Chatting about Students #3 - Kaori

Now that I'm back in the States, I'm doing my best to keep in touch with my friends and former students in Japan. Mostly via email so far, which is why it was so unexpected to get a letter from Kaori out of the blue on Friday.

She really is one of the most thoughtful and mature and well-intentioned students I've ever known. She has a younger brother who was also my student, and he too is a nice kid.

Go here to see pics of another letter she sent back when she was my student
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/179614816_c566967486.jpg

and of me wearing the friendship bracelet she made for me:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/86/280594778_d93904b355_b.jpg

(BTW - if you want to see more of my Flickr pics, then add me as a friend on Flickr - but I have to know who you are to approve the add)
Link to my Flickr site on the left side of my blog:
http://jasoninjapan.blogspot.com/

Hope your weekend is going well.

Gotta go now and write a letter to Kaori.... :)

-Jason

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Jason
• Japan
• Shimane
• JET
• Program
• ALT
• Japanese
• students
• letter
• to
• America
• English

[MrLeo34]

It's relationships like that which, if I'm accepted into JET, I hope to make. You're an outstanding spokesperson for the program Jason - I'm sure I'm not the only person to be inspired by the friendships you've made with your students.

[myargonauts]

thanks for the nice comment :)

[TiramisuHappy]

I noticed something interesting in her letter. You know how she said "I don't have interesting story, et cetera"? I think she picked that up from speaking and listening to you. Do you realize how often you say that word in your conversation/vlog? (Seven times in this video, BTW.) Poor analogy, I know, but kids are like parrots when it comes to learning a foreign language. If you have a pet phrase or word that you use repeatedly, they'll sure to pick it up and start saying it themselves...

[myargonauts]

haha - well, I certainly have met students whose ALT was Australian or British and they would say things like "rubbish" or even have slight accents when they spoke English, so I guess it can rub off.

[patio87]

Hey what ever happened to you downgrading your channel when you return to the states Jason? LOL, it's been more of an upgrade I think.

[myargonauts]

got plenty of footage still to come and plenty still to talk about I guess - thanks for sticking around

[winDragon79]

Thats a very touching letter. :)

[elsamuraiguapo]

Rokuban tai fukutaichou Abarai Renji.

[MrOonter]

Yeah! Students really are the difference maker. Even on bad days, you can't help but smile when they're around. I also starting doing the "letter exchanging" thing with my kids. It's going great so far.

[OsakaPapa]

Dude she sounds like an amazing student. I recently started working in Wakayama at a few different middle schools as an ALT and one of my students already gave me a friendship bracelet. It was so sweet of her, and it was only my 5th day there.

Stay strong in America man! We'll do something awesome when you come back here :)

[42317]

Thanks for sharing that piece of private post (mail?). It's very touching because it's so... what's the word... idealistic, yes, idealistic. Wanting to be a teacher for disabled kids... that's a big load of responsibility she's aiming at. I'm impressed. It's good to know where to go with one's life. I hope she makes it. I'm too gloomy a realist to be idealistic or optimistic about the world, so I wish her all the best.

[myargonauts]

thanks for watching and leaving a nice comment

[yotafro]

Had a smile on my face through that whole video. She sounds like a great kid.

[StatuesBleedingGreen]

The whole idea of getting in to the JET program for me is so exciting. I really just want to get to Japan and experience the culture but this video made me realize that if I'm a good enough teacher that even the job will be wonderful.