teacher Paul

Final week for this semester

2009-01-22T23:04:00.002+08:00

I am glad the semester is coming to an end because I am truly proud of you. You guys came a long way and your attitude and sense of responsibility have changed for the better. I spend more time with all of you than anyone else in my life. You're my family. The 2 hours I spend with you is the best time I have because I believe I can educate you to help you make a difference in your life, your future, and the world for the better.

We have a lot of good times in class but there are also times you didn't enjoy class because I pointed out your mistakes. I do it not because I enjoy it, not because I had a bad day, it's because I made the similar mistakes in my past and I want you to be better than me. The class is not hard in the work but the class is challenging in your personal development, your character. I will praise you for your strength and effort but I will also bring your weakness in light to let you see clearly what you must do to overcome and improve.

Be honest with your mistakes like I am with mine. I tell all of you in class that my room is very messy and I am not organized enough. There are many other examples in my past that I've shared with you, so don't be shy or angry when we find your mistake.

I understand my students well because I think about you guys when you are not around. I hope you can also do some thinking about yourself and me during this break.
So I hope you guys continue to be patient with me as I am patient with you. I want to see you grow to be a better person and student. You are not just any student, you're my students, Tree House students. I am proud to have you guys and I am honored to be your teacher.

Have a great Chinese New Year and I will see you when you get back.

Your friend
Your teacher
Your weird older brother
Teacher Paul

Two Pack Party!

2009-01-15T16:31:00.002+08:00

Hello to all my students and maybe some parents!

Not one pack but it's a two pack party. We had our chapter 7 test this week and almost everyone did well. We are doing progressively better compare from the beginning of the semester til now. I am very proud of the class. They have come a long way.

Dave, even though you have test in your Chinese school, I believe you can come to Tree House and still do well in your Chinese school. You can arise to the challenge and manage your time wisely. You can also try studying earlier :) Keep up the good work in class.

Betty did well on the last science test but this time you dropped the ball. Be more careful when reading the test and use deduction to see which one is NOT the answer.

Anne made the difference on this test. Congratsulation, you improved! Keep up the good work.

Valerie is also doing well. Both tests showed a great improvement. She is participating more in class and paying more attention.

Teddy also did well on his test. He is also reading better in class.

Mj is doing a fantastic job but don't your work in such a rush. Put time and effort in all you do.

Howard, I hope you really make the change this time.

Pon Pon, great job, don't take over my job!

Teacher Paul

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T14:30:00.002+08:00

2009 is here and this week the students did new year's resolutions. They wrote the mistakes they made in 2008 and what they will do to improve in 2009. Improvements in areas such as student, daughter/son, person, and what they want to do more in 2009 in terms of recreation.

Ponpon did a wonderful job on your science assessment.

MJ did a good job in class and also in Taipei American School. Congratulation for the big improvement.

Valerie participated a lot in class and your attitude is great!

Anne and Betty still need to participate more in class. I know you guys can do better. Keep trying!

Teddy need to read more clearly. You put in a lot of effort before in class and I believe you can do it again.

For my new year's resolution, I need to be more organized this year. I want to clean up my room more often. Exercise more often and spend more time with family. I need to be less busy and do less. I want to travel more often this year.

Teacher Paul

Goodbye 2008

2008-12-31T20:23:00.002+08:00

We had a good short week. It was good maybe because it was short. Everyone was very enthusiastic in class and we had lots of discussions. We read two good stories and we also finished the work. Please work on your story this long weekend.

I hope everyone had a good 2008 and let's welcome a better 2009.
On Monday, we will do a New Year's Resolution. Think about all the good things you had done for 2008, keep doing them and do them better in 2009. Think about the mistakes and the bad experiences you had, learn from them.

Please make a list, 5 things you did well in 2008 and 5 mistakes you should improve.

Happy New Year!
Teacher Paul

Creative Writing

2008-12-27T14:58:00.002+08:00

Most of you guys have turned in your writing and I've been spending a lot of time correcting them. It takes couple hours to throughly read and correct one. I hope everyone has a good Christmas and no extra work this week.

Jack was here much of the week.

MJ, I saw your report card, please be consistent and keep up your work.

Dave, please spend some time correct your paper.

