So today was another Tuesday. However, I was technically scheduled to only have 2 classes today. At my elementary school in the morning, I was only going to teach 5th grade and the same with my elementary school in the afternoon. The 6th graders all around the area were on some type of field trip all day long...not quite sure exactly what it was.
Well, my school in the morning decided that since I was there and would only be sitting around, that they would schedule in unexpected classes for me! Haha, I didn't mind, but I got in and they were like, "Can you teach 2 other classes today?" In my mind, I was thinking..."What do I do?"
Well, having been teaching for these past few months I learned that I always have to have my "bag of tricks" ready. I literally have an elementary school bag that I carry around with me on elementary school days with tons of stuff in it. It has things ranging from stuff about America, pictures, picture cards(Months, body parts, animals, fruits, numbers, ABCs), stamps, and all sorts of other stuff that I can whip out just for days like today. So I did impromptu lessons today at the school in the morning. So instead of my 1 class I was scheduled for, I had 3. (I guess the included lessons weren't so impromptu since I had done those lessons at other schools for the same age group).
Then at my school in the afternoon, they substituted the 6th grade class with the 4th grade, since the 6th graders were gone. So good thing again that I had my "bag of tricks" so that I could bust out my materials for any situation! All in all, it was a tiring day...I was planning on only having the 2 classes and ended up with 5! Haha. I guess that's why through the interview process they want to find people who are flexible and will be willing to adapt to any situation. And by any situation, I guess they mean ranging from living in the countryside in Japan to having to deal with on the spot lessons or other duties.
At the end of the day, it's all rewarding. I can tell that the kids all have fun and I enjoy it when they like the class. The kids were chanting at the end, "we want another English class today, and tomorrow!!!!!" Haha. This made me happy, as I guess it's good that the kids get excited about English at such a young age! Just wait until they get older and English actually starts getting harder! Then maybe they'll change their minds! But for now, it's great that they are enjoying it and that's my goal at the end of the day. For the kids to enjoy learning and to have fun while being in school!
Well, with that I'm off to take a hot shower and go to sleeeeeeeep.....zzzzzzzz....
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
That was a close one!
So today was Monday...obviously. The start of a new week. I started teaching with the new student teachers that are at my school for a couple weeks. It was an interesting experience! They are both really nice and I think they will be good teachers! We had a fun time in the classroom and everyone seemed to be enjoying the classes. I think it was pretty nerveracking for the student teachers because today was the first time they were actually teaching an entire class.
Most of the classes went pretty smoothly. The actual teacher had some feedback that he gave to us about the class and just some other tips on what he thought could have gone better. We played a game in one of the 1st grade classes and the students were pretty loud during the game so it was difficult to conduct it. One point that the homeroom teacher commented on was that there could have just been more structure to the actual game of starting each round and such. I guess when you're in the moment, it's hard to always think of the logical stuff. But when you're observing from the outside, it's so easy to point out the little stuff and make sense of things, haha.
But overall, not a bad day. The biggest worry for me started this morning. I have laundry that I wanted to dry, and since I do not have a dryer, my best option is to hang my clothes outside. They dry the fastest and most effectively outside. I've been drying my clothes inside my house just hanging over the past month because it was always raining outside, but today was looking pretty good. It looked like it had drizzled a little overnight because the ground was wet. And the sky looked decent. I could see the sun peeking through this morning. But there was a light overcast of clouds. Well, I figured that if I left my clothes outside, they would hopefully dry out for the most part. And if it did start to rain, well, that would suck! But if I left my clothes inside, they wouldn't dry as well anyway and would still be wet. So that's why I thought that it would make sense to put them outside for the day while I was at work. If it rained while I was at work, my clothes would get wet but they would be like that anyway if I left them inside.
So today went by, and every class we said that the weather was "Cloudy" when I would ask the students the typical question, "How is the weather today?" Well, it kind of worried me because I thought that at any moment during the day that the sky would just let loose and start pouring...:(
By the end of the day, it was getting very windy and very cloudy, and by 4:20ish it was already dark. Well, the sky really looked bad and it looked like it was going to start storming at any moment! I also started to hear some thunder roaring, but no lightning yet. Well, I rushed home in order to get my clothes inside safely before any more rain could come down. When I stepped outside the school, it was drizzling and I was thinking, "oh no....the damage has been done!"
The whole car ride home I saw big drops splashing on my windshield. As I used the windshield wipers I kept thinking about my clothes out in the rain.
