Day 31: Taking over

After this morning's staff meeting, I had a few minutes to play dodgeball with the kids in the gym. The students are there every morning, but I usually prepare materials and write in this blog in the mornings. It is always fun playing dodgeball with the kids, perhaps because it is so easy. It takes little effort to dodge the balls they throw, and they are helpless when I want to hit them;

Today I had four classes with the third graders. We reviewed numbers, vehicles, and statements like, "I have four red apples." The students have been practicing these phrases a lot, so today I introduced a new set of phrases: "How many ___ are there?" and "There are ____ _____." I integrated the musical instruments, vehicles, and sounds which are a focus of this month's curriculum into a powerpoint game with the new phrases. I was impressed by the level of the students thinking and understanding of the material. I think drawing the connection between the past and the new material helped their understanding.

This morning Chuck made a good point clear to me, that we shouldn't gesture with our hands when it is not necessary. It is important for the students to have to listen to the teacher in English class and make sense of what he or she is saying. For instance, if I ask them all to stand up, then I should not gesture for them to do so but simply make the request verbally. Before the lunch period was over Chuck and I visited the fourth grade classrooms to record their schedule for the day; I want to use the students actual schedules for my lesson on past tense tomorrow. The afternoon classes went well, but the kids seemed a bit wound up. Chuck had to leave early today, so I took over the last class of the day without him. I enjoy teaching more when I have chance to be completely independent.

Mayuko and I took the bus home again today. When we got back I went straight upstairs to spend some time with the Otsuki's. We watched videos of Yoko playing violin at recitals when she was younger. She was not pleased to hear that we watched them, but I enjoyed them. I finally had a chance to share my photo album with the Otsuki's. Tonight was actually my last night with them, and we have not had much time to get to know one another. Our last dinner together was at a place nearby called Kushihachi, or something like that. Basically, everything is on a stick. Some of the new things I tried were fried quail eggs, takoyaki (has octopus in it), and raw carp. I like trying new things and seeing what Japanese food is all about, but if I would have know they were going to order raw carp I would have stopped them. It didn't taste that bad, and I like most sashimi, but it is carp! I am definitely putting carp (especially sashimi) on the list of things that we just should not be eating.

It was a fun last meal with the Otsuki's. Mayuko was testing me with these riddles and mind games. Think about these riddles, then check the answers below:
(1) There is a mother and a daughter, and the daughter had a glass filled half way with orange juice. There is no ice in the glass, and the mother tells the daughter to drink the juice fast before the ice melts. Why?
(2) You have three apples to split amongst five people. How do you do it equally without cutting the apples?
(3) There is a blue bird and a red bird sitting in a tree. A hunter has two blue bullets. The red bird can only be killed with red bullets and the blue bird only with blue bullets. The hunter fires one shot and both birds fall to the ground dead. How did this happen?

We had a lot of fun tonight, and I really appreciate the Otsuki's kindness and generousity. Tomorrow I will be moving again.

Riddle answers:
1.) The glass is made of ice.
2.) You crush the apples and make juice.
3.) The hunter shot the blue bird and its mate, the red bird, died of a broken heart.