Chien Tsai Chalkboards

Starting in the summer of 2018, in Taichung, Taiwan, I took on children's English as a Foreign Language classes at Chien Tsai, an after-school center franchise. I met with students once a week for forty minutes for English conversation practice and learning activities; one component of the center's program of reviewing the children's school subjects. After the summer morning class ended, I was offered classes in the late afternoon through the fall, seven classes each week, divided by the children's grades in school. 

After most classes, I took photos of the chalkboard; they reveal what was taught that period. I reviewed them so as to plan for the following weeks.  Mostly in chronological order, spanning seven months, they reveal how I ramped up sequential English language skills, age-appropriate, through a variety of competitions, activities, kinetics, and music. 

I hope you enjoy the children, as I did, on our fun-filled EFL journey by viewing the photos of the chalkboards, reading the blog, or both. I would like to thank my assistant, Michelle, the wonderful children, and the management of Chien Tsai for making this joyful experience possible. Cheers! 

Fall '18 Schedule

Chien-Tsai near American Eagle (location b)

Chien Tsai near American Eagle (location b)

"If You're Happy and You Know It" Song 

"Hello-Goodbye" The Beatles 

Seven-year-olds; Word Bubbles, TPR, and Sky-Earth-Water

Seven-year-olds;  Word Pictures

TPR for the 9 year olds

Word Recognition Bubbles - Spitball target 

Daily Routine Opposites

Opposites in "Hello-Goodbye" by The Beatles 

Opposites with Teaching Assistant Michelle

Clothes and Colors 

Total Physical Response (TPR) Word Bubbles

With an enthusiastic eleven-year-old; Stephanie

 Clothes with 'wear' in different tenses

The parts of the face in colors

His and Her face parts TPR

His and Her face parts in colors

'His and Her' face parts, singular and plural

His and Her face parts in colors with subordination 

Daily Routines 

'His and Her' face parts in colors

Clothes and Face parts 

There is/are in the bedroom

My/Your, with clothes and colors

 Clothes and color you wear

Word Pyramids by number of letters

Color Triangles (a)

Color Triangles (b)

Syllable Pyramids 

Syllable Pyramid word review 

'Putting' and 'Taking' , I am/you are, clothes and body parts

I am putting/taking NOW

'M' and 'S' word initial sound tic-tac-toe 

'Putting...on' and 'Taking from'

'A' with first letter consonants/'An 'with vowels 

I love my clothes & prepositions (a)

I love my clothes & prepositions (b)

Putting 'an vowel/a consonant'

consonants and consonant blends 

Short 'A' and consonant blends

'Spitball-Target Word --Bubble Read-Out

Short A vs. Long A

Prepositions, colors, and shapes

Playground items and colors

 Syllables and stress

Playground, Colors and Clothes

Playground preposition TPR

Short 'A' spelling trial and error, Is/Do questions and short answers 

Assigning parts to sing "Twelve Days of Christmas"

Practicing singing "Twelve Days of Christmas" 

Retelling of "Gift of the Magi"

6-28-18 

I found out my assignment in the bushiban today. It has nothing to do with the Community Curriculum and the children are too old for Open Sesame. There are four ninety-minute classes once a week, based on the children’s age: Tues. nine o'clock to ten-thirty, seven and eight-year-olds, ten-thirty to twelve noon, nine-year-olds, Fri. nine o'clock to ten-thirty, ten- year-olds, and ten-thirty to twelve noon, eleven-year-olds. I forgot to ask how many children there would be in each class.  The children will each have a clear book to hold handouts, water colored markers, and writing booklet with pencil. I will use the www.communitysongs.blogspot.com to interface with parents, the first communication being the lyrics and YouTube video of “Hello-Goodbye.” Parents can make comments or use the expansion activities I will upload and post there. They have four pages to begin with: “Hello-Goodbye” lyrics, “Shapes and Colors,” and “Daily Routines” pp 14-15 from the Oxford Basic Picture Dictionary. If I get farther than that, additional copies can be made. Classes start next Tuesday. 

