Friday, October 27, 2006
Farewell to HK (no, not THAT HK...)
After two months or so of Thursday mayhem, I had my final stint at Hirakata Koen kids school yesterday; a mixed blessing.
Reasons to be grateful
1. Mad hima day: one lesson, a free period to travel one stop on the O-Keihan (which, incidentally, takes about two minutes), teach four sets of kids, another free period in which to manage the journey back to Hirakata, my break (by which time I'm wondering what on earth to do with myself), one lesson, then home or hostelry.
2. Cool junior and senior classes.
Reasons to be fearful
1. The school is a disorganised mess, which may partly be attributed to the dumbass who goes there on Wednesdays and leaves the place anything but shipshape.
2. The kinders are a very good indication of what is wrong with Japan these days; if I'd sired either of these turbulent runts I'd never get tired of beating them.
The most interesting class dynamic is the juniors: class of eight, one midget, a set of identical twins and the lone boy in the mix, rather than being self-conscious, spends most of his time shouting at himself and doing combat rolls around the room, much to the bafflement of his peers.
As a teacher it's my duty to try to calm things down, but I know good entertainment when I see it.
Seven girls huddle in the middle of the room, scary gaijin teacher is chasing eight-year-old boy round in circles, threatening to draw on his face with a board marker.
DAN: PANDA ni naru zo!
8YOB: Tasukete! (Help!)
Reasons to be grateful
1. Mad hima day: one lesson, a free period to travel one stop on the O-Keihan (which, incidentally, takes about two minutes), teach four sets of kids, another free period in which to manage the journey back to Hirakata, my break (by which time I'm wondering what on earth to do with myself), one lesson, then home or hostelry.
2. Cool junior and senior classes.
Reasons to be fearful
1. The school is a disorganised mess, which may partly be attributed to the dumbass who goes there on Wednesdays and leaves the place anything but shipshape.
2. The kinders are a very good indication of what is wrong with Japan these days; if I'd sired either of these turbulent runts I'd never get tired of beating them.
The most interesting class dynamic is the juniors: class of eight, one midget, a set of identical twins and the lone boy in the mix, rather than being self-conscious, spends most of his time shouting at himself and doing combat rolls around the room, much to the bafflement of his peers.
As a teacher it's my duty to try to calm things down, but I know good entertainment when I see it.
Seven girls huddle in the middle of the room, scary gaijin teacher is chasing eight-year-old boy round in circles, threatening to draw on his face with a board marker.
DAN: PANDA ni naru zo!
8YOB: Tasukete! (Help!)
