A1 & A2 Japanese 1 1/19

Lesson

• Chapter 3 review with exercises packet
• Corrected review exercises
  
• Reviewed Counters with ball game
• Gave time to everyone to talk about their movie projectt
  

Homework: Chapter 3 test (Study the review packet)

B1 & B2 Japanese 2, 3 and AP 1/18

Lesson

Japanese 2
Watched Porco Rosso

Japanese 3 & AP
Watched Spirited Away

A1 & A2 Japanese 1 11/14

Lesson

• Reviewed days of the week + song
• Day of the week exercises
• Watched movie
• Talked about grades since today was the last day of the term

Homework: No Homework, but try to work on your movie project.

I just wanted to share with all of you

Today I was extremely exhausted. This week was one of those weeks that one day seemed to have 48 hours instead of 24.

It was a week that it is the most stressful for the teachers (End of the term week). Lots of things to correct, lots of students coming to ask what they should do to improve their grades and still lots of lessons to plan (3 Japanese 1 classes, 1 Japanese 2 class, 1 Japanese 3 class and 1 Japanese AP class).

On the top of that, this week was my first week back to school. I started going to the U as a PhD student. It was a very long drive and the class I am taking there is a 3 hour long class.

But my point is, instead of just complaining about life, I felt so grateful for the week I had. Of course it was a stressful and long, but today I was thinking about all the things I did or happened throughout this week and I felt so happy to experience all of that.

Before I started complaining to myself that I had tons of Japanese stuff to do for my classes, my memory just traveled back to 1992 when I just got to Japan. I didn't know any Japanese at that time and my dream was to become a Japanese teacher and help students like me. And now, why do I have to complain? I would never thought I would be able to master the language and become a Japanese teacher. So, I have to be grateful for that!!!

When I was in college in Japan finishing my BA in Japanese teaching, I was dreaming to become the BEST TEACHER and I knew that I had to study more. I wanted to pursue a Masters and then a PhD. This dream looked so far away because I didn't have any money and I thought I would not be able to be accepted to any of those programs. And now I SHOULD not complain I have to drive to the U and stay in one class for 3 hours. Finally another dream came true and I am have to be grateful for that!!!

Those who took classes last year maybe remember, but I was weighting 40 pounds more than I am now. Lots of dedication and self-motivation was necessary to reach my goal. I finally got back to the weight I had when I was in high school. And I really thought that after having my kids it would be impossible to lose weight. I learned so much about myself in this dieting process that I am so grateful for that experience!

What I want to tell all of you is that NEVER or IMPOSSIBLE should not be part of your "Life Dictionary". If you work hard and don't give up on your goals, EVERYTHING is possible, even though sometimes seem so impossible and so far away. If you want to say I can't, before that say "I will try first". If you want to say "I don't like that person", you should become friends with that person first.

You just have to constantly think about your goals and little by little put everything into practice. It took a couple of years for me to become a Japanese teacher after I graduated from College. It took many many years for me to start losing weight. So, it's not important WHEN you reach your goals, but HOW you do it.

Work hard, live each day like is the best day of your life, help people, say and do good things to the people you love, take notes of everything you think you should remember and have fun in whatever you do that is the most important thing.

Life is hard sometimes, but you are the only person that can make it easier. I love being a teacher of all of you and thanks for being part of my life.

Have a wonderful 3 day weekend!!!

B2 Japanese 3/AP 1/13

Lesson

Together
Reading test
Watched the end of Totoro (10 minutes)

Japanese 3
Chapter 1 review packet

Japanese AP
New grammar (Irregular honorific and humble forms)
Exercises

Homework: Japanese 3 (No homework)
Japanese AP --> Finish new grammar exercises

B1 Japanese 2 1/13

Lesson

• Checked homework (Reading comprehension exercises)
• Since everyone did their homework, we watched 15 minutes of Porco Rosso
• Talked about the reading
• Reading practice

Homework: Reading test

A1 & A2 Japanese 1 1/12

Lesson

• Checked homework (Chapter 3 vocab list)
• Corrected vocab list
• Listening practice Chapter 3
• Review of the chapter
• Speaking practice using the expressions, grammar and vocab learned in this chapter.

