TEMI Teacher Training Seminars have been designed to help English teachers upgrade their teaching skills and make English come alive in their classes. There are four popular seminars to choose from: Preschool, Elementary School, Junior High & High School and Adults. Each seminar gives participants in-depth exposure to TEMI’s innovative methods, which have been especially created for Japanese learners by Helene J. Uchida.
Each seminar also includes observing a Little America class in action, to illustrate how Japanese learners master the seminar’s theme.
TEMI Seminars: Preschool to Adult
- Teaching Preschool
TEMI METHODS (Morning Session)
Greetings/Self-introductions/TEMI Principles
Why Children Are Quick to Learn
Childhood Learning Stages
Kindergarten Theme Song
Popular Songs & Dances
12 Golden Teaching Tips
TPR/Commands/Rules/Tempo/Manners
Only English
Special Problems
Q & A/Mothers’ Support/Model Lesson Format
Observation of Little America Preschool Class in Action
Questions & Comments from Attendees
Certificate PresentationPreschool MATERIALS (Afternoon Session)
Flash cards: Alphabet/Animals (Zoo & Farm)/Food (Fruit & Vegetables)
Posters: Alphabet Fun/Fruit/Vegetables/Cool Colors/Cute Zoo
Animals/Fun Farm Animals/Remember Your Numbers/Body Parts
Storybooks: Clifford/Carl/No, David!/Brown Bear-Brown Bear, What Do
You See? (Teacher’s Choice)
Manipulatives: Puppet/Farm Fresh Fruit/Farm Fresh Vegetables/Plastic
Zoo Animals /Farm Friends/Color Threading Beads/Grab Bags by
Theme/Pointer/Music Box/Microphone/Bell/Blanket/Stuffed Animals
Puzzles: See Inside Alpha Peg/See Inside Number Peg/Upper & Lower
Case Alphabet/Alphabet Sound
Games: Flying Tiger Fishing Game (3-4 year-olds)/UNO (for 5-6 year-olds)
Student Materials: Preschool Challenge Book & CD/Wee Sing &
Fingerplay/Wee Sing DVD/My ABCs
Classroom Support: Blackboards/Chalk/Erasers/CD Player
Stamps/Stamp Pad/Seals/Blocks/Coloring Books - Teaching Elementary School
TEMI METHODS (Morning Session)
TEMI PrinciplesMethods & Educational Philosophy:
Why Children Are Quick to Learn/Attendance/ Entering & Leaving the Classroom/Warm-ups/Self-intro/Manageable Challenges/Language Couplets/Hot Seat/Hit Bell/Apple Chips/Tempo/English Zone/Show & Tell/Speaking Time/What Is a Classroom?/Training Students the First Month/Homework (Review)/Enjoyable English Experiences/Four F’s/Manners Matter/Sempai-Kohai Relationships/Student Teachers/Presentations/Songs
Student of the Month/Four R’s/12 Teaching Tips/3 Hints
Graduations/Talent Show/Success Is a Vitamin/Rules
Behavior Is Energy in Transit/The Circle of Behavior Guidelines/Respect in the Classroom/Floating in the English Pool/Your Students Are Your Greatest Teachers/Is Something Missing?/The Pygmalion Effect/ NO Explanations! A Teacher Is a GardenerObservation of Little American Elementary School Class
Elementary School MATERIALS (Afternoon Session)
Class Materials: Apple Chips/Hit Bell/Pointer/Clapper
Champion Counters/Bell/DictionariesPosters: Alphabet Fun/Daily English/Remember Your Numbers/Self-introduction/Fruit/Vegetables/Cute Zoo Animals/Fun Farm Animals/Action Verb Poster
Shitajikis: Handwriting/English Mate/Basic Self-intro
Student Materials: (depending on student level)
Little America Kids’ Notebook/ABC First Printer Challenge Book #1 & Challenge Book #2/Challenge Book Workbooks 1A/1B/1C & #2/Passport/Warm-up Booklet/Vocab Champ #1/1-2-3 Action Starter/1-2-3 Action/My ABCS/Free Study Workbooks/PassportFlash Cards: Food/Animals/First Words/Giant Action Verbs
Games: Watch Out! Level 1 & Level 2/Go Home/Gesture Game/What Am I #1 & 2
Room Supplies: Teacher & Student Blackboard or Whiteboard/Chalk/Markers/CD Player Calendar/Clock/Dictionaries
