Frustrating!

Since I am sitting here seething, I thought I would write a blog entry about it so you all can share the frustration a bit. 

I have a year of students who are just unbelievably bad at life.  That is an awful thing to say, but it is true.  They are mean to each other, they have no interest in studying or in experiencing new things, they are rude to teachers, etc etc etc.  Basically, they have no interest in being good humans with good souls.  It is really sad.  Example, today in class, the JTE needed 2 people to help him hand papers back.  NO ONE volunteered!  NO ONE!  Now, in America, it is not like everyone would be jumping out of their seats to help, but probably 5 or 6 kids would have raised their hands and would have been willing.  Well, with this bunch of monsters, it took 5 minutes to get 2 volunteers!  And only one of them was actually a volunteer! 

Let's talk about why they are bad at English.  Because they don't care!  It is really sad.  For example, I asked them all one-on-one questions today.  Here are two conversations that happened.  The parts in bold were actually said in English.  The rest was Japanese:

Example 1:
Me: "How are you?"
Student: "umm...how are you.  oh, wait, that is wrong...I don't know."

Example 2:
Me:  "What's the date today?"
Student: "umm... It's May...(turns to her friend) what is 12 in English??"
Her Friend: "I don't know!"

Now, these are the equivalent of 9th graders and they have been studying English for 3 years.  THREE YEARS!  They don't  know how to answer 'How are you?' and they cannot count!!  You have GOT to be kidding me!

Unfortunately, I am not kidding.

Let's move on to the word search I made.  First of all, let me mention that doing any sort of communication activity with these kids is out because they won't talk.  At all.  Or, if I try to do group work, the will speak only in Japanese.  So, I am having my skills tested to the max as I have to constantly come up with activities or worksheets that will force them to study a bit of English without being able to do the whole thing in Japanese only and also without doing any talking because it is pointless since they just won't do it..  Today I was not so creative so I just made a word search.  The students are learning the passive tense (which is in itself a huge waste of time because we don't use the passive tense in English really but whatever).　　Anyway, as all you native speakers know, the verb changes form(use the past participle) and you add in a form of 'be,' plus the object becomes the subject and vice versa, right? 

I love you. --> You are loved by me.
I study English -->  English is studied by me.

Yes, I know,  those examples are things no one would EVER say except when teaching the passive in an ESL classroom.

So, I made a word search.  First the students had to write out a list of verbs.  I gave them the base form and they had to write the past participle.  Then they were supposed to find the past participles in the puzzle.  Clearly, being the tricky person that I am, I had some regular verbs (just add ~ed or just ~d) and some irregular verbs.  Luckily there is a chart if irregular verbs in their book which I told them to use.  I also said that if a verb was not in the chart, that it was regular and therefore has the same form as regular past tense.  I explained in English then in Japanese, but seeing as they do not listen to anyone, they just started and were getting frustrated when some of the verbs were not in the puzzle!  DUH!  I said that you have to look for the past participles not the base forms!!!!  Then I explained again, and this time, they listened to the first half but started up again and were frustrated that some of the verbs on my list were not in the chart.  DUH!  I explained that if they are not in the chart then they are regular verbs and take the same form as past tense.  Well, that announcement led to them shouting that they don't know the past tense!

And then I exploded and sprayed them all with fire melting the whole school into rubble.

Ok, not really.  But I did snap a bit (bad, Elissa) and tell them that they learned past tense when they were 1st years and there is no reason for them to not know it.

Everyone follow my ranting?  If not, no problem.  just thought I would share what a frustrating day (not even a day, just one 50-minute section of my day) is like for me.

What are your frustrating days (hours) like?

Nanohana Matsuri!!!

Nanohana!  One of the most beautiful flowers.   I think nanohana are rapeseed blossoms in English?  Or sometimes they are called canola blossoms.  Anyway, they are really, really pretty.  And they are planted in abundance all around Iiyama!  There is also a park called Nanohana park which is famous for these lovely beauties.  There is also a Nanohana Festival every year for 3 days during Golden Week.  Golden Week is the series of 3 holidays in a row and it just ended!  That means tomorrow I have to go to school.  But for now, I can write about nanohana.

Besides being pretty, they are delicious!  You can tempura them or pickle the stems!  It is all delicious.

This is a picture of the nanohana with the Chikuma River in the background.

And the same picture with me!

Nanohana and Cherry blossoms in one picture!  The cherry blossoms for the most part are already bloomed and fallen, but these ones were still relatively pink!

Just another view of the park.

Many families hang the koi (carp) kites up every year on childrens' day to honor their boys. These are actually at a school, but you get the idea.  yay for male children!

When we went home, we took a boat across the river.  The ride was approximately 45 seconds long.  But that did not stop the "captain" from introducing himself for about 30 seconds of it.

The other side of the river.  More nanohana.  As I said they are planted everywhere, not just in the park.

If you are considering coming to Japan ever, I strongly suggest spring.  The allergies are terrible but the cherry blossoms and other amazing flowers (like nanohana) make up for it.  Also, when I say spring, I mean it in a Japanese sense which is like mid-March to the end of April.  After April, apparently it is no longer spring, or so says Starbucks when they stop having special spring flavors.  Anyway, Iiyama was pretty late for blooming this year because it has been so cold, but the rest of Japan blooms even earlier.

One more note, to my great disappointment, even though we had a beautiful, sunny day, none of my pictures reflect that due to the sand.  Yes, the smoggy effect is caused by sand from China.  Ridiculous!  Unfortunately, the sand does not keep the sun away and I have two lobster red arms and 4581 new freckles to prove it.  ouch.