Chilling out - November in pictures

Creaky cranky old man

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Fell asleep with my 4 year old son last night, and woke at 3:30 ready for work & thinking plans for day. Nodded off again to awake overtired at 8, with those excellent ideas shot!

Stiff back a legacy of sleeping scrunched up against the side of a hard bed without a pillow, which made running around the playground on a very windy morning somewhat onerous. Creak creak. Red noses prevalent, as winter clearly closing in. Despite being collectively cute, the Green class girls all want picking up all the time, competitively so, noisily and relentlessly. Decided I was not going to do today, cue pouts and choruses of 'not fair'.  

As today is the last Friday of the month, library detail. Each child borrows a book to take home. Remarkable number of these children's books feature body functions of animals or people which I think would not feature in English books. Prudery or prudence? Personally, would rather not read a book to kids (or myself!) starring a dog dropping unwanted bombs everywhere.

I gave 'What do u want 4 Xmas' song a run out, and it met mild amusement & participation

K-Sensei better at this than one or two others, and she does keep things under control. When she is paying attention. The climbing stuff in her 'not paying attention time' another issue - which I solved today by making angels to avoid arsegroping. There was great excitement at cleaning...dirty rags to run up & down the wooden floors on all-fours. I do not have a problem with children cleaning up after themselves - think they must, and appreciate bigger jobs that are keeping the whole building clean - but I do not think they should have to do this instead of the school being properly cleaned regularly. There is no such job as 'caretaker' in schools here.

Noticed one or two boys trying to copy my footballing style, others keeping the ball. Frustrating when one hoofs if as far as possible in the opposite direction to the game everyone else is enjoying, folks drift off as interest wanes or falling leaves (pre-swept up!) attact their attention. Another greedy dribbler never passes but tries to shoot very hard from point blank; another couple of lads always pick the ball up and claim to own it. Whinge of the day!

This marks 3 months; half way there?

Those birthday memories - on video

Smile - a lot, please!

Lights, cameras, action!

Today is Birthday Day, for those who have had a tanjobi in November. I was pushed in front of everyone as the "special guest" and followed my scripted instructions! The children performed a song as video cameras scooped up memories for proud mummies.

After the big assembly & performance, retreat to classrooms where the home teachers run through a production for an hour or so, entertaining students and including mums. Today, A Sensei doing liars game (but the truth!) interviewing the Novemberists. Today's mums happy to join in and have fun. Sitting at the back, I wasn't half wondering home come one of the boys being celebrated could be such an annoying little rascal when mummy is obviously very nice indeed. Can't ever tell how these things work out!

South wind doth blow

Run - the sky is falling!

Waiting for a comet - travelling at thousands of miles a minute to a rendez-vous with the sun in about two weeks - which should be visible to the naked eye soon

 

Having had the last two days off, I  spent the precious time catching up at my 'real job' and was actually productive! Translation job found, sourced & proofed.

 

The first Xmas song today was rolled out today, along with a "be good" message! All about the big red guy from now on, this month I think.

Making Santas

Southpaws & scissor frustrations, I noticed, not noticed or helped with. Maybe ignoring lefties and their mini-frustrations so that they de facto switch hands?

Mini Santas made by my cohorts, & I tried to remember how to make something out of a paper plate - prototype angel pinned to the wall - small, sad, & lonely!

Decided to make myself unavailable for climbing frame duties today, and went rummaging from cardboard boxes. Remembered how to make a Dangly Santa but lost bits to the wind when I put them outside in the sun to dry quickly/be un-fingered. Miwa sensei asked nicely first for him to adorn her red classroom, so up he went to popular acclaim. I actually made something nice?!

A Dangly Santa

With the Christmas season now very much on the horizon, I need to find some crafty ideas as well as download a bunch of tunes - Super Simple Songs solution.

Winter winds, red cheeks & snot noses

So cold this morning that the gates were closed early and everyone confined to the inner courtyard; down jackets de rigur and tissues/handkerchiefs somewhat optional extras!

Made very welcome this morning in the pink classroom, and invited to start the morning off with our "hello" song, cheerfully followed by about eight tunes with her plonking away merrily on the piano, mega-smile encouraging everyone along & infecting with happiness. Result of I-sensei being super chirpy is that the whole class is well-behaved - even covering mouths when coughing; 8 classmates absent with wheezes today nevertheless.

The younger teachers again making sure I know where the bonenkai will be (thank you!) and I'm looking forward to seeing how this lot look off-duty. I really do not want to have to give a speech though...please don't make me do that?

