Spring is upon us.
(This was published on our old site in March 2015.)
At the entrance of our classroom in Kasahara is a plum tree. Our landlady skillfully prunes it every year.
Undaunted, lithe new branches have reappeared soon to be dusted by a delicate pink, cream and mustard blossom.
Many students admire and comment on the tree’s beauty.
Welcome back.
Dice race game.
(This was published on our old site in January 2013.)
Well, quick to set up, and if the students need a rapid review of varied Q&A patterns, an effective activity. All you need is a target page of pictures, a dice, a clear file, one color marker pen per team and an eraser.
Users of the New Finding Out series will recognise the Home book in the photo. For those who don't know it is used for written practice, and each unit generally finishes with three groups of 6-8 pictures. Sets of pictures practice a particular Q&A pattern. In the photo these are:
What does (s/he) do?
What is it?
What can (s/he/it) do?
Before the game starts I cover the page with a clear file so that teams can write numbers 1~6 with a marker pen over the top of selected pictures. I sometimes do this stage myself to save time. Or you can use colored, numbered chips as in the photo.
The first player rolls the dice and answers a question, (for that color-number-picture) which is posed by the next player on the other team. Having answered, the first player erases that number and play passes to the student who just asked a question. If a student throws a number which has already been erased they get one more throw of the dice. If they still fail to throw one of their team's remaining numbers play passes to the other team. As the numbers are erased this second-chance rule becomes more and more likely and the excitement of the players increases with it.
The game finishes when one team has erased all their numbers.
‘Cool biz’ for teachers.
(This post was published on our old site in July 2012.)
'Cool biz' (business) has been a recurring theme over the last few summers in Japan. As daily temperatures regularly hit the high 30's and there seemed to be little respite even after the sun went down, people tried to think of ways to avoid heat exhaustion.
At home, nets supporting creeping plants were suspended outside windows to deflect the fierce glare of the sun. The nets are known as 'green curtains'. Morning Glory is a popular choice of plant, as is goya, which is a staple part of the diet in Okinawa.
At work, office staff were encouraged to wear loose cotton clothes. Ties could be left in the closet. Open necked shirts and short sleeves, and in some cases even shorts are acceptable attire.
Promoting 'Cool biz' took on a renewed significance after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. With nuclear power stations shut down there was a pressing need for everyone to save energy by reducing the use of air conditioning.
Recently, the topic of appropriate dress codes for teachers was raised on one of the email discussion groups I belong to. One teacher wanted to know if others considered shorts to be acceptable in the classroom. Having sweated my way through more than twenty Japanese summers and never taught a class in shorts, I was prepared to chip in on the side favouring a more formal approach.
Odd then that just before I found time to type a reply, I had a kindergarten class where we were all sitting on the carpet around a low table. Even though the windows were wide open there was little breeze and the room was getting stuffy. As I shifted position a 10cm horizontal rip appeared in my trousers just above the left knee. I almost had an instant pair of shorts, if a little lopsided.
Luckily, the children were cool about it.