After school
Sunday I had to work at the junior high because it was PTA day, so parents could come and observe us teaching their kids. I felt like a laboratory animal, but that's only because I don't like being watched while I do my job, which is why I've always liked teaching because you don't have people looking over your shoulder twenty-four seven while you do it. I mean, the kids are watching you, sure. I just don't like the sense of being "overseen". In any case, after the classes ended, the parents and teachers all went to the gymnasium for a big meeting and most of the kids went home, but I stuck around and talked to a few who stayed behind. Mostly they kept trying to get me to decide which was better, Japan or America, or which teachers were cuter, or which were meaner, or to tell them secrets about the other teachers, but I stood my ground. Well, it wasn't all of the students trying to pry information out of me, just Takayuki and his friend. Also I caught Shoki, the English genius, playing in some falling cherry blossoms with his friends. Shoki is in the center. He is always that happy somehow.
4 Comments:
That's what you get for teaching them comparatives.
Oh I wish Takayuki was using English when he was asking those questions.
Ah. Well, I'd say it was your fault for learning Japanese comparatives, then, if they weren't so easy.
Maybe if you started insisting they ask those questions in English it would give them an incentive?
I've done that before, tried to get kids like Takayuki to try his questions out in English, but it's like students anywhere. Some will do it, others won't, no matter how much they want to talk to me. I've tried various methods with Takayuki, even teaching him the slang and bad words he wants to know on occasion to get him more motivated, but he's like this with all of his classes, just doesn't try. And though he asked questions in Japanese, I answered in English, and he kept having to ask his friends, what did he say? what did he say? So I didn't go easy on him answering in Japanese at least. I've tried direct routes with him so far, with little success, so now I figure the best I can do is just be around him and speak English until he decides to try. I won't pretend like I don't understand him, but I won't answer in his language either. Hopefully he'll get tired of asking his friends what I said and start trying on his own one day. Or maybe he'll get tired of his friends calling him baka. Either could work maybe. hehe
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