Horror moment in the main hall, as I could not leap fast enough. Everyone running around like mad, and one girl trips over a leg sticking out of one of the screens they have around - dangerous - and lands cheek-first onto the next one. I could see this in slow-mo and was very annoyed with myself for not reacting quicker. An accident waiting to happen; assistant K summoned into action (didn't believe me immediately but pretty bloody obvious - minus blood - this child had taken a major hit) with the Dragon also swooping into consoling action. Accident report filled in as they waited for mummy or granny to appear & head to hospital - very smoothly managed, I must say. All the meanwhile I-sensei continues to manage the class on her own, seamlessly. Nobody even noticed the pant-wetter & puddle-maker! All dealt with in her stride.

Back in the classroom, The Very Hungry Caterpillar got a run out (app for that?) with what looks like a follow up plan? During the siesta though, I again was subjected to cling-ons & headbangers which made post-lunch a long drawn out affair. Even longer once the aerobics DVD was deployed again in the main hall - hid at the back this time unwilling to look like a hip-hop dork. Exile my behind!

A rainy Friday in November

One of the kids taught me a new paper aeroplane design in Satsuki's divided room, which was nice (and since forgotten) but my main memory of today was...aggro. Boys constantly mock fighting, girls in fantasy coloring land & the misfits amusing themselves. 

Yamaga footy and lunch in hall (a first) and remarkably undramatic - would expect 120 odd children eating in the same place with only a few adults around to end in tears, but remarkably few mishaps.

There was a fabulous Mantis in S-sensei's room, displaying remarkable climbing skills, but the girls climbing me elsewhere just a pain. Likewise, all the pushing & shoving, lacking any nice requests...

Mantis 1 - 0 France

Days like this (no structure) try my patience severely. Ratty ones really wind me up, & I end up disliking most of the cling ons. Whose fault? Me for being 'too nice'? Think not.

Apples

Let's not do anything spontaneous

Organised scrumping today, as we hopped on the bus to the school's orchard out in the countryside, which is run by a nice little old lady. By the time we got there I already had a headache though, being squashed into the awkward seat at the back. Awkward as in set 90 degrees off, so a sore neck plus the constant shouty boys shouting & variously poking, prodding & low-level repetition torture of being confined in a small space with a dozen 5/6 year olds...

Staggered off the bus, dazed & confused, but sniffed the apple-flavoured air & drifted back to memories of contract picking in New Zealand, all those years ago...frosty morning starts with numb fingers, lung-bursting crisp air, and the spectacular scenery of Otago by the River Clutha. Here, apple varieties are Fuji & an Orin for the domestic table; Shinshu Gold exported.

 

Massive fruit, tiny hands

The kids were allowed to scrump an apple each, which was very exciting and challenging, low-hanging large fruit a premium! Unfortunately, we did not pay attention to anything else, and missed the chance to talk about why the vegetable here & there are important - in NZ silverbeat was grown between the trees on purpose, and I am sure a similar reason here for the spinach (?). 

A team bow & thank you to the orchard lady, and a sample slice to keep us going - very crisp, cold & tasty. Clutching our spoils in both hands, bussed back to base. More headache inducements...

Miso mackerel with footballing little Atsushi for lunch back at base. This lad is a gifted player who is my regular morning colleague in the playground, who for is age is very special in being able to 'see' a pass and move into space (the opposite direction to most ball-followers). Inside the building he avoids me like the plague and will not speak to me!

 

More acceptance of my role here as I became the proud owner of the school trackie top. Felt very guilty at early home time, as the Dragon gave me a shopping bag with apples in it for the family - was worried I was going to have my pockets checked!

 

Spoils of scrumping

Lost patience again today being used as a climbing frame, relentless nagging/jumping up/hand-grasping. Asked to perform English for a full two minutes just before the clock ran out on the day - professionally satisfying afternoon?

What is it with leaves & raking up?! Everywhere I looked today, old people were swooping with brooms & dustpans, ridding the footpaths, playground etc of falling biota. The intensity of this pursuit would have you think they were toxic - might very well be over in Fukushima?

The generation games - big schoolies visit

Generation Games

A hesitant clump of bigger kids in their track suits arrived in the yard this morning, mostly trying to hide behind each other! They looked like they'd rather be somewhere else, but instead broke up into groups of six and detailed to entertain our classes with various DIY fair games they had made & brought along, for example a bowling set (10 pin).

It was fun to not be the focus of attention at all, and K-sensei likewise enjoyed being able to take a back seat and instead just nudge things along when they could not make themselves understood or did not know how to manage an activity when it didn't quite work out the way they anticipated...that and the odd name check for the more boisterous usual suspects - one of whom totally wrecked a game, hogging all the bits and pushing playmates out the way!

