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So, I've been sick a lot on and off since October. I don't know if it's actually a normal amount of sickness but since time is passing so quickly it feels like I'm always sick, or if I really am more prone to sickness these days. Usually it's the typical cold thing where I feel kind of crappy and I sneeze and it passes, but for the past few weeks it's the works - sneezes, aches, coughs, feeling like I've been hit by a truck, you name it. I think I might finally go to the doctor.
I mean, it kind of makes sense. I start getting better quickly, then after maybe 10 days or so I think I can go back to normal life, so I take a run or a stay up late and I get annihilated. Last night I felt fine so I went for a run, but then this morning I could barely get out of bed. Fortunately it staved off long enough for me to teach my two classes today, and then immediately after I got back to the office I collapsed into trembling aches and involuntary nasal whines. I should probably go home...but I just don't want to. I have a busy day planned during and after work, and I don't want to reschedule any of it! That's probably realy stupid, but I've been sick and late to things so often lately, I feel like I owe it to the people around me. Even if they understand and forgive me, I can't forgive myself. Though now that I think of it, maybe there's a pattern here. I've been sick 3 out of the last 4 Tuesdays, I know this because I always want to cancel my eikaiwa (English conversation). I did actually cancel it a few times, but there must be some pattern to my weekend if it's always Tuesdays that are the worst. Dang.
Ow. I sneezed again.
Anyway. I taught a lesson on Christmas today where we decorated chalkboard christmas trees with magnets every time they remembered a vocabulary phrase. Then I told them the story of Scrooge (complete with pictures!!) with the target vocabulary phrases written into the story. After that, I had them take turns being Scrooge, rejecting christmas invitations on the basis of not wasting time or money, etc, and then we yelled, "You're such a Scrooge!" It was really fun! When the first class went well my spirits were high, but then the second class went well too! And the second class was one of my worst and least motivated classes and not only did they actually participate but they understood everything and had a good time! I was so pleased! They've been a thorn in my side since the start, not understanding the simplest activities or ever even repeating after me when I ask them to, but I took really careful notes and was really thoughtful about how to engage them...and here I am! Success! In general, all the students are more giddy about me lately - I can feel it when I walk down the hall - which is a really rewarding experience.
We were struggling with what to do for international club on Wednesday too, and I was proud of myself for coming up with some ideas. I also refreshed myself on the rules for "Big Booty" (though we'll say "Big Cutie") and now not only am I excited to teach it to them, but I'm excited to play it again. I really hope I can simplify "Bippity-Bippity-Bop" enough that they can play that too. Oh! And line tag! Those good old Adventure Learning games. I'm so glad I was an RA. I was explaining my high school lessons to my adult class today and they were thrilled and had a lot of nice things to say about my creativity. It was a rocky start and I had trouble breaking out of the boring stuff, but I think I've hit a bit of a groove. Too bad that after next week I won't teach again for a month!! Still, most of that break is to go home for Christmas, so I wouldn't change it for the world.
I struggled a lot with high schoolers initially. They're a little too old and a little too shy to do pure game play like the uninhibited elementary schoolers and middle schoolers who are learning English from scratch, and yet they don't have as much English as college students so they can't actually do conversation activities. For a while I viewed it as a bleak world lost between fun and conversation, but with a little extra thinking, I think I've finally come up with a balance between the two. Additionally, I'm getting used to the level of my eikaiwa as well. More or less they're the same as the high schoolers, but I can use a little more challenging explanations of things. I'm really getting excited about pedagogy, actually. I mean, I always have been a bit of an education geek, but now that I've settled into Japan I'm able to find my stride as a teacher again.
I even had some successful conversations in Japanese today too.
With the exception of the illness, today is another one of those on-top-of-the-world days. Huzzah!
I mean, it kind of makes sense. I start getting better quickly, then after maybe 10 days or so I think I can go back to normal life, so I take a run or a stay up late and I get annihilated. Last night I felt fine so I went for a run, but then this morning I could barely get out of bed. Fortunately it staved off long enough for me to teach my two classes today, and then immediately after I got back to the office I collapsed into trembling aches and involuntary nasal whines. I should probably go home...but I just don't want to. I have a busy day planned during and after work, and I don't want to reschedule any of it! That's probably realy stupid, but I've been sick and late to things so often lately, I feel like I owe it to the people around me. Even if they understand and forgive me, I can't forgive myself. Though now that I think of it, maybe there's a pattern here. I've been sick 3 out of the last 4 Tuesdays, I know this because I always want to cancel my eikaiwa (English conversation). I did actually cancel it a few times, but there must be some pattern to my weekend if it's always Tuesdays that are the worst. Dang.
Ow. I sneezed again.
Anyway. I taught a lesson on Christmas today where we decorated chalkboard christmas trees with magnets every time they remembered a vocabulary phrase. Then I told them the story of Scrooge (complete with pictures!!) with the target vocabulary phrases written into the story. After that, I had them take turns being Scrooge, rejecting christmas invitations on the basis of not wasting time or money, etc, and then we yelled, "You're such a Scrooge!" It was really fun! When the first class went well my spirits were high, but then the second class went well too! And the second class was one of my worst and least motivated classes and not only did they actually participate but they understood everything and had a good time! I was so pleased! They've been a thorn in my side since the start, not understanding the simplest activities or ever even repeating after me when I ask them to, but I took really careful notes and was really thoughtful about how to engage them...and here I am! Success! In general, all the students are more giddy about me lately - I can feel it when I walk down the hall - which is a really rewarding experience.
We were struggling with what to do for international club on Wednesday too, and I was proud of myself for coming up with some ideas. I also refreshed myself on the rules for "Big Booty" (though we'll say "Big Cutie") and now not only am I excited to teach it to them, but I'm excited to play it again. I really hope I can simplify "Bippity-Bippity-Bop" enough that they can play that too. Oh! And line tag! Those good old Adventure Learning games. I'm so glad I was an RA. I was explaining my high school lessons to my adult class today and they were thrilled and had a lot of nice things to say about my creativity. It was a rocky start and I had trouble breaking out of the boring stuff, but I think I've hit a bit of a groove. Too bad that after next week I won't teach again for a month!! Still, most of that break is to go home for Christmas, so I wouldn't change it for the world.
I struggled a lot with high schoolers initially. They're a little too old and a little too shy to do pure game play like the uninhibited elementary schoolers and middle schoolers who are learning English from scratch, and yet they don't have as much English as college students so they can't actually do conversation activities. For a while I viewed it as a bleak world lost between fun and conversation, but with a little extra thinking, I think I've finally come up with a balance between the two. Additionally, I'm getting used to the level of my eikaiwa as well. More or less they're the same as the high schoolers, but I can use a little more challenging explanations of things. I'm really getting excited about pedagogy, actually. I mean, I always have been a bit of an education geek, but now that I've settled into Japan I'm able to find my stride as a teacher again.
I even had some successful conversations in Japanese today too.
With the exception of the illness, today is another one of those on-top-of-the-world days. Huzzah!
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