I hooked up with a group on base that networks together. It functions as a support group for many of the people who teach English here. It's made up of mostly Navy wives. The lady who heads it up is Ms. Bishop, a very helpful person who's been teaching English to the locals for a few years now. She suggested that some of us might benefit from shadowing one of her classes. It would give us a better understanding of the dynamics involved. I took her up on the offer and drove to her home in Ikego this morning. She was tutoring a group of three.
It was a great experience. I had just about forgotten that teaching could be so much fun. The ladies were attentive, prepared, and hard working. They were as committed to the task of learning English as was Ms. Bishop to teaching it. These ladies were motivated. Kazudo, the third from the left, is a grandmother with grandchildren living in Buffalo, New York. Her reason for wanting to master English was so that she could speak to her grand kids when she calls. They don't speak very much Japanese. The hour I spent with this group was one of the best since I've been here.
