Another hot and happening summer day at Smith’s School of English!
My first lesson of the evening was two pre-intermediate students with two very different personalities. One was just winding down from holiday mode, while the other was just beginning to wind up. They were both interested in various summer festivals, so we chatted about the [...]
August 6, 2007 – 10:57 pm
Maybe I`ve been spending a little too much time in the classroom recently, but one points are sticking in my head. I find myself analyzing my everyday conversation and noticing each time my utterances reflect a one point. In a class with an orange and red student it reached a crescendo today.
After [...]
August 1, 2007 – 12:43 am
I had a lesson with three regular pink and orange level students today. We went through the loop smoothly as they had been used to our style of coaching and were quite comfortable with each other’s company.
As I heard two of them talking about movies in the lobby before the [...]
One of my classes finished up their routine and eagerly jumped on the item after learning that we would be discussing movies for the remainder of the time. They were only too eager to talk about movies that they had watched recently, their favorite actors, and fond memories in the [...]
Today`s student was a red level student, who has over the last few months considerably improved in all skill areas. Part of the reason why he has managed to do this is undeniably through his own hard work. I remember when I first taught him and I wrapped up the class and he pulled out [...]
I just finished a lesson with a green level student. I always enjoy the classes with him because he has a really nice personality and is always ready to communicate.
I prepared a news event (Hotdog Eating Contest) as an item and Restaurant 2 for routine. But we ended up only having enough time for [...]
I had a class with 1 orange level student recently. She likes shopping in Namba and Shinsaibashi mainly in department stores. She also enjoys window shopping especially in Keihan mall near her office here in Kyobashi. I noticed that she had already completed the shopping 1 routine. So I chose the shopping 2 routine for [...]
I had a class with a red level student the other day. She turned up a few minutes late and apparently was not in a good mood. I enjoy lessons with this student because she likes to ask a lot of questions and is always very cheerful. But this is not one of those days [...]
Here’s an example of one way i like to use the curriculum phrasal cards in my lessons at Smith’s School of English Kyobashi.
Today’s lesson was a red level gentleman who comes as a man to man student.
ITEM – PHRASAL CARDS 436 – 440
I wrote up on the board;
I saw a man [...]
Today I had a red man-to-man student. This student is an extremely cheerful and bright young lady and she is always a joy to teach.
One thing that I like about this student is that she always takes down notes in her tiny little character notebook. I was curious about what she had been writing in [...]
Recently i had some friends visit me from America. They stayed with me in my apartment for just less than 3 weeks. I was really glad to see them since we all went to our own corners of the world after graduating college as most people do. June is a pretty busy month. [...]
“Language is no barrier”. This is a phrase I heard once from a lecturer whilst I attended a college seminar with a group of Japanese students on tour from Japan to Australia focusing on international relations.
As I am now working as a part-time website assistant and English teacher at an English teaching franchise in [...]
It was one of those Saturdays that I love to come to work on. Today it was pouring with rain. I love these days. I like knowing i can arrive at work, get in a nice full day, and not have to bother about opening and closing and shaking off my umbrella all day long. [...]
Very shortly after arriving in Japan, Easter happened. I didn’t really know anyone yet, so my plans mostly consisted of taking the opportunity to eat a vast array of Japanese sweets. At the last minute my partner and I were invited from an acquaintance of an acquaintance to a picnic. Too excited to wait, I [...]
The other night, along my way home, I spotted a yellow display inside the local Mr. Donut. As I got closer, I spotted a great BIG stuffed Pon-De-Lion hanging inside the display. Ever since I was a child I have absolutely LOVED lions in all shapes, colors, and sizes. And in Japan [...]
This morning was a very sleepy, rainy, stormy, miserable way to start the day. I’d spent the night listening to a furious thunderstorm so I wasn’t feeling very alert when I came into work. I was preparing my lessons when suddenly I heard a familiar voice call out “Hello!” into the room. [...]
One of my students walked in the classroom last week and gave me a flower! When I asked why, she said there was no particular reason; she was just walking by a florist and thought she’d buy a flower for her teacher that day! After class, everyone was asking me about the nicely-wrapped flower on [...]
I had such a good time presenting my one point last week, that I decided to reuse it for a different student. My student was quite fit high level (green) and so when I asked him to visualise his waterglass growing little legs and running across the desk and into the lobby he had no [...]
Hello all,
Yesterday I took a day off!
Some friends of mine are visiting from America for a few weeks so I rearranged my schedule a bit in order to show them around. It’s pretty nice that I was able to do so with relatively little notice. Thanks office staff members and Kyobashi coaches for [...]
Being an aficionado of picnics, I sometimes like to prepare for the event most scrupulously. They are the sort of idea that can grow claws, wings and who-knows-what-else in their monstrous potential. They sometimes need to be finely tuned to prevent disaster. First and foremost, there is the scouting of the picnic spot. One must [...]
Just finishing up here at Smith’s School of English Kyobashi tonight.
One of our coaches just finished telling me about how enjoyable one of here lessons was in particular today, that’s just nice for me to hear. Apparently this student is going to interviews to work as a secretary and had lots to say about it [...]
Hello,
Gavin here. We’ve just received our own soap box here at Smith’s School of English Kyobashi. I’ve been working here for about 2 years now and as time passes I continue to enjoy the relaxed, professional environment more and more. Kyobashi is the location of the Smith’s School of English franchise system head office, but [...]