parasitegirl | Very good! Now, put the boy down!

I had a good teacher experience today.

The school I visited today is one of the two I can walk to from my home. On walking days I get to relax a bit because I don’t have to take the train to city hall first. For once I wouldn’t be getting a ride from the school either and had been requested to find my own way back to city hall. Leisurely walk to the station, Indian curry for lunch, and a train to city hall! Yay! Even time for coffee.

This morning Mr. West called and said my support staff worker would be out sick, so I would be working with the homeroom teachers. He also said this meant no pre-class hou-long meeting with the support staff so I could relax and chill for an extra 50 minutes at home.

The lesson plans I’ve drafted are for three teachers…although making solo lesson plans would be easier for me, the support staff and homeroom teachers wouldn’t learn from participating if I rolled that way. I also wouldn’t be able to asses their skills and weaknesses if it was all me all the time.When my support staff is out or the schools bring me in on a day when they are not there, the homeroom teachers must play a larger role. My problems and triumphs this week and last were at schools where I don’t present with the support staff.

I was slated to teach 4^th graders one of my original lessons about seasons ( well: seasons, holidays, months, birthdays and images). It’s pretty easy and the kids enjoy it because it’s fairly easy for them to catch onto how to respond and participate.

The first of two teachers told me he was scared of speaking more English. I gave him a pep talk. I also told him I knew exactly how scary it was to teach in another language because I have two semesters of teaching arts and crafts to first graders (in Japanese, with a co-teacher) under my belt. I never SHOULD have been given that task…but I was and I tried my best. Teachers are usually stunned to learn about that part of my path here. In comparison to that, what I am asking them to do is less scary and not an ever week occurrence. I told him if it started getting to hard, that he should join the students and be their leader.

This teacher did an amazing job once in the classroom. He started with a Japanese spiel about how he and I would both be teaching in English today, and how much of a challenge it was for him and how scary it felt, but how hard he was going to try. It was a pretty over-the-top performance and kids laughed and cheered for him. I gave a Japanese spiel about my one rule “no whining when you don’t understand: look, listen, and think…whining won’t help.” In doing this I throw a mock tempter tantrum in Japanese of “whaaaaaaaa. I don’t understaaaaaaaand. English is imposssssiiiible. Japanese! Japanese please!” The kids laugh and then I make sure that we’re all 4^th graders here (or whatever grade)…no babies, right? I then explain that babies totally can’t handle what we’re going to do… heck, 3th graders can’t either… but 4^th graders can because they are smart! Then the English starts.

The students are allowed to ask questions and things in Japanese for clarity (but we reply in English) or in Japanese when they’ve understood enough to know how to respond but can’t find the English words.

This teacher stayed in the teacher role but took another good strategy to do it. He modeled how when you can’t say it with words, don’t be afraid to say it with your body and gestures. It feels silly but it gets the job done and is a valid form of communication.

Part of this class was showing pictures of holidays and festivals like “Sports day” or “hina matsuri” The kids identify the holiday and tell me which season to put it under. Then I ask them what images/symbols are attached to these holidays/festivals. They often do this in Japanese (sometimes in English) and I reply with the English word and we all feel like we’ve communicated (we use the image idea later when they create illustrations depicting Winter/Spring/Summer and Fall…and what they want for their birthday and what season that it), but when I don’t understand the Japanese the teacher explains it in easy English or, in this case, gestures…and when the look of comprehension came into my eyes this time, or I shouted out the English word, kids CHEERED.

This teacher really thrived on gesturing out the parts of Sports Day kids wanted me to know about. Most memorable was the word for gymnastic cheering (typically done by the 6^th graders), the teacher asked a tiny boy to come up and together they made a two person pyramid…and then the teacher lifted the boy in the air to more cheers.

“Gymnatics! I got it! Boy! Down! You did it! Puuut the boy down!”

The teacher was sweaty by the end of this section, but very pleased at having communicated with a minimum of hard English.

“What’s your birthday wish? Dream present. Do you want a new car? Money? Travel? Birthday Wish?”

(teacher gestures that he wants to be taller)

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. Anything else? A new dog?” (I needed the kids to focus on things easier to draw)

“Bicycle, so….” (Teacher gestures getting thinner)

(Kathryn Sensei doubles over in laugher)

As the students drew pictures he watched me and made a big show of asking “What’s…THIS?” and giggling as he walked around.

At the end of class he was so pleased with himself I lead the students in a round of applause and gave him a high five. I asked him shortly after (in Japanese) if he could talk to the next teacher and tell her how his experience went to help prepare her. He walked with me to the teacher’s room and greeted his fellow teachers with loud, proud “Hello!”s and “Nice day!”