My school participated in a Speech contest this Saturday. The contest was a constant source of stress for me, for about the past 3 weeks. I've been spending LOT's of time helping the four students who joined. My school has NEVER had ANYONE attempt something like a speech contest. And though teachers had participated in contests before in their previous schools, this contest was unique. It was made very easy, as kids did not have to memorize their speech or even make it. So no one really could help me.
I made the speeches for them, then recorded my voice, then trained them, then made it easier for them, then re-recorded my voice and trained more and then more. All told I think I spent at least 40 hours NON WORK HOURS on this, not including taking my Saturday off to join them.
In the end one of my students won second place. And the winner of the first place was a college student, from the college that put the contest on, and her teacher was a judge. So I was a bit bitter she didn't get first. But everyone assured me that in the back its ALL politics.
Still, I was happy that all my work in a way paid off. Also in the hall ways I ran into a third year students I hadn't seen in a long time. She is well known to me, I met her last year as a second year when she HATED English. She was the captain of the first club I joined so I often talked to her. But her English WAS so bad, she could not even answer me "What is your name" She couldn't even spell her own name right. But I talked to her a lot, and worked hard to make English fun for her whenever I went to the club.
In the end she really came to enjoy English, and even joined the intensive English course I taught. Due to business and (the teacher who heads the class not liking me =/) I havn't seen her. But in that class I got to know that she was just going to some crappy 2 year college, and then just getting a job. I always told her she could do better. And when I saw her she not only told me "long time no see" (I TAUGHT HER THAT!) but also that she was going to try for Fukuoka College. A proper four year one. I almost cried, I thought wow I am making a difference, not just making their English better, changing lives.
I know I am not the only factor, in fact I may have just been a small factor but I KNOW I somehow played a part in it. In fact it was the first thing she told me, I know she told me it because I always told her "Why not a four year college"
It almost made me think I want to stay another year. But, honestly I have been really busy and my school has not been so forgiving. I have been spending a lot of after school time helping the kids, and taking time off my weekend, but when I desperately needed to go to the doctor they refused to let me take off without taking paid leave. I have very limited paid leave and do not want to use it. So though I really needed to go, I still have not went....
Also a close personal friend died recently, and I guess it's my own fault I don't want to break down and tell the other teachers this. I just suck it up and teach my classes with this smile, then helped the speech kids.
The speech is finally over and I now feel I can relax. I debated starting an English club with the girls who did the speech contest but that would take so much more work due to scheduling.
I am happy I am finally starting to make a difference, but I don't know if it's enough..........
2007年10月22日月曜日
2007年10月12日金曜日
Kana is a funny name for a guy......
Funny stories ahead. A lot has happened recently good and bad, but we're just going to pretend they didn't happy as they are not blog friendly....as in they are long and ranty and I am tired of rants.
Today after almost 2 weeks of not talking to students I climbed a mountain with them. It's normally a monthly ritual but due to meetings and me not being here for whatever such reason I havn't climbed the mountain in awhile.
So it took a smidge to get into the groove. I decided to climb with a class who is rather genki in my classes, oddly I got stuck between two really quiet girls and two really loud girls, somehow this lead to no conversation happening.
After about 15 minutes of not talking I was getting tired of not talking, the kids generally won't talk to me unless I initiate it and I normally do. For some reason it felt weird to suddenly start talking when I hadn't for so long. Ah shame you are the ban of teachers.
finally I told to the two insanely quiet girls, who literally walk in step together and are clearly good friends, yet had failed to say a word to one another in the entire trip "are you always so quiet?" Of course they dont understand this, its rather a complex phrase. So I say the understandable, "no talking?" and they understand. They don't respond to this though, they just laugh and smile to one another. So I think, telepathy? So i ask, "Do you use telepathy?" And they respond, "oh yes, telepathy!" Telepathy sounds hard but I used these words on purpose, because I know in Japanese the word is "telepathy"
Right after this short interlude they once again go into silent mode. They are a freaky pair, they never talk, even to one another yet they are attached by the hip to one another. I swear when they walk, they walk at the exact same pace! It's creepy, its like they march to one another beat, literally. Good for them.
