Hi everyone,
I know its been a long while, but I've been busy and I don't know how many of you actually read this anyways. But today's topic is elementary school. I am what is called a "one shot" Jet and as such, I travel to several different schools and expose as many kids to English as possible. I have two junior high schools and 5 elementary schools. While this seems like an inefficient approach, the idea is to get the kids used to English and hopefully to get some of them to even like it before it becomes mandatory in elementary school (it already is mandatory in junior high).
While I certainly enjoy junior high, my favorite days have been the days that I am at elementary school. So far I have only been to two elementary schools but both have been a blast to teach at. I have taught grades 1 through 6, meaning the 6 year olds to the 13 year olds. I like elementary school a lot more because the elementary kids have not yet developed the social trait that is common in Japanese society, whereby it goes against the harmony of society and the group if a student is to raise his or her hand, thereby singling themselves out from the rest of the group. Therefore, in junior high, I am faced with many silent classrooms and getting kids to answer is like pulling teeth (although I can eventually do it). At elementary school however, the situation is different. Social manners are not yet observed and therefore I am just about the greatest thing ever to hit Kurume. The kids all swarm me and I have yet to be greeted with a silent hallway if I am walking through it. I usually enter a school to hear shouts of "Oh, Asa sensei. Hello" Or "gooood morningggggggg."
When class starts, I have no problem getting the kids to volunteer, and often they want to show off their English skills. Its great fun, and as my lessons almost always invariably contain a game, the students are really liking English (i think at least). The best time of the day usually is recess, when I always go outside and play Kori-oni (ice demon = freeze tag), cops and robbers, kick ball, soccer, or dodgeball (dodguboru in Japanese english). Piggyback rides are also a common site. To that end I have a picture attached for emphasis of both piggyback rides and recess. More to come. So as you can see, elementary is definitely the most fun.
