Scenes behind

As I teach many kids, I have become to distinguish (of course I don't discriminate though,) very smart kids.

One tendency of those kids is...they ask me a lot of questions.
Arisa, a third grader girl, is one of those distinguished kids.
A few years ago, she often asked me "how do you say (something) in English?"
But recently, her questions got to an upper stage.

When I said," OK, so, what you want to be in the future is patisserie(baker), right?"
She wondered, "Probably... but the word patisserie is French, so shouldn't I make it to a feminine form? Isn't it patisserier??"

Another time, I said, "OK, let's play a baseball game!"
She wondered again, "Wait! The word, GAME has two meanings, one is: board game or computer game. The other is: sport activity to compete. How can you let English-speaking people get you're talking about which?"

A few days before, she talked to me during the class.
"Keiko sensei, you often encourage us! You hardly ever scold us. Is that your school's policy?"

Then, just after the class, I gave stickers to Arisa and other kids, instead of taking attendance, as usual.
She asked ma again, " Who invented this sticker attendance? Staff at this branch, or your company people? Is this just for this branch, or nation-wide thing?"

She is only 9 years old, but she doesn't just see everything just as the way it is, like me when I was 9 years old.
She tries to see even "the scenes behind."
Sometimes I happened to meet these kids like Arisa. Whenever I meet them, I feel, "I'm sure the kid will become SOMEBODY! I would like to develop her/his gift more!!"

After the class, when we became alone with Arisa, she asked me again.
"...So, your eyelashes got mascara, fake lashes, or extension?"
...You don't have to know MY SCENE behind, kid! I wanted to say...

Another day, when we just welcomed our new British teacher, Scott, I tried to have my kid students make conversations with him.
I worked hard to encourage kids to talk to him like,
"Did you say hello to Scott? He will be teaching you!"
I also tried to give Scott pieces of information about those kids.
"Scott, this girl, Rui, is 8 years old, and she is so brilliant that she got a full score of a kid English test provided by the United Nation! Rui! Have you introduced yourself to Scott??"

Then, Rui, another smart kid who wants to know the scenes behind, said...,
"Oh, I see! Do you like him, don't you?"(好きなの？）
...There is NO SCENES BEHIND sometimes, even the smart kids should know it!!!!

How to tame wild boys

Since August, I've been teaching four soccer boys in my condo.
All of them are six graders. One of the mothers is my friend and she said...
"They are too wild to be seated for a class and always very noisy... We, mothers, want them to prepare for English learning starting from junior high school. But we're sure they would drop out if we have them enter an English school or something because of their BAD behaviors. ...So, I would like you to teach them. Will you do that for us?"

When I had the first class with them, they were very cute kids & not noisy at all.
I said the mothers, "Hey, relax! They have no problems!!"
But you know, mothers always know their kids more than anyone...
As they get to know me, they have been getting to become "usual themselves" in front of me.
They really can't stay being seated!!
They are running, chasing another boy, slapping the other by a slipper, pushing someone away...
Whenever I say, "don't!!" Boys say, " どんと押せって言った？”(Did you just say, "bump him hard?") and keep doing that...

I teach them every Friday, so, sometimes I have a wedding emcee job the next day.
I'm really afraid if I lose my voice the next day because I can't stop screaming, "Stop!" or "Don't!!" or "Come here!!!!" or something, like I did in a four-year-old class at school.
Sometimes I'm really upset their rough behaviars!!

Now, their class is the hardest class ever.
I know how to use their energy for having them compete by English games. So, I let them do basketball, soccer, bowling, using some kids props. However, since they're already "low-teenagers," they get tired soon for a game and try a new one.
Therefore, I need to take at least two hours to prepare their class.
It takes time, is tiring, and I use my precious time on my day-off, I mean Friday...but I know it's worth to keep having the class for them, and for me.

For me: I can learn a lot by using another textbook other than my school's. Right now, I don't teach boys in the five & six grade, so getting to know them would make me an experienced teacher for the generation.

For them: They get to take in English, gradually. For example, even when they curse each other, they ask me beforehand, "How do you say 豚 in English?" Then, they scream "Hey, pig!" each other...
Oh, most importantly, they never skip my class and never late. Also, they never neglect homework! They are good students, aren't they?

Yesterday, the wildest boy saw the second wildest boy running, and said.
"Hey, you! You're such a kid! Why don't you go back to first grade and start over with the kids!!"

...Was he reading my mind!?
Teaching kids is great cause I can see the phase of their growing on site!!

Unforgettable Moment

Teru is a 4 year old kid student, and his brother, Yuto, is 7 years old.
Their mother, Akiko, is the same as my age.
...And all of them are my students!!

Teru gave me a hard time when he was a "terrible two."
He didn't want to stay away from his mom. Whenever he took my class, his mother was at the door of the classroom. If she sneaked out of the room, he started to cry, very hard.

