The Washibe Worldwide Breakfast Show

Fri, 16 May 2003 07:40:05 GMT

My year's subscription to Radio is close to expiring now, and I've decided not to renew. Radio is slow on my iBook, and I find that Movable Type offers me more functionality and flexibility.
The Breakfast Show is therefore reborn as The Mikan Chronicles, with a sister site Mikan Moblog.
Yoroshiku for the new sites!

Tue, 22 Apr 2003 08:29:33 GMT

What I did today

Today, I...

Taught three lessons in Miyanohara Elementary School;
Got a haircut (I'm sure it's not straight at the back!);
Got home to find the takkyubin man waiting with a parcel for me... and realised that I didn't have any money to pay the customs charges;

Tue, 22 Apr 2003 08:27:22 GMT

My lessons in Miyanohara didn't go badly today. With the firsts and seconds, I played 'Cat, cat, dog', and then started to introduce some words for 'Simon Says'. The first years did quite well, even though it was their first lesson with me, although two or three of them seemed still to be under the impression that they didn't have to bother to listen, that everything would be explained to them individually.
I had lunch with the third years, and then after lunch took the thirds and fourths. We played the ladder game using numbers and shapes; the children didn't have any problems, but they didn't seem to enjoy the game as much as I had expected they would. Normally when I play this game, the gym turns into something very close to a riot, but this time the whole group was somehow reserved.
The final lesson was with the fifths and sixths, and this lesson, despite my holding it in the library, did seem to come close to riot status. I did the lesson about continents and countries, and it went well- there was plenty of opportunity to joke with the children (especially given some of their suggestions for the names of the continents), and I'm sure they enjoyed the lesson. There's a fine line between having a good time and getting out of hand, though, and looking back I'm not quite sure on which side of the line this lesson fell.

Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:23:20 GMT

What I did today

Today, I...

Taught two lessons in Ozu Elementary School;
Taught two lessons in Tsukumo Elementary School;
Chaired the (remarkably trouble-free!) AGM of the International Club;
Went with some of the members for a drink in Hibiki, until 11.30.

Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:16:34 GMT

My first visit of the term to Ozu Elementary School went fine. I took the firsts, thirds and fourths for the first lesson, and we looked at greetings, days of the week, and saying your name. The first years coped well, I thought; I'm not so sure about the fourths, though. In particular, the two girls in the fourth year (and when there are only three children in the year, two of them is a significant proportion!) seem entirely disinterested.
With the fifth and sixth years, I did my lesson about continents and countries, and the children did well; they were eager, and came up with sensible answers. When the children are interested in and positive about a lesson, then a small class is good; when they aren't prepared to cooperate, though, 45 minutes with a small class can feel like a waste of time.

Mon, 21 Apr 2003 08:11:23 GMT

After lunch (if fifteen minutes back at the office can be called lunch), I went to Tsukumo Elementary School. With the first and second years, we did simple greetings; most of the children did well. Some of them, though, especially the first years, hadn't quite settled down. I was particularly irritiated by two girls who decided that swapping stickers was more interesting than paying attention to my lesson (it was, quite possibly, but that's beside the point); I ended up confiscating the offending stickers. I'd prefer that the Japanese teachers act if there are discipline problems; but if they show no signs of dealing with a problem, I'm more than prepared to act myself.
With the thirds to sixths, meanwhile, I did basically the same lesson, but added to it phrases for asking someone's name, age and address, and for telling your own. I suppose it's something that could be said of any lesson in any school, but there were some children who worked hard, some who didn't bother; some who did well, some who probably took nothing away from the lesson. Generally, though, it was a good class; the upper years in Tsukumo are normally at least moderately eager no matter what we do.

Sun, 20 Apr 2003 12:13:03 GMT

Sun, 20 Apr 2003 12:12:21 GMT

Sun, 20 Apr 2003 12:11:51 GMT

Sat, 19 Apr 2003 12:09:38 GMT

Sat, 19 Apr 2003 12:09:05 GMT

Sat, 19 Apr 2003 12:08:30 GMT

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:07:56 GMT

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:07:26 GMT

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:06:53 GMT

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 12:06:15 GMT

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 12:05:46 GMT

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 12:05:16 GMT