*Teaching the difference between confusing letters*

Often, children beginning to read confuse the sounds of words or letters. For example, they mix the lowercase "d" and "b" because they're almost identical, except for the way they face and sound. That is the most common error among young children. Also, when children speak another language, they often confuse the sound of the letter "c" with "s." It's vital that teachers address these issues and give as many examples as they can to help students distinguish the differences. Teaching young children is exhausting, so you must get plenty of rest. Also, it's a refreshment of memory and sometimes they teach you new things too. Take away all distractions and allow them to interact with you as much as possible. Sometimes, they find one object more interesting than another. For example, my expo board has become an obsession. Unfortunately, I have to limit the amount of times it's used because of this and stick to the material at hand as much as I can. Overall, my student is learning differences between adding words and is sounding out all letters. It feels awesome to help and set examples!

*Teaching English as a Foreign Language- My first mini class*

The experience was extremely beneficial for my knowledge and further preparation. I learned that my students are absolute beginners. I thought they knew the basic greetings, but I was wrong. They were familiar with many words and I was able to teach them the proper use of good and well. We also went through the verbs to have and to be. I gave plenty of examples and explained the positive, negative, and question form of the verbs. My mind was a little scattered since it was my first class and I could've provided more exercises. Next time, we will review and move forward. The women are extremely intelligent, but had trouble speaking in only language. I have to teach them to break their habits. The little girl I teach was excellent! She was able to distinguish different sounds, put them together, and spell them out by sole pronunciation. It is awesome and I'm loving it!

First Tutoring/Teaching Experience

This morning, I had the opportunity to tutor a little girl for the first time. I helped her learn new words, sound them out, and fill in the blank sentences. It started off really well. At times, she stunned me. She purposefully sounded words out the wrong way and added extra letters for more time or to avoid the task. I admit, I was a little unprepared because I didn't know what to expect. I noticed that we spent more time talking back and forth. Next time, I will allow her to dictate the class, avoid the "no" word, and review the differences between different letters that look the same. Tomorrow morning, I have the privilege of dictating my first adult class. Hopefully, it goes as smoothly as today and I don't feel intimidated or discourage my class. 

*Should I throw it All Away?*

I sat here today pouring my heart out to my best friend. I told her that I seriously considered throwing my book away. I thought nothing in it mattered anymore. If I gave up on the writing, then maybe I should've given up on it. She convinced me not to do it. Today, I've decided to pick up on page 251 and write my heart out. I will complete this novel and I will have it published by next year. I thought about stopping it because it would offend many of my friends. Since the events no longer are vital or active, then it can't hurt anyone. I'm a writer and taking away my pencil and paper was a big mistake... I put everything on hold to think. I pondered about the events of my story and how greatly they've impacted my life. I recall poignant words that I can never forget. Since these pages fill seven long novels of my life, then why must I throw them all away? Why must I push them back. It's beautiful to share my words with the world. Maybe they will reawaken your souls! Mine, has long been dormant. Not because of impossibilities, but because of pain that lingers in me. It doesn't relate to my story, but it corresponds with my world.

*When Will it All End?*

So, we live in a world full of guns, violence, drugs, and etc. Many of us ask when this will it all end? The unfortunate answer is, the world would have to end. We are all guilty of carrying our own demons. We all have our own issues and society is "peaceless." You can only follow your heart and your beliefs. The only guidance a human being has is from the people around them. Make sure you choose a noteworthy individual, with integrity, and honesty to follow examples from. If not, you'll land in a pit of danger. You will become a product of society. We are all products of society. Some things are inevitable and the only ultimatum is faith. Have faith and never cease to believe in every thing you do!!!!! 

*How to Naturally Reduce the Pain of a toothache*

Have you recently broke your tooth or developed a nasty cavity? Is your gum swelling up and you want to wrip out your tooth? On my birthday, I was chewing a piece of gum on an airplane and all of a sudden, I felt something crunch. It was my tooth. If you know me, I value my teeth, but I also love sweets. Almost every tooth in my mouth is filled. If you're running through the house and can't find ambesol or orajel, grab a glass of warm water with salt or some peroxide and start rinsing. If that doesn't work, look around for some tea. What can you do with tea? I'm not talking about drinking a cup of tea, silly. Take a mug of water (microwavable) stick a tea bag in there and microwave on high for one minute. Remove the tea from the microwave. Take out the tea bag, squeeze out excess water, and place it directly on the infected area. Leave the tea bag on your tooth for a few minutes. The pain is sure to subside, but you're not in the clear yet! Grab a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack and wrap it in a piece of cloth. Place it on your cheek, on and off for an hour. The throbbing should subside for a few hours or it may completely disappear. If it comes back, repeat the process. My mouth feels so much lighter and I can barely sense the ache! 

*Why am I uncertain?*

Sometimes, I sit here and ponder about the past. Where did time go? Why haven't I fulfilled all of my goals. The truth is, I'm afraid that this will be it. I'm terrified that I am stuck in this hole of uncertainty. Did I waste all that time and money going through school? Is there more for me out there? I try not to be negative, but I am clueless. I have attempted to find many diverse things, but there is nothing there. I wonder how life will end up for me. When I wake up in the morning and know how my day will end, I become unhappy. It isn't because of the people that surround me, but because I know I am worth so much more. So, I ask myself, why am I in this situation? Why haven't I stepped out of the trap? I have everything to back me up except support. I have gained a new opportunity, but I don't have everyone's blessings. I need knowledge, growth, and experience that everyone can grasp and comprehend. I need to discover who and what I was and am meant to be in my life. For the time being, I have given up doing all of the things that complete my smile. I am no longer writing my book, I am saving my words for later, and I have ceased to look for other opportunities. As I sit here and flip through recent photo albums, I see bags under my eyes. I am tired of this lifestyle, I am exhausted from the lack of self worth, and I deserve more. So, I sit here and pray for another open door, another miracle, and another fate. Why? Because I am worth much more than all of this. So, for now, I will continue to fake a smile, degrade myself, and accept worthless compliments. In the end, I know who and what I am capable of becoming. My intelligence is in my heart. I will keep asking for guidance, have faith, and hope. That is all I can do.