Pon Pon, keep up the good work.

Valerie, I hope after this incident, you will learn to be more respectful to mom and more responsible. Don't forget to fix your paper.

Betty, I think you know what you have to do now. I believe you can be a good student again.

Howard, you need to learn to manage your time better. You can be a great student, start act like one.

Teddy, you were doing well before and recently you just keep falling behind. Learn to do your work on time and be honest.

Anne make sure you remember what you are suppose to do. You are smart and you can do much more.

Teacher Paul

Test Week

2008-12-11T15:47:00.003+08:00

This week we have tests for students. The vocabulary testis already finished and most of them did a good job. We also finished our reading assessment and I will be grading them this weekend. Science tests will be given as well. There will be a progress report going out next week.

The creative writing project is moving ahead and some of the students are doing well while some are struggling. We will be working more on this as the weeks progress.

Jack - good luck on your test on Saturday, put in some real effort and you will do fine.

MJ - keep an eye on your brother, make sure he is being respectful.

Anne and Valerie - make sure you type up your writing project by the weekend.

Betty - I got your story, keep working on it.

Teddy - you made a lot of careless mistakes on your vocabulary exam, not only in Tree House but also in your chinese school as well.

Tina - please get your story submitted as soon as possible and please study your vocabs.

Howard - respect and attitude, please don't forget.

Dave - good job so far, makes sure you learn how to type and type fast.

Pon Pon - you did well on your vocab, make sure to ask me for help for your story.

Remember to work on your story this weekend. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Teacher Paul

Super Power and Vocabulary

2008-11-27T13:42:00.004+08:00

We have started our project for creative writing. I have given an example in class and the students were mesmerized and inspired. We also started reviewing for our vocabulary. There will be a test at the beginning of next week. So please study hard.

Overall the class is doing better. Please remember to be enthusiastic and put effort in the work you do. Your work for this weekend is to do your super hero project, watch some videos too. You have to have 3 TYPED pages or more by Monday.

Pon Pon: Welcome back. We've started on our writing project, hope you can catch up.

Dave: I hope you did well in your swim meet. Please spend some time watch the shows.

Jack: please remember to do what I ask of you.

MJ: I like your story and it has a lot of potentials for more development.

Howard: Attitude and Respect, you have none. You are still rude to other teachers. Remember, you need to respect everyone.

Valerie and Betty: You are too quiet in class, please participate. Make sure you guys finish up to episode 10.

Teddy: You are doing well. Please work on your writing this weekend. Be sure to write down complete sentences, don't jump around with your ideas.

Anne: I know you've been watching the shows, but I need you to write more for your story. Make sure you have 3 pages by Monday. Not 3 pages in the student writing book but 3 typed pages.

Respect and Honor
Teacher Paul

Heroes Project

2008-11-21T13:06:00.002+08:00

We will be officially starting our writing project next week. I have the students watch America's most popular television show, Heroes, for research.

The project is for creative writing and I've chosen this topic and this will be fun for them do.

Jack's attitude is getting better in class, just put in more effort in what you do.

Pon Pon, please try not to get distracted in class. I have noticed some of that.

Dave, please watch the shows so we can have discussion in class together.

Teddy, keep up the good work!

Valerie is improving and she reads louder now.

Anne, you are doing better :)

Betty, I know you are busy, so I will only ask you to participate as much as you can.

MJ needs to put some effort in TAS.

Everyone needs to write this down
I will be enthusiastic in class!

Week 10

2008-11-06T12:41:00.003+08:00

After a big week of Halloween, things are back to normal. Halloween is really busy and hectic for Tree House staffs because we put in a lot of effort and time into it. I am glad for all the students who can participate.

Important world news this week:
Presidential candidate, Barack Obama has won the election and his speech was very moving. It's not only the US, the but the world will change for the better.

Jack is participating but needs to be more responsible.

Howard please pay more attention and be respectful.

MJ and Pon Pon are doing great. Both of you are completing the work on time and actively participating.

Valerie, Teddy, and Anne need to pay more attention and participate more. You guys can't just sit there and pretend to listen. Be engaged. What is engaged? Write a paragraph and tell me.

Betty and Tina are doing well. You guys try to participate as much as you can.

