Amazing Week!

...and it's not even over yet!!! XD

Monday -- Shizuoka Tokubetsu Shien Gakkou (Shizuoka School for the Disabled)
Once a month, I visit the Shizuoka School of the Disabled and help out their English classes. I LOVE going because the students are SO EXCITED to see me and every lesson consists of songs, dance, and of course, English. What is even better is that all -I said ALL- my students want to volunteer in class! How refreshing is that?!

Tuesday -- The Day from *insert expletive*
To my surprise (and ridiculous delight), the Day from #$%&! was really a day from close to heaven. My morning seniors diligently worked on their tour guide poster project and my sophomores (often the little demons of my teaching career), were almost angelically good as they designed their show-and-tell posters and wrote out their dialogue. It was a moment where I am sure my jaw hit the floor after class.

Wednesday -- Fun Sophomores, Cooking, and English Conversation Lesson.
So that you do not get the wrong impression, not ALL my sophomores are the minions of the devil. In fact, my Wednesday sophomore class is probably the rowdiest, but they work hard in class so I do not mind nearly so much now boisterous they can be sometimes. Because they are a little higher level that my Tuesday sophomores, I had them do a speech as well as a poster. I heard and advised speeches in the empty room next door while the JTE helped students with their poster designs and grammar stuff in my classroom. Only 2 groups of the 20 were not prepared to rehearse and there were some AMAZING speeches. I think I teared up after class with pride.
On Wednesdays after school and club activities, the music teacher, Kiyomi Fujiwara, comes to my place for supper and an English Conversation lesson. In turn, she assists me in my Japanese and trades recipes. A cooking lesson for me is planned in the near future. Kiyomi can already speak English well enough that I can understand, but since she vacations often in the States, she has asked me to help her conversation skills. So I made spaghetti with meat sauce, buttered bread, and salad. She stayed for 2 hours and it was a great time! If there is anyone that I would consider a "friend" at work, she is certainly at the top of the nominees.

Today, Thursday, -- Sophomore Field Trip
Normally, I have 3 classes on Thursdays. 2 of the 3 are sophomore classes back-to-back but all sophomores are gone today on a field trip to a local kindergarten. I think they are helping out with their Sports Day Festival. Since all sophomores are gone, the school is a lot quieter, the teachers are relaxed since fewer classes are meeting, and the weather outside is GOR-GE-OUS!
An hour ago, Kiyomi invited me to the main office for early tea time and to talk with the office ladies. I see the office ladies everyday, but since they are not in the teachers' room, I do not often get to speak with them unless I get a fax or it's "Pay the Rent" Day. And they are HILARIOUS! We had hot milk tea and sweets for about 20 minutes and at the end, my sides and cheeks hurt from laughing and we had set up a dinner outing for next Tuesday.

Tomorrow is pay day (hallejuah) and because of this amazing week, I am going to splurge on myself for once on Saturday at Pion, a 100 yen shop, and maybe a few rounds of tokens at the arcade in JUSCO. Sunday, I am going to a violin concert in the city with some of my students. Monday is a national holiday so I will be spending it with Kiyomi. We will drive to another prefecture for a huge early-Christmas sale. Then Tuesday I have the dinner outing with the office ladies.

Term is almost over! I cannot believe it!!!