A crazy day

Today felt crazy. I got more sleep, thank goodness. I made it to the bus just fine, made it to the school just fine, and I started on my work when I got there. It occurred to me that maybe the students would want a song list for my music lesson. It took me about 45 minutes to finish it (I made two on a B4 size piece of paper). It includes the genre, singer/band, and song name for the 38 songs on my list. Soon the bell rang and I was off to my first class.

I got to put my games into action! It was glorious fun! I loved it. I went around from group to group listening in and commenting. It was so much fun for me. I know a most of the students enjoyed it too. One group of girls was especially fun/funny. They kept cheering and clapping loudly. Every time I came by they were having so much fun. My heart was so full! Some groups finished very quickly (they played the game wrong or didn't play it at all maybe), so I had them switch groups. Then most of them went to sit with their friends and had even more fun (that's when that table of girls formed). It was so great for me. :D

The very next period I got to teach my music lesson. Kanako-sensei took the first little bit of class to return their exams and talk about them. It was fine, only I ran out of time during the listening portion! I ran out of time with maybe 7 songs left to play. Aargh! (And I was only playing 10-20 seconds of each one.) In any case, it was hard to be cut off, but I think the students REALLY enjoyed the lesson. They definitely loved the read and run! Kanako-sensei and I were cracking up over their antics. Some were calmly playing (one partner reads the sentences and runs back to tell their partner who writes them down, then they switch). Others, like this one group of boys who LOVE me, were fighting and sabotaging one another. I was cracking up. They are so funny! I have the best students!

The very last lesson of the day was a class where my lesson was to help them make a summary. I scaffolded as much as I could but then found out this was their first exposure to the chapter. My worksheet had a crossword puzzle at the top with 10 words in kanji (well one was katakana). I pulled out the words they would HAVE to know to understand the chapter. Then I made very simple questions that once answered (assuming they used complete sentences) could be strung together to form a summary. Oikawa-sensei told me after I handed out the worksheet that this was their first exposure to the lesson. Oh boy. I wasn't sure what to do to help them. So I went around and pointed out paragraphs where the answers could be found and wrote hints on the board. I was like, "Oh first time? Oh ok..." *mind racing trying to figure out how to help my students* Without knowing that much Japanese though...I was hosed! I couldn't even read the crossword clues since they were in kanji! In any case, probably half the class finished the crossword so I had us check it. One student who was given the chalk to write an answer on the board didn't have the answer. I handed him my paper and acted like it wasn't a big deal. I hope that I am fostering a classroom where they feel like it's ok to ask me for help and that they don't have to be perfect. I just want them to participate and try (and have a blast - that's not asking too much, right?). In any case, I had a game to check the answers for the question portion and I was thinking we'd have all this time leftover. Nope. They didn't even finish the questions. However, the atmosphere of the class wasn't one of frustration for which I feel very blessed (mmm). And I made sure with Oikawa-sensei after class. "Was the worksheet too hard?" "No, no. It was good. Good job." :D Also, I had less time during that class because he too had passed back their exam and gone over the answers.

In between classes I worked hard and just felt very accomplished. It's good to be teaching again! It was nice to have some days only for preparation but once I was caught up it was torture! Plus the reason I teach is because I love seeing the students GET it. And I can't do that sitting at my desk planning my lessons! Of course, that's a key element but it's only the beginning. I'm hoping my lessons go over well tomorrow. The SLPs I get make it sound like they didn't like my lessons before and I'm not sure if it's a problem with me or what. :/ I'm just trying to do my best and really think about and plan for my Deaf students. I'm very excited! Tomorrow I will be teaching Mai again and it's her birthday. I had some extra time today so I made her a card. It has the freakiest looking frog ever on the cover. You know how when you draw something and it doesn't look right? You think, "Oh I should just add THIS and then it will look right." I kept this "THIS"ing it and it turned out ... weird. I hope she will find it charming. I didn't mean to make it freaky!