Extra question:
Brad stared through the dirty soot-smeared window on the 22nd floor of the office tower. Overcome with depression he slid the window open and jumped through it. It was a sheer drop outside the building to the ground. Miraculously after he landed he was completely unhurt. Since there was nothing to cushion his fall or slow his descent, how could he have survived the fall?

Halloween Week!

2008-10-30T12:52:00.002+08:00

Test is over and everyone is doing okay except for Jack. I had him take it twice. All the rest did fairly well. Please remind your dear, cute, sometimes funny, sometimes annoying classmate, Jack, to work harder and be consistent.

MJ is good but your handwriting is looking like Teddy's.

Teddy, your handwriting is awful. You are improving but you gotta pay more attention in class.

Valerie is catching up, remember to pay more attention in class.

Tina and Betty, even though they missed a lot, they did their best. Betty you need to participate more.

Howard please pay more attention and be respectful and have a better attitude.

Pon Pon and Dave scored really high on the test. Good job boys! Keep it up!

Anne, don't forget about your responsibilities. You did better on the test, congratulations. Make sure you check the blog.

Jack, please put more effort into your future. It's in your control, I only can show you the way but I can't drag you there.

Extra Questions:
1. A bat and a ball cost $110 in total. The bat costs $100 more than the ball.
How much does the ball cost?

2. If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take
100 machines to make 100 widgets?

3. In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size.
If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it
take for the patch to cover half of the lake?

Paul

This is how they teach math in America

2008-10-28T12:08:00.001+08:00

Assessment Week

2008-10-24T12:23:00.002+08:00

This week is assessment week, so we have been reviewing vocabulary and correcting vocabulary book. We have a lot of words and the students have been working hard. After vocabulary test on Friday, I invited the kids to come over to my house and have a party on Saturday around 7 pm to watch a Halloween movie.

Everyone is coming and it's a good for everyone to hang out and have some fun.

Jack need to study harder and put more effort in this class.

Pon Pon is doing great and week after week he has been a great help in class.

Dave did very well in the vocabulary book and reading test but you cried in class when we said we are going to hang out on Saturday to watch a scary movie. C'mon buddy, we are just going to hang out and have fun. The movie is not real, don't worry about it, your friends are going to be there with you. Don't be afraid, be strong.

MJ has good attitude but your writing is horrible. It looks worse than mine. Please improve your writing.

Val and Teddy need to paymore attention in reading. You guys look like astronauts when you read because you looked spaced out.

Betty, please try to spend more time studying. I know you have chinese stuff but I also know you have some free time.

Howard, your attitude needs to be better and more respectful. Please also pay more attention to your own work.

Tina, Hi :) Please use your time wisely.

Teacher Paul, you need to eat more healthy because your liver is not doing well and that's why you are tired.

Teacher Paul

Extra Question: Have fun, relax!

World Events

2008-10-16T16:04:00.002+08:00

This week we studied current world events. We read about the presidential election in the states and discussed about the candidates. We also talked about the bombing of Mariott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. The students particularly enjoyed talking about the milk scandal in China and how it's affecting people in Asia.

Most of the stories we read were bit dry. Only few of the stories sparked their interest. I will do more research on current events and provide stories that will get the students excited.

Individual Comments

Jack need to spend more time on English, you are falling behind.

Pon Pon is doing excellent but you need to participate more. I know the topics can be boring sometimes but I need everyone to participate.

Dave missed one day of class but I think he will be alright. You are much louder this week, please keep up.

Howard need to pay attention and not cry like a baby.

Tina was here for only a day. I guess you were busy in school.

Anne is trying in class but you are not studying enough. Your tests shows that you haven't been studying.

Valerie needs to speak up. I don't know how many times I have to tell you. Please try.

Betty looks tired. I need you to sleep earlier and focus/participate in class.

MJ is doing well, I believe you are putting in effort.

Teddy is doing excellent with his responsibility. He is doing work on time and early. I need you to participate more in class and ask more questions.

Extra Question
Please tell us something interesting about your country on Monday such as what is there to do for tourists.

