So far this semester I\u2019ve participated in more activities than I\u2019ve expected, but I\u2019m more than grateful as one rarely gets the chance to be a part of the Japanese community. The first CIP I chose was volunteering as an English teaching assistant at Kamigyo Middle School. I have considered for quite some time now the option of being a teacher as a career path so this opportunity was definitely one I couldn\u2019t pass up. To my surprise, the first-year middle school students I was set to teach were extremely energetic and pounced at the chance to answer my questions in English. I also received an overwhelming amount of surprised looks when they heard me speak in Japanese, and without fail, I would here \u300c\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u304c\u4e0a\u624b\u300d. Of course, I responded with the humble phrases I was trained to give in return. I also noticed many of the students\u2019 English conversation skills were pretty focused on set questions such as \u201cDo you like sports?\u201d, \u201cWhat is your favorite food?\u201d, and \u201cDo you like food?\u201d etc. This made me realize that around this stage of learning English most students\u2019 English has been focused on conversation starter questions or \u65e5\u5e38\u4f1a\u8a71.<\/p>\n
Also, as the rumor spread that there was an American teaching in one of the classes many of the students on the rest of floor gathered around my teacher and I as I walked through the hallway\u2014it was as if I was a rare species just being discovered. Each student was very shy when speaking to me, but still very excited to learn. In fact, I found their eagerness to learn surprising as I look back at my middle school memories in which students would constantly dodge the teacher\u2019s questions. I also found it very important to encourage (smile and say something like \u3088\u304f\u3067\u304d\u305f\uff01) the students whether they answer correctly or not, as it motivates them to try to answer even more English questions. All in all, the students at Kamigyo Middle School have been incredibly endearing and make me excited to volunteer and learn something new every week.<\/p>\n
However, since most students are out for the month due to Spring Break, I added the title of CIP to my Wushu (Chinese martial arts) circle. Every Friday I go to Higashiyama to train Wushu with two awesome teachers. One of the sensei claimed the 1995 Wushu World Cup title and is a great teacher! Usually I\u2019m the only participant on Fridays so I\u2019m very lucky to learn one on one. As Wushu is a martial art, respect for each other is definitely emphasized and is expected that students use Keigo with their sensei. Sometimes I feel very relaxed talking to my sensei that I almost forget the formalities altogether. Culturally, I believe respect and \u4e0a\u4e0b is very important in this type of setting. Also, thanks to my sensei I\u2019ve painfully become more flexible that I ever thought possible!<\/p>\n
Finally, I have also started volunteering at Kyoto University\u2019s hospital Nico Toma. Nico Toma has so far been a fun experience that has shown me how much care hospital volunteers put into their work. Although most of the volunteer work has been arts and crafts oriented, every little aspect of our work has gone toward bringing a smile to the kids in the Pediatrics section. However, this week we got to play with one of the kids while we held a bazaar of donated goods and it was extremely fun, although I think I was probably more into the \u201cBreaking the Tower\u201d game then the little boy was. I can\u2019t wait to continue my experience at Nico Toma and hopefully get to meet more kids!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So far this semester I\u2019ve participated in more activities than I\u2019ve expected, but I\u2019m more than grateful as on … \u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u8aad\u3080