I was up to I don’t what time this morning trying to reply to emails, as I have a feeling I won’t get much chance this week with doing demo lessons for 2,000 kids! Then a flight up to Tokyo, a quick meeting then way up North to Odate City in Akita prefecture. It’s only 6 months since I was last here, and so much has happened in that time, but it still only seems like yesterday, and everyone is just as amazingly friendly as before! It was strange seeing snow on the ground in June though. ( They pile all the unwanted snow into a river bed, and it still hasn’t thawed yet).

It was great talking to everyone, and like yesterday it was good to hear how teachers change Genki English to their own needs. One of the teachers had a fantastic idea of punching a hole in the corner of each picture card, then fastening each theme together with one of the openable hoops you can find in the 100 yen stores. Such a simple idea, but it means no more hunting around for a particular theme, you just pop open the hoop and off you go! The same teacher had also done the same with the Picture Books, and she’s written the story from the next card in the sequence onto the back of the card before it. That way you can hold the cards with the pictures facing the kids, but you can read from the back card in the pile! Ingenious. ( Just watch out for your fingers blocking the pictures on the front.) I’ve had a bit of feedback about the Picture Books, but they were really loving them today, so I guess I’ll have to get some more done!

Then it was a fantastic, fantastic meal and back to my hotel where I fell asleep during the Japan v. Australia match, but strangely woke up to catch the last 7 minutes!

If you’d like to add to this post, have a look at the Genki English forum.