My first post took on a life of its own! I got caught up in my writing and forgot the reason I started writing in the first place.
The two girls I have mainly been tutoring took their entrance exams last Monday. They applied to two different high schools, but both applied specifically for the English track programs, and they both passed!!
They said the test wasn't so difficult for them, at least the English parts, after our practice. I was SO proud! They worked so hard and I am very happy for them. Also, as I have never taken a Japanese high school entrance exam English test, didn't get much advice from the English teachers I asked, and couldn't find much guidance online, I was basically on my own to tutor them. I gathered as many resources as I could and did my best and apparently it worked. In addition to their own intensive study I'm sure. Suffice to say, we were all very happy.
I thought they would be done with lessons, they have been stressed and studying till all hours every day, even every day of winter break (or so they claimed), for the high school entrance tests and for the finals at school, and now they finally are done with all tests for the year. Anyone would want to just take a break and relax. But then they said they want to keep meeting as many times as we can before the end of the year. The happiest!
So, today we met and just talked for about 2 1/2 hours! They asked me lots of questions about America and I asked them more about their lives. Then, because I want to make them CDs of English music, we started going through the music on my computer so I could get a sense of what they like. I will be the first to admit that the music collection on my computer is a bit, er...random...so we had an interesting time and lots of interesting facial expressions. At first, they were hesitant to say they didn't like anything, because they didn't want to offend me. They became comfortable with it quickly enough though. Their selections were quite interesting. Among the songs they loved: Jump Jive and Wail (Brian Setzer Orchestra), Bruises (Chairlift), You Really Got Me (Kinks), Blame It On the Boogie (Jackson 5), Thriller (Michael Jackson), Great Balls of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis), You Make My Dreams Come True (Hall & Oates), Bad Romance (Lady Gaga), Single Ladies (Beyonce), Ambling Alp (Yeasayer), and Don't Stop Believing (Journey). Special requests they made that I don't have on my computer: more Lady Gaga, more Beyonce, Country Road Take Me Home, and songs from Sister Act (yes, with Whoopie Goldberg).
Clearly, the Sister Act is the most random. They told me the name in Japanese and I didn't get it, so one of the girls went to the music room and got the song book for 'Oh Happy Day' that had a picture from Sister Act on the front to show me. Then they told me how they love Gospel music.
Japan, you will never stop surprising me.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
No catch up, just an attempt to blog
Since last fall, the 9th graders (3rd graders at the Junior High School) have been intensively preparing for their high school entrance exams. They have been seriously thinking about their futures and working hard to make sure they get into the best school for them. There are academic high schools and technical high schools, schools that excel in specific subjects and schools that excel in certain club activities or sports. These 14 and 15 year olds are making serious decisions about the future careers, and its likely that many of them will stick to those choices. It feels a world away from my junior high school days and the kinds of decisions I was making.
I have been tutoring these two 9th grade girls after school for a couple months now. About two days a week we meet after school and practice conversation first, then do some listening and comprehension drills. Other girls have joined our group off and on, and even even a couple boys every now and then. In this time, I've gotten to know them better than perhaps any of my students. Usually, on these days I end up getting home at least an hour later than usual, sometimes two, but I don't mind at all. In fact, I love it. Those days are the best days.
Sadly, that also makes me realize how much I'm missing out of serious connections to most of my students. I know many of them really like me and having me as a teacher and perhaps I even inspire them to study English harder. I make small talk with them in the hallways, I encourage them in and out of class. But with the language barrier and me being at their school just two days a week, teaching each of their classes maybe once every other week and not being involved in their clubs (we don't have an english club), I rarely have the chance to spend extended personal time with students.
It was these two girls who approached me a few months ago and asked me to help them practice English after school. I remember that day very clearly. I had a responsibility after school for once! The time flew by, I didn't even realize I was at school an hour later than usual until the students said it was time to go. All the students had to leave school by 5:30 that day (there's always a set time, usually 6, earlier when other things like tests are going on), and I had never been at school at that time before. I walked out to the gate with the other teachers to send the students off as they left for home, then gathered my things and biked home feelings more satisfied with my work day than I had for a long time.
My classes that day had gone great, I'd done something useful and meaningful with students with my time after school, I'd connected with two students I hadn't had the chance to talk with much before, and perhaps most importantly, I felt like a real part of the group. I'd been in and out of the teacher's room as much as most other teachers that day, rather than the inevitable 2-3 hour long blocks that ALTs get stuck there at some point in the day, I had a job to do with students outside of class, and I left when a few other teachers also left and the students had already all gone home.
It is not often that you leave work feeling happier and more satisfied than usual because you stayed late, but perhaps that is just the irony of life as an ALT in Japan.
I have been tutoring these two 9th grade girls after school for a couple months now. About two days a week we meet after school and practice conversation first, then do some listening and comprehension drills. Other girls have joined our group off and on, and even even a couple boys every now and then. In this time, I've gotten to know them better than perhaps any of my students. Usually, on these days I end up getting home at least an hour later than usual, sometimes two, but I don't mind at all. In fact, I love it. Those days are the best days.
Sadly, that also makes me realize how much I'm missing out of serious connections to most of my students. I know many of them really like me and having me as a teacher and perhaps I even inspire them to study English harder. I make small talk with them in the hallways, I encourage them in and out of class. But with the language barrier and me being at their school just two days a week, teaching each of their classes maybe once every other week and not being involved in their clubs (we don't have an english club), I rarely have the chance to spend extended personal time with students.
It was these two girls who approached me a few months ago and asked me to help them practice English after school. I remember that day very clearly. I had a responsibility after school for once! The time flew by, I didn't even realize I was at school an hour later than usual until the students said it was time to go. All the students had to leave school by 5:30 that day (there's always a set time, usually 6, earlier when other things like tests are going on), and I had never been at school at that time before. I walked out to the gate with the other teachers to send the students off as they left for home, then gathered my things and biked home feelings more satisfied with my work day than I had for a long time.
My classes that day had gone great, I'd done something useful and meaningful with students with my time after school, I'd connected with two students I hadn't had the chance to talk with much before, and perhaps most importantly, I felt like a real part of the group. I'd been in and out of the teacher's room as much as most other teachers that day, rather than the inevitable 2-3 hour long blocks that ALTs get stuck there at some point in the day, I had a job to do with students outside of class, and I left when a few other teachers also left and the students had already all gone home.
It is not often that you leave work feeling happier and more satisfied than usual because you stayed late, but perhaps that is just the irony of life as an ALT in Japan.
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