Homework: There's no formal homework. However, CHECK your grades in Skyward to see if you still have any late homework to turn in. And remember you can retake ONE quiz. You can come in the morning before school starts to hand in late homework or to retake quizzes. The deadline is FRIDAY MORNING!

B2 Japanese3/AP 1/11

Lesson

Japanese AP
Reviewed some vocabulary previously learned
Writing practice using 5 words from the cards sensei picked.


Japanese 3
New grammar (Female and male speech)
Exercises


Together
Reading practice for the reading test

Homework: Reading test

B1 Japanese 2 1/11

Lesson

Reviewed vocabulary for the quiz (Buildings)
Vocab Quiz Chapter 2
Reviewed of the whole chapter
Reading practice

Homework: Reading exercises

Grades are due Friday

If you need to turn in any late homework or retake any quiz, please do so by Thursday. Grades are due Friday for me, so if you give me everything by Thursday I will be able to grade everything and update the grades by Friday.

Don't give up!!! Check your grades and see if there's anything you could do to improve it!!!

A1 & A2 Japanese 1 1/10

Lesson

• Reviewed grades and nationalities for the quiz
• Quiz
• Talked about Family presentation and the students signed up for their presentation. (It is going to start next week)
• Days of the week song (Blue paper)
• Gave Chapter 3 Vocabulary list exercises

Homework: Finish Vocab list exercises

B2 Japanese 3/AP

Japanese 3
Kanji review exercises (Chapter 1 and 6)
Corrected exercises and reviewed all the reading and meaning
Reading practice

Japanese AP
Finish writing practice
Peer review
New grammar Honorific + Bte + imasu
Writing practice using new grammar
Reading practice

No homework for both classes, however we'll be having a reading test on Thursday, so please practice reading we reviewed today in class.

B1 Japanese 2 1/7

Lesson

Reviewed of Chapter 2

• Verbs
• Direction nouns
• Not yet, still, already, not anymore

New grammar like+ verb, it is fun doing + verb

Writing practice using new grammar

Homework: Vocab Quiz (Study the white sheet)

B2 Japanese 1 1/6

Lesson

• Reviewed Occupations
• Asked some students their parents occupations
• Checked homework (Occupation exercises)
• Corrected homework
• Talked about family presentation
• Students wrote about their family for the presentation

Homework: Nationalities and grades Quiz (Study pages 60, 61, 64 and 65 from your textbook)

A1 Japanese 1 1/6

Lesson

• Reviewed Occupations
• Asked some students their parents occupations
• Checked homework (Occupation exercises)
• Corrected homework
• Talked about family presentation
• Students wrote about their family for the presentation

Homework: Nationalities and grades Quiz (Study pages 60, 61, 64 and 65 from your textbook)

B2 Japanese 3/AP 1/5

Lesson

Watched Totoro with the sub

No homework

B1 Japanese 2 1/5

Lesson

Watched Ocean waves with the sub.

No homework

A1 & A2 Japanese 1 1/4

Lesson

• Talked about the World Language Week
• Gave some time to groups to talk about the Movie project
• Reviewed in-group and out-group family vocab with memory game
• New vocab (Occupation)

Homework: Occupation exercises

B2 Japanese 3/AP 1/3

• Wrote 2 questions in Japanese to ask our Japanese visitor Ayaka
• Talked about Japanese and US differences
• Asked her questions in English
• Watched Mario and Miruku onegaishimasu movie
  

B1 Japanese 2 1/3

• Wrote 2 questions in Japanese to ask our Japanese visitor Ayaka
• Talked about Japanese and US differences
• Asked her questions in English