The spare wheel syndrome

Yesterday a dull game in the yard, feeling sleepy. Watching Allan literally drag kids around the stage doing play practice; not the best respite. Can't keep eyes open.

Constant nose picking & lack of interest - obviously not myself!

Today, a lot of teacher effort going into complex skits and more immense nose-picking. Uninvolved & very distracted majority. Worth it - Fuji film? Been this way for a week already - and FA for me to do. 

Embarrassed by spare wheel feeling & looking surplus.

Earthquake, epilepsy & appendicitis

Bizarre that a major earthquake locally (Hakuba) only topic #3 for the weekend at the school gates, after seizure & appendicitis! Pity the money I earned last week proofreading into the early hours evaporates with hospital bills.

Utterly thrilled to see little 'I' walking to school - she off frothing gills & blue lips last time I saw her.

Morning in pink where Chi poor replacement for Minnie; puppet show entertained for 20 mins but very fidgety after that. Story lost me completely, and not interactive...stage set for Juan to bowl them over.

Choriso's class in the afternoon; somehow this rote repetition of lines for their show is effective? Uninvolved & far too distracted for my liking, but keeping out of the way.

An amazing teacher-save: perspective

Awesome reaction by Legs11 to a girl dropping like a sack of spuds with a seizure in the middle of a play rehearsal in. As first responder did everything right, quickly. Airway, recovery position, get help (send me), manage other 30 kids (GO to Choriso's class NOW) & kept calm.

Boss useful, iLeader fringe player as Legs11 in control; Dragon assumed lead with refugee kids in hall. Very reassuring performance (except me, unsure what role was or what the words were, where stuff was).

With reflection, astounded at how cool the teacher was, and how she got through the rest of the day. I did have 10 seconds to ask her about it later, and she had experienced something similar once and recognised the emergency. Her friends/colleagues were in awe. Apparently the girl had done this at home once before -'overheating'? Any which way you slice this one, teacher did an astounding job.

Earlier, very flat am as footy interest waning (Napoleon's fouls/hoofing the ball). Frost last two nights = time to prune the kiwi plants. Need secateurs. Pining for Poverty Bay, Jimbo?

Bento Day - totally forgot. Nice little walk to Lawson's.

Jim Time with insufficient cards 

Yesterday's LP too noisy because of the Janken

50% not enough cards

Bacardi not the most participative/noisy helper

 Lesson learned but K a permanent noisy, pushy pain,

Legs11 mostly kept in check

Using dummy mic encourages kids to focus, answer Q with a big voice

Also gives me a "I'm waiting for good behavior" prop. 

Tables in a circle, groups 5/6 kids 

Take turns to send a rep up to the front

Ask "How old are you?" Before taking a card, in a stack face down pinned to board. 

Show class, ask table "Do you want.....?" 

Wanting a full answer from group before releasing team rep. "Tummyache" card = too bad. 

Took 45 mins and found 3 winning groups

 lots of energy & English in context

reinforcing last Jim Time (spaghetti chant & broccoli ice cream)

Lack of cards due to iLeader not listening/having a dozen other jobs on her desktop & fires to put out...and again, no, I do not like other people doing my prep. Leads to situations like this, with pants around ankles and only realising half an hour too late.

What would John Snow say?

So the Juan plan is coming together; whole school in hall for 30 mins + local media :)

Glad I did not sweat on detailed lesson plans for December, as plan B immediately binned (one size fits all classes), Juan's day = shift of classess and refusing to some on 25th = obliged to hang around on 24th. Think I will make a deal out of collecting Santa from the North Pole!)

So, meeting this morning while Boss & his wife stuffed cash into envelopes - a lot of cash. I'd guess about ¥4m? Think they had Bangladesh's national debt on the table.

Following Bacardi's lead, as she has adopted 'How's the Weather' into morning routine. Did register, which kids always enjoy, 'one little finger'. Quick serve lunch, had fun with Satsuki & Sona, but cold despite wearing thermal legs for 1st time this winter.

Winter is Coming.

A kick in the nuts - lasts all day if you get it right

Footy this am not much cop, Napoleon as usual expecting everyone to give him the ball & let him wallop it from 3 feet. Twat. (I would have thought the same thing when I was his age, so I think the word is appropriate. Wrecks any sense on enjoyment for everybody else because he 'owns' the ball. It is not my place to directly adjust this state of play, but for the children to confront/negotiate a way out. I feel frustrated because even at my age I find this kind of in-your-face bully-boys hard to tackle. I have always gone around, using superior ball skills and vision. The got thumped on the bus.)

Green & listless with Fski; Sitting at the back as the uncoordinated boys misbehave, with added bollock-ache from a full-handed slap across the nads in the yard. Just the left one, but enough for general nausea & need for a lie down. Have I any use for them these days, though?

