Crash barrier - repaired

Another fantastic use of a heavy blackboard is to prevent over-genki (great Japanese word, add enthusiastic with energetic, excited & extrovert...and any other adjectives beginning with 'e'?) boys from going through the wall.

This spelling race (source book was open at the near-side of the room) was a revelation. T won. He's the sporty one who actually hates English, and doesn't get much support at home; thinks he can't spell and is his own worst enemy reading, wildly guessing when he can do better. Problem with that is the other kids are already laughing before he can actually concentrate & work it out. He's a proud lad and not as thick-skinned (yet) as he wants to be. Y didn't mind 'losing', because he didn't want to keep checking the book (cheating if you like), he wanted to see what he could remember from homework. I love that ethic (with some of that myself I might have learnt a bit more Japanese).

K? Infectious laugh, just like his older sisters, but a deal more competitive. An odd thing works with these guys; if I imitate their dull & dreary spoken production, it's hilarious, and they immediately change gears & totally ham it up. Which for me points out how they are being taught in school/expected to produce. Dull & dreary. Challenged to actually 'be normal', or better, wildly foreign, their intonation, pronunciation and engagement really rocks!