I do the Shuuji

Yay! More calligraphy!

This is what it's supposed to look like:

  

This is what mine looked like:

I did this with the 5th graders from Togari Elem yesterday.  This is what all 5th graders nationwide submit to the annual Shuuji contest.  It says "hatake no sakubutsu" which means "things made from a garden/field."  I wrote my name in the bottom left totally incorrectly.  it's supposed to go up to down on the left with no heart mark. hahahah

I made 18 sheets and this was my best one. hahaha there were some pretty awful ones, i must say.  but it was a lot of fun!

School Days

So it begins!!!

Ive officially started my English lessons with the 5th and 6th graders!  My weekly Schedule kind of looks like this:

Monday--Iiyama Elementary
Tuesday--Togari Elementary
Wednesday--Iiyama Elementary
Thursday--Akitsu Elementary
Friday--Izumidai Elementary

I typically come in around 8:20 and am allowed to leave at 4:15.

My busiest day (Wed @ Iiyama) goes something like this:
Please keep in mind that all of the below take place in 90-95 degree weather + humidity... O.o

1st period, 45 min: Teach Class 6-2

2nd period, 45 min:　Teach Class 6-3

20 minute school break~during this time, students are free to roam the school, play outside, etc.  Teachers gather in the break room and eat snacks.

3rd period, 45 min: Teach Class 5-2

4th period, 45 min: Teach Class 5-3

12:30, lunch time, 1hr:  Students put on their lunch clothes (yes) this entails a white smock, a white cap and a white mask.  I put on an apron and a bandana on my head!  Half of the class walks down to the kitchen to pick up lunch in large pails and bins and bring it back to the classroom.  The other half serves the food on plates until everyone has a full tray.  Then a class representative will ask everyone to please put their hands together and be thankful for the food they are about to eat.  Any left overs that were not served are politely bargained by a friendly game of rock-paper-scissors. Everyone eats EVERYTHING on their plate, whether they like it or not.  Its amazing.  I watched a poor kid today who hates vegetables eat a whole salad. Music plays over the loudspeaker indicating lunch is over and that everyone should put their hands together and be thankful for the food they ate. Next, everyone brushes their teeth with water and checks their name off a list that the teacher keeps indicating that they completed the task.  Finally, the students take their dirty dishes and empty pails down to the cafeteria as a class, and bow to the cafeteria crew thanking them for the meal. 

1:30, cleaning time, 15 minutes: Who needs janitors when you have kids? Each student is assigned a different area of the school to clean including hallways, classrooms, and bathrooms.  Some sweep, some throw out trash, some weed the gardens, and others clean the floors with rags.  I stick to sweeping.  Everyone must wear a hat while cleaning.

5th & 6th period: Free periods. During this time, I prepare for my next lessons, check my email, make copies, meet with other teachers if they are available to go over things.  Sometimes in my free periods I join other classes and observe or participate.  Last week I got to sit by the pool while the 6th graders had swimming class and put my legs in the water...it was nice!

Here is a picture of my desk at Iiyama!

My prize drawer

The stamp card the kids need to complete to get a prize from the drawer (created by Kim and stolen by me!)

The teachers office (students must stand in the doorway and request permission to enter by declaring who they are visiting) and yes do you see that ginormous heater in the middle of the room?? Can't wait for winter!

Flashcards I laminated myself!! I start my animal lesson on Wednesday :D

I'll go more into detail about my lessons in a future post!

I teach the Chicken Dance, I learn calligraphy

Yay! Three days of fun team teaching and learning with Kim!  

I thought I would do a brief reflection before starting my first official solo teaching tomorrow! Yikes! 

Highlights of the past three days:

~ Learning how to write ビル in calligraphy

~ A student mistaking "fish" for the work "English"

~ An amazing lunch of salmon sautéed in peanuts and peanut oil

~ Teaching 5th graders the chicken dance

~ Sharing with the world my love for tonkatsu and Oguri Shun

~ Teaching kids that sheep  Baaahhhh in America as opposed to Meeeeeeehhhh in Japan

~ Making fun of a 5th grader who felt the need to talk every time his mouth was full of food

~ Participating in various discussions (with both boys and girls) as to who is the best Arashi member

Most of the classes were participative, nice, and a lot of fun! Today's 6th graders were a little...difficult...to manage.  But it's a class of 17 boys and 7 girls... kind of crazy.  Kim does a great job with the kids, I hope to do just as well!  

