Owner: Chris's English Conversation School URL:http://www.waikiki2yanai.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:24:25 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Hawaii boy now teaching English Conversation in the Japanese countryside. Site statistics:Click here
10,000 Blog Hits!!!!!!!!!!! 2008-02-11 01:54:02 I was told that 10,000 visits gets a cookie! ****waits for cookie....!...?****Editors note: Most blogs get 10,000 hits in a week. I still want my cookie!!Edit#2The actual 10,000 hit was a navbar hit from INDIA...?....? Yay!
Awesome! 2008-02-09 03:52:53 These kids are so awesome, I have to re-do their lesson because it is too easy for them. They blow my mind....then I remember I'm their teacher and it all makes sense again:)
They have come sooo far!!! 2008-02-07 22:33:18 One of the major benefits of having your own School or working at the same School for a long time is the fact that you get to watch the development of the students English skills. One year ago we were sounding out the phonics and now we are reading and using dictionaries! I have to remember this feeling the next time a new group wears me thin :)
Dear Diary (Wed. Edition) v3 2008-02-06 06:08:36 Chiharu, (Top) has gotten much better than just 2 weeks ago! And Asuka and Kei are awesome for 13 years old!! (More Diaries can be found on the "Diary
Blog")
Read more:Edition
Top 10 Students February 2008 2008-02-05 18:31:08 Most of the parents and kids now, head straight for this list at the beginning of every month. I will start creating a quarterly "report card system" that should be ready by the spring.
Read more:February
Eiken Step...Up 2008-02-03 23:55:07 The 8 and 9 year old girls are reading and speaking great!! Diaries and Eikens are not far away!!The Eiken 5 was so easy that they will go after the next test as soon as it is available. May? June? I guess I should check. They are on a track to go all the way to Eiken 1. I believe that 4 and 3 are givens within a year if they focus.A few diaries from today. (More diaries can be viewed on the diary blog, located in my right sidebar).
Dear Diary 8pm Edition! 2008-02-01 21:44:22 Instead of going crazy with a red pen and thoroughly depressing them. I pick my battles one at a time. Once they get past that problem I move to the next. So far doing it that way is paying off. These kids are doing great!!
Read more:Diary
, Edition
Eiken Pefection 2008-01-30 01:05:18 Well, I told them that failing was not an option. I said "You will not try, you WILL do!!". I said no one had failed an Eiken in 2 years and it was a streak I expected to continue. I told them that the first test is the most important because it sets a standard.They were listening!Not only did they all pass (Chiharu missed the test registration deadline so she did not get to participate) they all got good scores which was led by Hideaki and his PERFECT score!! This was their first chance to really show their focus, commitment and drive. I am a very happy teacher!! As a reward (besides the amazing feeling of accomplishment they feel inside), I think it's time for a winter cheeseburger party!!P.S.No we are not cutting pumpkins in January! It's a picture from 4 months ago.
Obama pwns Clinton!! 2008-01-27 23:04:29 I have just decided that I want this man to be my country's next president. I am a Reagan child and am also a registered Republican in the state of Hawaii. But the lack of anyone outside McCain in the Republican field, and my doubts that a Republican can win the next election lead me to this choice.wait...That's not the whole story...After watching Bill Clinton
destroy what was left of his tattered legacy by showing once again that this is not about America but about the Clintons!! They will shred anyone in or out of their party that gets in their way. Their supporters made calls to voters claiming that Obama
studied at a madrases and swore on a Koran. Both total bullsh__ but it was said none the less. The Clinton's hopefully have begun to be so blatant that they will now be scrutinized by
The Dictionary Game 2008-01-25 19:46:36 This is a great game to get kids comfortable with using a dictionary. I say the word in Japanese and they have to race to find, and say, the English word for a point. 5pt gets a chocolate. They love this game and they learn the value of that book pretty quick. One student is 6 and another is 7 and they are reading good enough to win this game. The 7 year old is the best in her class at reading speaking and writing.Any student over the age of six should be given a dictionary and told to get busy gettin' busy with it!!