- Teaching Junior High & High School
TEMI METHODS & Educational Philosophy:(Morning Session)
Entering & Leaving the Classroom/Attendance/Warm-ups
Self-intro/Manageable Challenges/Language Couplets
Hot Seat/Hit Bell/Tempo/Show & Tell/Presentations
Songs/Dictation/Diaries/TV News Reports/
Talent Show/Book Reports/Challenge Book Testing/Western Manners/English Zone/Speaking Time/Four F’s/Mutual Respect/How to Correct in a Positive Way/GOOD Mistakes
Enjoyable English Experiences/Four R’s/Judy Blume: What Are the Four Most Important Topics for Teens?/Adolescent Behavior/Adolescent Questions/Fear of Losing Face/Mutual Respect/Is Something Missing?/Body Language/Weekly News/Speaking Slowly, Clearly, Loudly with Eye Contact
Listening with your Ears, Eyes and Heart/Communication Is a Two-way Street/Vocabulary Development/Reading
Explore Your Hobby on YouTube in English/Teacher Goals/Students Goals/Interaction Is CoolObservation of Little America Jr. High School Class
Jr. High & High School MATERIALS (Afternoon Session)
Class Materials: Apple Chips/Hit Bell/Pointer/Clapper
Champion Counters/Bell/DictionariesPosters: Good Jobs/Emotional Adjectives/One World Emotional Adjectives
Shitajikis: Greetings/Advanced Self-intro/International Traveler
Student Materials: Little America Adult Notebook/Challenge Book #3/Passport/Little America Jr. High Workbook
Warm-up Booklet/Take-Off/Free Study Workbooks
My High School Writing Journal/Diary/Vocabulary ChampFlash Cards: More Giant Action Verbs/Emotional Adjectives
Games: Guess Who/Hedbanz/Watch Out Level 2
Jr High & High School Question Boxes/What Am I?
Watch Out (Level 2)/Topic Triggers/HangmanRoom Supplies: Teacher & Student Blackboard or Whiteboard/Chalk or Markers/CD Player/CDs of popular English Songs/Calendar/Clock/Fashion Magazine
- Teaching Adults
TEMI Methods (Morning Session)
Lesson Formats according to Level
Levels: Pre-English/Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
Methods:
Entering & Leaving the Classroom/Attendance
Warm-ups/Vocabulary/News of the Week/Q & A
Challenge Book Testing/Writing Journal Presentations
Songs/Dictation/Special Demonstrations/TV News Reports/Show & Tell/Hot Seat/Useful Phrases/English Talent Show/Book Reports/Pronunciation/Western Holidays & Customs/Discussion Topics/Western Manners/Travel Stories/Current Events Topics/Favorite ProverbsEnglish class is the perfect place to “try out” one’s English and make errors.
Adult MATERIALS: (Afternoon Session)
Student Materials: Challenge Book #4/Appropriate Text*/
My University Writing Journal/Discussion Topics/Diary
Warm-up Booklet/My Vocabulary Book (Nouns/Verbs)
Little America Adult Notebook* Suggested Texts: All about the USA/ Takeoff!/
What a Life/What a World/Life Topics/Talk Your Head Off (Teacher’s Choice)Shitajiki: Greetings/Int’l Traveler/Medical
Posters: One World Map/Emotional Adjectives/Good Jobs
Flash Cards: Giant Action Verb FC/More Giant Action Verb FC/Giant Emotional Adjectives FC
Games: Topic Triggers/Memory Lane/Celebrity Quiz
Room Supplies: Blackboard/Chalk/CD Player Calendar/Clock/Fashion Magazine/Newspapers
Menus/ClapperTEMI In-house Seminar
Our TEMI In-house Seminar is from Monday to Friday, 11:30 to 8PM (30 minutes for lunch). It includes observation and team teaching of Little America classes, reading & reviewing Little America’s teaching manual, orientation and consultation with Sohei Uchida & Helene J. Uchida, attending teachers’ meetings, Q & A sessions, games & materials explanations and viewing TEMI Seminar DVDs. One, two, three-day seminars and full week seminars are also available.
