Wu-Tang is for the children



heh heh.

The world and human existence is filled with lots of things that make me cynical about life. In fact, it's quite difficult for me to sometimes believe that anything good can truly exist in this fallen, corrupt, and faithless world. However, the one thing that God has blessed my life with is the opportunity to work with children. (not mine, just other peoples)

Working with children here in Japan has been quite fun, because frankly, teaching English all the time to adults can be quite a monotonous existance. Kids often have both the energy and appreciation for simple things that us grown-ups lack. It's hard for me to imagine housewives and salaryman getting all excited over a round of playing "Memory" by matching flashcards or singing screaming the "ABC Song".

I had one little 5 year old girl who got so excited playing my very own game, "Hop to the Whiteboard on One Leg to Write the Letter", that she had to keep leaving the classroom to go pee in the bathroom. Now that's what I call a proper level of enthusiasm for learning...

Children everywhere are generally the same, but I have learned a lot about kids here in Japan over the course of the year. Since becoming the kids' program coordinator at my school several months ago, I've been able to learn a lot in between cutting out flashcards, drawing pictures, and making funny animal noises.

Some fun and random observations of my kids:

• Mama Said Knock U Out - Many young kids are constantly cared for only by their mothers, while their fathers often work to support the family. Single income nuclear families are still the predominant norm here in Japan. Consequently, most kids only see older women as authority figures / disciplinarians - Daddy is Mr. Fun! The real downside of this is that a lot of little kids have trouble obeying male teachers... except me. I just call in a female Japanese staffer to lay down the law and *bam*... respect.
  
  
• Watch Your Cornhole - All I gotta say is that kids here in Japan have very rigid fingers and fast hands. When I turn to write something on the whiteboard, I always watch my back. Where does it come from? Some sort of old, traditional folk remedy for, ummm, curing constipation... ouch. I'll take "An Album Cover" for 200 pts, Alex...
  
  
• Let's Challenge, team! - For most games, individual competition never works very well, unless it's a lesson with only one kid and me. I've found putting the kids in groups, especially teams, always works well... it's cliche, but it's amazing how early the Japanese ideas about group culture are absorbed by the kids. Teams also work for enforcing discipline... if I get some bad seed in a class, the other kids often (ruthless) coerce the kid to behave if he/she is placed in their team.
  
  
• Saisho gu, Jan-Ken-Pon - Every kid knows Rock-Paper-Scissors here in Japan. I think the babies in the country must actually have the knowledge pre-implanted before birth.

People like myself who enjoy working with kids aren't very common, though. It's an unfortunate side effect of the English language teaching business here in Japan that most foreigners aren't too keen on working with children. Many teachers fall clearly into the despicable category of wagamama-na hito (selfish people), who don't give a rat's ass about whether people are learning... so naturally, they abhor children.

I'm glad my home school of Ashiya is free of those types. I hope it stays that way.

The irony of course, is that among all the potential students an English teacher might see, a teacher can have the greatest impact on the kids. Since for most Japanese people contact with foreigners is still a rarity, I've been more conscious lately of doing my best to make sure the kids have fun and a good experience learning English.

Realistically, none of them are going to become fluent English speakers by just seeing by some Chinese guy with a shaved head once a week. Sure, maybe they'll learn some ABCs, how to write their name... but the most important things is if 10 or 20 years from now, they can remember that learning a new language is something that's supposed to be fun and not scary, then my time with them has been worth it.

I guess ODB was on the right track.


.:.


Albums in heavy rotation:

Dilated Peoples Neighborhood Watch
Blue Scholars Blue Scholars
posted by G at 6:24 AM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33