Read more:Dictionary
This is how it starts!! 2008-01-23 06:35:56 This class just got their marching orders. I told them what I want and how I want it. I went over a template of what I want, and the layout I expect. They will do it from now on and by themselves. I told the parents not to assist because if they do I can't see where the struggle is? It will start slow but, come summertime they will be years...YEARS ahead of their classmates in speaking and writing.
Wednesday Diaries (Looking good) 2008-01-23 06:11:06 These kids have come a long way in the 3 months since we started these diaries. They are great students who make it fun to teach.
Read more:Diaries
, Wednesday
Diary Page #1 2008-01-22 05:50:13 These guys just did their very first Diary
/H.W. assignment and I am very happy! The one on top looks like a train wreck but he is 8 years old and his public school classmates are probably playing "fruit basket". His speaking and reading are at a 2nd year J.H. level and his writing will be too by summertime.
Friday + 9 = Dead tired 2008-03-14 07:51:02 After I get my pound of flesh (Speaking/Reading/Diaries/Questions).It is chill at will.I have a plan, and the faster they "get it", the sooner we can all relax:)Another class gets ready for the diaries.In other news...After the shuffle of classes, I now have 9 on Friday
....9!! For 3 years Friday was my toughest to fill, and now? There aren't enough hours in the day? F___ed if I know why??
Read more:tired
Weekend Warriors 2008-03-15 04:14:17 Chikako and Chiharu's reading is much better than before. They both seem to enjoy reading. The easier it becomes the funner it gets for them. It's one of the beauties of knowledge. When you get some.....you want some more :)!!Chinami is still #1 but she needs to keep pushing herself. Her diary is one of the best in my School. She is very good!!This class is doing good but the reading needs to get better. Quickly!!These girls have to give me an opinion (spoken/written) about the topic of the week which I grab from the Mainichi online news site. This will be tough for a while but they will catch on pretty quick.
Read more:Weekend
, Warriors
, Weekend Warriors
Saturday Stars 2008-03-22 06:02:59 Chinami showing off her Eiken 5 certificate. She is a really good student!!Chikako is a lot more confident since she passed Eiken!! I am really happy about her improvement!!!Chiharu in "Thinking mode" she studies 2x a week with me and I have a lot of respect for her. She is a good girl and a good student!!!!One of the cutest diaries in my school!!Hideaki has a broken left hand. Lucky he is a righty!! His writing is like mine.....very bad !! But....he always makes good sentences and he tries hard. He got 100% on his Eiken :)
Read more:Saturday
Advanced J.H/Elem 2008-03-21 07:24:03 These kids are a teachers dream!! Whatever I throw at them they pickup and throw right back :)This is a conversation school so I told them they have 10 minutes to get the new words down in English and Japanese. That way we have 50 minutes to discuss the story of the day.
Reading on the up!! 2008-03-26 06:51:33 I only follow 5 classes on this Blog to make it easier for people to follow along with the progress of the students. The 2 students above are getting very good at reading which is great. If a student is absent during this time ( 1 is ), that student will have a very difficult time catching-up!! I will not help them because it is their responsibility. It sounds cold but I teach to the students who always show up. Doing anything else would not be fair in my book. I am here for the serious studiers and that's the way that goes. The whole point of having a private school is to be able to do it this way. I feel sorry for public school teachers who have 30 - 40 students to contend with. It is VERY difficult and you have to be kinda laid back (a.k.a. not me!!!) or you will lose your mind. I cou Read more:Reading
Gotta have one!!! 2008-03-30 22:55:44 These 2....along with all my other students have learned to read using a Dictionary. It seems like a no brainer but in fact, most other teachers think you need a certain command of reading before you require Dictionaries? It seems to be delaying the inevitable. Why not require they learn to read... their new vocabulary instead of just associating it with an image ?And the kids love the seemingly endless amount of knowledge that book gives them.
