Hi there! Jenn told me about you, and said you might be able to share some of your activities or games that you use with your classes. I get lots of my ideas from the site Englipedia.com - I am teaching both Junior High and Elementary kids, and I find that site really helpful because the activities are sorted by textbook. Are you working through the JET programme, or through a company? I'm working for a company called ALTIA Central, so I'm a subcontracted ALT - working for the company, rather than directly for the school or the board of education. I was a JET 12 years ago, and taught at a fairly high level high school which had an English Program. So this is a new experience for me - teaching younger kids. I love the 5th and 6th graders, and I wish I could be teaching them full time! the 7th graders, as you say, are still cute, and still very enthusiastic. I had four classes of 8th graders today, and the last couple classes were dragging - of course I was teaching 6th period, and they had just finished gym!

I agree it would be great to get to know the kids - but it's been hard, since I don't teach each class so often. I visit the elementary school once a week on average, and with so many junior high classes, I can teach each class maybe once every couple weeks. I was able to get to know my students so much better when I was at the high school - there were fewer classes, and I taught each class more than once a week.

it would be great to share ideas, so I will add you as a friend on here, and give you my email address, so maybe we can stay in touch! I have good friends living in Saitama, so if I get up there, perhaps we could even meet for coffee in Tokyo! my email address is: yatesfuji@yahoo.com. Nice to meet you!!