KaDeWo - The Joy Advocate

Greetings & Salutations Dear Reader, I feel compelled to share some useful tips learned in my four months of full-time online tutoring. Yes, the #Coronavirus has cajoled me into sharing how to prepare for online tutoring. There is a major shift occurring as the world learns how to work from home in #quarantine. Before we start the countdown, you should know that I worked 40 hours a week between 8am and 5pm EST and CST as a remote aka virtual aka  online tutor for college students of various ages. Because I was working for two reputable companies remotely, I was able to travel between Texas and Pennsylvania without missing a minute of work. I would recommend this kind of work to anyone who has taught before, wants to tutor privately, is comfortable managing small learning groups, wants to set their own work schedule, and/or wants to earn additional part-time income. Now let's get to the deets you need once you have secured your job and/or tutees/clients.... 10. Laptop or...

Every morning I awake, with her on my mind. Occasionally she has just visited my dreams, Other nights I am searching for her presence in them. I miss her dearly. Summer nights spent together Secrets shared at her table Love given when I was not worthy of receiving it. I know that I have not imagined…her. A few days ago I attempted to call with good news, then paused only to be reminded… Now that she is absent I miss her deeply. Our souls are intertwined… her voice still rings in my ears. The softness of skin, the curve of her hips mixed with her heavy hands and precious feet will never be erased from memory. Yet, Her laughter I cannot recall. At times I burst into tears thinking of the love I am missing, from her. Memories are not enough to shed my pain. I long for her, Wanting her here to hold one another again. I shall never forget the way she looked at me when she learned I accomplished a feat she most desired. No one has ever looked at me that way! She was the center of my world lo...

I am renewed! ^^ Therefore, I felt compelled to renew my teaching contract as of yesterday. I will remain as the English Foreign Langauge Teacher at 대전맹학교 (Daejeon Public School for the Blind). I enjoy my work environment and students, in a way I never thought I could. There are several reasons I have loved working at my school for the past 12 months. I will share three: 1. Small classroom sizes and very few behavior problems. There are times when a student might be upset and choose to stop speaking or participating in an activity. This is human behavior with which I am very familiar with, especially from working with students diagnosed with Emotional Disoders. However, the absence of inappropriate language and violent behavior have left me feeling safe and RENEWED, in the workplace.     Yearbook picture day, Fall 2016 (above) English Zone classroom (below) 2. Utilizing my special education (SPED) academic background to ...

To day, was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!! *in my Finding Nemo voice* {Can you tell that I love the 1st day of school??? As a student AND teacher I always anxiously wait for this day - planning my outfit, buying the essential supplies, organizing the introductory lesson days in advance.}  V ice Principal and two faculty members On August 29, 2016 I started teaching in Daejeon Public School for the Blind or 대전맹학교 in the district of Dong-gu, in Daejeon, South Korea. Our school follows the Korean Educational System by way of the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education . At the time I started the school was responsible for the education of approximately 111 students (open enrollment during the academic year). Nationwide, the school year starts in March 2nd in South Korea. At 10am there was a Welcome Ceremony; parents and family members attended. The academic year officially concludes with a graduation cerem...

So I don't usually do reviews, but this experience warrants a praise...so le'go!  I booked a trip to Taipei, Taiwan in December 2016 for February 2017. Around the same time I started looking into airport transportation options for late arrivals, conducting random Google searches. Some great person (whose webpage I can no longer find or maybe it was a travel site) suggested AirPopo . The website was helpful in providing an ETA map and comparison price chart for other transportation sources. I downloaded the app, but was not convinced that I was going to use AirPopo. Before deciding to actually use the service, I checked the company's reviews on TripAdvisor . I was impressed with the number of reviews that were excellent. Every reviewer highly recommended the service. 2 days before my trip I attempted to use the app to set up a pick-up. My flight to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was scheduled to land at 12:35am UTC on a Friday morning. Based on the scheduled...

