  I've had a really good day today. I had to teach my first lesson at the Elementary School and it was also my first visit there. I don't get to visit them but once a month, sometimes twice so today was a real treat. When I got there, the students were practicing for a school festival that will be held Sept 7th. The principal and I went out to watch their marching band. It was quite good I must say. They have many formations and play all types of instruments including recorder/piano drums, trumpet, trombone, and cymbals. So, they played a song called Fuji-san for me then I did my self-intro and a student responded to me.
She said the best thing about her school was #1 that on a fine day (they say fine instead of clear) you can see the mountain from the school and its very big and very beautiful and #2 that the students were very friendly and so were the teachers. She was very right! After the welcome meeting I had class with the 1st-3rd graders. I did a small introduction and said Hi my name is...and then showed them pictures. They really don't understand much English at all and neither do the teachers so I try to be short and use few words which helps. The teachers today were very helpful and they understood most of what I was saying since it was the basic self introduction including-- Hello my name is..what is your name?
Response: My name is... Hi, .....Its nice to meet you. Response: Its nice to meet you too. So I took each student one by one in front of the class and we introduced ourselves and everyone clapped. Then I taught them Rock, Paper, Scissors which is the English version of Janken so they already know how to play. It was fun and the whole afternoon, they would run up to me in the hall holding out their hand in a rock wanting me to play. These students are so smart and get attached quickly. I was in the teachers room after our English class and 3 of the 1st grade boys came down the hall yelling "Eboni Senseiiiii" and they wanted to show me their class pets which are two rabbits.
They were very cute. Then they took me to a cage where they have a rooster and chicken coup. Then I had lunch with the 2nd grade students and teacher. At Toyoshige, there are only 4 students in the second grade class. So we had a very intimate lunch. It was nice because their teacher understands a little English and they would ask her to ask me questions. How old I am, how tall I am, etc. There was ham in the salad, so I told them I don't eat pork and of course they were surprised but then got over it. After we cleaned up from eating lunch, the 2nd grade students took me back to the cage, but this time they cleaned up the cage.
They took out the old straw and and replaced it with fresh grass. The took rocks from the gravel drive way and replaced those that had been either raked out by the chickens or by them when they were cleaning. They replaced the water and fed the birds. I was so impressed with the way they were so attentive and well behaved when they were cleaning.
Like not trying to make the birds holler or throwing stuff at them. When they were done cleaning the chickens had lain some eggs and they gave me one. These birds are very expensive and lay really good eggs. Each egg sold individually in the store is about 300 to 500yen ($2.50-$4.50) so I was very happy to recieve this egg when I realized why they were giving it to me. I had a great morning at Toyoshige and look forward to going back for the Sports Day in September. I was supposed to go to Tokyo that weekend but there is no way I'd miss their day! The Junior High school is going to be different because most of the children are at "that" stage when they are ackward and hormonal and its much different than the Elementary school. The best thing for me to do is get adjusted to it and try to make them more comfortable with me. They are very nice kids and smile a lot but I want them to try talking to me a little bit more. They did some practicing today for their School Fesitval on Sept 14 , which was my alternate weekend in Tokyo but it doesn't look like that's doable either. The JH 3rd grade is singing "Hallelujah" at the Fesitval. They sound very very good. Beautiful voices only diction of course is off and at this point I just listen.
The way to make a good impression is not to come in and critique so I don't. I will do my self introduction for the JH 3rd grade students on Friday so that will be my first day of teaching them. That will be interesting. Tomorrow I go to Shoji Elementary school, I'll have to modify my lesson some, but that should be fun. I just hope they get the no pork thing down cause I'm not trying to mess with it. 