Stole lunchtime upstairs to refresh memory Super Simple Songs' Xmas playlist, need lesson plans for Dec. Think 3/4 of them should do the trick + video for Dec 24th show?

Some went apple picking, older other half went to see their next school. Not I. Find a place to be.
Going to try & get my Brazilian Don Juan here Dec 5th.

Guri & Gura - with a cold

Yesterday = streaming cold with 2 extra layers on. Little's class with Minnie, and felt welcome & mostly useful. Guri & Gura in J + E a first. Little ones into big class to sample the majors, meet Choriso etc

Couldn't wait to get home of this 1/2 day; caught 90 mins kip on sofa before my day job...bed before 9. Knackered.

Still not in great condition ( headache but no runny nose) & with Choriso = nice welcome. Jim Time without music (Madge needed her cord back) so a good job I actually know the songs! Also with cheerful student teacher Izumi - not the mental one that runs up to bow & shout onegaishimasu at me.

'Do you like bananas?' to chorus 

using f/cards instead of music

Yes/no faces again

homemade broccoli soup

Finished on time. 

Middle ones take +50% time drawing. 

Was quick & fun. 

1st Jim Corner requested; poster printing their names best I could think of.

Tokyo & Yamagata this w/end - and Dec lesson plans requested by next Thursday. Yes, I'll do that now (given it takes longer to translate & print. Yada.

Lest we forget

Earthquake practice at 9:50 very well done on the sly. Taken very seriously as teachers also caught on the hop. My only contribution = have all the class registrations done on iPads and upload over wifi instantly. Even if wifi down, all data on any of all devices handy. Teachers do not have to grab folders; anyone with a connected device has the data. They should also have Line &/or Messenger groups for emergencies like this (not a phone pyramid as that will crash/be disabled). Children suitably obedient and attentive.

In with Allan today, who has no clue what to do with me. Nothing new there; she's only had a year to come up with a strategy. Her kind of class is where the poor behaviour comes from; various ill-disciplined boys, grabby/shouty/pokey/gobby not managed/noticed/re-tuned.

Very unusually, Chi at the front of assembly (and bless, looked nervous), after flute-playing Izumi introduced - gasps of surprise all round!

Minnie already has plan for tomorrow - Kuri/Kura J/E versions found; good on her. Found 10 minutes to practice reading it so I can follow her lead and hopefully stress the same bits as her. She's always ahead of the game, and takes her responsibility heavily.

Have managed to get a Brazilian guy to come to town to present, and as an extension hoping he'll pay a visit here.

Guilt trip this morning as my son's Christmas party on an exam day - like I can't not go to Nagoya?

Broccoli Ice Cream repeating

Spent (half day) gawping at...; think she knows (even sat on me as well when the boys piled on top - almost enough pressure to decent chiropracting session - left a bit!)

Repeat of Broccoli yes/no lesson plan, 

this time more jumping at end for YES. 

Big success.

Can id this more often, please?

Impromptu going home Jim Time = 4 songs off the cuff.

Happy Birthday Mum...wish I could spend a fraction of my time with you :(

Looks like I'm going to Yamagata next weekend via Tokyo. Love to travel but this all will be at top speed & lacking in socials. Don't think my colleagues have the first clue about the peripherals beyond this tiny centre of the universe.

Broccoli Ice Cream

Love it when an idea comes together as a blow them away lesson! iLeader came & joined in a bit; Chief glowed as she was showing an observer around; Boss stood with his mouth open & was later gushing with praise; Choriso wanted to know why the happy/sad faces...Let me do this every bloody day, will you?

Adapted "Do you like Spaghetti?" From Let's Go 2 Songs & Chants singing over 'I do too' with more "Yes, I do" 

getting kids to hold up happy (green card) face + YES on reverse. Follow up/extension with flash cards of yummy stuff > 

noisy "Yes, I do" + hands aloft + card.

A sad face then on red paper & NO on reverse. 

Clean Up song to clear the decks

Broccoli Ice Cream

no pre-teach except asking them too early if they're ready = unscripted NOs. 

Credit Ryan Hagglund for heads up on tune.

Well happy with this outcome, grateful for not doing all the prep myself. Three more times & video in the bag?

Welcome, Eric Morecambe

One of those nothing days, stuck hovering around Fski's misbehaving violent squad. Free play outside am and pm also added to my listless waste of a day feeling; gorgeous sunshine, clear blue skies & turning leaves...Assembly introduced new boy H, who held my hand for a while in the yard first thing. Eric Morecambe glasses.

 Also Ayane-sensei, a student teacher back for a spell. Impromptu "help" to sing English version of  10 Little Indians; good job I know it (but then again, most teachers my age do?)  - this after request for one little finger & CD player crapped out. Deal with anything going wrong, advice to novice teachers!

Headache, fed up (mostly due to a certain vache de mer in Nagaoya) , and bored with daily 'make it up as you go along' stipulation. Why always me? (apologies to Mario Balotelli).