Fee: 20,000yen per day (TEMI members: 18,000yen)
Hours: 8 hours per day (including lunch)“I learned more about teaching in the one week TEMI In-house Seminar than I did from a year and a half of grad school.”
Jon Bauer, school owner, Hamamatsu
“I chose the TEMI In-house seminar at Little America for the following three reasons: One, I wanted to acquire something that would become a firm core for my teaching. It looked like Little America / TEMI had that “something”. Two, concerning finances, I estimated attending various seminars one by one would coast me more than taking the TEMI In-house seminar for five days. Three, I wanted to discover the secret of Helene-sensei and Sohei-sensei’s long term enthusiasm and energy by observing Helene sensei’s classes and being with them every day. After five days, I am a new, happier, highly motivated teacher filled with ideas I want to use with my own students. I have the confidence to use them because students at Little America showed me how TEMI methods work! Receiving advice directly from Helene sensei and Sohei sensei was such a pleasure. Teaching beliefs are conveyed much better when one hears then directly from mentors. Also Sohei and Helene encouraged me to ask many questions and even changed the schedule according to my teaching needs and requests. It was wonderful. The TEMI and Little America teams were very friendly and supportive. Thank you, TEMI & Little America. I love you.”
Takako Nishinami, Okayama TEMI Master Teacher
“Thank you very much for spending your precious time with me; it meant so much. I am so glad I took a step forward and came to Fukuoka. I feel so fortunate to have met Helene and Sohei Uchida and thank them for their generous and unlimited support, Soshi sensei’s generosity for letting me observe his lessons, and the kindness of all the staff at Little America. Soshi sensei was so confident and graceful! His lessons were inspiring and gave me a lot of things to think about. I am taking so many things with me back to Wakayama. I will remind myself often of all the advice you have given me. Next time I come back to a seminar, I hope I have something to share with the other teachers, too.”
Yuki Nishigaki,TEMI In-house attendee
“I have attended several English teaching seminars, and this one was, by far, the best one I ever took. I truly treasure this unforgettable experience and thank Sohei and Helene Uchida for their advice on how I personally can improve as a teacher.”
Ruby Yamaga (Niigata) (Fukuoka Inhouse Seminar 2013 attendee)
TEMI Package Seminar
Our TEMI Package Seminar gives you the opportunity to schedule a TEMI Seminar (three or six hours) for your group exclusively, whether it be a public or private school, a conversation school or a juku, a special teaching organization (elementary, junior high, high school) or the board of education. If your group is interested in conducting a TEMI Package Seminar, the following general time line will help you start planning the event.
Time You TEMI 3 months before Apply Reserves a date for Helene Uchida (in English) or Sohei Uchida (in Japanese) 2 months before Arrange a seminar venue Customizes the program according to your needs (preschool/elementary school/secondary school) 1 month before Send attendees list to TEMI Prepares certificates booklets & name plates for the seminar Fee:
Three-hour seminar: 50,000 yen (tax included/plus transportation & hotel) Suggested number of participants: 10-30Six-hour seminar: 100,000 yen (tax included/plus transportation & hotel) Suggested number of participants: 10-50
All TEMI seminars have the following goals for teachers:1. Learn how to determine what English is appropriate for what level
2. Learn methods to create a tempo and utilize pace to ignite and maintain interest
3. Become proficient in innovative teaching techniques
4. Be a role model for your colleagues and students
5. Be a resource for colleagues and fellow staff members
6. Create and maintain a positive learning atmosphere
7. Curb behavioral problems before they occur
8. Become a better teacher
9. Enjoy your classes and your students more
10. Make a difference in the English classroomRecommendation:
“The TEMI Package Seminar introduced me to Little America and their well-founded teaching system. It was a perfect match for my school and there has been no looking back since. Even for schools with their own system in place, the TEMI seminars offer valuable advice for teachers ever seeking to improve their teaching ability. Thank you Little America for offering a great service!”
Regis de Lavison Managing Director AGORA (Fukushima)