Final Presentation Day + OkiJALT (Oct. 6)

    Today was the last of student presentations which is unfortunate because listening to my fellow classmates’ presentations was so entertaining, intriguing, and educational. Student’s content and slides gradually ameliorated every class which was truly fascinating. I spoke in the very first class so there are so many areas of improvement I found listening and observing other people's book review presentations. I have obtained innumerable knowledge and perspectives from my classmates. To say the least, being able to indulge or be able to get a grasp of what each book is about was so convenient. So many of the books introduced by my friends were ones I had originally been interested in, so receiving a well thought out background, summary and critique was incredibly convenient. Now I have an idea of which books I want to actually purchase and know what to look for in each of them. A few of the books were repetitive amongst students, so we heard several opinions on some books. It was extremely interesting to see these differences and compare how different students felt totally different things or acquired different messages even from the same book. 
    Today’s class consisted of presentations by students who only recently enrolled in our school and did not take Mr.Paterson's class last year. I was absolutely amazed by the level of confidence and their high-quality slides. We’ve had copious more time than they had so seen them brush up their techniques and bring themselves to this level, meeting everyone’s expectation was astounding. One of the presentations was especially meaningful and I am pretty sure I listened to every single word she said, and took in everything she had to say in the book. This book was one I had wanted to read since hearing another student present about the same novel, so I now have decided on what to read next!! So excited! 

OkiJALT Presentation:
    At the very end of class, Mr.Paterson suddenly pulled out the JALT presentation slides I had made for last weekend’s workshop. I did not expect that coming, so I was rather surprised at first, but I hope my classmates were able to take something away from seeing these slides and that it helped their presentation reflection is some shape or form. This workshop was such a marvelous experience and I am beyond grateful to be invited to such a splendid, rare, and inspiring event with so many supportive teachers as my audience. Moreover, being given the chance to speak as a Keynote presenter at the end of the event alongside a teacher I admire was a true honor. Saying that I had a good time would be an understatement because the entire experience, from beginning to end, exceeded my expectations and I was genuinely fascinated. I did not think I would receive so many questions nor did I imagine such an engaging and interested audience. They said so many compliments and my homeroom teacher who apparently joined as well gave me such delightful comments I am now more motivated than ever to not let anyone down! From now forward, I'd like to grasp onto every opportunity I can get to train myself to become a more confident public speaker and to see the outside world, that definitely does not end here at school. 

Plus, the socializing event after our presentation was so entertaining because I've never had a decent conversation with so many professional teachers from across the globe. Listening to what they had to say about Japan and 21st-century education was so captivating and amusing. Also, simply having a good time with them was one of my weekend highlights. :)