Today was a workshop in Shiga organised by Margit, who many of you will know from the blog comments and forum. She also brought along some of her owners’ club materials, including some very cute super-mini cards!
We had around half the teachers as primary school teachers and half the teachers who have their own school that is a famous franchise. So the primary school teachers were mainly looking for how to jazz up the Eigo Note and the other teachers were looking for ideas on how to enliven their normal classes.
If you already have a set curriculum…
If you have to teach a set curriculum like this, my usual recommendation is to simply take the target theme from the materials you have to teach, but then introduce it using the Genki English songs & games. That way the kids actually learn and can use the English so then you can go back and do the often drier exercises from the textbook with ease.
Of course ideally you’d use the Genki English curriculum because that’s based on what the kids actually want to speak, which is much easier to teach!
Content wise we did Disco Warm Up, String Game, Sticky Fingers & Nemo to go with Under the Sea, Wie heisst du?, Genki Korean plus lots of education theory, how to really motivate the most shy kids and a touch on how to discipline the not so shy kids!
It was a great day and thank you to everyone for all the great questions!
My next workshop is in Okinawa on the weekend of the 26th/27th so please come along if you can, details are here.
And today’s workshop was on the shores of the beautiful lake Biwa …..
Earn More From Your Passion For Teaching English!
Margit it looks like you have been very busy!! I think the idea for mini mini cards is so wonderful. Thank you!
Congratulations on the success of the workshop!
Margit, everything you prepared looks great! Did you say you live near the lake? It looks so calm.
Richard, thank you for showing the video!
Margit, I agree with Flossy, you have been very busy! I really love your mini mini cards. Great idea for large classes and it cuts the cost too! Thank you!
Richard, the lake looks really beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I like ‘armchair’ travelling!
Thanks for all your support. I got this far thanks to all of you and I’m really grateful.
yeah, I really do look busy, don’t I. But actually I had many hands to help all around. When Richard called me over for the video though, I just couldn’t follow , without even thinking about anything there was this little tiny camera:”Okay here you go”,
Lake Biwa is beautiful. It’s a tiny bit bigger then Bodensee, And the part filmed is actually the narrowest part.
Driving around by car takes about 6 hours and there are some really beautiful beaches with clearest water around.
Because of the mountains so close it’s a very special quiet atmosphere, mountains paddy fields, lake.
I’m happy enough to live a 2 minutes walk from the lake, well not a beach but still beautiful.
Yes and as Richard said really a short trip from Kyoto, so if you guys happen to be around let me know.
Well, lots of questions solved this weekend, making room for new questions and work. So I’m looking forward to keep exchanging on the forum.
Richard, thank you for this rich weekend. I’ve been asking a lot and I hope your voice is okay. Well what else can I say:
Thank you and every body.
Wow, Margit, that’s amazing! So many materials, all nicely laminated and everything. How DO you find the time?
Seeing it again, I am now determined to make one of those ‘magic’ milk carton thingies, like you did for vegetables. It looks so cool.
btw I live fairly near Lake Inawashiro – the 4th largest lake (with, supposedly, the cleanest water). When are you going to add that to your lakes tour of Japan, Richard?