Connecting

The older visitors did become more confident once they hit floor level & got involved & their activities took over my classmates; not many teens like to stand up in front of a group. I am sure they learned a lot from the experience, and some of them showed a genuine skill with younger children - the ones with younger brothers and sisters at home? All of this geared towards the smooth induction of the top age group next spring...

I browsed the other classes as well; Bunko Booth style activities looked popular, but the origama a bit too hard & unengaging/quiet. One group were sat in circles singing/doing a janken game and having a very nice time. Another finished by doing a traditional counting chant/finger play activity, which I could not fathom but I am sure has many cultural cousins long forgotten. Only ones I can think of from England would be skipping songs - of which I never learnt to do. Have a listen - any ideas?

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Can you dance the Exile way? No, I'm English!

Happy Birthday, Rumi-sensei

Very much reminded of New Zealand today, as the autumn shadows stretch across the playing 'field' long into the morning; beautiful leaves in yellow & gold & deep browns fluttering down.

Not so gentle was the hip-hop 'dance' video we were shown in the hall - curtains closed & volume up...see the moves then have a go?! Really? This is not my bag AT ALL! Give me a ball and I'm as co-ordinated as you like, but wiggly head/arm & sliding feet? Forget it!

A's class still using me as a climbing frame, intent on dislocating my fingers if I don't oblige; I did lead them through "How's the weather" (OUP Let's Go 1 chant) because A as usual less than a full LP up her sleeve...

Who's this wierdo?

Lumpy sweet potato/apple salad (a poor man's Waldorf, Mr. Fawlty?) which again had me thinking back to what I was stuffing my face with seconds and thirds last week in HK!)

A thinned out afternoon with the bigger kids gone to see an elementary school, prefacing their permanent elevation in April. Big moves for many of them...

Happy Birthday Granny Chris

A damp, musty, autumn-is-here morning, made better by a nice mum hanging around a bit chatting to my co-gatekeeper on welcoming duty.

Lean back!

My schedule was wrong again, and I find myself with the other teeny group, being included in activities but somewhat off the cuff - what sounds do UK animals make?! If I'd had time, and a projector off my iPod, we could have done Old McDonald for a big giggle...this double act have a number of find your seat/settle down/be quieter hand games that can be transferred to EFL classrooms, such as clapping with 5, then 4,3,2,1 fingers to reduce volume & co-operatively end up with hands behind backs & paying attention.

This class also given a little dressing down about abandonning bags on mummy, but asked to give themselves rules after deciding what kind of behaviour was not reasonable. Like!

Team work required

In the hall we were entertaining ourselves with a large silk 'parachute' & doing roly polies. My thoughts elsewhere though (Australia - The Ashes starting soon = I'll have to go to the toilet a lot more often!)

I noticed three boys sitting next to each other were all southpaws - cool! Wonder if that was accidental (teacher allocated) or personal aggregation?

Had enough of being coughed at, poked with snotty fingers, gaping mouths chewing unidentifiable foodstuffs, and the perenial hitting/kicking contest that is driving me nuts and frequently aimed AT my nuts. See how long any of the other teachers will put up with that?

Home time

Guy Fawkes' Day - light my fire?

Neighbourhood watch

Apparently I was missed last Thursday & Friday so delivering 'omiyagi' (souvenirs) the very least expected of me. Nothing 'special' - the usual "giri choco" that airports around the world stock for returning Japanese sightseers to waste money & baggage allowances on.

With my fave little pink teacher today, who teaches a new song to the teeny ones very nicely, in small chinks that even I can manage to repeat (but lo, instantly forget...I just cannot take in this language). Also delivers a homily about carrying our own bags out of school & not dumping them at the gate for mummy to carry.

The gentle touch

Autumn is arriving, and my days in shorts are finally over. Marked the changing of the leaves with a neighbourhood walk, buddies holding hands as we try to keep against the side of the road; Koz-sensei does this by being very grabby & crabby. A gorgeous, crisp morning.

Curry rice & jelly for lunch today, not quite matching the stupendous buffet I was tucking into last Friday in Hong Kong - thought I'd burst, and still might judging from the pats on the tummy I keep getting. Today's highlight is the sight of snot trails running down faces into curry, with fingers criss-crossing between noses & food. For my sins (a dreadful too-much-in-flight-food fart) requiring a subtle walk around the room to dilute strategy looking quizzically around, a 4 year old lass sports the most obvious builder's crack I have witnessed in ages!

Origami mushroom

During the snooze, I find myself admiring Rumi and her calm, quiet classroom management. Doesn't say much, never raises her voice, just does things with assurance and grace. I think she's great. Had A's rowdy class eating out of her hand, making origami apples & mushrooms.