After having a few lessons, my digital student from another school, and I
have finally started establishing a bond! It is such a wonderful experience,
breaking through the barrier and making a connection. Despite the off and on,
equipment hic-ups, we are laughing more during our lessons! Student "M" is incredibly cute
and actually has a great sense of humour! She is making such good progress during her lessons!
Student "M" Always tries her best and seems to be understanding me, more and more.
Telling me about her marks and what she would get her friends as gifts, really made my day!
I look forward to our live lessons, everyweek!
-Khanya (Kay) Sensei
Some of our brightest students are our youngest,
so little they think everything is so amazing and every lesson absolutely blows their minds.
Of a Saturday afternoon, I have a class with three of these students, each has a very different attitude but they all love joining in activities in class, it has become a race between them who can remember a word first and shout it as loud as they can, and watching their exaggerated arm movements as they ask each other "how are you, (Name)?" is absolutely adorable.
I think the absolute cutest moment however is when they arrive to school and their bright smile as they scramble to get to the classroom as fast as they can.
I hope they can keep these enthusiastic attitudes through all of their studies.
-Jordan Sensei
みなさんこんにちは！
今日はインタラクティブ(パソコンを使ったレッスン)でのお話をいたします。
現在小3のOちゃん。
英検に向けて少しずつお家や個別レッスンでも対策を頑張っている中、インタラクティブのレッスンでも読みを頑張っています！
文章の中で単語一文字だけが消えており、正しい単語を探すアクティビティで、まずは自分で読んでみて、わからない単語は電子辞書を使って調べる練習もしています。
できた文章はノートに書いて、書く練習も一緒に！！
読める単語もどんどん増えて、スムーズに文章が読めるようになってきています！
引き続き一緒に頑張りましょう！
福田
Most of the time, I write about my own students, but today I wanted to share some snippets of moments I've had with others.
It's very hard to form a bond with other students, as there is a limited amount of interaction we have with them. On some occassions we have seminar lessons, but mostly it's just a hello or a wave. Sometimes we'll greet, while I have classes through the window. Over the past few weeks I have managed to bond with several other students from different teachers purely by our continuous 2 min conversations in the lobby. From sharing with me their school life stories, showing me cute stickers or accessories or even making funny faces with each other. It's really fun and I look forward to these small interactions.
One particular student "R" and I have bonded while she does her homework after class and waits for her mom. I normally have an open gap at that time and we often chat about small things and before I knew it, a small bond had begun to grow. Last week, she told me about her birthday coming up and how excited she was. I really want to surprise her with a small gift. I hope she has a great day, filled with presents, fun and lots of love.
- Khanya (Kay) Sensei
Today I would like to highlight a 1st grade student who has gone through a drastic change.
Since the start of the year, this student and I have not been a perfect match, their level fluctuates widely between their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, and learning the best way to communicate with them has been difficult. In return I have found myself having less patience for this student than I would normally like, which is not fair to them.
However, since making some changes to my classes, this student has changed their attitude quite a bit, they understand better, cooperate more, and during parent observations last week they were The most active in class, clearly and loudly answering each question in front of mom and showing what they were really capable of. I want to encourage these changes to stick, because this student has the potential to go from the middle of the pack to an exceptionally advanced student who leads all their classmates by example.
These changes have made me step back and think about how I view each and every one of my students, and I want to continue to see this kind of wonderful growth in each and every young person in our school.
-Jordan Sensei
みなさんこんにちは。
今回は高校生のレッスンのお話をいたします。
高3のAくん。すでに準1級を取得しており、理解度がとても高いです！
アミティーで使っている文法のテキストもほぼミスなく…
準1級を持っているので、希望する大学の英語試験は満点扱い！！
しかし、レッスンの中でも共通テストや大学別入試の練習は一切欠かせません！
レッスン外でも個別で大学の入試対策だけを何度も何度もしてきました！
努力は実る！希望の大学目指して一緒に頑張りましょう！
福田
Over the past few months, things have been going through a series of changes, ups and downs, highs and lows. With the influx of new students and the shifting of students, there has been a sense of turbulance. I find myself almost overwhelmed, however an encounter with one of of my baby students, made me realize that everything happens for a reason and that this was a step in the right direction.
Baby K, has a very particular attitude and is very insistant on the things she wants, when she wants them and how she wants them. For the most part she has been dictating the flow of the lessons, given that she tends to get very upset. Coaxing would work however, she would only repeat and engage when she was in the mood. Which is understandable, she's a baby. She was also reluctant to say please or thank you. I felt like I was failing as a teacher. Until this past lesson, she was even more chatter than usual and hugged me. We were holding hands, and she repeated almost everythig I said. Including things like "What's that?" or "So cool". She even called for me by name in the lobby. "Hat, Fish, Colours" were some of the she was saying. She allowed me to guide the lesson and she was saying "please, thank you and here you are". Her mother and I, were so pleased. She didn't jump to tears, but understood when I asked her to do something first, before we did what she wanted.
The right direction, feels very nice, I must say.
- Khanya (Kay) Sensei
A New Face, A New Perspective
Classes have changed throughout the year, that`s nothing new.
This week`s change brought with it a perspective shift.
a new student, Y, has joined my 4th grade class, taking class with R, who has studied alone so far this year.
Up until now, I had viewed R as a very good but not exceptional student, very confident but struggling in grammar.
with the addition of Y, who works very hard but is still very shy, I have realized how much progress R has made.
Topics and Vocabulary have to be simplified but R can hold a reasonably complex conversation and engages well, even listening and understanding fast spoken English for the most part.
This isn`t to discount Y, who has come into a new class with an established dynamic and a high challenge level, and is keeping up well, he speaks when prompted and joins in and gives his best effort for every challenge I set.
Both students serve as a good contrast for the other and bring in new possibilities for lessons, I look forward to seeing both grow further in the future.
-Jordan Sensei
みなさんこんにちは！
今回は小学校低学年プライベートレッスンのお話をいたします。
小2のSくん。体を動かすことが大好きで、レッスン中も積極的に体を動かしながら発話をしています。
今回はcan/can'tの文章発話で、動詞の絵が書いている紙を隠して探し出すアクティビティをしながら練習していました。
数をカウントするときの英語はもちろん、まだ隠し終わっていないときに"Not yet!"という風に発話をしてくれました！
また、"Here you are." "Thank you."は当たり前に発話しています！
これからも日常会話で使う英語も積極的に学んでいきましょう！
福田
We often overlook the small steps forward in favour of the giant leaps. These almost invisible steps get overshadowed
that we forget to acknowledge all the little bits and pieces we have accumulated along the way.
Every little bit counts, especially when learning. Over the last week, I have watched the tiny steps students
have made towards their langugae goals.
From my baby students saying their frist words like "hat, apple, banana, book or gentle". Enthusiastic Dads getting ready to learn with them: "I'm ready Sensei!" Energetic elementary school students telling me "I'm great and hungry" or the older ones laughing and saying "you are Ticky-Ticky Boom Boom, mango deluxe" (When someone is acting silly in class).
Junior Highschool students making jokes and giving eachother nicknames like "Gra-gra Fa" (Great-grand father or "Shy Boy". Highschoolers having hilarious banter while playing English card games "this game is rigged". The mature adult students explaining their views about sports popularity: "I don't really consider these types of things".
All these tiny steps keep adding up, week by week. Month by month and soon they will yeild wonderful success!
It is a truly humbling and rewarding experience, watching it all take place.
- Khanya (Kay) Sensei
