Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Hearts' Day at Yochien!

                       In my place, I have to teach English to Yochien (pre-school) kids three times in a year. My first time was quite a disaster because I really didn't know what to do since it was my first time to teach those energetic kids. The second time was quite better because we made it a Halloween lesson. Now was the third time and it was a Valentine's Day Lesson! Yey! I was so excited!

                        First, I gathered materials from the internet and luckily, I found great flashcards at MES, it's really a very good site for ALTs. Those cute activity sheets by the way are from Super Simple Learning, my kids really loved them!


                        We started the day by doing Yochien's usual morning routine which includes attendance and exercise. After that, I taught the Hello Song and Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes. We repeated it for about five times, imagine how tiring it was! The kids were so excited and enthusiastic to learn so I didn't mind keeping up with their energy. 

                        Next, I showed them the Valentine's flashcards so they can memorize the English words related to this event. They actually know the words but they pronounce it in Japanese katakana so I emphasized the difference. After that, I taught Janken game in English and I told them to play it when I give them the worksheets. I didn't talk in Japanese when I explained it to them. I just used examples and gestures so they could understand. The Japanese teachers were also there to guide those who were confused but fortunately, most of them understood my instructions. 


   
                        This activity really gave me cuteness overdose! The kids laughed at themselves a lot because they knew they made silly heart faces. I couldn't stop smiling at them too. The feeling was so priceless!


                        When everyone was done, we decided to have a contest. They voted which one has the best worksheet. That was what the kids were doing in the picture below. The Japanese teachers asked them to sit  and make a line in front of the person/project they liked. This made me a little bit nervous because those who didn't have votes might cry but I guess they're very sport.


                        The last part of our lesson was about making pastillas or Filipinos' milk candy. It probably has nothing to do with teaching English but based on how I understood it, English subject in Japan is not just about teaching the language but knowing and appreciating other cultures as well. Besides, the kids already learned a lot of words on that day. 

                        As you can see at the link above, the recipe was so easy. The bigger students helped in mixing the ingredients. Then, we distributed small papers for students to wrap the milk candies that they shaped. Everyone enjoyed eating their pastilllas so the last word I taught for the day was "yummy"!


                         Finally, 2 hours of being with adorable kids was over. I didn't even notice the time because we did a lot of things. I've proven again that the best way to manage hyperactive kids is to keep them busy. Three days in a year might not really be enough but I made sure that these days will be unforgettable for these lovely students. Oh, and of course I gave them "very good" stamps. They proudly show them to their parents while they repeat the English words and expressions they learned.


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