Dec.18
I attended the Sunday service. Actually I am looking back and writing this on a church bench. The past week was a very tiring week because of the snow.
Dec.17
I bought a lot of rock and roll music tunes from the iTune music store. The tunes include Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, and Rock and Roll ( of Led Zeppelin). These tunes make me sentimental and happy. I wanted to buy I Love Rock and Roll, but it wasn’t available.
Dec.16
I went to teach writing. The topic was tortilla.
Dec.15
I gave a test in the listening skill class. Even though I told them to learn vocabulary, word order, and listening comprehension questions, some students took very bad scores. What can I do to improve their English skills? I must start thinking about it again, deeply.
Dec. 13
I shoveled the snow off the garage roof. I didn’t realize until last year that the snow melts on the roof and goes into the building if you don’t shovel it off.
Dec.12
It snowed so heavily that I left home at 6:00 am to go to work. Normally it's an hour's drive to get to my office, but you can’t guess how long it will take on a snowy day. Some students told me that it took twice as long as a normal day drive.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Monday, December 05, 2005
It's Getting Cold
Nov. 21-Dec.5
While I was struggling to write an essay for the journal of our department, the snow started falling but it’s not falling so hard, so that I can still drive on the road easily. Compared to the past years, it came a little late. In January and February, we’ll have a lot of snow.
Nov.20
Together with other people from my neighborhood, I cleaned up the town where I live early in the morning. I went to see what my daughter was doing in the cram school during daytime.
Nov. 19
I edited and recorded for the mid-term test of my listening and speaking class.
Nov. 18
Just another day of teaching writing.
Nov. 17
Taught listening and speaking class. Made a mid-term test in the afternoon.
Nov.16
Talked with Jos for a long time.
Nov. 15
Taught integrated skills class.
While I was struggling to write an essay for the journal of our department, the snow started falling but it’s not falling so hard, so that I can still drive on the road easily. Compared to the past years, it came a little late. In January and February, we’ll have a lot of snow.
Nov.20
Together with other people from my neighborhood, I cleaned up the town where I live early in the morning. I went to see what my daughter was doing in the cram school during daytime.
Nov. 19
I edited and recorded for the mid-term test of my listening and speaking class.
Nov. 18
Just another day of teaching writing.
Nov. 17
Taught listening and speaking class. Made a mid-term test in the afternoon.
Nov.16
Talked with Jos for a long time.
Nov. 15
Taught integrated skills class.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
I Met Hans Eek
Nov. 14
During my writing class, I had an inspiration that I should teach my students how to be a more autonomous learner. After the mid-term test, I will teach them strategies and make them more autonomous.
Nov. 12
Attended the church committee meeting.
Nov. 11
It was a big day. I met Hans Eek, a Swedish architect who won a prize in the Aich World Expo, and worked as an interpreter for him in the International Science Forum in Akita Prefectural University. He talked about houses without heating. By building houses that are well-insulated, we can reduce the consumption of oil. I was really impressed.
During my writing class, I had an inspiration that I should teach my students how to be a more autonomous learner. After the mid-term test, I will teach them strategies and make them more autonomous.
Nov. 12
Attended the church committee meeting.
Nov. 11
It was a big day. I met Hans Eek, a Swedish architect who won a prize in the Aich World Expo, and worked as an interpreter for him in the International Science Forum in Akita Prefectural University. He talked about houses without heating. By building houses that are well-insulated, we can reduce the consumption of oil. I was really impressed.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Halloween Activity and Poster Project
Poster project
Oct.31
In the writing class, I used an activity that includes the cultural information about Halloween. I posted a piece of paper on the wall outside of the classroom. On that paper, I wrote questions like, “When is Halloween?” Each of the students from each group went out of the classroom to look at, memorize, and come back. This was a good warm up activity.
Nov. 1
In the integrated skills class, students worked on a poster presentation project. It was two weeks ago that I handed out essays that was collected from Time magazine and National Geographic magazine. (This means they are authentic English and a bit difficult for the students.) Today was the second day since each group started discussing about writing a poster. Fastest groups started writing on a big piece of paper, but most groups were still doing discussion. I thought they could finish writing a poster within one class hour. But all of them were still discussing the idea of what to write about. The lesson I learned from this experience is that it takes a lot of time for students to finish their work.