Anyhow eventually I get two girls to talk to me. I talk to them about music, and whatever they can understand, and eventually it lands up on their club. Clubs in my school are hard core and they are always a source of conversation.
It later breaks into favorite music, then actors, then of course the boys they like. The other never fail subject. I know a lot of people in their club since I used to visit the club all the time, also thanks to my memory I remember a lot of their names, and them.
So they start talking about upperclassmen they like. And honestly in their club the guys arn't that hot. But, they go on about so and so, who has a nice smile, and so and so who is good at kyudo, etc. Finnally one girl goes, "I love kana sempai" And I think...which boy had the name kana? Then she says the last name and I realize, oh the girl?!
"Kana, in 2-2 kumi" and she agrees with a " I love, I love" So the other girl chimes in, "No, No, 2-5 kana is cute! I love insert last name here-> kana" And then it becomes a bizzaro engrish argument about which kana is made out of more love. In the end they agree "both are cute" of course by this time the English has stopped and I just know this by listening to their Japanese.
Does this mean they are lesbians.....no, not at all in fact. In Japan, its just so normal to one second be talking about the guys you love, and then talk about the girls you love and find cute. Oh Japan, your so silly.
Also, jersey sounds like Georgie to ALL my students. Hilarious as the Japanese word for jersey is Ja-ji, so how does jer-z sound MORE like georgie? Oh well. Silliness as always.
Today after almost 2 weeks of not talking to students I climbed a mountain with them. It's normally a monthly ritual but due to meetings and me not being here for whatever such reason I havn't climbed the mountain in awhile.
So it took a smidge to get into the groove. I decided to climb with a class who is rather genki in my classes, oddly I got stuck between two really quiet girls and two really loud girls, somehow this lead to no conversation happening.
After about 15 minutes of not talking I was getting tired of not talking, the kids generally won't talk to me unless I initiate it and I normally do. For some reason it felt weird to suddenly start talking when I hadn't for so long. Ah shame you are the ban of teachers.
finally I told to the two insanely quiet girls, who literally walk in step together and are clearly good friends, yet had failed to say a word to one another in the entire trip "are you always so quiet?" Of course they dont understand this, its rather a complex phrase. So I say the understandable, "no talking?" and they understand. They don't respond to this though, they just laugh and smile to one another. So I think, telepathy? So i ask, "Do you use telepathy?" And they respond, "oh yes, telepathy!" Telepathy sounds hard but I used these words on purpose, because I know in Japanese the word is "telepathy"
Right after this short interlude they once again go into silent mode. They are a freaky pair, they never talk, even to one another yet they are attached by the hip to one another. I swear when they walk, they walk at the exact same pace! It's creepy, its like they march to one another beat, literally. Good for them.
Anyhow eventually I get two girls to talk to me. I talk to them about music, and whatever they can understand, and eventually it lands up on their club. Clubs in my school are hard core and they are always a source of conversation.
It later breaks into favorite music, then actors, then of course the boys they like. The other never fail subject. I know a lot of people in their club since I used to visit the club all the time, also thanks to my memory I remember a lot of their names, and them.
So they start talking about upperclassmen they like. And honestly in their club the guys arn't that hot. But, they go on about so and so, who has a nice smile, and so and so who is good at kyudo, etc. Finnally one girl goes, "I love kana sempai" And I think...which boy had the name kana? Then she says the last name and I realize, oh the girl?!
"Kana, in 2-2 kumi" and she agrees with a " I love, I love" So the other girl chimes in, "No, No, 2-5 kana is cute! I love insert last name here-> kana" And then it becomes a bizzaro engrish argument about which kana is made out of more love. In the end they agree "both are cute" of course by this time the English has stopped and I just know this by listening to their Japanese.
Does this mean they are lesbians.....no, not at all in fact. In Japan, its just so normal to one second be talking about the guys you love, and then talk about the girls you love and find cute. Oh Japan, your so silly.
Also, jersey sounds like Georgie to ALL my students. Hilarious as the Japanese word for jersey is Ja-ji, so how does jer-z sound MORE like georgie? Oh well. Silliness as always.
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