あんかけやきそば

今日は札幌周辺まで行ってきましたが、帰りに苫小牧でおいしいと評判のあんかけ焼きそば屋さんに行ってきました。やきそばのほかにはメニューが数品しかなくて、まさにそれで「売ってる」という感じ。評判どおりのおいしさで、非常に高い満足感を得ることができました。ここはおすすめです！

First try as an Eiken examiner

Last Sunday was the day when I worked as an Eiken examiner. Though I was registered on the list of examiners for two years, I have not yet got the chance by then. I was a little nervous before the exam, and I got really tired after that. But the experience fulfilled my expectations enough.

Soup Curry

I went to Soup Curry shop called "PICANTE" (I don't know what it measn...). Lately, I don't feel like eating ramen, one of my favorite food in the world. I don't know why, but anyway, I felt like eating soup curry probably because it has been so cold outside recently. PICANTE is near the university I went to around ten years ago. The atmosphere in the shop somehow reminds me of shiny days those days. The soup was a bit different from what I tried before, but I was able to enjoy it enough.

To make my school's English classes better

One year has passed since I became a head of the teachers in charge of English section in my school. Through this school year, most of our efforts has been spent on making a integrated or packaged way of teaching. Until recently, each teacher has taught something in the way what she or he would like to teach. There has been no rigid "style" which they call "This is our school's teaching method". Through making Can-Do-List in terms of four skills, coming up with syllabi, and sharing them among teachers, our teaching style has been determined little by little.
Yeterday evening, I talked with a co-worker a lot around four hours. His teaching style and belief underlying his way of teaching seemed at first just as opposite of mine. Because I have had little opportunity to tell him what I learned from grad school, I explained my teaching belief under my way of teaching yesterday. My belief means like learners are likely to understand English through sizable input, they acquire English through 'meaning', not just form, and interaction and output are crucial for English learning process. Interestingly it turns out that he also strongly believe so, but the problem is he does not change his teaching style because he as a learner receive no instruction as I said above. The more he go through experiences where he could activate his deep knowledge about English (He is really much more knowledgable than me!), he would change his style into more what is called, 'SLA-friendly' one. Anyway it was really meaningful evening to share and discuss such matters.

Two books above are the latest books from which I was inspired in the field of English education.
First one is from a book featured in the blog below and also recommended in a teacher training this winter. It boosted my motivation again to make my class sophisticated one along with SLA insight. The second is also a book from really famous ex junior high school teacher. Though he does not seems to have so much SLA or TESOL background, his practices through 26 teaching experiences have been surely crystallized within this book, which of course encouraged me to change my style more better one.
The last one below is a blog from a author who came back from Britain where he studied SLA. His blog was full of insightful mixture of his SLA background and his daily practices in his classes.

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/takachan75/

The next school year will be a challenging one for us to make more packaged teaching style. Whether who will be a head teacher, I will spend considerable time and effort on this "mission".

平取和牛

　平取和牛を出してくれる「じゃんけんぽん」というお店に同僚と行ってきました。１時間半くらいかかるため、普段はなかなかいけませんが、ここのメニューは定評があります。平取和牛を使ったハンバーグは絶品です。あの肉の味が忘れられなくて、今日も来てしまいました。今回はハンバーグとエビフライのプレートを注文（ごはん・お味噌汁つき）。エビフライも意外にとろけるようなお味で、大変満足して帰ってきました。帰ってくるとシエスタじゃありませんが、ほどよい満足感と家の中に入ってくる日の光に癒されつつ夕方まで寝てしまいました。また行きたいと思わせるすばらしいお店です。

Center Test

Yesterday and Today, students took Center Test.I went to Tomakomai where they took the test to cheer on them.It was my first try to do that since I became a teacher. The drive to Tomakomai reminded me of my experience of taking a test 14 years ago. I strongly hoped everyone did their best.
After coming back home, I tried English section in the test. The result was 196 in paper and pencil test, and 48 in listening test. The lever seems to be lower than last year. There are still a few questions I cannot answer. That is a shame... For example, I do not know the phrase "talk out of" appeared in the paper and pencil test. Anyway, Center test seems to be much better, with authentic materials, sufficient vocabularies, and questions test takers' imagination are strongly needed to answer.

Tsuruga in Akan with coworkers

My wife and I went to Tsuruga, splendid Japanese style hotel and hot-springs, by Lake Akan, east part of Hokkaido, with coworkers. The total number of people who went there is ten, including a new born baby of my coworker! We took bathes, ate and drank until midnight. I had a lot of fun and charged a lot of energy. Tsuruga has a variety of hot springs in the highest and lowest floor of the building. Moreover, it is famous for dishes offered in smorgasbord style. We enjoyed both! Anyway, Tsuruga is highly recommended!

Teaching Training

I attended two-day-training from 6th and 7th, January. First day was for general teaching, and second for English teaching. Key note speaker on the first day was Shinichi Fukuoka, the most famous biologist now in Japan. As I have longed for the speech by him, having read two books written by him, I was able to enjoy his speech. His speech was interesting and insightful as well as his book. His speech style was quiet and calm, but it had something that attracts almost all audience.
Second day's speaker was Shigeru Matsumoto, who is also one of the most influential English educator in Japan. His speech was really clear to explain on next generation of English education. I was of course encouraged by his speech to implement more effective teaching to students who would undergo global competitive world using English. Surprisingly, such big name English educator seem to say similar (almost the same) thing about what we should do toward future English teaching. The school I am now working seems to be in line with the trend.
As a member of English teacher in the school and Hokkaido, and as one teacher standing very close to students, I would like to do my best this year.