Kids and classes

We got a new schedule at the beginning of April; at first I didn't like the changes, I suppose mainly because there were a lot of new students to get to know from scratch. Now I know everyone, and lately I've been really enjoying most of my classes again. So I am happy at work.

I now have three kids' classes - a new one will start next week. Also, I am about to get a new student. Until now, I've had just one 2-year-old student, with her mother. From next week, it will be me, a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old, and no parents. I imagine the shift in gears (not to mention the shifting of power!) will be quite powerful. To be honest, now that I'm no longer nervous about this class, I only have one concern - the fact that Jim teaches another class at the same time. There is no soundproofing in our school, and the new kid has a very marked talent for screaming very, very powerfully and frequently.

To be honest though, the little kids were extremely cute together. The nice thing about them is they are both happy toddlers. (Well, generally. My 2-year-old did cry in class today, for the first time.) So when they 'met', they both had big smiles and jumped up and down on the couch together, laughing and screaming (very loudly). They have such cute smiles. :)

I did feel sorry for Jim's class though. I kept glancing at my watch, thinking 'well, they can't possibly hear their lesson, but at least it's almost time for their class to finish...' We'll see how it goes. I was a bit flustered.

I suppose it didn't help that our building can never get the air-conditioning right. Today it was about 27 degrees in the classrooms, which is too hot if you're a) wearing winter clothes (today was cool outside), and b) dancing about and playing games with a small child. (By the way, this poor air-conditioning/heating thing is a Japan-wide problem. This blog entry was written by a video game developer in Japan, and rings very true.)

My 8-year-old student (now 9) is still great. Her mother seems to have taken a liking to me, somehow, and every week she gives me something. So far she's given me packets of cocoa, caramels, and a coffee. Jim thought this was quite funny, since her daughter is such a model student; he said it's the parents of bad children who should give us stuff, in apology. :)

I really do like teaching this girl. She has a great energy. Actually, the new girl I'm going to teach has a nice manner too. She's about 10 and quite shy, but she has a very sweet, open smile, a bit like Victoire Thivosol (who plays Anouk in the movie Chocolat).