This concludes my first week teaching without the (constant) assistance of my substitute teacher, Kashima, who I miss and needs to add me on facebook yesterday. However, she did leave a trail of post-it notes that have saved me on many occasions. She is great.
And in her place, I have Sarah and Ai keeping me sane and on top of things. They are flipping awesome people and I cannot thank them enough.
So at the end of last week, I was pretty frustrated because I felt as if I was dangling over a fire that no one told me would be hot. And like that woman who sued McDonald's for her coffee being hot, I should've known that teaching would not be easy the first week. Hell, I could barely remember names the first week, let alone lesson plans. But at some point on Thursday, it started to click. I stopped trying to follow the prescribed teaching manuals and started using my own ingenuity. And this week, teaching was actually starting to become fun. So today, although it was a long day, was punctuated with some great moments.
For Valentine's Day, I decided to buy candy for all of my students, the other teachers, and the manager. After wrapping it all up last night, I went to school holding a bag full of goods for the wolves. My first student, I was warned, was a terror. I was prepared for the worst.
During the lesson I noticed he drew on everything I gave him. If 1+1=2, don't give him something I didn't want him to draw on. Right? Instead of giving him the cards with the pictures on them, I let him draw the animals we studied today on the board. And he actually is quite the little artist. So now I know what to do to keep him on my side. The class after that was with one of my favourite students, Hiroe. Today we talked about heroes. Not the show mind you, but personal heroes and heroines, not the drugs mind you. She told me about her husband and I talked about my parents and we had fun getting to know each other even better. Last night I found out another student is engaged, so all of the grammar we studied related to weddings. The more I get to know them, the better I can tailor the lessons I plan to keep them wanting to come to class.
At 4, I had a lesson I wasn't quite prepared for, so I ran to the dollar store (100 yen store) and bought paint pens and construction paper and we made stuffed Valentine's hearts to give to their parents as a warm-up activity. I did this activity with my other under 18 year old students and we all had fun, before we moved on to the lesson of course. I ended up making about 4 hearts by the end of the night, two I have posted as pictures if you are interested.
So that was my VDay. What did you do?
Finally, I have to admit something: I have a small obsession with Japanese toilets. I know that sounds silly, but they fascinate me. The one in my apartment makes me smile every time I flush the toilet and the lid in the toilet becomes a sink. So cool!
But the one I was warned about I call the squatter. I've attached a picture so you can see what all the fuss is about. Now in this particular restroom there are standard toilets (with electronically-controlled bidets), but this one in the corner makes me fearful for that one day I have no choice but to "pop a squat" to quote my 6th grade teacher Angela Thomas.
Sayonara.
Wendell
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