5 home decorating tips to beat the rainy day blues AH, the comfort of home on wet season! This is a time when it could be the only escape from the inconveniences brought by rainy days, but sometimes home can be a place of gloom, too. Restore the life and beat the rainy day blues with these five home designing tips from real estate developer NorthPine Land, Inc.
Life HOUSEHOLD
Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
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ABOVE AND BEYOND. The four honorees of this year’s‘The Many Faces of the Teacher’(from left) Venus Metilla Alboruto, PhD.; Yrene AguilarDineros; Junmerth Cretecio Jorta; and Aletta Tiangco Yñiguez, PhD., go beyond their duties to share their knowledge with students and communities.
The meaning
Use bright colors to liven up a room.
Throw in some colors
Liven up a space by adding some happy colors. Opt for bright-colored cushion covers and throws or experiment with bold prints. Swap your grays, blues, and dark hues for pinks or bright colors such as tangerine.
of being a teacher
T
HEY say teachers are the foundation of every society. They are the person behind every great mind; they prepare, they mold, they nurture students to help them reach their full potential, and, hopefully, pay it forward.
Despite their huge role and contribution to the nation, educators face all kinds of challenges just so they can reach out to more learners. You can say it is not easy being a teacher. But these four educators go above and beyond their role to share their knowledge with students and communities, paving the way for a better future. Diwa Learning Systems, Inc. and Bato Balani Foundation, Inc. present these four honorees of “The Many Faces of the Teacher.”
Experiment with various lighting.
Let there be light
Light plays a very important role in the interiors of a home and its décor as it can make a room bigger and more refreshing. But on days when natural light is sparse, experiment with mood lights, scented candles, and even chandeliers to make the house look and feel cozy and inviting. Place floor lamps in corners to eliminate shadows and offer a peripheral illumination that brightens up the entire room.
citizens. She gives classes on basic literacy as well as skills training on dressmaking, food preparation and housekeeping, wellness, electronics, and customer service. “Ever since I started my career as a teacher in 1980, I have already taken the role of a second mother to my students. My students just have varying ages now,” shares Dineros. To date, she has the most number of ALS students in District IV, Quezon City. Through these classes, she hopes that her students can have better opportunities for employment overseas. “Yes, I wear many hats. That is because I want to do everything I can for these people who have been neglected for the longest time by our educational system, while I still can,” said Dineros. “Some would say that I should already be spending my spare time and weekends resting. But, how can I, knowing there are still so many who need me? During these times, I attend to my ALS students. I teach them basic literacy so that they can get a diploma.” And because she also has bigger dreams for her students, she teaches them Nihonggo, a language she learned after receiving a scholarship grant in Japan.
Making education fun
Make sure a décor also has a function.
Aesthetics with a purpose
Who says that umbrella stands can’t make nice entrance statements? Use a sleek vase or a unique-looking basket at the front door as an umbrella stand which can also serve as entrance décor at the same time. Similarly, use a nonboring coat hanger to wow guests.
Fresh (or even plastic) flowers are a lovely addition to any room.
Innovating teaching practices is part of an educator’s role, especially for large-sized classes of 55 to 60 where learners get distracted quickly. To ensure everyone in the class focuses on the lesson, Venus Metilla-Alboruto, PhD. uses Strategic Intervention Materials (SIMs) that allow her to provide the right environment for learners to thrive in. SIMs are a series of interactive modules she developed which focuses on science process skills development and knowledge in different scientific concepts. Alboruto uses SIMs to let students learn and understand the different lessons. According to Alboruto, SIMs are a complete package that comes with activity cards, comics that will attract their interest to read, as well as assessments that can also help absentee students and even working students. They are able to bring it home and return after every lesson. “As a public school teacher for 17 years, I have met students who were like me when I was young—many of them come to school without paper and pen, on empty stomachs, and needing care and attention,” says Alboruto. “Seeing how they need inspiration drives me to do my best as their teacher. Hence, I am always trying my best to apply innovative strategies to make them stay motivated in class. I always bring extra pen and paper, and sometimes extra snack, and provide them with Strategic Intervention Materials that enable them to work independently or with their peers, and cope with the lessons that they missed to master.” Through the Department of Science and Technology–Science Education Institute, Alboruto upgraded her SIMs using augmented reality and called it SIMATAR.
Blooming beauties
Serving his purpose
Junmerth Cretecio Jorta started as a public school teacher in 2012 at Kalaganan Central School. He shared that there was an empty feeling inside that he wanted to fill up—looking for a purpose in teaching. “I asked the Lord’s guidance,” he said. “Gawin akong missionary teacher.” The time came when the principal at Kalaganan Central School finally asked him to handle Kèupiyanan Tè Balugo, a school for the Indigenous People learners of Sitio Balugo, Barangay Kalanganan in Bukidnon Sitio Balugo is hours away from the main road. But Jorta, through his faith and belief that he needs to take care of the community, managed the discomfort of sleeping in a classroom and having to cook for himself. “God called me to be there,” he enthused. He saw that many of the students go to school with empty stomachs or miss school because they have nothing to eat. But through his program called “Balugo Pagkaon Sakto,” more and more students in the community in Bukidnon have enrolled and continued to study.
Fill vases and empty wine bottles with vibrant blooms like sunflowers, rain lilies, or orchids. There is nothing like a house filled with lovely flowers!
The soothing sound of wind chimes lifts moods.
Listen to the chimes
During breezy days, wind chimes give a sweet and pleasant sound. A soothing music can surely lift anyone’s spirit.
Giving everyone a chance
Yrene Aguilar-Dineros is regarded by her students as a mother figure. Dineros, who is currently an Alternative Advocating for the environment Learning System Instructional Manager and a Master TeachAs a biological oceanographer, Aletta Tiangco Yñiguez, er II at Quezon City High School, helps out-of-school youth PhD. not only takes care of her students but also the enviby integrating skills training in her ALS classes. ronment. She is currently an Assistant Professor 7 at the She also teaches dropouts, working individuals, and senior Turn to C2