Farewell Sweet '16!! Dear you, I hope you have enjoyed a SWEET 2016. The year was amazing for me. I have experienced so many firsts. At the age of 33 I am living what I call my "Jesus year". In the past 366 days #leapyear I was blessed to grow in numerous ways. I graduated with masters in Special Education from a private Jesuit institution. I quit a job that was encouraging depression due to the lack of emotional intelligence amongst a senior staff that was completely fine with thriving in the midst of drama. I visited 7 different mountains on two continents and appreciated the blessing of sight like never before. I flew internationally for the first time, to fulfill my dream of teaching and living abroad. This move forced me to conquer some of my phobias...germs and escalators.  Before August 25, 2016 it had been 18 years since I have ridden a down escalator. I could always go up without an issue. However, an incident inv...

Yesterday, one of my coteachers and I attended an open-class at an elementary school in 20 minute walking distance of our school. I enjoyed the experience, for many reasons. I chose to attend, because this is a public school with 999 elementary students*. The open-class was a general 40 minute English class for 28 students in E-4 (4th grade);  there were 15 girls and 13 boys. On average the elementary students in this school experience instruction, 80% English and 20% Korean. Approximately 90% of the class was taught in English. Open-class, as I understand it, is a scheduled class where parents, faculty, administrators and academic guests are welcome to sit in the back of a classroom and observe the teaching, students, materials, lesson/s, etc. The invitation was provided about two weeks in advance. Usually a survey is completed afterward. For about 45 minutes post class the observers sat with the teacher and administration to discuss the strengths and weak...

Yesterday, I and several other women of various ages had the pleasure of listening to the dynamic Miki Agrawal speak about her passions, ventures, and book. This 36 year old entrepreneur is an inspiration to many, including yours truly. All the attendants were present for the Saint Joseph’s University’s 2015 Women’s Conference: Live Your Truth: Be Your Own Champion and we were in for a surprise as Miki presented our plenary speech during lunch. Like myself, many of the women I asked were not familiar with any of Miki’s organizations and were energized by her spirit. Miki is the founder of WILD and helped launch Super Sprowtz with her twin sister. When Miki shared her dual purpose for the innovative THINX brand under garments tears sprang to my eyes (…and later I let out a hearty cry – I have never before ACTUALLY met someone committed to helping girls and women in developing nations to stay in school to provide opportunities for economic development in their communities). Miki i...

I just finished reading CoRregidora by GayL JoNES and I feel inspired to listen to Sheryl Crows " We Do What We Can " as I write. An unexpected, but good read to conclude this wonderful year. The book is a quick read of less than 200 pages. It exposes the thoughts and silence a girl develops as her painful life experiences push her into young womanhood, and finally into becoming a wise woman. A relatable tale for many of us to cry about or perhaps a reflection that offers permission to share (verbally or in written form) your sorrow with others - free from judgment and full of empathy. I believe many men and women of color would benefit from hearing the historically tragic stories family members silently carry with them amongst generation to generation. Anywho (<---- one of my favorite fictional words), the novel certainly provoked the sorrow that wants to lie dormant within me, but actually exists on my surface. Therefore the song I am playing is fi...

I ♥ e-learning! Check out this link http://www.e-learningforkids.org/  for numerous interactive lessons for various subjects: language arts, math, technology, life skills, health, environmental skills, science, and English language. The site has easy to maneuver and understand activities for ages 5 through 12. Here's a review on the Language Arts - Introduction Microsoft Word 2003 activity. This is a well organized presentation with written and audio instructions accompanied by highlighting and blinking symbols to guide all learners. The narrator provides clear step by step instructions on how to use the MS program.  Instructors can use this guide in and outside of class. The lesson includes many useful tools for students to learn independently. For instance, there is an instructional key that incorporates several command selections (ex. arrows point to the location of the ruler, scroll bar, and empty text ...

Nov 2016 UPDATE: Happy Annivesary KaDeWo.rld!! Thank you for visiting my blog. I have been self-publishing for 5 years now. I am proud of the people I have been able to attract and engage in this online space. May the numbers continue to grow. This blog WAS solely directed to present and future educators. It is NOW open to all, as there are a variety of topics addressed. As I have evolved so has my reading audience. Enjoy! Take care, make self care your top priority. Be well in mind, body and spirit. ♥ KaDeWo       (2011 Welcome) Greetings & Salutations readers! As I ambitiously continue on my nontraditional journey to complete my baccalaureate degrees in Secondary Education and English, I am interested in learning new ways to bring creativity into the classroom for my future scholars. There are many ways to grab and keep students' attention. Technology is one avenue I will take to introduce material and concepts to my students. With universal...