Thursday, November the 29th, 2007

We had a training interview exam this afternoon. One interviewee could hardly talk about the reason of her application; the other could only talk about why she wanted to major dietetics as a medical treatment, but about why she has chosen the university.

Wednesday, November the 28th, 2007

The oversea study tour has been diffusing. That has caused certain problems. One of them is that it thrusts aside other educational activities. As it is a service for the rich,

Tuesday, November the 27th, 2007

Trickle-down process should be built-in so that the people with the limited income should enjoy transcultural communication. The transcultural experience in their younger days enlarges students' cultural equipotentiality.

Monday, November the 26th, 2007

Although oversea study tours are educational services for the rich, they have their trickle-down effects. To successfully carry on the tour with the visit to a high school on an annual base, mutual visits or mutual reciprocity is a must. It means that, to carry on the tour, we have to accept a tour.
Superficially, hosting foreign students looks to be providing service, but actually it is to enjoy service or opportunity.

Saturday, November the 24th, 2007

An off day after a hardworking week. Yet, I started contacting the professors of colleges to further develop the preparatory session of the oversea study tour.

Friday, November the 23rd, 2007

The Labour Thanksgiving Day. I slept late this morning till past 8:00. Yet, I still have to go to school to take care of the basketball club. Who would give their thanks to whom today?
I have been labouring for nearly a quarter century, only a quarter year short of it. I wonder what I have achieved so far.
For my proficiency in English language usage and grammar, I have achieved quite a deal, given the start a consideration. For that in Chinese, no progress has been achieved because of the lack of professional routines related. For other education-related knowledge and techniques, achievements are variously diversed, and even what have been achieved so far become out-of-date easily. It used to be said that easy come, easy go, but today hard gain, easy go.

Thursday, November the 22nd, 2007

A cloudy cold morning. That is, a winter morning.
Adjusting process is under way. I had better do routines today. I will think of the next projects after the weekend.
I paid a visit to the authorities concerned at Kishiwada City. I suppose it paid.

Wednesday, November the 21st, 2007

The last Chinese day at school, although it is tomorrow that they leave Japan. Should I pay visit to the authorities concerned at Kishiwada City, whatever there may have been between us? They have had their hard work on their own. Politeness pays later.
They have gone. Gone to USJ first, and then back to China tomorrow. As I was busy after school today, I will go to see the authorities concerned at Kishiwada City tomorrow. I have delivered questionnaire to the host families. The Chinese days are coming to its end.
I did some chores this afternoon. Can I go back to routine days after these days? I have to adjust myself so that I would be able to be productive in a daily manner. First of all, I have to finish the paperworks I have delayed these weeks.

Tuesday, November the 20th, 2007

A very cold morning and day. I have to tour around Kishiwada with Suwatou's students and teachers. I wear a suite and a red necktie today, which may cope with those of Chinese teachers.
As I mentioned yesterday, I have successfully shared the burden, in a kind of the game-theory's way.
Is translating a process which could be paid for? Is it recognized as such? I wonder if the management have the right answer for those questions. Or rather, I doubt if they have ever thought of them.
Linguistic proficiency has not been respected in educational societies. Envied may it have been, but never evaluated as a paid job at school.

Monday, November the 19th, 2007

A very cold morning. The start of the Winter?
Yesterday, Federer won the MC. Some young people are talking about that on the train. What about Suzuki, who won the National Championship yesterday? How far Japanese players are dragging behind!
The first Chinese day ended around 7 p.m. Although I had successfully shared the load, I have been busy filling this gap or that. Though it is far from being perfect, I could say that experience makes it perfect.
Have I seen the back of beyond?

Saturday, November the 17th, 2007

A mock exam and explanatory meeting at Kan-juku.

Friday, November the 16th, 2007

A busy week is going to get passed, to see another, maybe busier, week.
This afternoon, I have a plenary training course, some other teachers are having a meeting for host students. Should I make a break for it? Or rather not?
The plenary training course was very interesting and exciting. I think I like the situation with many ALTs. Should I move to a high school with the international course again?
One ALT was talking of Miyataka very positively. I was surprised to find how helpful for ALTs he had been. Nishikawa, however, talked of him rather negatively. He may be a contradictory persona.
I bought a sea bream for my younger daughter on my way back from the course. I wonder what has made her interested in the fish. The food she had been interested in were all fried some things or other oily ones.

Thursday, November the 15th, 2007

It is another chilly morning. It's Autumn!

Wednesday, November the 14th, 2007

It is cold this morning. The Autumn is deepening.
The selection and concentration is what is needed at school now. Business is not being busy itself. Diffusion or spreading ourselves doesn't do. The management are a little bit carried away.
I finished marking classes of quizzes today. The busy-ness caused by doing preparation for Suwatou's students has prevented me from doing routines in time. I myself lack concentration. To concentrate, I have to select.

