Last week, John of the Kawanishi School and I went to Ashiya to find a coffee shop and found a nice Italian style shop with outside seating. With the nice weather these days and nice artistic cafe late (this one had the patter of a leaf in the froth), we could really enjoy a nice break.
John and I regularly help each other flyer distribution at each other’s stations. We have been at it since, maybe it was last autumn?! We usually follow each stint by sitting down for a nice
cup of coffee and a pastry.
It gives us a chance to share thoughts and ideas to better teach and promote our schools. It is really a labor of love and I think the students, once they get to know their Smith’s teachers, can really relate to this fact. The videos John and I make each week are also an example of this ‘Labor of Love’. I hope the other schools who have higher level students will begin to use these videos and the associated in-class lesson materials that are available to Smith’s teachers. There are a few 
mistakes in those lessons and quite often students find them and bring them to our attention, but that is actually great. It shows that they are really working to improve their English.
John and I intend to continue on this path as we like to keep it very fresh. This week we made one about Mr. Hatoyama’s dress sense. Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Hatoyama quit his post as Prime Minister before I could teach that lesson to many of my students. But it still is an interesting lesson.
Please enjoy the coming TOEIC+ Videos. They are a lot more interesting and challenging than most other dry TOEIC practice materials.
Yes, I agree. Working with Al, both on developing teaching materials as well as distrubiting flyers, has been a very rewarding (and enjoyable) experience. It is important to share one’s ideas with those who have a similar philosophy, and finding Al to inspire me has helped me greatly over the last few months. Through our cooperation I feel that I have become a better teacher, and this, of course, goes to benefit my students. Working together also makes our tasks a lot more enjoyable.
John