gemma@teach-usa.net

Week 42/52 #Weeklies I am amazed by how God makes all things possible. A lot of times I would be very specific in writing my plans to the point that I would want God to follow my schedule. Year after year, I’d write my goals but year after year, it wouldn’t happen. Yes, I was … Read more

1   What is Teach-USA?   Teach-USA helps Filipino teachers secure a job in New Mexico, US and nearby states. 2   Can I pay for my evaluation first and then pay for my license after I pass the interview?    Sure.   3 NM Licenses will not be issued without Social Security Number.  What … Read more

Week 41/52 #Weeklies   It is all about choices in the end. See my attire? Jeans, tennis shoes… I was wearing the black shirt though, but it didn’t cut still. I was under-dressed.    That morning I thought, I’ll be walking for 25 minutes from the train station to the training location, it will be … Read more

Week 37/52 #Weeklies I quietly sat in one of the tiny chairs I borrowed from this little boy. I noticed he couldn’t take his eyes off me. I smiled as he approached and blurted, “Are you Chinese?” I almost laughed and said, “No.” He looked at me as if I was kidding as I looked … Read more

Week 35/52 #Weeklies When I was about to teach my next batch of students, my partner teacher in the computer room excitedly told me that she was able to connect with Skype and found this girl from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Alright, this was in 2006 when Friendster was still in, when Skype has just … Read more

Week 33/52 #Weeklies Armed with stories from Hollywood movies about American kids, I thought I was ready to aim, shoot, and fire! But I was mistaken, when I was given an opportunity to work here in the US as special education teacher, I found out that most of the “school” stories in the movies were … Read more

Week 25/52 #Weeklies Part of my job running two years now is to visit schools in the state of New Mexico, USA. Needless to say, I travel to wherever schools I am assigned to wherever it is in the state.  The best thing about it is I get to see different places, different schools, different … Read more

Week 24/52 #Weeklies I started off 2016 with plans… big plans! After studying master’s degree one subject at a time since 2012, I knew I would eventually graduate… soon! Three months before 2016, my husband and I looked at the possibility of owning a house. We’ve been moving from one apartment/house to another and the … Read more

Week 17/52 #Weeklies When I mentioned to Dennis that we will simply order beef kaldereta from an acquaintance and that we will pick it up, our major thought bubble was suddenly about the kaldereta spilling in the car!  I knew he was thinking about it because he suddenly suggested on what to put under to … Read more

Week 14/52 #Weeklies An acquaintance shared about how my other friends were laughing at all the extra activities I do. It seems that deep down; I just attract opportunities and accept them with open arms. Even without prior processing or goal deliberation, I’d just jump and join the bandwagon. But, just like an onion plant, … Read more

Week 13/52 #Weeklies   Aside from taking online courses, I spend most of my time on Facebook. Not to say it is a bad thing, because it is not. I get to see friends, relatives and family’s social activities and I get to be in touch! But, I realized lately that it has, at some … Read more

I asked my boss if he will be doing the conference call every month, and he told me, “No, you will do it!”  I was like, “Noooo! I do not know the verbiage… yet!”  Very believing and uplifting as he is, he told me, “I know you were just shy! I was just like you … Read more

  I remember when I was a little kid. I was invited to play with my friends who have American friends who visited their home. I was overjoyed afterward. I told my parents it was the best day of my life because I got to speak in English! They asked me what I said, I … Read more

  Sharing you with what it felt like to be living without my family by my side, two weeks after the Phils to USA journey. The price I had to pay for wanting my family to be together.       I live one day at a time.   I live by God’s graces, blessings, … Read more

By this time, we learned our assignments, we were attending schools, befriended our colleagues, in the process of adjusting to school rules and regulations, the educational system, language and most especially, our students! Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to tell stories, as I would have wanted, because of some privacy issues.  The thing was, coming … Read more

I remember, on our very first day in New Orleans, Louisiana, we were looking for sari-sari stores! There’s none!!! Unlike in the Philippines where you see stores on every corner? Here?, none (you miss it, but after some time, you get used to it!) ~  We have no car since we just came. What did we … Read more