6-29-18

For the 7 and 8-9 year old groups, I will feel free to use Sesame Street and Open Sesame material including "Hands Up" and the count and alphabet songs. My cellphone and mini-speaker will have to do. I was told there was WiFi but it may not reach the second floor. In any event, I would have to bring my own laptop I believe. 

7-3-18 

In about ninety minutes, I will meet my first two classes at the new bushiban gig. I have no idea how many children will be in each; only that the first will be seven-year-olds and the second eight-and-nine-year-olds. It remains to be seen how much differential there will be but I will assume nothing and start with "Hello-Goodbye" introductions. Thankfully, the typhoon passing between Korea and Japan has brought its trail of downpour rain up with it and the sky is clear enough for me to ride my bicycle there. 

7-7-18

The two classes at the bushiban went well. There were 14 nine-ten year olds; the eleven year-olds were 10. The nine-ten year-olds grasped the concept of word pictures and Sky-Earth-Water. They loved "Hello-Goodbye" as did the other three classes. They will be my grammar pattern/vocabulary class. The eleven year-olds can do Reported Speech (RS) and a modified Community Curriculum; more conversational based. The Tuesday classes of eight seven-year-olds and about eight 8 year-olds have their focuses, too. The 7 year-olds are mostly kinetic, Total Physical Response (TPR), word recognition; no writing except for penmanship and copying. The eight year-olds may be on the verge of reported speech - I did introduce it to them, perhaps prematurely- but I need to figure them out more; perhaps present tense RS and teach them the tenses. All four classes have the same 4 hand-outs that will be used in different ways. Only the seven-year-olds were told to bring water markers. 

7-10-18
In an hour I will leave to teach the seven and eight-nine year old groups at the bushiban gig. Work on the word level for the sevens (with kinetic TPR; “If You’re Happy and you know it" song with and sentence level with rudimentary reported speech for the eight-nines. I’ll bring the mini white boards today and leave them there somewhere for future use. I can bring the CD of “Hello-Goodbye” for better fidelity if there's a player or just hear it on You-Tube through Bluetooth on a mini-speaker. 

I had fun at the bushiban gig classes this morning. The ride there is so short I didn’t bother to bring the iPod. The seven-year-olds did the beginning of word pictures and identification of action words used in “If you’re Happy and You Know It…” I added stand, sit, go, and stop. Next week I’ll introduce the concept of “point.” The eight-nine-year olds are up to prepositional phrases with three shapes and ten colors. They can do word picture sentences, though the class is uneven in ability; a few boys seemed stunned in the headlights. I think all the kids, and my assistant, Michelle, like what I am doing with them. The manager seems happy, too. Alas; this will only be a summer gig if they can’t give me good 900 hours in the fall.

7-13-18
I have to refresh myself on what I started in the two Friday bushiban classes last week. Last week after class I wrote: “The nine-ten-year-olds grasped the concept of word pictures and S-E-W. They loved ‘Hello-Goodbye’ as did the other three classes. They will be my grammar pattern/vocabulary class. The eleven-year-olds can do RS and a rudimentary Community Curriculum; more conversational based.” I can do the “Daily Routine” pages with the 11’s and color shape with the nine-tens. Even do the “Me” Controlled Composition (CC) with the elevens. There are 14 nine-tens so it can’t be too personal. I could do a chain-link sentence construction competition with the 9-10’s based on the “Daily Routines.” Tell them a story about me first, ask about them, and then have them make up a schedule for “Crazy Eddie” using the present infinitive tense. The elevens can change tenses with the same pages. But I want to introduce a phonic component for both, even play Phonic Bingo (PB) with both classes. I’ll bring my Sound Out book.  