Oct.31
In the writing class, I used an activity that includes the cultural information about Halloween. I posted a piece of paper on the wall outside of the classroom. On that paper, I wrote questions like, “When is Halloween?” Each of the students from each group went out of the classroom to look at, memorize, and come back. This was a good warm up activity.
Nov. 1
In the integrated skills class, students worked on a poster presentation project. It was two weeks ago that I handed out essays that was collected from Time magazine and National Geographic magazine. (This means they are authentic English and a bit difficult for the students.) Today was the second day since each group started discussing about writing a poster. Fastest groups started writing on a big piece of paper, but most groups were still doing discussion. I thought they could finish writing a poster within one class hour. But all of them were still discussing the idea of what to write about. The lesson I learned from this experience is that it takes a lot of time for students to finish their work.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
The Second and Third Week
Oct.12
In my integrated skills class, I used “concentration.” This game is normally a card game but I used the technique for learning words. Students enjoyed learning words, so I think it was successful to do this. After the game, I took a lot of time for my students to write and perform a skit using words and phrases from a boring textbook. Everybody I met said that teaching test taking skills is boring because there is nothing much to do. So I decided to take sentences out of a boring textbook and had my students write dialogues. They enjoyed writing and performing them.
Oct. 13
I was caught in a traffic jam in the morning and spent two hours in the car before I got to my classroom.
Oct. 14
In the writing class, I used information gap and AB stories. The AB stories is a kind of dictoglos. Each student in a group reads a different story and tell what happens in the story to a member of the group. The member tells the story to another member and the story telling goes on until it comes back to the original storyteller. I guess I need to find easier and more interesting stories for the students.
Oct. 15
My daughter is at a difficult age. Accordingly I have to use time and energy to take care of her. It’s a tough job but I must endure. Today I watched Ragrats Movie 2 on DVD with my family. The setting is in a Japanese theme park in Paris! After watching, I wrote a test for my listening class. We use J-Talk as a textbook in my university.
Oct.17
I started using a new textbook in the writing class. It was a bit more difficult for my students than I had expected. I assigned a few pages as a homework.
Oct. 18
Today I started a poster writing project in my integrated skills class. Each group of students will read an article, write a poster, make an explanation about the article, take notes of another group’s performance, and turn the reports to me.
Oct. 19
Jos came to teach in Hojyo today, so we had a good conversation on many topics. In the evening, I played a game with my younger daughter while my wife and the elder daughter went to a dentist. The name of the game is UpWords that is from the same company that makes Scrabble. Oh, dear I was lost…. This is the first time I was ever beaten by my younger daughter in any games. This experience made me want to learn more about playing word games.
Oct.20
According to Cambridge Dictionary of American English, depress means to cause a person to feel unhappy and without hope. Everybody sometimes feels depressed when we meet a hardship or an evil remark. Let’s get rid of the depression and be happy. You can do it if you forgive the person who are angry at. During lunch, I was able to talk about the meaning of some technical words for teaching English:recast, feedback,and scaffold.
In my integrated skills class, I used “concentration.” This game is normally a card game but I used the technique for learning words. Students enjoyed learning words, so I think it was successful to do this. After the game, I took a lot of time for my students to write and perform a skit using words and phrases from a boring textbook. Everybody I met said that teaching test taking skills is boring because there is nothing much to do. So I decided to take sentences out of a boring textbook and had my students write dialogues. They enjoyed writing and performing them.
Oct. 13
I was caught in a traffic jam in the morning and spent two hours in the car before I got to my classroom.
Oct. 14
In the writing class, I used information gap and AB stories. The AB stories is a kind of dictoglos. Each student in a group reads a different story and tell what happens in the story to a member of the group. The member tells the story to another member and the story telling goes on until it comes back to the original storyteller. I guess I need to find easier and more interesting stories for the students.
Oct. 15
My daughter is at a difficult age. Accordingly I have to use time and energy to take care of her. It’s a tough job but I must endure. Today I watched Ragrats Movie 2 on DVD with my family. The setting is in a Japanese theme park in Paris! After watching, I wrote a test for my listening class. We use J-Talk as a textbook in my university.
Oct.17
I started using a new textbook in the writing class. It was a bit more difficult for my students than I had expected. I assigned a few pages as a homework.
Oct. 18
Today I started a poster writing project in my integrated skills class. Each group of students will read an article, write a poster, make an explanation about the article, take notes of another group’s performance, and turn the reports to me.
