What I worked hard during spring semester was teaching practice. I will be a junior high school and high school English teacher. I went back to my junior high school, Nanzan Girls’ Junior High School, for three weeks. I took charge of the English classes for the second year students of junior high school. I made 6 kinds of lessons and taught them to 5 classes. I gave 28 lectures in total! It was really tough and I was very nervous at the beginning of teaching practice, but my instructor let me make lectures how I wanted. For example, I used a movie theme song; We’re all in this together from "High School Musical" as a warm-up. The song got really popular among the students, and many of them told me that it was a great opportunity to sing in English! Also, I taught how to enjoy studying English to my students. Outside of classes, I had a great time with my students. I had a chance to go to Little World as a school trip with them! I became close to them there. Moreover, I talked with them after class. I was surprised to know that a lot of them are a huge fan of Arashi! They are popular with people my age, too. They were singing their songs on our way to Little World on the bus. After three weeks of teaching practice, I felt time went so fast. I had a really great time with my students. I realized that I hadn't had chances to speak in front of people in Japanese these days. After I entered British and American Studies Department of Nanzan University, we always gave speeches or presentations in English. Therefore, we have to practice speaking in front of people in Japanese, too. Furthermore, I graduated from a girls’ junior school and high school, so I had never experienced attending a coeducational junior high school or high school. I want to teach there someday.

by Yumi