Tuesday, November the 13th, 2007

It was very cold yesterday evening, so I wear a coat this morning. Too warm to wear one?
The preparation for accepting Suwatou No.1 students seems to be surrounded by hedges. And am I on one of the hedges? I wonder why some people, especially those in management, can get carried away so easily.
The preparation process itself is getting into the last stage. Everything would turn out to be what it could be.

Monday, November the 12th, 2007

I feel rather tired after working hard recruiting host families for weeks. Can I have some rest this week? So that i can see Shanghai Masters' Cup? Officially, it must be a break before the "take."
I am focusing on the preparation session for the 4th oversea tour to Australia. The session itself must be, or at least should look to be, more attractive and useful.
I am hovering over several jobs. I could, at least, accomplish one job today. I delivered the profiles of Chinese students to host families. Should I be satisfied with the tiny step? My English classes and other jobs are not going sufficiently. Should I content myself with the poor steps?

Sunday, November the 11th, 2007

Masters' Cup starts in Shanghai today. It will be busy watching tennis games this week.

Saturday, November the 10th, 2007

Going to Kaizuka High School for basketball matches. I first drop into Izumi HS to leave the materials I got yesterday, and to pick up shoes and tea. I surely hope I can do it in time.

Friday, November the 9th, 2007

I have to go to Meiwa Elementary School in Neyagawa today. I will be to be late for the open class. I wonder why they arrange things like that.
I am going to put an article on the school web page about the meeting on Kan-kan-doh-ritsu entrance examinations. How will it work?
I have seen 2 classes today; one for the 1st graders, and the other for the 7th graders. The first one was, of course, activity-oriented, but so was the second one. Is it OK? Is it really OK that English learners are wholly immersed in English game-like activities for those 7 years?
In my idea, as English classes have started in elementary schools, Classes in junior and senior high schools should focus on farther developed activities, such as those with IT. Otherwise, students' time and talents will be wasted.

Thursday, November the 8th, 2007

It's a cold morning, but not so bitter yet.
How to develop the preparation session for the oversea tour should be studied. In other words, the project needs farther research and development (R&D). Depending wholly on tourism companies would be out of date. Collaboration or burden sharing with them will flourish.
One more host family is yet to be found. The problem has been being solved a step by a step. Each step has been too small and too hard. Can I make one more step?

Wednesday, November the 7th, 2007

A cloudy but nice morning. One of a very few enjoyable Autumn days it might be.
Will the partnership with Wakayama University be an agenda again? Should I lend myself to the issue? That might involve me in the arranging-classroom problem.
Recruiting host families has come to a deadlock. To find two more, how many phone calls have I made, and how many turndowns have I got? The number at the start was too small, just one, I'm afraid.

Tuesday, November the 6th, 2007

A rainy morning. I have only one period off today, and have a meeting with host families this evening. Quite a hard day.
On the meeting, I will show slides with the explanation by Mr. Murata, give some information such as their itinerary and custom. How much knowledge do I have on their custom?
Cooperation, collaboration, partnership; these might be key words for my projects. Furthermore, I have to be a connoisseur, rather than just being a coordinator. A connoisseur must understand not only what should be coordinated with what, but also whether they are worth being coordinated. He ought to be able to appraise the parties concerned.
A connoisseur is who can judge the value of a project or that of a person concerned.

Monday, November the 5th, 2007

Another week starts. I have visited Mukogawa and Kobe-jogakuin. That seems to have been gathering information for the preparation session of the oversea study tour. I have paid a quite consideration on the preparation lessons.
I haven't done any preparation for tomorrow's host-family meeting. I think I should prepare a slide show, their itinerary, and some know-how. I think I can do the first two by the time we have the meeting, but am afraid I can't do the last by then. Can I search some materials on the Internet?
Mac has introduced Mac-lap, a taco-like something. Shall I try one someday, sometime?

Sunday, November the 4th, 2007

I slept till a quarter past 9 in the morning. I slept long and late.

Saturday, November the 3rd, 2007

Yesterday, I went to Nishinomiya, and today, I go to Shinodayama. What a difference that might be!
On my way back from Kobe College, I bought an apple pie and three marrons ies. Prof. Nagao recommended the pies sold at Spoon near Monto-yakujin Station. Though the cafe looked ordinal, the pies tasted great. I envy the people living in Kobe or Hanshin-kan. They can always enjoy tasty cake and bread.