Oct. 19
Jos came to teach in Hojyo today, so we had a good conversation on many topics. In the evening, I played a game with my younger daughter while my wife and the elder daughter went to a dentist. The name of the game is UpWords that is from the same company that makes Scrabble. Oh, dear I was lost…. This is the first time I was ever beaten by my younger daughter in any games. This experience made me want to learn more about playing word games.
Oct.20
According to Cambridge Dictionary of American English, depress means to cause a person to feel unhappy and without hope. Everybody sometimes feels depressed when we meet a hardship or an evil remark. Let’s get rid of the depression and be happy. You can do it if you forgive the person who are angry at. During lunch, I was able to talk about the meaning of some technical words for teaching English:recast, feedback,and scaffold.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Before and During Three Day Holidays
Oct.7
I used “Find Someone Who…” in the writing class. Students learn adjectives though this game. They have to find someone who is, for example, “scared.” I also had them write about their names.
Oct.8
While my elder daughter went out to play with her friends in the morning, my wife,younger daughter, and I went out for shopping. I spent the whole afternoon for putting tiny cards into envelopes so that we can sell them at our church bazaar. The bazaar will be held at the Holy Savior Church (Sukui-nushi kyokai)in Hodono, Akita City, on the twenty-third.
Oct. 9
Went to church in the morning. Relaxed in the afternoon.
Oct.10
Today is a national holiday. Few foreigners who are teaching English in Japan know that this day is Athletic Day. We celebrate this day as a rememberance of the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympic games that was held long time ago.
Visited my parents who are living a hundred kilometers away from Akita City. They grow vegetables so we always exchange their vegetables with something I purchase on the way to their house.
I used “Find Someone Who…” in the writing class. Students learn adjectives though this game. They have to find someone who is, for example, “scared.” I also had them write about their names.
Oct.8
While my elder daughter went out to play with her friends in the morning, my wife,younger daughter, and I went out for shopping. I spent the whole afternoon for putting tiny cards into envelopes so that we can sell them at our church bazaar. The bazaar will be held at the Holy Savior Church (Sukui-nushi kyokai)in Hodono, Akita City, on the twenty-third.
Oct. 9
Went to church in the morning. Relaxed in the afternoon.
Oct.10
Today is a national holiday. Few foreigners who are teaching English in Japan know that this day is Athletic Day. We celebrate this day as a rememberance of the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympic games that was held long time ago.
Visited my parents who are living a hundred kilometers away from Akita City. They grow vegetables so we always exchange their vegetables with something I purchase on the way to their house.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
What I did for the First Class
Oct.3
In my writing class that met for the first time in this semester, I used First Impression sheet. Before the activity, I had my students make a group of four and play a name game. After the introductory activities, I had them write an essay for thirty minutes. In the afternoon, I wrote comment on each essay.
Oct. 4
In my combined skills class, I used the same introductory activities as I used in the writing class. In the afternoon, we had a good conversation in English faculty meeting.
In my writing class that met for the first time in this semester, I used First Impression sheet. Before the activity, I had my students make a group of four and play a name game. After the introductory activities, I had them write an essay for thirty minutes. In the afternoon, I wrote comment on each essay.
Oct. 4
In my combined skills class, I used the same introductory activities as I used in the writing class. In the afternoon, we had a good conversation in English faculty meeting.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Caught up in the Routine Work
Sept. 28
Woke up at 4 am as usual. Tried to connect to my university webmail site, but failed. Later I learned that I should have added "s" and make it look like https://. I went to Akita University and printed out the small tests for this semester. After coming back, I typed up the students list for this semester. I went out again to buy clear folders. Came back home again, cleaned the house, and took my younger daughter to piano lesson. Then a telephone came from Jos and I knew that he came back from California.
Sept. 29
Went to Honjyo campus and printed out the materials for this semester. In the afternoon, I went to Akita Prefectural University, Akita campus to attend a meeting. After the meeting, I gave Jos a ride and dropped him of near Akita station. Then I came home and took my elder daughter to cram school. The weather was wonderful today but I felt a little tired.Too much driving?
