The first few classes

Here are links to my lesson plans for the first few weeks (they're PDF files, so Adobe Acrobat Reader req'd). Generally, the main goal of these lessons is to make sure students are clear on what Extensive Reading is (namely, that it is not Intensive Reading), how grades are assigned, and what kinds of resources are available. As well, as most of this is done in Japanese and if, like me, your Japanese is not up to scruff, having a JTE in class helps a lot during this time -- and other times, too!

Once this introductory period is over, my weekly ER classes tend to follow a set pattern: story-telling (by me), followed by silent reading time (by students, while I monitor or do some reading of my own). Also, I collect students' book reports at the end of the month (3 reports due each month), and go over their reviews in the next class. There are occassional exceptions to this routine, but both the students and I seem to do well by it.