Run Ragged

The new AIM screen name will be AomoriOmelet. Add on up!

I've been really busy lately...elementary schools, baseball, and car issues have consumed lots of time lately.

Elementary schools are a mixed bag compared to junior high schools. Some days it'll be great, and other days it will suck. Big time.
Elementary school days start late and end early. This doesn't mean less classes then usual, it just means the day is packed. It's good because it keeps me busy and seems like its over before it starts it seems. Plus, since there's little to no English spoken, its the best chance to practice Japanese. But, on the flip side, that means I can't speak English all day (a brain-strainer). Classes are tough... they can be fun, sometimes the kids are eager just to hear words from the guy with blond hair's mouth. Other times, though (more common with younger kids), its out of control. Screaming, teachers attempting to keep order... it can get bad. In elementary schools, I also clean the school with them and play with them at recess, which can be equally double-edged. Rowdy classes and running games at recess are the perfect recipe for a bad day. On the other hand, though, a day with attentive students and baseball or soccer at recess equals a really good day. Either day is usually a recipe for a nap in the afternoon.

Something that always hangs on my mind when I go to elementary schools is the infrequency of visits and English. In Japan, English is not a subject taught everyday, of course, and the students very rarely use English outside of the one-class-a-month they have with me. They forget quick. I spend time reviewing greetings more than anything. But, I find that elementary school visits are more for the "making English fun!" cheesiness than for the actual learning. Which is good, maybe. Maybe I'm inspiring kids to study English harder when they are older.

Or maybe I'm just the foreigner. Which is good. Maybe.