Read more:Gotta
Kei moves up!! 2008-04-03 09:07:18 For the first time in 10 months, Yuko has some company at the top spot!!! Kei is 14 and he has been here for 3.8 years. He is now an adult level student at Speaking/Reading and Writing!!! If you study hard this is what you can do!! Kei can do anything he wants! Interpreter, Translator, English teacher, anything that involves English. As long as he continues....the world is his oyster!!!This is Yu and she is a pre-school (Kindergarten) student. Yeah, she is already reading and writing...and speaking at a MUCH higher level then kids her own age. She is a teachers dream!!This is Kei's Diary. Lots of errors but he really took on a challenging topic which is what I want. Students who challenge themselves will always get my respect!!!(I don't correct all mistakes at one time. If I did the amoun Read more:moves
2007 in Pictures 2008-04-01 21:59:22 I finally got around to doing this!! It only took 4 months to get to it!! 2007 was an excellent year and all the parties were fantastic. The Haunted House Halloween Party was the best and I will try to top it this year!!!
Read more:Pictures
Advanced Elementary 2008-04-05 04:51:07 Chinami definitely has the cutest diary!!!Chinami also has the neatest notebook :)Today's notebook entry which is a an outline of how I expect the class to play out.Below is my souvenir (omiyage) from Chikako. I think she bought it in Okinawa?I love it !!!!!! Very cool!! Thanks Chikako!!!!!!! :)
Read more:Elementary
Young Minds 2008-04-10 07:49:22 The reading is getting markedly better by the week. Before this Summer they will be able to read the newspaper, which will become our source for new vocabulary.If you get 100% on an Eiken test you get one of these....in addition to the regular certificate ;)
Saturday = Fun 2008-04-12 05:28:52 Chi__, is getting better by the week!! She is younger than her classmates but she is one of my top 10 students!!Cute Diary !!!This class of 8 and 9 year olds just started their diaries a few weeks ago and it is coming right along!!
Read more:Saturday
Advanced J.H/Elem V2 2008-04-11 07:35:41 Kan__, is 14 but she could sit in, and hang on, with my best adults (Eiken 1 Lvl). She is AMAZING!!Everything she does, she does well. If I ask her to improve something...she does it on the next try and she does it perfect.Her diary is one of the best. And the content is getting much more elaborate and filled with personal observations. She is a teachers dream!! A perfect student :)Ha__, is 10 and she is great. Most kids her age are not anywhere near her level. Ay___, is great and has a lot of talent as a speaker.
Beach Block (X) 2008-04-15 02:37:26 I am doing what I hate the most :( Making/laminating flashcards!!! I feel like some drone toiling away when I do this. I cannot imagine working in a factory or office doing the SAME thing EVERYDAY!!!!!! I would blow a fuse and go postal with a scope on the rooftop kinda thing ;)anywayz...I want to really enjoy some serious beach time this year...and since Yanai has a 3 month beach season (it's 2 but I add 1 for my head) I have to do this stuff NOW!!! It took the 4th year of my school to get the planning right but I'm on it.By the way...Morgan gave me the idea to have a Hawaiian style Pig roast. It's called "Kalua" pig and it's cooked in the ground ina underground oven called an "Imu". I will do a full Hawaiian Summer Party preview soon.EVERYBODYS WELCOME!!!! Hula show, Hawaiian Grinds, Read more:Beach
Diaries.....getting better :) 2008-04-16 04:21:38 Chih__'s diary is much better
than before. She still needs to improve more but I am happy with her progress. I think Diaries
/Journals are a critical tool in the English teachers tool box. It is another way of breaking the communication barrier. I only wish I had started doing it sooner.If you see a diary with errors it is because i only correct a little at a time. Too much red pen can make the student depressed and lose confidence. I am a hard core strict teacher but I don't do anything that makes my job harder.
Thursday Kids (Girls) 2008-04-17 07:54:27 The reading and speaking is really good in this class. Their reading is YEARS ahead of their classmates. Their very high reading/writing level is going to help make the conversation lessons go much smoother. I pat myself on the back with this group. They are a "proof of concept" type class.
Read more:Thursday
, Girls
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