Enjoying more than just teaching at school

Today, I was invited by the JHS boys to play soccer after lunch. I had been lucky/lazy enough to leave my indoor trainers in the car, so I fished them out, put them on and headed to the gym. It was full of all the other JHS students either passing a soccer ball round or playing basket ball. I met with the soccer kids and we started playing a game. We had no pitch, rather the whole gym was in play, and two doors facing each other on the long sides of the gym became our goals; we would have to make sure we avoided the basketball players. It was great. The kids need to learn a bit more about positioning (they couldn't read my passes into space) and a bit more about defending (my 'shimmies'/arse shaking fooled them every time) but I think in a few years, Tsunan Chuto could have a good soccer team.

When lunch finished and the bell chimed, I headed back to the English Room. On my way out I met the Chuto English teachers who said that the students were going to play dodgeball in teh next period and would I like to join in? Well, sit at my desk for 50 minutes or meet the kids more and have a load of fun? So the tie came off, the trainers stayed on and I joined Team C for the dodgeball tournament!

Team C lost the first game by three points, but we picked ourselves up for the second game and won that by four points. This set us up for a tense final against team D; the winner would win the tournament. By this time, we had developed some good plays and in teh end we manged to edge out team D by two points. My team were presented with a certificate that will go up on the classroom wall.

It was really good fun and I think the students enjoyed it too. It was a great way to meet the students outside the classroom and I'm hoping I get invited again to play soccer at lunch or to play sports with the students.