This time in two weeks, I'm gonna be packed up and heading back to Japan.
=(
I can't believe I'm halfway through the course already. So many people told me that it would be the hardest thing I've ever done, I read all over the internet that it's just stressful and crazy.
Bullshit.
It's not EASY by all means but it's no way near as bad as people make out. I don't know if it's coz I went straight from work to the course instead of coming from travelling around for ages, but the long days don't bother me, the workload doesn't bother me....well, it's pretty much quadrupled over the next week so it's gonna be a busy one, but there is time to go out and socialize.
Which brings me to my next surprise.
I was not expecting to meet such great people on this course. I wasn't expecting to really make any friends. I thought it would be full....well, I won't say anything, but there's a core group of 4 of us and we have become insanely close and are already planning a reunion in Japan in May.
=)
I had my mid-course tutorial this week and I'm smashing the hell outta this course!!! I've been told to aim for a Pass A (only 4% of people get them) - they told me I probably won't get it, but if I aim that high, then I should be leaving with a Pass B. A much better result than I was expecting. After 4.5 years of teaching, I have received the validation that I am actually effing amazing at my job!!!! LOL!!!!
It's gonna be weird going back to Tokyo after this.
xoxo
Saturday 18 February 2012
Thursday 16 February 2012
Take That Schwa!
Two days ago we started on phonology.
And that means the dreaded phonemes!!!!
OMG it was so HARD and those things were driving me crazy at the end of two hours trying to work out what they all are. It really is just the English alphabet but writing in phonemic transcript and haveing to identify links, assimilations and weak forms is no easy task.
But yesterday I had a breakthrough when I was working on my second assignment. I managed to write the phonemic transcriptions for 6 sentences by myself, and then best bit is when I checked them with someone else and with a dictionary, I was right!
YAY!
Stupid schwa.
But it's good because I think I'm finally getting a grasp on it.
It should be a nice easy end to the week - I really enjoyed my lesson yesterday, regardless of all the things I may have done wrong. I have my stage 2 tutorial tomorrow so I guess I'll just have to wait until then to find out who I'm doing overall.
2 weeks nearly down. Time is flying! 4 teaching sessions down and 4 more to go!!
xoxo
And that means the dreaded phonemes!!!!
OMG it was so HARD and those things were driving me crazy at the end of two hours trying to work out what they all are. It really is just the English alphabet but writing in phonemic transcript and haveing to identify links, assimilations and weak forms is no easy task.
But yesterday I had a breakthrough when I was working on my second assignment. I managed to write the phonemic transcriptions for 6 sentences by myself, and then best bit is when I checked them with someone else and with a dictionary, I was right!
YAY!
Stupid schwa.
But it's good because I think I'm finally getting a grasp on it.
It should be a nice easy end to the week - I really enjoyed my lesson yesterday, regardless of all the things I may have done wrong. I have my stage 2 tutorial tomorrow so I guess I'll just have to wait until then to find out who I'm doing overall.
2 weeks nearly down. Time is flying! 4 teaching sessions down and 4 more to go!!
xoxo
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Now The Hard Work Begins
No messing around over here!
Right at the beginning of the second week, we've started attacking the evil that is grammar.
I'm not too bad with grammar terminology actually....well, not compared to the rest of the people in the group anyway! LOL! No, it's not the grammar.....it's the evil that is....
PHONEMES.
You know when you look a word up in the dictionary and it has the funny symbols after it? I need to LEARN those effing things. And not only just for words - I have to write phonemic transcriptions for full (and really long) sentences. Just look in the dictionary, I hear you say.
Think about what happens to words when you say them in the sentence, especially when there are contractions there. The sounds all blend together and I have to come up with the phonemic transciptions for those too!! ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!
And there I was working my way through this second assignment thinking that it was a doddle.
No more work for me tonight - I was crabby as hell today because I was absolutely knackered. Not letting that happen again tomorrow because my lesson today was cack.
Not looking to getting the feedback on that one!
Night.
xoxo
Right at the beginning of the second week, we've started attacking the evil that is grammar.