7-14-18

The classes at the bushiban had no Bluetooth or CD music at yesterday’s classes; only the students and I singing along to the lyric sheet. I did the TPR with word bubbles and word pictures for the nine-tens along with an introduction to short 'a' all with mini-board and chalkboard competitions. The elevens did RS with the start of ‘daily routines” and present infinitive tense with compound sentences using “before” and “after.” They have to write five such sentences based on the handout for homework. I was pretty tired after the three hours of classes 

7-17-18

In a while I will ride to the bushiban for the sevens and eight-nine-year-olds' classes. I will introduce items in the classroom with the verbs 'take' and 'put' with the colors and shapes reviewed and attach it to the kinetic word bubbles and the song "If You're Happy and You Know It" and introduce the "Hands up" song. For the eight-nines it is the same with more emphasis on prepositions of place and sentence writing. 

7-26-18

In the nines' class, I’ll get to the daily routines for comprehension, talk about telling time, and do the long-short ‘a’ bingo and spelling ‘quiz’. In the ten-elevens', I’ll introduce “too” and “either” about daily routine and preview “before” and “after.” Both classes will practice prepositions of place, the nines with shapes and colors and the ten-elevens with the rooms in their homes, if I can get to that, with comparison introductions of partner’s place. 

7-31-18

I'm off to the Tuesday bushiban classes in a little while; the sevens and eights. I can play "I am looking for a..." with the eights, even do clothes and colors and shapes, but with the sevens, kinetic TPR and comprehension are my goals; I will do "If your happy" and "Hands Up" again with them. The eights get Word Bubbles (WB) and prepositions and RS. Contest winners will get mini Tootsie Rolls seen for the first time on a Taiwanese supermarket shelf. I may be able to show the "Be Human" Betty Boop cartoon about animal abuse to the ten-elevens but the eights maybe not with the 'Emergency' worksheet. I think I will ask the office if I could use their DVD player today. We shall see. I will prepare and bring the DVD just in case.

8-23-18

On Tuesday, the manager of the bushiban gave me my schedule for the fall. The term begins next Thursday at their second location near American Eagle; the Wednesday class begins the following week. Meanwhile, my last Tuesday class at the first location is next week and I think I will finished my last Friday class there tomorrow.  Will get the agreed to 900 per hour to teach 4 1/2 hours (actually 4 hrs. 40 min. but I will forego the extra ten in lieu of breaks a week between the two locations. It looks like I will teach six classes a week, 45 minutes each. 

8-29-18

My schedule is in transition this week. Starting Thursday, I will ride next door of American Eagle on Chung-de 6th Road to the branch of the summer bushiban; next week the Wednesday schedule begins at the original branch, or is it the other way around? I’ll call up later to be sure. 

9-21-18 

I remember what I am doing in the 9 different classes I have each week by using the same thread for all; this week it has been "opposites." Going back to "Hello-Goodbye", a good way to remind the kids who we are after being away for two weeks, with the seven-year-olds merely learning "I am a boy/girl" and comprehending the pairs, and the twelve-year-olds able to find opposites for "daily routines" (wake up/go to sleep) the 8th graders "Me" CC ("I am a happy child/ Teacher David wasn't a happy child") and synonyms and antonyms of feeling words with the emphasis on passive voiced adjectives: "I was disappointed by my test score."

9-27-18
The grammar theme for this week's bushiban classes is Alphabetical Order. For the younger ones, letter order itself, for the eight-year-olds, word order using colors, nine-year-olds routine alphabetical order, and for the oldest ten/eleven-year-olds, routine alphabetical order pairs using "before" and "after". I will follow the theme today at the school's other location. Instead of having nine different grammar points each week to remember, it is easier to have one in different degrees of complexity with the same matrix. 

10-5-18
The wind has died down from the second typhoon to veer north before hitting Taiwan. I took the old bike route to the bushiban near American Eagle instead of pushing against the gales on the flatland between the Han and railroad up to Sung-Tzu Road; the buildings cut the intensity. I taught three delightful classes there in two hours for 1800-$60 tax free. 