Teacher Paul

Current Events

2008-10-09T12:00:00.003+08:00

Last week I've asked the class to get a copy of TIME magazine because I want them to start reading important current events around the world. I compared TIME magazine with Apple Daily and most Taiwan publications. We discussed in class how most media (tv, magazine, newspaper) covers only local news and entertainment gossips. While parts of the world is at war, dying of hunger, and animals facing extinctions, Taiwan media focuses on the drama of Taiwan politicians and entertainers. This makes the public less informed and unaware of the world. I think I taught the class an important lesson to know the difference between news and junk.

Dave had one tough day but that's all it was. Learn from it and move on! There are a lot more tougher challenges in life than that. Stand up to your own problems. You can do it!

Jack needs to stop joking around and study harder on his vocabulary. Your attitude is good but you lack in effort.

Valerie is improving but you still need to pick up your voice.

Betty, wake up! You looked very tired in class. Try to sleep earlier.

MJ is putting in good effort and I can see the improvement. You have great attitude but don't react so loudly when Jack says nonsense.

Anne is participating more in class and speaking up but you need to study your vocabulary and put more effort in your written work.

Teddy is awesome. You raise your hand more often and pay more attention. Make sure you improve your handwriting.

Pon Pon, you are doing a fantastic job! Keep up the good work.

Tina, you are doing great. Love having you in class! Come more often.

Extra Question
Find out the capital cities for the following countries:
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Iraq
Iran
Saudi Arabi
India
Thailand
Myanmar
Cambodia
Laos
Vietnam
Indonesia
Malaysia
North Korea
South Korea

Short Week

2008-10-03T11:35:00.003+08:00

This week was cut short by the typhoon, hopefully we won't see another one soon. We read the story of an immigrant from Romania that lived in New York. We also covered 2 lessons of science.

There was a lot of improvement this week compare to last week.

Teddy took what I said seriously and he finished his homework very early which gave him a lot of time.

Anne participated more in class and she was engaged. She read louder and answered more questions.

Jack bought the TIMES magazine to school like I have asked. He was the first person. Jack needs to speak more clearly and laugh less during reading. Take it more seriously!

Tina let me down because she didn't have her speech prepared even though she had more time to do it. She is participating more but I need her to be more responsible.

Davey wrote the poem which I thought it was great, however, I need you to SPEAK UP.

Pon Pon is good, he is taking more of an active role as a leader in class. He is gaining more confidence and social skill to talk to others.

MJ is trying in class. I see him study and work with others. I hope he can keep it up!

Betty is participating more but occasionally she is not speaking loud enough.

Howard forgot to do his assignment once in class and he is not paying attention sometimes. He picks his nose very often in class. Please stop, it's a disgusting habit in public.

Valerie did improve in participation and she paying more attention because she has enough sleep. However, she needs to be more responsible with her chinese homework. She is taking longer time than other to complete her assignments. Wasting time and sleeping late can be disastrous for a student. Not only you don't perform well in Tree House but also in chinese school. If you continue to do this and not learn to manage your time, you will continue to stay late at Tree House.

Paul

Extra Question

How does it feel to finish all your work on Friday night?

Girls girls girls!

2008-09-25T13:16:00.005+08:00

I am having a lot of problems with girls this week in class. What problems? It's a simple one. They just don't participate enough nor do they speak loud enough. It's really discouraging for me because I spent a lot of energy teaching and talking to them. I have repeated myself too many times and I am very disappointed. However, the boys are excellent and they try to participate in all the discussions and try to answer questions.

For reading, we read the biography of Satch Paige. An African American baseball player who was an amazing pitcher. He was a crowd pleaser. This week, we've alslo started with science and we learned about classification.

Jack is improved from last week. He is less comedic and more serious.

MJ is good, he is taking the class seriously and studies at home with his father. I am really glad he is putting in effort. I hope you can keep up the effort and keep in mind what I said about basketball and school.

Pon Pon and Dave kept up and did really well. Dave, you need to read louder, make sure you do that next week.

Howard and Teddy are good but they caused troubles together. They laugh together and cry together. They got into an arguement and I hope it doesn't happen again.

Anne PUT more effort in class and participate. You need to get sleep earlier at home.

Betty, if you don't have time to study vocabulary at home, please PARTICIPATE in class.

