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Actually there have been many, many precious moments with students in 2009. But, perhaps this one was a little extra special because it happened on Christmas.
While growing up I never attended school on December 25th. I was fortunate to have always had the day off and several surrounding days even after I began to work full time. In Japan, Christmas doesn’t hold the same status as in America. Here, New Year’s is the big traditional holiday for time spent with family and friends. And so again in Japan I worked this year on December 25th. In the morning, however, we did play some Christmas music, opened a few presents, and ate a nice breakfast before rushing off for the day.
As you might imagine, students are pretty busy when they arrive for class. Everyone exchanges greetings and does a little small talk. They turn in their homework books, printed homework and notebooks. They pick up completed homework from the prior week and any new assignments. Most of them check in a borrowed book, find another and check it out to take home. But on Christmas day, after all the hustle and bustle, one student reached out for my hand, pulled twice gently and said with a sparkle, “Today is Jesus was born!”
Knowing that she is a person of faith, I pulled out my Thomas Kinkade Christmas story book, “Away in a Manager,” to read/sing with her. For the first few bars she was quiet and simply listened. I realized maybe she didn’t know she could join in so I asked her, “Do you know this song? Do you want to sing with me?” And, she did! So, we sat together on Christmas Day, at the table near the school Christmas tree, and sang all the verses together in perfect unison. It was a bit surreal and I was very surprised that she could sing all the words. When we finished I asked her where she learned the song and she said she remembered it from her Christmas Wee Sing CD that she bought last year.
What a special child! I always enjoy our classes together but especially on Christmas day I felt extra blessed. My heart was full. How wonderful for us to share that precious moment of song together! --A song about the precious, holy Christmas child!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Michelle |
And I’m still smiling… As you may know, our 2009 Halloween party theme was Creatures in Space. I often try to incorporate and highlight certain aspects of student’s regular studies into our party themes. For many students, recent regular studies included much discussion of animals. Student’s practiced describing what they look like, what they eat, what they can do, where they live and so forth. For several weeks leading up to the Halloween event, these students drew upon their knowledge of animals and used this information to create their own creatures or aliens, if you will. They drew pictures of aliens and wrote detailed descriptions about them in English.
Older groups of students were studying about space from a different angle and giving oral book reports. As part of their book introductions I encouraged them to say, “This book is about…” A day before the party, I was greeting a class of 6th graders and thought it a great chance to recycle some newer language. A student asked me “What have you been doing?” I answered, “I have been decorating and talking about aliens.” The student replied, “Did you enjoy talking to aliens?”
Doo doo doo doo… Spooky!
- Michelle
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2009年10月17日 The Magic Key （生徒主体の能動的授業） |
Most teachers of EFL to young children probably agree that a great deal of quality, carefully measured language input is needed. Children need time to listen before they speak. They need much exposure to the sounds, rhythm and intonation of English and time to decipher the meanings of these sounds. This is normal. But occasionally, something happens that surprises me and goes beyond my expectations. At times I think I am observing special speaking talent, something magical.
This week during a kindergarten class one of my goals was to help the students review and expand their working knowledge of body vocabulary. This is a class comprised mostly of 1st-year students. I wanted to start with something I thought they would remember so I smiled and asked, “Can you touch your head?” and they quickly touched their heads. Then, I asked, “Can you touch your…” and while I was thinking a student volunteered, “eyes?” I smiled brighter and we all gently touched our eyes. I continued, “Can you touch your….” “chin?” said another student. Then another student offered, “Can oo touch ur arm?” Others began to follow and together did their best to say the whole question while brainstorming body parts.
To tell the truth, I never expected these young students to go that far with this simple activity. Their decision and effort to use complete sentences went far beyond my expectations. What I thought would comprise 10 seconds before singing a song, turned into two minutes of student-driven English practice. It was spectacular to stand amongst them and to see them actively engaged and eager to express themselves. Now, I have to wonder; is this really special speaking talent? Or, is it something else? What is the magic key? Perhaps it’s less of me.
-Michelle |
Today something extra special happened right before classes began. As many of you know, greetings are very important at Clear Skies. We like to practice greetings often. Every few months we learn a new way to extend our conversations when greeting. Let me tell you about an Amazing Greeting.
In today’s first class, we have recently been concentrating on telling each other more than one thing we have been doing. For example, one student asks, “What have you been doing?” The other answers, “I have been studying AND swimming.” Then, our conversation partner usually asks a follow up question about one of those things, either studying or swimming. In this situation, a follow up question would most often be, “Did you enjoy swimming?” because swimming was mentioned last and therefore it would be the easiest to remember. Finally, the second student answers in truth, “Yes, I did.” or “No, I didn’t.”
Today, while greeting my eight-year-old 2nd-year students, one of them asked me, “What have you been doing?” I quickly answered, “I have been eating lunch and drinking tea.” She said, “Once more please.” I thought she would ask a follow up question like, “Did you enjoy drinking tea?” But, instead, she asked, “Did you enjoy eating and drinking?” I answered, “Yes, I did!” I was very impressed that she was able to identify and isolate BOTH verbs in my long sentence and then use them on her own to ask me a meaningful follow up question. THAT was my very happy teaching moment today!
-Michelle
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Every day that I work with students there are happy teaching moments. But sometimes something extra special happens—something truly unforgettable. Let me tell you a story. I call it, "Improvement and Joy."
This story starts several years ago with a new group of kindergarten students. More often than not, during the first few lessons students are a bit quiet and shy. One student in this group was especially shy. So shy, in fact, that she cried throughout most of the lessons during the first several months. Her mother and I did our best. I would smile at her constantly and encourage her to join us as often as possible while her mother sat nearby to encourage her and help her feel safe. After much cooperation, encouragement, and patience, my new little student slowly gained the confidence she needed to join in and participate without her mother present.
It has been four years since that innately quiet and shy student joined our classes at Clear Skies. Recently, she and others in her class each decided that it was time to start checking out library books for extra reading practice and independent English study. Students often read to each other in pairs at the beginning of class and ask questions about their stories.
The other day, this student was unavoidably late and could not read to a partner. After she arrived, I asked her if she would like to read her book to us and she said, “Yes.” I was secretly thrilled! So, we all went to the carpet area in order to listen and see the pages better. In wonder and awe, I watched with joy as I realized that this student who had cried often out of fear and shyness just four years earlier, was now confidently reading a 15-page book (in English!) to a group of her peers and teacher. What a privilege to watch her grow!
That moment was not just another happy teaching moment, but a truly unforgettable one!
-Michelle
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