I'm not too bad with grammar terminology actually....well, not compared to the rest of the people in the group anyway! LOL! No, it's not the grammar.....it's the evil that is....
PHONEMES.
You know when you look a word up in the dictionary and it has the funny symbols after it? I need to LEARN those effing things. And not only just for words - I have to write phonemic transcriptions for full (and really long) sentences. Just look in the dictionary, I hear you say.
Think about what happens to words when you say them in the sentence, especially when there are contractions there. The sounds all blend together and I have to come up with the phonemic transciptions for those too!! ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!
And there I was working my way through this second assignment thinking that it was a doddle.
No more work for me tonight - I was crabby as hell today because I was absolutely knackered. Not letting that happen again tomorrow because my lesson today was cack.
Not looking to getting the feedback on that one!
Night.
xoxo
Saturday 11 February 2012
One Week Down!
I cannot believe how quickly time is flying on this course.
One week down already?!
And I am loving EVERY SECOND of it!
I taught two lessons this week and even though one of them was a complete train wreck, my detailed lesson plan saved me and I ended up being very generously assessed by the trainer.
GET IN!!
I have to admit that I was expecting to be launched in head first straightaway, but I think it's beenm a pretty easy first week. I was told by so many people to kiss goodbye to any kind of social life, but I've been out drinking every other day and it hasn't hindered my lesson planning or reading. It seems like it's all down to effective time management. I know it's going to get harder, but that's OK. I'm mentally prepared, so in a way, it's good that I had a very sociable first week because then it won't seem like a big deal when I won't be able to go drinking in the weeks to come.
So, what's the course like?
The first big shock I had was that there are SO MANY very experienced teachers on the course. Of course, there are a few people that have never taught before, but the bulk seem to be active teachers or people that were teaching before, travelling and then decided to get their qualification to fund their travels in the future. A huge range of ages and nationalities - my particular group has some wicked personalities in it and I have already established tight relationships with a few of them. Something that I was not expecting to happen. Everyone's story is so different and I feel lucky to be working with some really great people.
So the morning sessions are all input. I think the reason that a few of us are really enjoying them more than others is because the information is not new for us. It's more of a reinforcement of teaching skills that we have learned before and then probably haven't used for a while. We all admit that we have fallen into bad habits so it's a nice refresher. I have seen people get overwhelmed and slightly panicky - luckily I'm not one of them!
The afternoon sessions is the teaching practice. The group is split into 6 - 3 people each teach a 40 minute lesson and then other 3 observe. It's one day on and one day off. I was really pleased with my first lesson and like I said, even though I thought my second lesson was one of the worst that I've taught in my whole teaching career, I didn't focus on the positive points, so even though I may have struggled, I did really well in the areas that the trainer was looking for. Good enough for me!
We were given our first assignment on the first day. That's due in on Monday - it's not too taxing but we were warned that most people normally end up resubmitting the first assignment. I REALLY don't want to be one of them, so our group are meeting up today so that we can compare the notes that we've been taking troughout the obs in the week. I'm hoping to get all the info and spend all of tomorrow writing and finishing up my lesson plan for Monday. Then it'll be straight to work on the second assignment which is due next Friday.
Busy, busy, busy.
But it's all good.
xoxo
One week down already?!
And I am loving EVERY SECOND of it!
I taught two lessons this week and even though one of them was a complete train wreck, my detailed lesson plan saved me and I ended up being very generously assessed by the trainer.
GET IN!!
I have to admit that I was expecting to be launched in head first straightaway, but I think it's beenm a pretty easy first week. I was told by so many people to kiss goodbye to any kind of social life, but I've been out drinking every other day and it hasn't hindered my lesson planning or reading. It seems like it's all down to effective time management. I know it's going to get harder, but that's OK. I'm mentally prepared, so in a way, it's good that I had a very sociable first week because then it won't seem like a big deal when I won't be able to go drinking in the weeks to come.
So, what's the course like?