11-3-18
I was thinking of ending my association with the bushiban classes I picked up in the summer after this term. I feel like two days of teaching two hours each at Shengang is enough. 

11-8-18
I came home tired and hungry from four classes in two hours and forty minutes and confirmed that I don't want to do this in the spring. The first and third class is crowded and noisy. I promised I'd teach this term, though I didn't sign a contract. There are other things I should do with my time. The class ends in late January. 

11-9-18

I rode in a t-shirt and shorts to the three classes in two hours at the bushiban near American Eagle and enjoyed the classes finding a groove with "Daily Routines" handed out a month ago; I use it for recognition with the lower levels and tense practice with the older kids along with the TPR of drawing a circle around the routine I mention or telling me what clothes the character is wearing during each routine:"He is wearing nothing taking a shower." Even though I know I should be doing something else, like writing or studying Chinese, I still enjoy teaching the classes.

11-15-18
I came up with a new activity last evening at the bushiban; call it "Tell and Show". It starts with a review of facial features and colors and adds possessive gender. For example, "Her hair is yellow." First I go over the vocabulary and explain the possessive pronoun "his" and "her" with the "be" verb, singular "is" and plural "are". I have a head start in Chinese because the word for "2" is "are". The children are divided into teams and given mini-white boards and markers and have sentences dictated to them after I draw the colors in the facial features on the chalkboard. I use the "boy" and "girl" word-morph into pictures I learned years ago. I assign graded points based on the first correct team response to my dictation and then copy the ten sentences on the board. After I total the scores and find the two best teams, they have a run-off going to the board using the sentences I have written there to fill in the colors on the male and female faces. The team that gets most right is the ultimate winner. The homework for the 9-10 year-olds is write 5 sentences based on the picture they colored in in their clear books. The 12 year-olds add the subordinated description added to a Daily Routine action in the future tense. For example, "The woman with a red nose is going to cook dinner." When I went to the bushiban yesterday I had no idea I was going to do this activity but now it is the theme for the week and I will use it with tonight's three classes, too. 

11-29-18

 I like teaching in the bushiban but the complication of seven classes in four and a half hours each week is daunting. A few of the classes are large, over fourteen children, but each one takes something out of me that I think I want to keep for myself. It was okay to teach at the bushiban during the summer Shengang hiatus but I think I will tell the boss I won't be back after this term, unless they want me in the summer again. If I don't teach those two days, I can ride the bike more often up the river.

11-30-18

I had three nice classes at the bushiban yesterday late afternoon. The Word Pyramid matrix I should have introduced on Wednesday I got to with the last two of seven forty-minute classes.

12-5-18
I’m not sure I will tell the bushiban today I won’t continue next term. I am hoping to continue language exchange with Vincent and those two days take up my time. However, I have nothing to do in the late afternoon. Perhaps I should keep it. It’s a nice 900-$30 an hour for almost six hours a week and wraps around the Monday and Friday Shengang classes. I kvetch about it to Leona but I think it’s not so bad.

12-12-18 

Yesterday I had no commitments and it was wonderful. I am going to tell the bushiban today that this will be my only term with them; I like my freedom. Even if I am only teaching two hours a day, the rest of the day I am prisoner to it. I have to arrange everything on that day around the two hours. I already do that at Shengang on Mondays and Fridays but there is a lovely bike ride on the Tan-Zih path; teaching is extra, and the content I put into it is vital. Furthermore, when Vincent is ready, we can continue language exchange; that will dictate how two days go; I loathe having two commitments in a day; it makes me tired and teaching feels like work. 

12-13-18

 At the bushiban, I spoke with Michelle when she handed me a schedule of the winter camp and asked if I could attend a few dates. I told her I was going to leave at the end of this term but that I didn't want to; that I loved teaching the kids. I was afraid it was too much for me. She changed my mind easily telling me how the kids loved me, so I modified my decision and asked her not to tell the manager. I'm afraid I won't have time to do the other things I like, but the truth is, one of the things I like is teaching there. 

