I <3 Tobusho!
Today was my first day at Tobusho - my most favorite out of my five schools. I was so nervous that Michiko-sensei would be gone. She has been so kind to me since I came to Tahara three years ago and I would have been super sad if she had been transferred. But she was still there! I could hear her on the phone when I walked through the door (she is a really loud and genki woman.)
Yoko-sensei the school nurse who makes me tea and gives me back massages when I have a cold is still there. And Honda-sensei who can tame even the wildest of classes is also still around. Kocho-sensei (the principal) is different but he was at another one of my schools last year so we are already on good terms. There are several new teachers but so far all of them have been the "join in and help" kind and not the "fall asleep in the back of the room" kind of teacher so that's good.
I won't teach the 1st graders this visit so all of the students know me and I know them, but even still we did the standard introduction lesson today. I ate lunch with the second graders and they loved playing London Bridge is falling down so much during the last class of the year that they wanted to play again so we did. Then we went outside and played tag. At one point I was base for a game of tag and had 15 little monkeys hanging off of me. Note to self though Jungle Gym Tag is a bad idea. I have the sore knee to prove it.
And can I just say that it warms my heart to see my students being so polite. During recess some of the 4th graders came up to me and said "rokujikanme yoroshiku!" Which roughly translates to "6th period. Please be kind to us!" Or basically they were looking forward to my class.
It helps that today the weather was great (unlike yesterday where I biked home in the pouring rain.) After school I went to my favorite cafe in Tahara just down the street from my school and had a waffle and some coffee. And then on the train ride home I saw one of my special ed students from last year. I thought she hated my guts but she came over to sit next to me. I don't think she is transitioning very well into high school because she told me it was "taihen." (difficult.) I think seeing a familiar face cheered her up even if it was just mine.
All in all a great day. Now it's off to the gym, then to the grocery, cooking dinner, watching Lost and writing on my Exchange piece.
Yoko-sensei the school nurse who makes me tea and gives me back massages when I have a cold is still there. And Honda-sensei who can tame even the wildest of classes is also still around. Kocho-sensei (the principal) is different but he was at another one of my schools last year so we are already on good terms. There are several new teachers but so far all of them have been the "join in and help" kind and not the "fall asleep in the back of the room" kind of teacher so that's good.
I won't teach the 1st graders this visit so all of the students know me and I know them, but even still we did the standard introduction lesson today. I ate lunch with the second graders and they loved playing London Bridge is falling down so much during the last class of the year that they wanted to play again so we did. Then we went outside and played tag. At one point I was base for a game of tag and had 15 little monkeys hanging off of me. Note to self though Jungle Gym Tag is a bad idea. I have the sore knee to prove it.
And can I just say that it warms my heart to see my students being so polite. During recess some of the 4th graders came up to me and said "rokujikanme yoroshiku!" Which roughly translates to "6th period. Please be kind to us!" Or basically they were looking forward to my class.
It helps that today the weather was great (unlike yesterday where I biked home in the pouring rain.) After school I went to my favorite cafe in Tahara just down the street from my school and had a waffle and some coffee. And then on the train ride home I saw one of my special ed students from last year. I thought she hated my guts but she came over to sit next to me. I don't think she is transitioning very well into high school because she told me it was "taihen." (difficult.) I think seeing a familiar face cheered her up even if it was just mine.
All in all a great day. Now it's off to the gym, then to the grocery, cooking dinner, watching Lost and writing on my Exchange piece.