Woke up at 4 am as usual. Tried to connect to my university webmail site, but failed. Later I learned that I should have added "s" and make it look like https://. I went to Akita University and printed out the small tests for this semester. After coming back, I typed up the students list for this semester. I went out again to buy clear folders. Came back home again, cleaned the house, and took my younger daughter to piano lesson. Then a telephone came from Jos and I knew that he came back from California.
Sept. 29
Went to Honjyo campus and printed out the materials for this semester. In the afternoon, I went to Akita Prefectural University, Akita campus to attend a meeting. After the meeting, I gave Jos a ride and dropped him of near Akita station. Then I came home and took my elder daughter to cram school. The weather was wonderful today but I felt a little tired.Too much driving?
Monday, September 26, 2005
Let's Change Structural Materials into More Meaningful Tasks
Well, I didn't realize that people come to my site and put links to their own sneaky website. I just had to erase them. I welcome real comments but I don't like mechanical posting of commercial messages to my blog. Well, here are the things I’ve been doing for the past days.
September, 21
I was thinking about how to teach a textbook written for STEP test. This type of textbook is arranged in the order of testing patterns. For example, vocabulary quizzes in short sentences come first, vocabulary quizzes in long paragraphs come second, reading comprehension quizzes come third, and listening comprehension quizzes come last. I thought that students will learn more eagerly. if we could change the arrangement into something more meaningful. So I decided to choose the elements of vocabulary and grammar from each unit and change them into tasks.
September, 22
Three important principles to plan classroom tasks that I am preparing for the STEP textbook:
1. The task has to be open to all the students.
2. The task should be arranged in the order of daily routine.
3. Write or have students write stories or skits using the expressions contained in the textbook.
(On this day, I read some Batman comic books in my spare time.)
September, 23
National holiday ( the Autumn Equinox ). With my wife and children, I went to see my parents. I enjoyed mother’s dishes. Ohagi (rice cake and sweet azuki) is the special dish of this day.
September,24
I spent my morning for cleaning up windows, garage, and front porch. In the afternoon, I went to a toy store with younger daughter and bought a video of Kim Possible movie. The vocabulary was sometimes difficult in the video.
September, 25
We went to holy communion in the morning. I was just hanging around at home in the afternoon. We went to eat Japanese style Chinese restaurant in the evening.
September,26
Bought a firewire cable to connect my new Victor video camera and computer. I transferred the movie clip from the video camera to iBook using iMovie.
September, 21
I was thinking about how to teach a textbook written for STEP test. This type of textbook is arranged in the order of testing patterns. For example, vocabulary quizzes in short sentences come first, vocabulary quizzes in long paragraphs come second, reading comprehension quizzes come third, and listening comprehension quizzes come last. I thought that students will learn more eagerly. if we could change the arrangement into something more meaningful. So I decided to choose the elements of vocabulary and grammar from each unit and change them into tasks.
September, 22
Three important principles to plan classroom tasks that I am preparing for the STEP textbook:
1. The task has to be open to all the students.
2. The task should be arranged in the order of daily routine.
3. Write or have students write stories or skits using the expressions contained in the textbook.
(On this day, I read some Batman comic books in my spare time.)
September, 23
National holiday ( the Autumn Equinox ). With my wife and children, I went to see my parents. I enjoyed mother’s dishes. Ohagi (rice cake and sweet azuki) is the special dish of this day.
September,24
I spent my morning for cleaning up windows, garage, and front porch. In the afternoon, I went to a toy store with younger daughter and bought a video of Kim Possible movie. The vocabulary was sometimes difficult in the video.
September, 25
We went to holy communion in the morning. I was just hanging around at home in the afternoon. We went to eat Japanese style Chinese restaurant in the evening.
September,26
Bought a firewire cable to connect my new Victor video camera and computer. I transferred the movie clip from the video camera to iBook using iMovie.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
We must not Hate and Enjoy Hating
I guess it’s natural that parents spend a lot of time and energy for raising children. But when your children start turning their back to you, you will be upset, and, a few moments later, try to reach your children's heart. In my case, last weekend was such an opportunity. On Saturday, I went to my children’s elementary school. I did some class observation with other parents and helped cleaning the classrooms. We were both very tired after school. Then, I had an argument with my elder daughter. At the base of the quarrel, there seemed to be some other things but the direct cause of argument was about her manner at the table. You know, young children are looking for opportunities to be independent but they don't really know how to behave politely. I am sure I was like her when I was in her age. I was vulnerable and never understood why my parents said I was selfish about something that I cannot recall now. Parents forgive children but they want their children to know that it's important to listen to adult's advice and stop being upset. "In essence," I told my daughter, "you have to read Mere Christianity looking for an advice. C.S. Lewis says, '…we must not hate and enjoy hating. We may punish if necessary, but we must not enjoy it.' I hope you understand and follow Lewis's advice."