Friday, November the 2nd, 2007

I am visiting Kobe-jogakuin University this afternoon to see a class for Training Translator Program. I have successfully got contact with Kyoto University of Foreign Studies on Kyoto Program, where students try to introduce Kyoto overseas in English. I forwarded the mail from Dr. Sasaki to some teachers of Izumi. My idea is to have him lecture in front of the participants of the Queensland Study Trip and of Picture-Card Exchange Program. For the former students, that would make one class of the preparatory session for the trip.
One would-be host family has canceled. One step forward, two steps back. I announced in front of the 3 classes where I teach English asking for help, and asked the vice-principal to ask the PTA president to list could-be candidates for host families. We should make the third wave of recruiting next week, and I hope that would be the last one.
As I changed trains from JR to Hankyu at Umeda, it smelled different. As I changed trains farther to Takarazuka Line, it became farther different, elegantly relaxed.

Thursday, November the 1st, 2007

Another month has passed, and we have the first day of a new month. Today, the 12th graders have a trial examination, and I don't have any classes. Should I go home and relax this afternoon, or prepare for the next week? Too much work makes me a dull teacher?
One of my students would like to visit Shinoda-yama SDF post to see a landmine. What a curious student he is!

Wednesday, October the 31st, 2007

We are in the middle of the week, yet we are in the middle of the struggle. An acting home-room teacher, Australian students, the Open Campus, Chinese students... Of course, I have had enough routines. I wonder when a sabbatic will arrive.

Tuesday, October the 30th, 2007

We are getting to the end of the month. Yet I doubt if the preparation to welcome Chinese students have successfully under way. That may need additional efforts. The problem is I'm not sure what should exactly added.
We are reading about Zero Landmines in English II classes. I made a contact with SDF to see if we could borrow model landmines. Their answer was No, though we would be able to visit their post to see the model mines. Who would spare their time to have such an experience?

Monday, October the 29th, 2007

Autumn has come. I saw the movie "Others" yesterday. Some films help switch outlooks. "Matrix" was one of them, and "Others" was another good example. After watching the film, I felt like I was removed into another world. How many different worlds do we have?
We have been thinking about what song our brass band should play for Chinese students. One teacher recommend "Hua-xin" as the song was a success in the same occasion in Ten'noji HS. The song is, I'm afraid, a little bit out of date. I picked up the song when I organized a school trip to China years ago. Another teacher is wondering if "Only One", which was definitely popular in Japan when our Japanese students were a couple of years younger, is popular among Chinese youths. The song, originally sung by SMAP in Japan, is covered by a Chinese-Malay male singer.
We have recruited as many as 6 host families so far. A few more could be added with the arranged plan. The last few should require another plan. I wonder if I could think of it.

Saturday, October the 27th, 2007

Working in the rain! Open Campus in the rain! A couple of students are rehearsing in the 7:05 train, two trains earlier than usual, three trains earlier than during exam weeks.
To recruit host families, I called 8 families with 11 phone calls; 1 Yes, 3 reconsiderations, and 4 Noes. The international communication is not bunches of gorgeous flowers, but plies of painful efforts. Do the management really understand that?
The recruiting process for the overseas study tour has just begun.

Friday, October the 26th, 2007

It's raining. Kobe in the rain! A walk in the rain! ... an Open Campus in the rain tomorrow?
Osaka Prefecture was ranked 45th as the result of the National Achievement Test. Its aftermath would be a spectacle. Some teachers have already started making either excuses or complaints over the result or over the test itself.
The school trip ended, in the rain at Kobe, with a rainbow back in Kishiwada. It's a wonder that our students seem to have enjoyed it, even in the rain. They are the best students in Japan, unless we don't have to have them study, one teacher lamented.
I wrote an e-mail to Suwatou yesterday, on October the 25th, demanding the information when they should arrive at our school. Suwatou sent out a fax demanding the information on their itinerary in Kishiwada, which should be arranged, according to their idea, by Kishiwada City. Kishiwada City forwarded the fax one hour later to Izumi HS, supposedly with the idea that they have no responsibility or authority to decide it, possibly with the idea or hope that we, Izumi HS, should decide it. We seem to have come to a so-called three]cornered deadlock, and also look like being in a whodunit.

Thursday, October the 25th, 2007

Osaka Prefecture has been ranked 45th as the result of the National Achievement Test. Its aftermath would be a spectacle. Should I buy a copy of English newspaper so that I could talk about the incident in English?
It seems to start raining today. Tomorrow will have a school trip, to Kobe for the 11th graders. The day after tomorrow has Open Campus. The latter is a problem. If it rains, that would be a quite bothersome, and might require a couple of additional troubles.
I finished writing the report for the day before yesterday's meeting, and also wrote a message to Suwato's. Cramming and communicating are coming in combo.

Wednesday, October the 24th, 2007

The merit of having contacts with preparatory schools is that we can enjoy the information they have gathered. We don't have sufficient time to solve all the examinations of all the prestigious universities, let alone those of all the universities. What should we pay in return?