The first big shock I had was that there are SO MANY very experienced teachers on the course. Of course, there are a few people that have never taught before, but the bulk seem to be active teachers or people that were teaching before, travelling and then decided to get their qualification to fund their travels in the future. A huge range of ages and nationalities - my particular group has some wicked personalities in it and I have already established tight relationships with a few of them. Something that I was not expecting to happen. Everyone's story is so different and I feel lucky to be working with some really great people.
So the morning sessions are all input. I think the reason that a few of us are really enjoying them more than others is because the information is not new for us. It's more of a reinforcement of teaching skills that we have learned before and then probably haven't used for a while. We all admit that we have fallen into bad habits so it's a nice refresher. I have seen people get overwhelmed and slightly panicky - luckily I'm not one of them!
The afternoon sessions is the teaching practice. The group is split into 6 - 3 people each teach a 40 minute lesson and then other 3 observe. It's one day on and one day off. I was really pleased with my first lesson and like I said, even though I thought my second lesson was one of the worst that I've taught in my whole teaching career, I didn't focus on the positive points, so even though I may have struggled, I did really well in the areas that the trainer was looking for. Good enough for me!
We were given our first assignment on the first day. That's due in on Monday - it's not too taxing but we were warned that most people normally end up resubmitting the first assignment. I REALLY don't want to be one of them, so our group are meeting up today so that we can compare the notes that we've been taking troughout the obs in the week. I'm hoping to get all the info and spend all of tomorrow writing and finishing up my lesson plan for Monday. Then it'll be straight to work on the second assignment which is due next Friday.
Busy, busy, busy.
But it's all good.
xoxo
Tuesday 7 February 2012
First Day!
So I've made it through the first day of the CELTA!
\(^0^)/
So far so good. Today was pretty easygoing. This morning was spent just going over really basic things with the computers and copiers. I swear I've been in Japan too long - I haven't seen an old school overhead projector for absolutely years!! It made me giggle seeing that in the classroom today - I dunno, I was just expecting everything to be a lot more modern!
So first up was a little bit of input and then after the break we were launched right into a beginner's Hungarian lesson! Hungarian?! I absolutely loved it!! You know I'm a language geek and to learn such an obscure one was so much fun! And it just goes to show that even as a complete beginner, it all depends on the teacher's skill. I can make basic introductions, greetings and order drinks in a bar. =) Awesome!
We then had to observe a lesson this afternoon. I was really surprised because on my course are so many people who have taught or are actively teaching now. The best bit is that in my group of 6, 5 of us are active teachers, so it's going to make the assisgnments a lot easier because we can share our ideas and experience. the downside of that is that we probably all have horrible habits and it's gonna be this course that brings them out!
I found out that I'm one of the 3 that are gonna be teaching tomorrow. As soon as I saw what I was supposed to be teaching, my lesson plan developed in my head within a minute, so after the course I decided to head to the pub and then out for dinner. I got back to my apartment at like 9.30pm and have just finished making the worksheets for my class now. I'm pretty confident about it - to be honest, the trainer is only gonna be marking us on our interaction with the students and our ability to give clear instructions, so I'm not particulary worried about this observation. I've made my own worksheets (instead of copying them straight from the book) and I just wanna add a few pics before going to bed.
First day done and dusted.
xoxo
\(^0^)/
So far so good. Today was pretty easygoing. This morning was spent just going over really basic things with the computers and copiers. I swear I've been in Japan too long - I haven't seen an old school overhead projector for absolutely years!! It made me giggle seeing that in the classroom today - I dunno, I was just expecting everything to be a lot more modern!
So first up was a little bit of input and then after the break we were launched right into a beginner's Hungarian lesson! Hungarian?! I absolutely loved it!! You know I'm a language geek and to learn such an obscure one was so much fun! And it just goes to show that even as a complete beginner, it all depends on the teacher's skill. I can make basic introductions, greetings and order drinks in a bar. =) Awesome!
We then had to observe a lesson this afternoon. I was really surprised because on my course are so many people who have taught or are actively teaching now. The best bit is that in my group of 6, 5 of us are active teachers, so it's going to make the assisgnments a lot easier because we can share our ideas and experience. the downside of that is that we probably all have horrible habits and it's gonna be this course that brings them out!
