The Past Week Has Been...

So the past week has been very busy. It is hard to remember everything that I have done but it has been quite the tornado of events.

This week I had seminar in Kyoto city to present my self-introduction lesson to the other Assistant English Teachers, returners and newbies. This seminar was the most useful orientation that i have had yet. There was a wealth of information and many different types of lessons ripe for pilfering. I planned a 45-50 minute lesson for this seminar and for my first class on Monday, August 25th. I was able to get good advice from many different people so I am confident that my lesson will not explode in my face. I plan on doing a 10minute introduction with pictures, props...poorly drawn flags, and lots of awkward faces. Then follow up with an interview/multiple choice quiz about my introduction. Then i plan on doing a question and answer ranken (rock paper scissors) game.

after i presented this lesson to my Oral Communication II teacher she said it was great and should work out well, but you have this class for another 50minute period immediately after the first period. you should probably make a lesson for that class period too. So i ran back to my computer and popped out a beautiful idea for me to get to know the students. I plan on putting 4 signs up around the room (I like, I do not like, I love, I hate) and making the students walk to which ever corner best represents how they feel about a particular activity; such as, swimming, eating sushi, bugs, etc. Then i plan on asking some students why they feel the way they do. Hopefully this will help open the students up as well as get them moving in the class room. I only have about 8 students in this class so i intend to also play 2 truths and a lie to get the class talking and listening. my main aim is to learn all of their names and 1 fact about them by the end of the first class. we shall see.

on a social note, TJ, my buddy from LMU, came down to Kyoto with two of his AET friends from Kanazawa. We had a fun time but it was unfortunately a busy week for me so i was unable to hang out as much as i would have liked. Last nights nomihodai(all you can drink) karaoke was a good way to close out his visit.

Life is starting to get busier by the day. I am glad that i am being asked to plan lessons and be active during the day, i was starting to get pretty bored at the office. I also learned that i will only plan 9 lessons this whole semester for my OCI class here at Rakuto. I am heading out to Todo high school tomorrow for the first time on my own, so I will be writing about that experience probably tomorrow. I heard that i will likely have to teach 3 periods per day. Hopefully i can get away with doing my introduction lesson for like all of september.
-Gio