Before getting on the bus, I walked over to ask Kris to sweep my room for me since I didn't have a chance before getting the kids ready. As I was talking to him, one of the boys in my class stood around us and pretended to take pictures with an imaginary camera (complete with sound effects). It was so adorable and funny -- Kris and I were laughing during our whole conversation.
I really enjoy all the time that I get to spend with my students outside of the classroom, when I can just enjoy them and not have to worry about classroom management. They are such delightful, funny kids! And it helps that Greg, the other 3rd grade teacher at my campus, and I have similar senses of humor and personalities that mesh well, so we have fun on the trips together and keep the kids having fun too.
When we first got to the museum, we sat outside around a pond to eat and to feed the ducks. I brought extra bread for my kids, and they really enjoyed giving it to the ducks and fish to eat. After that we headed inside to an exhibit that showed how things have progressed from the time of the kids' great-grandparents until their parents. For example, there was a dining room from the time of their great-grandparents, their grandparents, and of their parents. It was cool to see how things progressed. But what my students enjoyed the most was calling each other on the rotary telephones set up in the exhibit. They seriously spent 30 minutes doing it. And then when someone answered on the other phone, neither of the kids knew what to say or what to do. It was pretty funny. They also liked the abacus display -- many of the kids learn how to use an abacus in school and some even go to classes or competitions for using them.
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| A Japanese abacus - like the one at the museum |
As we walked around, a few of the students held on to my hands (by choice). I love that, as a MeySen teacher, it is okay for me to walk around holding my students hands or have students sit on my lap during snack time or when they want to tell me a story. It is absolutely adorable! In the States we have to be so overly careful about attention and affection that it can be annoying. Certainly teachers still have to be wise in Japan (especially men); but as a female teacher to 3rd graders, I don't have to worry about shaking my kids off when they run up to me to give me a hug or want to hold my hand when we walk around the museum.
We took the students to see two quick interactive videos. During this time, one of my students (who is very bright and very good at speaking English) wanted me to sit next to him. I asked if he would tell me what the movie said (since it was all in Japanese). He was very excited to explain it all to me. Later, as we walked around the museum, he explained what other signs said. I told him that he was my interpreter and explained what that was. He seemed to really enjoy this role, because as we continued around the museum, he would tell me anything that a guide told him. Because he was leaving early for swim lessons, he said, "Mrs. Lauren, when I leave Bryce will take over and be your interteder." How cute is that?! Not only did he want to find someone to "cover the next shift", but the way he said "interpreter" just made me smile. I told you my kids are adorable!
Part of the museum grounds had an old house that had been transported to the museum so that other people could see a past way of living. Guides stood around the grounds to explain different parts of the home to kids or to answer questions. At first the kids didn't know what to do as the guides spoke to them in Japanese (as students are forbidden from speaking Japanese at MeySen or in class). They looked at us with wide eyes and one girl even asked me if she could ask the guide (who did not speak English) a question. When I told her that of course she could, she still hesitated and asked, "But in Japanese?". That was cute too. I reassured all the kids that they could speak Japanese to the guides and listen to them. It was really cool hearing my kids speak in their native language; I felt like I finally was able to see them as they really are, since they have English names that we use for them at MeySen and they never speak in Japanese at school.
On the way home, I look my little Shellie May bear off my key chain for 2 of the girls to play with. They were cracking me up with the way they were pretending to play "school" with the little bear and teach it ballet. Then they had it put on a ballet show for me. It was adorable! I love my cute kiddos!
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