I found out that I'm one of the 3 that are gonna be teaching tomorrow. As soon as I saw what I was supposed to be teaching, my lesson plan developed in my head within a minute, so after the course I decided to head to the pub and then out for dinner. I got back to my apartment at like 9.30pm and have just finished making the worksheets for my class now. I'm pretty confident about it - to be honest, the trainer is only gonna be marking us on our interaction with the students and our ability to give clear instructions, so I'm not particulary worried about this observation. I've made my own worksheets (instead of copying them straight from the book) and I just wanna add a few pics before going to bed.
First day done and dusted.
xoxo
Sunday 5 February 2012
Winter In Bangkok
I've arrived safe and sound in Bangkok....and have just got to my new apartment.
WOW!
This complex reminds me of a resort! I'm gonna take some pics tomorrow to show you - I'm very impressed! It's a really decent sized studio apartment on the 8th floor - it's a little far from the city centre - well 20 minutes, but I'll have to take a shuttle bus and then a tube to get to the school tomorrow. It's got everything I need though...but no supermarket! There's a petrol station nearby, but it's kinda limited. I saw a massive TESCO on the way here - it looks a little far, but I might just suffer the cost and get a cab there in a couple of days to stock up.
When I was on the plane, I was sitting next to this Japanese woman who knew absolutely NO English. She's what we call a "true beginner". I was shocked that when she was offered tea or coffee, she couldn't even answer. I helped translate for her and helped her fill in the immigration form, but it was just another reminder how important English is. Poor cow - I can't help but worry how the hell she's gonna check into her hotel! >_<
Right, I need to unpack!
xoxo
WOW!
This complex reminds me of a resort! I'm gonna take some pics tomorrow to show you - I'm very impressed! It's a really decent sized studio apartment on the 8th floor - it's a little far from the city centre - well 20 minutes, but I'll have to take a shuttle bus and then a tube to get to the school tomorrow. It's got everything I need though...but no supermarket! There's a petrol station nearby, but it's kinda limited. I saw a massive TESCO on the way here - it looks a little far, but I might just suffer the cost and get a cab there in a couple of days to stock up.
When I was on the plane, I was sitting next to this Japanese woman who knew absolutely NO English. She's what we call a "true beginner". I was shocked that when she was offered tea or coffee, she couldn't even answer. I helped translate for her and helped her fill in the immigration form, but it was just another reminder how important English is. Poor cow - I can't help but worry how the hell she's gonna check into her hotel! >_<
Right, I need to unpack!
xoxo
Saturday 4 February 2012
Here We Go Again!
Less than one month after I was in SE Asia, I'm heading back out there again!
How quickly this has come around - it's already February!
So here we are. Tomorrow I will be heading out to Bangkok for a month to do my CELTA. Am I ready? Kind of. Am I nervous? Kind of.
It's not about going to live in another country - I KNOW I can do that bit. It's about getting that validation that after 4 years of teaching, I am actually a good teacher! It's kinda hard to explain because essentially, I get evaluated every time I teach, but this time, it's by professionals who are tough and very, VERY strict with their assessments. There are 3 pass grades; a Pass, a Pass B and a Pass A. Only 4% of people who have done the course in the school I'm going have ever gotten a Pass A. My coworker is a phenomenal teacher (and I really mean PHENOMENAL) and he got a Pass B. Don't really stand much of a chance then do I! HAHA!
I'm excited though because I'm planning on meeting my friend and her fiance for dinner tomorrow night. I haven't seen her in a few years - I haven't seem him in even longer!! I think it must be close to about...ufffff.....5/6 years that the 3 of us were in the same room at the same time! And now that's gonna happen....in Bangkok of all places! Funny how things turn out!
So instead of blogging, I need to get packing!
xoxo
How quickly this has come around - it's already February!
So here we are. Tomorrow I will be heading out to Bangkok for a month to do my CELTA. Am I ready? Kind of. Am I nervous? Kind of.