The thing that is worrying me the most is this HEAT.  Schools generally have no air conditioning in Japan.  And they serve some kind of soup every day with lunch. Kids walk the halls and go to class with little towels to wipe the sweat that's dripping down their faces and water bottles to keep hydrated (so do I!)  It's pretty rough. I have to admit that yesterday after school and felt miserable...dizziness, nausea, and delirium...it wasn't pretty.  Luckily it was heat exhaustion; I made sure to drink double the amount of water I usually do today.   

Here's my ビル。 I must admit I was disappointed it wasn't a kanji character...and that I had to really put my heart into writing "building" lol.  But it was fun! 

Wish me luck tomorrow in my first lesson! XD

A First of Many Firsts

Here we go!  Blog de la Crystal!


It's only taken me a month to finally get the ball rolling!  


I just finished cleaning half of the apartment and have been thinking all day what I was going to write in my blog.  As most of you know, I'm not a very creative writer...so I thought Q&A format might be the best way to start this thing off.  Let's imagine that Oprah is interviewing me.


1.  How are you?  I'm great!  Especially now that work has started I feel like I have a purpose and that I can make a difference...I'm super excited!


2.  What was your best moment in Japan so far?  Standing in front of the students at my base school and giving my introduction speech this past Thursday.  It was nerve wrecking, but I couldn't stop smiling and the kids were so responsive...proud moment!


3.  What was your worst moment?  On my birthday, I bought icecream and put it in my "freezer" to eat that night since I was spending it alone.  When I went to eat it, it had melted! I was so disappointed and alone I wanted to cry.  


4.  What is Iiyama like?  Beautiful, full of rice fields, surrounded by mountains, full of wonderful people, and HOT.  No AC is common


5.  What is your apartment like? Small, but cozy, and not too big for me to handle. and HOT.


6.  What is your favorite thing about living in Japan so far?  Every day is different, and there is always something new to learn.  People are kind, and much more conscientious about other people and the environment.  


7.  What is your least favorite?  Having to separate my trash five different ways and throwing it out five different ways.  You really have to think. lol


8.  What's the last meal you ate?  Last night I ate this amazing curry omu-soba, it's like lomein in an omelet with curry on top.  And for dessert, Baskin Robins! 


9.  What do you miss most about the US?  My friends!! And fountain soda pepsi.


10.  What's one of the coolest things you've done so far?  I had sushi delivered to me on a shinkansen.  (see video on facebook) 


11.  Who do you spend time with?  I hang out with the other JETs in Iiyama for the most part.  Kim from Hawaii, Elissa from DC, Alaina from Minnesota, Mitzi from Cali.  They are all wonderful, intelligent, super fun girls!  Tongiht, the music teacher at my base school who lives in the apartment downstairs is taking me out to dinner too!  


12.  Share some fun pictures you took!

Here is a picture I took of Iiyama when we were on a mini roadtrip tour of all the schools.  It was the same day we had a typhoon watch, which is why it's so cloudy! 

A fun day!  They released fish in a sectioned off part of a river and had kids catch the fish with nets...and their bare hands.  Then they cooked the fish whole on a grill.  Then we ate them. hahaha The Americans (L->R: me, Alaina, Kim and Elissa) + Ashley and Mitzi taught everyone how to make smores over the fire! 

Meeting the mayor (Shi-chou) of Iiyama and being videotaped for the local cable tv station with Mitzi...quite an adventure. 

In a shrine inside the Zenkouji temple in Nagano City.  It was sooooo hot this day T~T 


More to come soon, everyone!  Right now I'm off to buy rice! Maybe next time I'll talk about my cute little rice cooker!