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Complicated (Avril Lavigne)
As you can see, the following is a cloze format of "Complicated." If you would like to put them into one page, you should choose 'multiple column' under 'format' column in your MS Word, and copy and paste the following lyrics into your page. (Japanese equivalents: multiple column=dan-gumi, format=shoshiki) "Chill out" means to calm down. Did you know that?
COMPLICATED (A)
Avril Lavigne
Uh huh, life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
Cause life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh that’s the way it is
_________ ________ whatcha yelling for?
Lay back it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
I like you the way you are
When we’re drivin’ in your car
and you’re talking to me one on one but you’ve become
Somebody else round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t _____________
You’re trying to be cool you look like a ____________to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so ____________________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you __________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
___________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
You come over unannounced
dressed up like you’re somethin’ else
where you are and where it’s at you see
you’re making me
laugh out when you strike you ___________
take off all your preppy clothes
you know you’re not fooling _____________
when you’re become
Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your back, like you can’t _____________
Trying to be cool you look like a __________ to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so _______________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
and you fall you crawl and you ____________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
_____________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
_________ _________ whatcha yelling for?
Lay back it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your back, like you can’t _________
Trying to be cool you look like a _______ to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so ____________________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you __________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
___________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Why you have to go and make things so ____________________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you __________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
___________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
COMPLICATED (B)
Avril Lavigne
Uh huh, life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
Cause life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh that’s the way it is
Chill out whatcha yelling for?
________ ________ it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
I like you the way you are
When we’re drivin’ in your car
and you’re talking to me one on one but you’ve become
Somebody else round everyone else
You’re watching your ____________ like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be _________
you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me_____________
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you _________ what you get and you turn it into ___________
promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
You come over unannounced
dressed up like you’re somethin’ else
where you are and where it’s at you see
you’re making me
laugh out when you strike you pose
take off all your preppy ________
you know you’re not fooling anyone
when you’re __________
Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your ____________ like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be _________
you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
and you fall you crawl and you break
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
and promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Chill out whatcha yelling for?
________ ________ it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
Somebody else round everyone else
You’re watching your ____________ like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be _________
you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me_____________
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you _________ what you get and you turn it into ___________
promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me_____________
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you _________ what you get and you turn it into ___________
promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
COMPLICATED (A)
Avril Lavigne
Uh huh, life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
Cause life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh that’s the way it is
_________ ________ whatcha yelling for?
Lay back it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
I like you the way you are
When we’re drivin’ in your car
and you’re talking to me one on one but you’ve become
Somebody else round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t _____________
You’re trying to be cool you look like a ____________to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so ____________________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you __________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
___________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
You come over unannounced
dressed up like you’re somethin’ else
where you are and where it’s at you see
you’re making me
laugh out when you strike you ___________
take off all your preppy clothes
you know you’re not fooling _____________
when you’re become
Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your back, like you can’t _____________
Trying to be cool you look like a __________ to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so _______________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
and you fall you crawl and you ____________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
_____________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
_________ _________ whatcha yelling for?
Lay back it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your back, like you can’t _________
Trying to be cool you look like a _______ to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so ____________________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you __________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
___________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Why you have to go and make things so ____________________?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you __________
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
___________ me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
COMPLICATED (B)
Avril Lavigne
Uh huh, life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that’s the way it is
Cause life’s like this
Uh huh, uh huh that’s the way it is
Chill out whatcha yelling for?
________ ________ it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
I like you the way you are
When we’re drivin’ in your car
and you’re talking to me one on one but you’ve become
Somebody else round everyone else
You’re watching your ____________ like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be _________
you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me_____________
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you _________ what you get and you turn it into ___________
promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
You come over unannounced
dressed up like you’re somethin’ else
where you are and where it’s at you see
you’re making me
laugh out when you strike you pose
take off all your preppy ________
you know you’re not fooling anyone
when you’re __________
Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your ____________ like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be _________
you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
and you fall you crawl and you break
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
and promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Chill out whatcha yelling for?
