Well, I've finally been deemed worthy of teaching some classes!  I've been invited to talk to two English classes this week, and I was very excited about it.  For some reason I have not been asked to do much teaching, just to get to know the students more informally.

It was really fun!  I showed them a map of where I lived and some pictures, then told them a little about myself.  Finally, they all got to ask me one question.  I found out that this part can be very dangerous!

In one class we had no time left over after questions, but in the other we did.  So the students taught me a Japanese game called Fruit Basket, and I showed them some American card games and card tricks.  Both sides were impressed.  I'm definitely using Fruit Basket as an icebreaker with my kids next year, and I've seen the students impressing their friends with the card tricks during lunch.

This is what I came here for!  Please gimme some more!

And later that week, I was granted my wish.

I have been teaching English classes fairly regularly now - usually one class per day.  Except Tuesday, the last day of classes before summer vacation, I was in very high demand.  I taught 3 classes that day alone!

I have a pretty standard routine now, especially since I have not taught the same class more than once.  I introduce myself in Japanese (why do they always laugh, I wonder...), then I show them a presentation on the computer with pictures of my house, my family, my school, my students, my dog, etc to give them an idea of my life in America.  I answer any questions they have about the pictures.

The last part of class all the students get to ask me one question.  This is the tricky part of class. :)  Some of the questions are no problem - "How old are you?" "What subject do you teach?" etc.  Then they get into "Are you married?"  "Why not?"  "Do you like Japanese women?" and things get off-track! 

Most difficult question to answer in a manner they can understand:  "How do you feel about the foreign policy of the Bush administration?"  From the way the teacher was laughing, I'm pretty sure that question was planted.