So step right up to see the show before the tent comes down.

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In a traditional school setting, school administrations, as well as their students and parents, believe in academic excellence. Honors are given to those with the highest grades, based mostly on numerical measurement. Students are graded based on scores from quizzes, examinations, class standing, projects, assignments, etc. These school even administer IQ tests that determine the IQ levels of the students and whether they fall under different categories such as superior, above average, average, below average.

The question is: Do these so-called IQ tests really measure the intelligence of the test-takers? This has been one of the heated debates we have had when I was still studying psychology in college. One of our professors further explained that IQ tests, specifically those that were purchased overseas tend to be culture-biased or gender-biased or race-biased. Given that our current educational system is mostly westernized, there are still things, mostly culture-bound, that make us different from the culture where these tests originated from. For example, symbols and practices done to celebrate holidays that we do not celebrate. Does that mean if the test-taker do not know about it indicates he or she has a low IQ, based on his/her scores? I do not buy the idea that IQ tests alone measure the intelligence of a person.

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Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my entry about Julian getting lost last April 17. That was one hard trial me and my husband had to go through, on the eve of our 12th civil wedding anniversary. I hope that this was one incident where we learn to be more vigilant and more careful whenever we go out of the house with our children. Those thoughts about people probably getting my son for whatever evil reason they may have didn’t happen. Instead, that yellow-shirted lady helped my son. To her we give our thanks and respect. Being kind and showing kindness is still around after all.

Thank you everyone.

I just finished my last session for the day with my last student and was waiting for my husband and son to come get me at the center when I got a call from my husband. He was frantic. He was shouting. At first what he said didn’t register to me. Then it hit me. HARD. He cannot see where our son is. He is lost. My baby boy. I felt the world stop. Everything stopped. I did not know if it was an adrenalin rush or a heart attack I was feeling. And R, one of the center’s staff, didn’t think twice to go with me. To SM Megamall. Yes, that’s where Julian and hubby were passing time as they wait for 7pm to hit so we can go home. They were in a popular arcade at the basement of this huge mall.

Whether R and I ran or walk the three blocks from the center to the mall, I don’t remember. All I can feel was a lump in my throat. My legs were heavy, my knees ready to give in. But I had to be strong. I had to be there for my son. What if…? So many unpleasant thoughts ran through my mind. Surely I would not be able to function like before, if we lost him. Oh, God I hope not. I gathered all the strength that remained in me. Willed myself to take the next step because if I stop, I would definitely fall down from fear, shock, desperation. I prayed hard like I never prayed before. I didn’t want to break down and cry because my tears would surely blur my vision and I would probably miss him. R and I went separate ways as we made our way to the second floor of the mall and went down two flights of escalators towards the basement. I told him to go ahead of me.

When I was a few steps from the arcade, I got an sms from my husband. Julian was found. Thank God! Julian was crying when I saw him being carried by my husband. He was already at the mall’s admin office when my husband went there to report the incident. He didn’t tell us anything. Not until a few minutes ago where we had to lock the bedroom doors so he could tell me what happened. I promised him that this would be our secret. I will honor that secret of ours.

But even then, I want to thank the yellow-shirted lady who brought him to a security guard. Thank you too, R, who didn’t need a cry for help from me because he knew I need all the help I can get. Thank you to D and R who were still at the center, waiting for us to come back with Julian.

Never mind the time, the time now is 10:35pm. I will be answering the comments that came in my recent posts tomorrow night. As of now, I need to go back to bed and savor these moments with my son. I just need to get this out of my system. Wait, he is here with me now, reading my post. He said he is happy he is home.

To use or not to use? I have had a lot of talks to parents about teaching the use of calculators with children. Of course, in the early grades when the basic mathematical concepts are being taught, calculations are done using manual work. Meaning you use pencil and paper activities/drills to be able to come up with an answer to the problem you are working on. That’s easy with addition and subtraction. But things start to get complicated when multi-digit multiplication, especially division and fractions and scientific calculations, are being taught. Multi-digit multiplication requires multiplication and dynamic addition. Multi-digit division requires division, multiplication and subtraction. Scientific calculations are another matter too. Of course, it helps if the child has mastered the skill called AUTOMATICITY OF MATH FACTS. Meaning, just looking at numbers, the child can already give the answer without doing much calculations. For example: if a child sees 6+4, he automatically knows that the answer is 10. How could these be done? Drills. Lots and lots of them. Plus teaching practical math too, but that’s another topic.

Now back to the calculator. Some parents are shocked when I tell them that I have students who bring calculators to school. Like AMT who goes to an all-girls school in Pasig. They have been taught to use the calculator since sixth grade or so. We may still be old-fashioned when it comes to some skills but hey, do you do manual division when you want to know how much an item is when sold in a dozen? Do you do manual calculations when you want to know how much a thing is after 15% is subtracted? We use calculators. We have that in our cellphones. We even have converters for more complicated problems like knowing how many km in certain mi. We even have forex converters to know how much Php in certain $. But of course, we have to teach using a calculator not as a shortcut to having math skills, but as a way to check if you did the right calculations. Or so we thought.

I want to know your opinions on this matter.

Today is officially the first day when the Group Summer Classes start at the center that I go to every M-T-W. I am currently handling three different groups for this summer. Every Mondays I have Building Block Buddies, a social language and literacy summer program for preschoolers. After that I have Pre-Teen Connections, a social skills group which aims to teach different social skills in different contexts, to be discussed, role-played and put to practice. My Wednesday group is a Storytelling Group where we will have stories, discuss the important story parts and retell the story in different ways. In all groups, I would be working with Occupational therapists. Lots of work to do. I hope everything will work out fine.