After my last class I helped to clean and then worked on that card and some odds and ends until it was time to go. I got my things together, said my "Otsukaresama deshita"s, did my bows, and left. Once I got on the bus I was BURSTING with energy. Today was sweltering. I wore my long blue skirt so it afforded my legs breathing space and the students had the windows open in their classrooms and there was a great breeze (mmm), but it was still just hot and sticky. I did well (thanks to my Father in Heaven I know), but the bus had A/C. I'm like a reverse plant. They perk up in the sunshine and I droop. Once the sun goes down though, I feel like I'm full of pogo sticks that need bouncing!! And I acted like it!

When I got home I had planned on going to the store after dark (since though it was cooling down it had been a very humid and hot day), but upon my arrival I found TONS of ants. There were maybe 25 giant ants in my place but it felt to me like 500. I wanted to cry. I quickly tried to sweep them outside and they just kept rushing back in. My place was ICKY. It was like the inside of a crock pot. So I put on my dehumidifier and quickly biked to the store (after changing into shorts and a t-shirt). My mom suggested cinnamon, and it was on my shopping list - so I decided I needed it NOW. I rode my bike to the grocery store, grabbed the cinnamon, some popcorn, an instant spicy instant ramen cup (since I knew I wasn't going to want to do a ton of cooking in the heat), and some alfajores (they call them "pies" here, but that's what they are!) for M's birthday treat (I also prepared paper with "Happy Birthday M" written on it that we're going to fold into origami birthday hats - and the writing will show on both sides of the hats :D). I have big, big plans you see! Well, for all my classes - I LOVE teaching at the Deaf school. I also LOVE teaching at Morioka Minami. My students are the best!

In any case, I rode home quickly and though I was pouring sweat when I got home, I opened my cinnamon right there (I had a moment where I wasn't sure I had brought it home since I didn't remember bagging it but it was there - mmm), and put a generous amount in my entry. Because of my intense fear of insects I felt like it would be too much to hope it worked perfectly but thus far it has! OH HAPPY DAY! And now my kitchen smells like cinnamon - which is a great smell, but if it keeps away insects, smells like heaven to me! HUGE THANKS to my mom who told me about it! Gros bisous!! (mmm!) After I did that I quickly hurried into my bedroom (where the dehumidifier was running) and it was like finding an oasis in the dessert. It was beautifully cool. I went back to the kitchen (which felt like a jungle after the cool) and put some water on to boil for my dinner. Thank goodness I bought that instant noodle cup (mmm). It kept me out of the kitchen almost entirely. I ate my dinner while I read a little, then I started passing out on my bed. I still had worksheets to print, a picture to find, and this entry to write so I dragged myself out of bed and here I am. I'm a little more awake now but my eyelids still feel so heavy right now. I will gladly get ready for bed and crash.

Oh! One snag for today: I got a notice that my package my mom sent me got here (YAY!), but I don't know how to get it since the post office closes at 15h00. :( I'm going to ask the teachers tomorrow if the post office will deliver later and if they won't I'm not sure what I will do. Well, I will go to the elders or my work office and ask them to pick it up for me. I want my package! It's my first thing I've gotten from home! I WANT IT! GIMME GIMME GIMME!!! :) Hopefully it will be easily settled. In any case, hope you have a great whenever! XOXO, A

Funny moment:

I made my first graders laugh today. Before I gave out the game boards and dice I told them to be careful with the dice (as I had made them from paper so they would only go up to 3 and the students would land on more squares and the game would take longer). I said, "Don't squash my dice!" And made a squelching sound as I clapped my hands together. I was being entirely serious but they loved it. I had to smile after that, but I was followed it with, "Seriously though..." :)

(Oh and PS, I don't know if it matters to anyone, but I've been off in my counting of how long I have been here. I was one day short. So I would have said previously that I have been in Japan for 83 days but it's actually 84. So ya... 84 days! Crazy!)