Raising Boys

Math contest winners February 26, 2006

My son and his teammate Christ Ian placed second in the Math Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) contest held on Friday last week at the Basak Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City.

They competed against 12 other schools in the first grade level during the contest, which is initiated by the Department of Education and Metrobank. Unfortunately for my son, though, this was the first time since the start of the contest that Metrobank was not giving out medals to winners. My son and his teammate had to be content with a generic certificate, only one for the two of them, with no name and I was told wrong date.

My son, disappointed that he was not getting a medal, insisted we go home before the awarding could take place. The result: no medal, no certificate, and no picture as well. His teammate, though, said he would be bringing the certificate to school on Monday.

Might as well take a picture of that and include it in this post later.

Dreading tomorrow February 23, 2006

My son is going to compete in a math contest tomorrow and I’m the one who’s a nervous wreck. My hands are clammy, my stomach is queasy, and I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing.

So far, his preparations for the contest went well. He was able to answer most of the review questions given by the teacher. Since the questions are timed, the teacher had prepared him and a teammate by asking them to solve problems and timing them. He was always able to answer the questions before the teacher rang the bell for each question. This does not help me, though.

I’m really just scared for him. What if they lose and he can’t handle the disappointment. What if he cries on stage; he’s only seven years old after all. I know I’d love him forever even if he does not get a single question right but how would he feel.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’ll be there for him, putting on a calm front even though I’d be panic-stricken inside, and I’d be praying that he’d just make it through the day.

Surviving math January 29, 2006

One word could only describe our week last week–hectic. My son was a participant in the Math Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) challenge, a yearly math contest pitting elementary and high school students of all grade and year levels from different schools. It was a sort of elimination round at the division level, whoever tops the test will participate in the regional competition.

Thursday’s test was also only the first part of the competition; contestants have to come back for another round. I don’t know if all of the contestants will be joining the second round or only those who are in the top 5, 3, or 2.
Some 20 private and public schools in Lapu-Lapu City participated in the math contest, held on Thursday last week. Schools had to send in three participants from each grade or year. The higher scores of the two from each team will be added together and this will represent the team’s score.

My son and the two others in his team only knew three days before the contest that they would be joining the challenge. Their teacher took this long to tell them. The result: they were only able to review for a total of six hours. They were not exempted from class for the reviews; on the other hand, the teacher held the review after class hours–from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday or three days before the actual contest. My son’s team, fortunately, still placed third. I don’t know though if they would still be participating in the second round of the contest.
My son said Czar, one of the three students in the team, had cried on last day of the review, saying he does not know the answer to the questions in the teacher’s questionnaire. I was told by his aunt that he also cried during the MTAP opening activities, held an hour before the examination. I really felt sorry for him.

Fantasy books and gaming cards January 3, 2006

Two things fascinate my 7-year-old son Dylan at present–books and Yu-Ge-Oh cards. I’m hoping he’d outgrow the latter but not the former. Our present to him during the school Christmas party last month was L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” book, and he has read it at least three times since then.

The first thing he said to me after he finished reading the book was that the wizard was just a “humbug”. He says the word as if he understands it and I could not be sure if he does because he and I have not found the time to discuss the book in detail. I let him read short stories on his own but I usually read books with him. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the first book he has read on his own.
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The shepherd’s role November 20, 2005

I was looking through my files and found a photograph of Dylan taken in preparatory, during the class Christmas play. He played one of the shepherds. I remembered having to create a shepherd’s costume for him the night before the event from the Grim Reaper costume he used during Halloowen. I cut the hood and made it into a shepherd’s headpiece. Thankfully, it turned out okay.

I’m not really looking forward to the first grade Christmas party this year. I don’t think I can stand exchanging pleasantries with his first grade teacher.

A day in the public school system November 18, 2005

Finally, my son’s exams are over. The whole thing was very chaotic. I don’t know what made me decide to accompany my son to his classroom but I’m glad I did. I would have remained ignorant of the manner that the tests were given out.

First off, the teacher was not there but left her househelp and her 7-year-old daughter in charge. As can be expected in a scenario like this, the exams were disorderly, with many students stopping to answer to play, mill around, or look at their classmates’ answers.

Now, I know why this teacher told parents during the meeting held before the start of classes that those in the top 10 in the preparatory level would not be the same ones in the first grade honor list.

She knew from the start she would not be teaching, her househelp would be, and that she certainly would have no way of determining who are excelling among her students. The exams would not be a correct gauge because of the disorderly manner that these are given, with students allowed to copy from each other. She’d be picking off the names for her top 10 from her magic hat.

I’m glad my son, despite everything that’s been going on in that classroom, has resisted the urge to join in the bandwagon and cheat.