________ ________ it’s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
you will see
Somebody else round everyone else
You’re watching your ____________ like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be _________
you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me_____________
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you _________ what you get and you turn it into ___________
promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me_____________
Life’s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you _________ what you get and you turn it into ___________
promise me I’m never gonna find you fake it
no no no
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Activities I am Planning to Use
The following are the activities that I am planning to use in this semester.
Activity 1
Poster Writing: Students write about what they have learned
Activity 2
10 minutes activities:
- Check the Date (Take out a coin and talk about the past.)
- What’s in Your Wallet?
- Things in Common (Find five specific things in common. For example, chocolate ice cream.)
- Category ( For example, name five things that have ‘holes.’)
- Telephone
Activity 3
Concentration: Good for teaching STEP, TOEIC vocabulary.
Activity 4
Brainstorming: Good because anybody can say a few words.
Activity 5
AB Story: You need some interesting articles.
Activity 6
Cooperative Learning
Activity 7
Poster Writing: Students will write about some articles.
Activity 8
Extensive Reading
Activity 9
Timed Reading: Students will bring in a pleasure book.
Activity 10
Writing about a Song and peer feedback: Students will listen to some songs, too.
Activity 11
Academic Listening: They will listen when it’s purposeful.
Activity 12
Storytelling: Students will talk about themselves. Among the three things they say, one or two is right.
Activity 13
Chain-brainstorming: Students have to say something. They can pass, but they have to say something next time. If they can’t say anything, they are eliminated.
Activity 14
Board Game: Have them practice past tense. What I did yesterday. What I ate last night.
Activity 15
Topic Toss
Activity 1
Poster Writing: Students write about what they have learned
Activity 2
10 minutes activities:
- Check the Date (Take out a coin and talk about the past.)
- What’s in Your Wallet?
- Things in Common (Find five specific things in common. For example, chocolate ice cream.)
- Category ( For example, name five things that have ‘holes.’)
- Telephone
Activity 3
Concentration: Good for teaching STEP, TOEIC vocabulary.
Activity 4
Brainstorming: Good because anybody can say a few words.
Activity 5
AB Story: You need some interesting articles.
Activity 6
Cooperative Learning
Activity 7
Poster Writing: Students will write about some articles.
Activity 8
Extensive Reading
Activity 9
Timed Reading: Students will bring in a pleasure book.
Activity 10
Writing about a Song and peer feedback: Students will listen to some songs, too.
Activity 11
Academic Listening: They will listen when it’s purposeful.
Activity 12
Storytelling: Students will talk about themselves. Among the three things they say, one or two is right.
Activity 13
Chain-brainstorming: Students have to say something. They can pass, but they have to say something next time. If they can’t say anything, they are eliminated.
Activity 14
Board Game: Have them practice past tense. What I did yesterday. What I ate last night.
Activity 15
Topic Toss
Monday, September 12, 2005
I Came back from a Canoe Trip
I came back from the annual canoe trip safely. Five years ago, I went to the trip by myself. I mean that I canoed down the Omono river by myself with a number of other people. As far as I remember, the first trip was the hardest. I had to face the wind that came from direction that I was going. I capsized my canoe at a bend where the water was running into a shrub. There were more than twenty people who came to the trip this year. There were scary bends and fast running water, but the scenes from the canoe were beautiful: water, blue sky, green trees, grasses, and birds.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Work, Manga, and Canoe
On the 8th, I went over to my office to do some work: I attended a meeting, had lunch, started reading new textbooks, took photocopies of some articles, and took notes. On the 9th, I was mainly re-reading my notebook that I wrote during this summer at UH, Manoa. I also re-read English version of Nausicaa (Kazeno Tanino Naushika). The Eglish translation of this work is fabulous. I guess everyone who is interested in spoken English should read lots manga and see lots of cartoons. English teachers, don't be afraid. Manga and cartoons are good resourses of learning as Krashen said.
On the 10th and 11th, I am going to an annual canoe trip to the Omono river with my family. I have a red canoe in my garage.
Readers, you can see some pictures in the following site: http://www.bigsmile.jp
On the 10th and 11th, I am going to an annual canoe trip to the Omono river with my family. I have a red canoe in my garage.
Readers, you can see some pictures in the following site: http://www.bigsmile.jp
Monday, September 05, 2005
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