classes and daleks
Last Monday, classes started! Work is a lot more interesting when there's more to do than sitting in the office all day.
I've basically been doing my self introduction many many times all week (once to each class). It's been fun, though. I brought a bag of things to each self intro to show the students. I had maps, pictures of my family and various things to show what I like (such as Disney, Totoro, manga and American comic books, French, etc.) and the students really seemed to like it! ^_^
Then, in all classes, the students had a chance to ask me questions. I got all kinds of questions, the weirdest one I think being one from an elementary school student at Yamanomura. "What's your favorite shape of the moon?" haha. Not something I'd been asked before. And, since I mentioned Disney in my intros, I inevitably got asked if I'd been to Toyo Disney Land or Tokyo Disney Sea, to which I replied "No, but I want to."
My middle school (and elementary schools too, for that matter) is busy preparing for its taiikusai. (sports festival) It involves various sports and and cheers and other sports-related things. The whole school is split up into two teams, red and yellow, including the teachers. I'm ont he red team. It's a huge deal and the classes, since the start of the term, have been shortened to 45 minutes instead of 50 to allow extra time at the end of the day to prepare. Also, 6th period (there are 6 total) is often cut out to allow for even more time. I've been attending some of the after-school practices to watch them practice their cheers and they're really coming along with it. :) It looks really cool. Go, red team!!
At my elementary school, I did the same thing. However, I was able to show the students pictures on the TV instead of having to pass them around. I also ate lunch with the students which was fun. :)
Lunch at Japanese schools is called "Kyuushoku" which is a set lunch that everyone in the school eats. I think it's about 300 yen ('I think' because we pay at the end of the month). So everyone eats the same thing and it's a surprise what day what it will be. haha. So far they've been good, though.
Friday is Yamanomura day, my tiny mountain school. And I mean tiny. It is 13 students total and that's including elementary and middle school. The 1nensei (first year in middle school) and 3nensei (3rd year) classes each have one student in them and the 2nensei class has 2. The other 9 are elementary students, with 3 kindergarteners as well.
It's a really nice school, though. The teachers all greet the students at the start of the day, high fiving them and saying the foreign language greeting of the day. (last Friday was Italian) Also, the teachers all eat with the students and then play a teeth brushing song with everyone brushing their teeth together after kyuushoku.
It's certainly different to have a class with just one student Should be fun, though.
We also had a karaoke party with my English conversation circle which was very fun. The circle has really great people in it so it was fun getting to spend time with them. (and karaoke is always fun :) )
I've also started knitting a dalek (from Doctor Who). It's taking awhile (and will take much longer) since you have to do each of the little black dots on its body individually and they're a little strange to do.... also, it's supposedly like 8" tall (and I may be knitting mine looser than you're technically supposed to so mine may even be larger...)
I've basically been doing my self introduction many many times all week (once to each class). It's been fun, though. I brought a bag of things to each self intro to show the students. I had maps, pictures of my family and various things to show what I like (such as Disney, Totoro, manga and American comic books, French, etc.) and the students really seemed to like it! ^_^
Then, in all classes, the students had a chance to ask me questions. I got all kinds of questions, the weirdest one I think being one from an elementary school student at Yamanomura. "What's your favorite shape of the moon?" haha. Not something I'd been asked before. And, since I mentioned Disney in my intros, I inevitably got asked if I'd been to Toyo Disney Land or Tokyo Disney Sea, to which I replied "No, but I want to."
My middle school (and elementary schools too, for that matter) is busy preparing for its taiikusai. (sports festival) It involves various sports and and cheers and other sports-related things. The whole school is split up into two teams, red and yellow, including the teachers. I'm ont he red team. It's a huge deal and the classes, since the start of the term, have been shortened to 45 minutes instead of 50 to allow extra time at the end of the day to prepare. Also, 6th period (there are 6 total) is often cut out to allow for even more time. I've been attending some of the after-school practices to watch them practice their cheers and they're really coming along with it. :) It looks really cool. Go, red team!!
At my elementary school, I did the same thing. However, I was able to show the students pictures on the TV instead of having to pass them around. I also ate lunch with the students which was fun. :)
Lunch at Japanese schools is called "Kyuushoku" which is a set lunch that everyone in the school eats. I think it's about 300 yen ('I think' because we pay at the end of the month). So everyone eats the same thing and it's a surprise what day what it will be. haha. So far they've been good, though.
Friday is Yamanomura day, my tiny mountain school. And I mean tiny. It is 13 students total and that's including elementary and middle school. The 1nensei (first year in middle school) and 3nensei (3rd year) classes each have one student in them and the 2nensei class has 2. The other 9 are elementary students, with 3 kindergarteners as well.
It's a really nice school, though. The teachers all greet the students at the start of the day, high fiving them and saying the foreign language greeting of the day. (last Friday was Italian) Also, the teachers all eat with the students and then play a teeth brushing song with everyone brushing their teeth together after kyuushoku.
It's certainly different to have a class with just one student Should be fun, though.
We also had a karaoke party with my English conversation circle which was very fun. The circle has really great people in it so it was fun getting to spend time with them. (and karaoke is always fun :) )
I've also started knitting a dalek (from Doctor Who). It's taking awhile (and will take much longer) since you have to do each of the little black dots on its body individually and they're a little strange to do.... also, it's supposedly like 8" tall (and I may be knitting mine looser than you're technically supposed to so mine may even be larger...)