Two years has passed. Now...he doesn't want to stay away from ME!!
Whenever the family comes to school, I play with Teru and Yuto when I don't have a class.

That day, my classes were over, so I wanted to leave school to go shopping...
But I stayed at school for awhile because they were there.
When they leave the school, they always give me Hi-5 at the elevator.
An hour later, finally I got their Hi-5, did some errands at school, and left the school, caring for the department store's business hour.

When I went outside...I heard a kid's voice.
"KEIKO SENSE---I!!!"
I looked across the road, then...Yuto, was screaming my name, climbing the road fence to get my attention!!
When the signal turned green, he dashed to cross the intersection.

"Hey hey, don't run! Where's your mom and Teru!?"
I was surprised and asked, then he grinned.
"We were having dinner at MacDonald. Then、we found you, so I came! Come on, grab a bite with us at Mac!!"
He grabbed MY HAND, and drew me into the MacDonald across the school.
His mother, Akiko found me and said,
"Keiko sensei! Sorry to bother you!! We were at the second floor, and I found you. Just after I said, "Look! Keiko sensei!" Yuto dashed immediately to reach you!!
Teru wanted to go outside to see you too, but I stopped him. Thank you for coming to us!
...A combo is OK?"
She offered me a dinner, but they seemed to have finished their meal (and I WANTED TO GO SHOPPING!!) so I said, "Oh, no, thank you. I need to go. Will you go to the station? Let's go together!"

On the way to the station, I took Teru's hand on my right side, and on my left side, I took Yuto's hand.
Yuto asked me, "Are you coming to the Halloween party? If you come, I'm gonna give you my treasure! Please come!!"
Teru asked me, "Are you coming to my house? Please come with us!!"
I laughed and said, "I'm going to the Halloween party...but speaking of visiting your house, let me do it some another time!!"

We took the trains for opposite directions. I sent them off.
When their train was about to leave, they said, "Hi-5! Hi-5, Keiko!"
They gave me Hi-5 respectively. Even after the door was closed, they tapped the door again and again, trying to touch my hands.

See? The moment was too adorable to forget!!
I didn't imagine I would start teaching kids before. I thought they were uncontrollable... Yes, they are sometimes, but moreover, they give me unforgettable moments.
I just can't wait to see them every week!

When I told this story to my friend, who has also two sons, she was a bit sarcastic.
"Yes, they give us unforgettable moments...
But you're lucky to see them once or twice per week! If if happens for four days, the adorableness will stop! "Unforgettable moments" would become "want-to-forget" moments!!"

Oh, I see...

What makes kids scared

Last week, my English school had a Halloween party.

I wore a sexy (I know I'm not a sexy-type, but when a grown-up woman chooses a Halloween costume...we have just two options. Sexy or silly.) witch costume under my coat, and arrived at school.
My co-worker, Seth, was already there, wearing a Japanese-lord （お殿様）costume and a topknot(ちょんまげ） wig. Our manager got the Japanese costume & wig cause she thought it might be very funny & cute if an American young guy wore them...
Yes, he looked perfectly cute for me, but he looked disappointed.
"You look great! ...But, is it something wrong?"
I asked Seth, then he said to me,
"Thank you...but Mai cried when she saw me, so now I'm changing."

Mai is 4 year old kid student. She has come to my class and Mark's class, two times a week to our school.
She has been our student since she was one-year-old, so she was a brilliant student...
Her English doesn't seem a 4-year-old one's.
Every teaching staffs were surprised when she got a full score of the United Nation's English test for kids!!

Even though she's got used to our school & teachers, she cried when she saw Seth, an "American-version of a Japanese lord."
To us, it was funny, but to her, it was completely frightening.

Seth changed his costume to "Elvis Presley," an American superstar singer.
Then, Mai stopped crying, came closer to Seth, asking, "Who are you??" smiling...

I couldn't stop wondering.
Why did she cry when she saw a Japanese lord costume??
What made her scared?? Why Elvis Presley was OK to her, but Japanese lord was not??

After I got home, my hubby gave me an mind-blowing answer.
"It's clear! Because she has been at English school, she is westernized!! That's why she didn't like a Japanese costume! She wanted to say, "I love American costumes! Halloween is an American festival, don't bring a Japanese style!!" Don't you think so??!"

....Well, I don't know...
I have no idea what makes kids scared sometimes...

Another day, I had a class at my condo (Every Friday, I teach English soccer boys in my condo.)
When I asked "How are you?" a six grader kid, he stared at me and said...
"I'm...scared!! Your make-up is just thick!!"

After I got home and told that to my hubby, he said.
"A score to him!! I'm with him!!"

...I have no idea why kids are scared by a Japanese costume or my make-up, but my hubby seems to completely understand why.
...Is it fair or unfair???