12.18.09

I feel like I did it today.
Somehow I dragged my sorry ass out of bed with all of my might. I was still twenty minutes later than my alarm so I ended up biking to the bus despite the snow and ice. It wasn't so bad, though I had no brakes.

School went really amazing, actually. I was disappointed I couldn't get a meeting period with the teachers to discuss the lesson structure, but both of the sixth grade teachers completely went hands-off. The first never even came up to the front of class after we'd gotten started. It was a lesson I've done before with other teachers and done myself, and I knew a few tricks. It was like magic. Somehow, everything I tried went over well. The kids seemed to really enjoy it. And I did it successfully not just once, but twice. The first class teacher complimented how much fun everyone was having, and joined in the picture drawing game at the end himself. I certainly enjoyed myself. It was awesome.
Third period I spent with the special education kids. They were especially warm and friendly, and aside from the adults being all Japanese about everything (that's one part of Japanese culture I have problems with- if someone doesn't seem to be able to do something themselves, an adult will quickly step in and force them to do it by taking their hands or pulling them around, or will say things for them so they don't use their own power. I don't think this benefits those with disabilities with all... I would think it would be better to give them more time and space and be flexible and adjust lessons to be enjoyable for the kids in their own way, rather than trying to force them to do things as normal). Some of the kids actually had a pretty high level. I kind of like special education because they're off in their own worlds a lot of the time, and their worlds are quite a bit more interesting than reality.

Anyway fifth was a downer since I found out the teacher is one of those "Please don't speak English because you are scaring the children and they can't do it (aka: you're scaring ME and I can't do it)" people. He told me to make sure and speak Japanese and English, and not to use any vocabulary not in the textbook. The English he had written up and wanted us to repeat a thousand times without mirth was just robotic ("Hello Taro. How are you?" - seriously, Taro was written in there. Come on, dude.) and when I tried to do あいさつ as normal in every other class in every other school, he took me out of class to remind me of my place as assistant. Sigh. I had a moment of victory during the key word game (probably the most popular and successful single activity we ever do- even Misaki, who seems a bit down and out lately, was waving her hands in the air in success when she won). He asked me instead of just saying the words at random to point to them as I said them. I told him that would be awfully hard. The best way to make the game challenging is to be quick, random, and try to throw them off by changing intonation and choosing similar sounding words. But he wanted to make sure they knew which word went with which card. Considering the kids could correctly name them before I even taught the words, I thought this was a bit condescending. Anyway, he decided if I, his lousy assistant, wouldn't, then he would take control and see class done right. So he would point at the card and I would say it, trying to keep up with him. This resulted in the class shouting him down saying it was too easy.
I have a small, smug grin inside.

Best part of the day. I left the school to walk to the bus stop and all the kids were going home the same way. So we walked quite a ways together, them mostly walking backwards to talk to me and joking about falling and dying. I said a lot of "Be careful" and "Don't die". It's bad but they're probably going to learn "Don't die" before "I have two brothers". Oh well. They thought the idea of trying to catch snow on one's tongue was silly. One of the little girls in the kid's choir wants me to come on the 21st. I don't think I'll be able to since I made plans... I should make her a christmas present.
We walked together, sometimes holding hands, until I parted to go to the bus stop. They waved and shouted goodbye.
Several minutes later, waiting at the stop, feeling all pleased with myself and standing in the lightly drifting snow, another group of kids were gathering on the walkway above the road. I waited, watching them, not sure if they'd react to me. When most of them were gathered towards the middle, just waiting, they started waving and shouted my name. I waved back and said Hello. They shouted Hello. I said "Be Careful" and they said, "Hai?" and I said, "Kiotsukete ne!" and they all laughed and said "Hai!". An old woman had been waiting to cross the street before all this, kind of giving me the same cold distrusting vibe I usually get in public, but waving and shouting to all the kids, she was smiling warmly when she passed.
The kids crossed the overhead walkway and were waiting at the light, waving to me madly. The crossing guard said something to them and they all came running across the crosswalk to me, one of them plowing right into me to collect a big hug. I was pretty surprised since Japanese kids don't hug very much- most of them, I didn't think they knew how. They piled around me and we twittered back and forth a bit in excitement (one girl showed me a rather elaborate crocheted scarf she said she made) until the light started blinking. They headed home, waving back to me until two or three blocks away.

My last nice treat waiting at the bus stop was quite a surprise. The daughter of one of the altos in my choir group apparently goes to the middle school near higashisho. I saw her from across the street and after she crossed we talked a while. I asked her how school was and she told me she wanted to sleep, especially in 5th period since the teacher is repetitious and longwinded (くどい- my new word for the day). She said once she'd fallen pretty badly near where we were talking because her legs got too cold. I guess her brother came home last week. But right after she told me this my bus came and i had to run to catch it. Still, I like that girl. She's big and has a great smile and is honest and open with me.

Other new word for the day- the 5th graders at lunch asked if I believed in ghosts or wormholes and they taught me げんしょう- Phenomenon.
Kids are funny.