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Writing a journal entry everyday… if you went to elementary school in Japan, maybe you remember this. My past students would come back from summer vacation with a little notebook full of daily entries. These picture diaries were issued by the teachers to improve students’ kanji and written Japanese.
So, I thought… why not do some myself? When I lived in Kanazawa, I would do my own and show it to the students after summer vacation. Though my drawing skills were better than theirs (as art is a hobby of mine), the students’ writing was usually much better. Not only did it get students to empathize with me as a fellow language-learner, it also spurred some of my 6th graders into making their own English journals.
After the following winter vacation, I was shown a couple of student diaries they’d created over the snowy break. While their teachers wanted me to ruthlessly fix their errors, I was overjoyed to provide compliments & stickers all over their attempts. They were 6th graders, and though their English courses in junior high school would be difficult, their classes in elementary school weren’t as strict.
When I explained that red marks all over their personal projects would be heartbreaking, their homeroom teachers understood my perspective. I copied corrected sentences onto sticky notes so that their hard work wouldn’t be permanently covered.
I think of my 6th grade students now; they would be in senior high school. I’ve taught that level, too. It was difficult and their essays were always graded strictly.
Despite the stress, I hope they can remember the joy of trying something for themselves & treasure the experience as much as I did.
(Please excuse my imperfect Japanese. 自分の日本語スキルは錆び付きました... I am also learning! If you have pointers, please drop a comment 諸注意がありましたら、コメントを残してください~ ??)
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