The Aurora class has a basic routine that is reinforced multiple times throughout the day, that includes days of the week, counting to seven, a repetition of about six or so songs, and listening and following basic directions, such as "go to the bathroom/ wash hands/ brush teeth/ sit down/ please be quiet/ line up and make a train/ put it in your bag." For most children, they have just completed their first month of preschool, so while it feels like it takes an eternity for them to complete these tasks, they are at least successfully doing them (most of the time). We also have hands on creative activtives that accompany the theme of the week, and in honor of Children's Day, we made koinabury. The students were given pictures of Koi that they glued to construction paper and finger painted. In this lesson we worked with color vocabulary, as well as sharing supplies with one another.
This is what we were aiming to replicate....
Rather than jumping in and immediately introducing my own techniques, songs, and ways of teaching, my primary focus has been getting to know my class. Since I can't speak Japanese, my process of bonding with the students is very different and much longer than my Japanese partner's. She is able to be a source of comfort and security for them, while I must learn to earn their trust. I focus on kind and loving body language, a calm tone of voice, and maintaining a playful demeanor. Whenever I am interacting with them, I remind myself to keep a smile on my face, so they understand I am happy and I enjoy being in their presence.
When we are in a group, it appears that they are all comfortable around me, because they have the security of one another, but once nap time arrives it is quickly revealed who is still uncomfortable. Most kids in Aurora need some type of attention to fall asleep, whether it's patting their back or rubbing their head. There is a handful of students in the class who do not want my attention, but would prefer Miss. Yuki's. They will cry until she holds them, or wiggle in their beds until she comes and sits with them. Nothing I do can clam these kids, because as a foreigner and as someone who is new, they simply do not trust me. At times this is difficult for me, because as a teacher you want all of your students to like you. I have to remind myself that this type of job takes time. It takes more than just two weeks to form a relationship with a student, and I need to be patient as they adjust to me.
In the mean time, I use very basic language when communicating with them, and try my best to speak slowly and clearly. If Yuki asks them to, "Please go get your chairs and move them to the tables," I repeat, "chairs to tables." While it may seem like I am simplifying the language, this is the most effective way to immediately teach the vocabulary words we use the most. When they hear full sentences all day in a foreign langauge, my experience has been that they tend to tune you out, as the level of the language is overwhelming for them. When you start speaking in smaller sentences, using the same words, they understand you are referring to an object and an action, or something of that sort. For now I am trying to stress that they understand commands, directions, and expressions in the simplest forms, so they will be comfortable using the words themselves, rather than just listening to them.
When we are speaking to one another all day in English, it is easy to forget that the majority of them don't understand what is going on. I am constantly looking down and seeing many little feet with their shoes on the wrong sides, and they don't know the difference. Some of them are still learning how to use the bathroom by themselves, and how to put their clothes on the correct way. On Thursday before nap, I was helping a student get changed into his pajamas, which he had first attempted to put on over his clothes. As I helped him take off him pjs, I noticed he had put his jeans on backwards after going to the bathroom. Once I removed his jeans, so that we could put his pjs on correctly, I found he also had his underwear on backwards. It's times like these that I am reminded of how young they are, and how they are just beginning to learn to do basic things for themselves.
(A student learning how to put on his pajamas without assistance)
Just as I don't know much about gardening (see previous post), I know even less about the Japanese language. Since arriving in Japan two weeks ago, I have almost taught myself to read Hiragana and Katakana, but now my primary focus is on learning to speak the language. I am studying at home, and using my lunch breaks to ask for help from Yuki. Other than greetings, simple questions, numbers and manners, I am focusing on vocabulary or phrases that would be common with the students. This way I can begin to understand what they are saying to me, or when they are asking for help. Whenever a student continues to repeat a phrase or a word, I will ask Miss. Yuki to translate, because I assume its important if they keep saying it over and over.
I also try to find alternative ways of communicating with them, so that they know there are multiple ways of expressing themselves. A few days ago a student approached Miss. Yuki after nap and was very animated in the story she was telling her, but in Japanese. I asked Miss. Yuki what was going on, and she said she was describing a dream she just had, in which a monster was trying to eat her. I went and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and asked the student to draw for me what the monster looked like. She drew two giant chopsticks with scary faces. While my primary goal this year is to teach the children English, it is also vital that they know that expression and communication comes in many forms. Body language, art and simple writing are all parts of communication that I will be incorporating into my teaching this year.
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