Elementary Goodbyes

Farewells at the elementaries were really bittersweet.  At one they had a rather elaborate ceremony* worked out, including one of the students reading to me in English (granted, he was reading it with Japanese phonetics as it was written, but still, !!) while at another they all sang to me.  Really touching stuff--mementos aplenty, with drawn-up thank you notes from all my 5th and 6th graders, complete with picutres of us together.

I was doing really really good at not crying until I was leaving one school--they accompanied me to the exit and saw me off from the parking lot; I was still good pulling out, but as I went down the hill by the school to drive away, the students started running along the top of it alongside of me, waving and shouting "goodbye!"

I could still see them in my rear view mirror as the tears welled up.

"Since Matt-sensei is single, how about...?"

During lunch with the 1st graders at one of the elementaries we were chatting about  the usual fare for a while ("What animal do you like?" "How old are you?"), until finally one asks the inevitable:

"[Do you have a girlfriend?]"

I inform them that no, I in fact, do not, and am immediately paired off with one of the assistant teachers.  Awkward eye contact and apologies from/to the paired parties ensue while the children giggle; despite the homeroom teacher's reassurances that, fact that I was leaving Japan aside, I didn't need the help of the first graders to find a girlfriend, the students kept bringing it up.

"Well if Matt likes curry rice, ~sensei can make it..."

Their innocence really is touching.

"Three!? Three WHAT, huh?"

Went swimming with my elementary school students Friday a week ago.  I showed off my butterfly technique (when I told them it was my specialty, they were all "oh! awesome!"); being 5 years out of practice means I left the pool really sore, but I still got it!

The elementary students were of course keen to study my body moreso than my technique--lots of requests for muscle flexes and such, along with plenty of poking and some hugs, the hug being a new tactic in an attempt to sap my body heat (it was a cool overcast day at the outdoor pool).

At one point on the deck, a 6th grade boy leans over and examines my crotch*.
"Yappari, mit-tsu aru. [I knew it, there's three!]"

Something about curiousity and cats.  He got a good poke attack for that one.

(*I was in a speedo--I've kept it from high school.  It's so small, why not pack it everywhere?)

Swine Influenza Fever

I returned from China the first Tuesday in May, had Wednesday off, and went to work as usual on Thursday.  During the day, my supervisor (at the board of education) called a few times: once, to confirm whenI had gotten back; again, later, to tell me that for the sake of my elementary schools, I should take tomorrow off and not teach (my thought: you DO realize you're telling me not to go to school...while I'm at school, right? I assured him I was fine); and finally, he called to tell me that, well, since I said I was healthy, I could go to work after all.

Ridiculous.  The next day at the elementaries I got a round of questioning to the effect of:
"So you went to China, huh?" (yes, it was fun)
"Did you hear about the swine flu?" (some warnings on the flight over, and a lot on the way back, yep)
"...did they test or check you at all when you got back to Japan?" (yes yes, I had to fill out a form and... [at this point I exaggerated the trouble of the process so it sounded a little more rigorous])
[to the staff, visibly relieved:] "He was checked!"

Sigh.  The trouble with today's widespread information network is that it's very easy to get people into a panic.  At least my middle schools have some sense; no panic there.  Though I did mess with one of my students at lunch (this is the same one who thought I was Howie of BSB fame; when she asked about the flu ("pork influenza;" good vocabulary!) I feigned a few coughs and got a rise out of her before I assured her I was joking.

This is to say nothing of how much things have escalated in the 3-week interim; more on that in another post.

A Grand Entrance

Entrance ceremony is not so different from closing--dress is less the serious, black with white tie, more color (it being spring and all), but still the parents in the back (fewer tears), still lots of speeches, still lots of "stand up" "bow" "sit down" action (averaged a good eight instances of this at entrance; graduation was ridiculous, definitely over a dozen).

Knowing all the new 7th graders from teaching them in elementary school made it really fun to watch all the proceedings. Somehow most of the students were still surprised to see me there, even after I'd told them all at our last classes that I'd see them in junior high school. I won't be teaching them right off the bat (they want to get all their fundamentals down with reading, etc first) but I'm really looking forward to seeing them all in the halls at school (and getting to know the newbies at my other school next week).

Obamawesome.

ALL of my students of course know "Obama" at this point (though I enjoy asking them to tell me his first name: "…ba…la-ku?"), and everybody knows the "Yes we can" chant. It's kind of hilarious and adorable, especially when my elementary school students whip it out on me. Way back when Obama won the election, the following week at an enkai (banquet) my kocho-sensei (principal) ended his toast for the previous day's culture festival with "I know this is supposed to be about culture day, but…'Yes we can!'" and we all toasted to "Yes we can!"

If you're stuck stateside and have any doubts about the man, know that his election = instant credibility in the international community.

I may dominate 1st graders at Dodgeball...

...but 3rd graders proved significantly more challenging (I blame the uncatchibility of the ball).

HOWEVER, in soccer my two years of experience hosing slightly older, smarter students at CTY left me very well equipped to handle even 5th and 6th graders.

Last week I played with a big group of boys. Scored one goal, but he highlight came when a ball rolled out of bounds for a goalie kick (they let the goalie punt on a goalie kick, and by "goalie" I mean "anybody").

"Matt-sensei, douzo!"
WHAAAAAM! (ball flies past ALL the kids, easily 2-3x as far as any of their previous kicks)
all: "ooooohhhh! Matt-sensei, Soccer wa tsuyoi (strong)!"

The Elementary Schools, or: I Dominate 1st Graders in Dodge Ball

I visit 3 elementaries on Friday each week (this is why I need a car for work--there's no bus or train schedule flexible enough to accommodate me there). I <3 the elementary schools. My goodness, kids are just wonderfully full of energy (I'm well aware that they can wear on you, but hey, I only see each class once per week--energy stays high there). It's almost enough to make me reconsider pediatrics as a medical specialty. It's a lot more fun than the rest of my week--I'm super busy with all the school visits, but every class is basically a short lead-in (introducing new vocabulary, etc) to playing games in some form or another. Best part is, I get to play too!

When I was first starting, I had a free period at one of the schools and I was invited to join the first graders (yes, first graders) for gym. We played amoeba tag first (I was "it" to start--I'm not sure what was worse, not being able to catch any of them to start or being slowed down by them so much when I finally did get one and had to drag 'em around to get more), and then we played dodge ball.

I know what you're thinking--it must've been a slaughterfest--but I played left-handed so it was merely a massacre instead. Kids got a big kick out of it, though.
"Matt-sensei, sugoi!" (Matt, you're awesome!)

I've also been playing with the kids a fair bit at lunchtimes--I eat with one of the classes each Friday--which has left me rather sweaty for a few of my afternoon classes. Whoops.