Tina made an effort to speak up and participate. Please keep it up!

Valerie, your performance this week was awful. Not only you don't speak up but you are not paying attention. Don't let that happen again next week.

Teacher Paul

For reading:

Do you remember 921 earthquake? Please interview one of your parents at home, ask them what happened, what was your family doing, what changes did it bring, and how did your family live the next few days.

Extra

please click here and read this article

http://www.zenmoments.org/the-cab-ride-ill-never-forget/

Week 3

2008-09-18T18:18:00.004+08:00

Week after week, the students are getting better. They have been more responsible and independent. I have corrected their writing book and some of the work really impressed me! This week we read more about lives of immigrants and further discussed ethnicity and diversity in society.

The new story we read in the textbook was call Thunder Rose. An American tall tale which turned out to be quite dry. The language in the story the author used was difficult due to cultural difference. It has a lot to do with western (cowboy) heritage.

Everyone participated more this week.

Howard stares at other people too often and he becomes unproductive.

This is MJ's first week back, he is catching up. I hope he will be more responsible for his own work. Learning is for yourself, not for others. If he put in the passion he has for basketball into his study, he would be top of his class.

Anne, Betty, Valerie SPEAK LOUDER and participate more in class. This class requires much discussion and in turn it will help your thinking and writing. If you don't participate more next week, extra writings will be assigned to you.

Pon pon and Dave are the class captains and they set great examples for others to follow. I have assigned them some work for them to help me in class.

Jack needs to get to class earlier. He needs to joke around less in class when he is reading. Move those sausages when you read and speak so people can understand you.

Teddy showed good improvement, he is engaged in learning and he participates occasionally. I want him to raise his hands more often.

Extra Question

What can you volunteer to do at Tree House?

Paul

People and Diversity

2008-09-12T16:32:00.008+08:00

This week, the stories we've read, centered around the topic of people and race. We've read about how America is like a big melting pot and the civil rights movements in the 1900s. Other than vocabulary, the class focused on discussions of the stories. I am trying to encourage more discussion in class to help promote their writing ability.

The students did a great job in participating.

Jack impressed me with his attitude change and he actively participates in class.

Dave is all around great especially his writing but he needs to speak louder.

Pon Pon is also all around great and he actively participates in the topics.

Betty is doing well with her sentences but she needs to speak louder as well.

Valerie is engaged but I expect her to participate more in class.

Teddy is not engaged and not excited. I can see he is trying to focus in class but he is not interested in the topics that we are discussing.

Howard is behaving well "in class," he is showing lots of interest in areas where he hasn't shown before.

Anne needs to pay attention and not daydream. She also needs to participate more. She is smart and she understands the material but she really must work harder.

Student Journal Questions
1) What is melting pot?

2) Why did people immigrate to America? at least 2 reasons

3) What is civil rights movement and how did it change over time?

Extra Question:
If your mom or dad is American, who will they vote for? Obama or McCain? Why

Teacher Paul is BACK!

2008-09-04T23:04:00.000+08:00

Hello Parents!

I am happy to be teaching again, especially for the advanced class. This week, we are chosing text books together. There are two different publishers that we are considering, McGrawHill and Scott Foresman. We've read 3 stories and we've have decided to go with Scott Foresman's Reading. This semester, we've also added new curriculum to further help with their verbal and writing. Lots of vocabulary this week and I will be requiring them to study them this weekend at home. The story from the take home reader is quite difficult and the questions are not easy and it require critical thinking.

I am trying to work the kids back into shape.

Anne needs to speak up and read out loud. She also slacked off in class on Thursday and that's why she had to stayed til 730.

Valerie participates more but she had to stay til 730 because she was playing with Anne.

Teddy takes the class seriously, but he is not paying attention sometimes and writing too slow. He also had to stay after.

Jack has a better attitude in class, he pays attention but he doesn't speak clearly.

Dave is good and fast with his work BUT he needs more confident and speak up more.

Pon Pon is great, he enjoys the class but needs to speak up more.

Betty needs to read louder and participate. She works diligently.

Howard is good so far. He hasn't got into any trouble and he is doing well in class. However, some of the questions I ask in class, he should think about it more.

Teacher Paul