IrishOboe

Monday (Oct. 3rd) was a so-so day with classes and I was busy doing exam grading. It was a great day considering how much happened in the weekend. After school I had double booked myself, but it worked out okay in the end. I went to two-thirds of ICC (English club) and we had a great time playing party games like “Bang.” I was sad to leave them but I’d promised the brass band (what we simply call band) that I’d come. As far as I could gather, a director comes in once a month and other than that they are on their own. They practice three hours each day six days a week, too! Anyway, however their regular schedule is, when I was there it was 11 first year students and not an adult in sight. The third-year students are done for the year (or so I gathered) and the second-year students are on their school trip. It was great to have time with my students in a setting where they are comfortable and the group is small! I played a little, they played a very little, we talked and joked and had a good time. In that setting they responding to my acting and miming and being a goof, so that was very much fun, too. Sometimes I still wish I were in junior high or elementary school. They are just too serious and cool in the high school classroom! I’m just grateful to have some at-ease time with my students, though. I taught them some English and they taught me some Japanese (which later turned out to be a bit of a rude saying, but no harm was done). I stayed until 7ish and I promised I’d come again next week. It’s too tempting to have a group of music students with lots of time and no director . . . Besides, what better what to learn some Japanese? (More)