12-14-18

When I asked Michelle to confirm a WiFi would be available for the Season's Greeting Power Point (PPT) I'll show the children next Wed. and Thurs. It dawned on me that I could make a PDF as I did for the copies the agent made for the Yuanlin enrichment and show it on my laptop instead of going on-line; WiFi wouldn't be necessary. The only problem with the PDF is there is no audio or live video; I still need to go on-line for that. 

12-26-18

Today there are four forty-minute parties at the bushiban. No one told me to have them; they're my choice. I will bring cookies, candy, chocolate, iced tea, and ice cream for one class. I told them they could bring whatever food they want. I have little cups and spoons. Hopefully they will sing the songs I taught them; "12 Days of Christmas”, "Jingle Bells" One class will tell me the cartoon story of "Be Human" and sing the song with me. Tomorrow there are three more forty-minute parties. 

12-27-18

The four little parties at the bushiban went well; the kids and I had fun and they practiced English, too. The first two classes identified words from their handouts and put them on the board as I handed out candy, mini-chocolate bars, chips, and ice cream for groups accumulating ten points in board games. The third class went over “putting” and sang “12 Days of Christmas”; the fourth class had special green tea Haagan Das as they did a collective write-up summary of “Gift of the Magi”. The ice cream was kept cold in the fridge until five-thirty at their location a few blocks away near Eagle. Today I have three classes there with mini-parties. It is a little too many little parties and the novelty is wearing off. 

12-28-18

The third class yesterday forgot the Betty Boop cartoon I showed them the week before about animal abuse. They only wanted to think in Chinese at the party. Today, I will go easy on the seventh graders; maybe have them do a CL re-write of "A Christmas Carol" or "Gift of the Magi" and play Hot Potato instead of Musical Chairs in the cramped room. At least I had good English party classes at the bushiban. The high level Wednesday did very well with the "Gift of the Magi" retelling.  

1-4-19

I hope CT bushiban is telling parents coming in that I was the lead teacher at American Eagle down the street for four years until I quit. I hope American Eagle loses business because of me. I know they have already from the children who left after I was pulled from their classes to teach others, and again after I left; suffered so badly they begged me to go back.

The program at CT has local Taiwanese teachers with my coming in once a week for enrichment in seven classes. Leona's sister says I should ask for a raise from the 900 an hour I get; I teach seven classes for 40 minutes each. I may ask for 900 a class or 1000 an hour when they give me my schedule. If they give me 5 hour-classes that would be 500 more a week. If they give me 7 40-minute-classes. That would be about the same. In any event, it would mean $33 more a month. 

1-18-19

The last class of the fall term at CT bushiban doesn’t mean much as I will do a three hour day next week and two three hour days the following week leading up the Feb. 2nd Lunar New Year and five day holiday for all. I did short ‘a’ for the little kids with prepositions ‘in’ and ‘on’ with the playground and boy-girl worksheets; did the same with more detail for the upper class introducing long ‘a’ sound and spellings. The next two weeks it will be the same with reported speech between classmates and teacher, but I will concentrate on English-less games like Battleship and Pokino. 

1-29-19

 At my second winter camp day at CT bushiban, I introduced dominoes and battleship, Hot Potato and Scrabble, two little pyramid puzzles I've saved since early days in Taipei, and a box of wooden puzzle games from Brooklyn. My only regret is not playing Hot Potato with the seven-eighyyear-olds, but I did play Simon Says with them; Battleship was too difficult for most of them. I played two rounds of Scrabble with four teams of twelve-year-olds replicating the game board on the chalkboard so they could get the rules; some children couldn't spell a single word. At the last of three winter camp days, I'll play non-board English games like PDQ, Collective Sentence story, Alphabetical Words, Animal Vegetable or Mineral, and Telephone. 

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