Timothy Baril

It’s Monday morning. Rain drizzles down. I show up to school wet, dreading a dull day of classes. Lucky for me, it’s just as I fear.
First period grade 9s. I stand next to the chalkboard after a good morning greeting that wouldn’t register on a decibel meter for singing mice. The Japanese teacher teaches. Homework [...]

Teaching in Japan
Jet Programme
Teachers report that students basically failed at their English midterms. Results were terrible, across the board with all 3 grades. Teachers from other subjects indicated similar results.
I suspect that if the city of Moriguchi doesn’t improve its education system by pumping a lot more life and heart and professionalism into it, [...]

Teaching in Japan
JET Programme
Midterms day one of two today. English tests were today. The English teachers are busy at their desks, tall stacks of tests and work books and files handed in from students at their elbows. They work steadily, heads down.
It kind of makes me wish that Japanese teachers didn’t have so much [...]

Teaching in Japan
Year 2, Month 3
The very next day following the staff meeting, the first year teachers take the first year students aside and speak to them in the gym for another lecture. At the morning meeting with staff, the principal encouraged staff to seek help from each other, and join each other in classrooms [...]

Teaching in Japan
Year 2, Month 3
Difficult Students
My first class is first year students again this week. The class is terrible, worse than before. They are rude, unruly, and completely ignore the teacher. She struggles, looks flustered and red faced, the class is a complete waste of time. No teaching was done at all, and needless [...]

Played in han groups. Each group has to choose a random points card before they guess. Cards are worth 1-3 points for a correct guess, or some cards award negative points for the right answer. Could expand to include other kinds of cards. Reception was good. Teacher chose to use a picture other than hangman [...]

I made a worksheet which was much longer and harder, yet hopefully more interesting than the ones teachers normally use. Good English students seemed to find it engaging and challenging, and it took them approximately 20-30 minutes. Less skilled students were able to do the first few, then lost interest and gave up. Yet many [...]

Students are provided comics, in a variety of Western styles. Then they are asked to fill in dialogue and background bubbles, which have been erased from the original panels. They are also given super hero Profiles, and are asked to write about the person’s super abilities.
Note: Finding easily usable comics is difficult, because you need [...]

Karuta game with 2nensei. Cards has present tense on one side, past on the other. Students were given the Japanese present tense out loud and had to find English translation. Then, in second game, they were given English present, and had to find past.
Reception:
Was generally good. However, as past tense was only taught that [...]

Students are given a bunch of cards with questions on them. In groups they have to listen, recognize the question, find and take it. Same as real Karuta. But, they only get one point to get the question, and read the question. They get another 2 points for answering the question. If they can’t answer, [...]