It's not about going to live in another country - I KNOW I can do that bit. It's about getting that validation that after 4 years of teaching, I am actually a good teacher! It's kinda hard to explain because essentially, I get evaluated every time I teach, but this time, it's by professionals who are tough and very, VERY strict with their assessments. There are 3 pass grades; a Pass, a Pass B and a Pass A. Only 4% of people who have done the course in the school I'm going have ever gotten a Pass A. My coworker is a phenomenal teacher (and I really mean PHENOMENAL) and he got a Pass B. Don't really stand much of a chance then do I! HAHA!
I'm excited though because I'm planning on meeting my friend and her fiance for dinner tomorrow night. I haven't seen her in a few years - I haven't seem him in even longer!! I think it must be close to about...ufffff.....5/6 years that the 3 of us were in the same room at the same time! And now that's gonna happen....in Bangkok of all places! Funny how things turn out!
So instead of blogging, I need to get packing!
xoxo
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Breaking The Bank!!!
I am so pumped for this year!
It's already got off to a cracking start - I'm off to Thailand this weekend, work is going well, I've had a great month catching up with friends....
and now...
I've just booked my flight back to the UK for the Olympics this summer!!!!!!
\(^0^)/
The prices were no joke - I got one of the cheapest direct flights and it still cost a whopping £1300!!!!!! It's not the dates I want and it's longer than planned - I originally wanted to go for 2 weeks but flying anywhere around the start of the Olympics pushes the prices up another 200 quid, with flights the Friday before hitting way over £3000! SHOCKING!!
So yah, I'll be back for just over 3 weeks and I'm super excited! I know London is gonna be mad busy, but I CAN'T WAIT TO GO SHOPPING!!!!! Gonna save as much money as possible (starting when I come back from Thailand) so I can splurge, splurge, splurge!!!!!!
Paying for that flight though has definitely broken the bank. I was gonna wait until I come back to Japan in March to book it, but I didn't wanna risk the prices going up further or the availablity becoming limited. I could have taken a cheaper flight, but it transits in Beijing and I'd rather pay a couple of hundred quid more to fly direct. The journey is long enough as it is - don't wanna drag it out more than I have to. So glad I managed to book a Virgin flight though - I LOVE their in-flight entertainment. BA flights were too expensive so YAY to Virgin!!!
Gonna spend this morning starting to get some teaching materials and books together that I might need in Thailand. It'll be nice to actually be able to pack a suitcase for SE Asia instead of a backpack for a change!
Today is gonna be a good day!
xoxo
It's already got off to a cracking start - I'm off to Thailand this weekend, work is going well, I've had a great month catching up with friends....
and now...
I've just booked my flight back to the UK for the Olympics this summer!!!!!!
\(^0^)/
The prices were no joke - I got one of the cheapest direct flights and it still cost a whopping £1300!!!!!! It's not the dates I want and it's longer than planned - I originally wanted to go for 2 weeks but flying anywhere around the start of the Olympics pushes the prices up another 200 quid, with flights the Friday before hitting way over £3000! SHOCKING!!
So yah, I'll be back for just over 3 weeks and I'm super excited! I know London is gonna be mad busy, but I CAN'T WAIT TO GO SHOPPING!!!!! Gonna save as much money as possible (starting when I come back from Thailand) so I can splurge, splurge, splurge!!!!!!
Paying for that flight though has definitely broken the bank. I was gonna wait until I come back to Japan in March to book it, but I didn't wanna risk the prices going up further or the availablity becoming limited. I could have taken a cheaper flight, but it transits in Beijing and I'd rather pay a couple of hundred quid more to fly direct. The journey is long enough as it is - don't wanna drag it out more than I have to. So glad I managed to book a Virgin flight though - I LOVE their in-flight entertainment. BA flights were too expensive so YAY to Virgin!!!
Gonna spend this morning starting to get some teaching materials and books together that I might need in Thailand. It'll be nice to actually be able to pack a suitcase for SE Asia instead of a backpack for a change!
Today is gonna be a good day!
xoxo
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