But as I got home and went to get my laundry, they had dried out and weren't affected by the little drops that had started to fall.....phew!!!!!!! Thank goodness!! That was a close one!! I'm glad, otherwise it would have been annoying to have to wait another few days for my clothes to dry out.
All in all, I'm happy and hope that future clothes drying days won't be as troublesome as today!
Most of the classes went pretty smoothly. The actual teacher had some feedback that he gave to us about the class and just some other tips on what he thought could have gone better. We played a game in one of the 1st grade classes and the students were pretty loud during the game so it was difficult to conduct it. One point that the homeroom teacher commented on was that there could have just been more structure to the actual game of starting each round and such. I guess when you're in the moment, it's hard to always think of the logical stuff. But when you're observing from the outside, it's so easy to point out the little stuff and make sense of things, haha.
But overall, not a bad day. The biggest worry for me started this morning. I have laundry that I wanted to dry, and since I do not have a dryer, my best option is to hang my clothes outside. They dry the fastest and most effectively outside. I've been drying my clothes inside my house just hanging over the past month because it was always raining outside, but today was looking pretty good. It looked like it had drizzled a little overnight because the ground was wet. And the sky looked decent. I could see the sun peeking through this morning. But there was a light overcast of clouds. Well, I figured that if I left my clothes outside, they would hopefully dry out for the most part. And if it did start to rain, well, that would suck! But if I left my clothes inside, they wouldn't dry as well anyway and would still be wet. So that's why I thought that it would make sense to put them outside for the day while I was at work. If it rained while I was at work, my clothes would get wet but they would be like that anyway if I left them inside.
So today went by, and every class we said that the weather was "Cloudy" when I would ask the students the typical question, "How is the weather today?" Well, it kind of worried me because I thought that at any moment during the day that the sky would just let loose and start pouring...:(
By the end of the day, it was getting very windy and very cloudy, and by 4:20ish it was already dark. Well, the sky really looked bad and it looked like it was going to start storming at any moment! I also started to hear some thunder roaring, but no lightning yet. Well, I rushed home in order to get my clothes inside safely before any more rain could come down. When I stepped outside the school, it was drizzling and I was thinking, "oh no....the damage has been done!"
The whole car ride home I saw big drops splashing on my windshield. As I used the windshield wipers I kept thinking about my clothes out in the rain.
But as I got home and went to get my laundry, they had dried out and weren't affected by the little drops that had started to fall.....phew!!!!!!! Thank goodness!! That was a close one!! I'm glad, otherwise it would have been annoying to have to wait another few days for my clothes to dry out.
All in all, I'm happy and hope that future clothes drying days won't be as troublesome as today!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Japan vs. America
So I've gotten the question many a time before. Which do you like better, Japan or America?
Haha, like many of you would imagine, there are many things to consider before answering this question seriously. I mean, I've grown up and become accustomed to America, but at the same time I am very familiar with Japan because of the obvious family ties and my annual visits to the country ever since I can remember. When answering this question in front of a classroom of students at my school, I say Japan because then they all get happy and cheer! They all say "Kuki ga yometta!" which literally translates to "He read the air!" In Japanese, this is a figure of speech to say that one is able to feel the surroundings and the aura, and base judgment and actions off of that. So depending on the situation, one should adjust their actions or behavior in order to react appropriately or to make a sound decision.
But also deep down inside, I really like America. If you were to ask me where I would be 10 years from now, I could not give you a straight answer and tell you that I will be living in a house in America with a family or the same situation but in Japan, instead. There are many pros and cons to consider of each country.
America
Pros:
Haha, like many of you would imagine, there are many things to consider before answering this question seriously. I mean, I've grown up and become accustomed to America, but at the same time I am very familiar with Japan because of the obvious family ties and my annual visits to the country ever since I can remember. When answering this question in front of a classroom of students at my school, I say Japan because then they all get happy and cheer! They all say "Kuki ga yometta!" which literally translates to "He read the air!" In Japanese, this is a figure of speech to say that one is able to feel the surroundings and the aura, and base judgment and actions off of that. So depending on the situation, one should adjust their actions or behavior in order to react appropriately or to make a sound decision.
But also deep down inside, I really like America. If you were to ask me where I would be 10 years from now, I could not give you a straight answer and tell you that I will be living in a house in America with a family or the same situation but in Japan, instead. There are many pros and cons to consider of each country.
America
Pros:
- Lots of space and more privacy. Many houses are more spaced apart and you have more privacy to do your own thing
- Easier to get to far places in your car.
- Central AC and Heat
- Large selection at the grocery and you can buy lots of things or lots of the same thing! For cheap!
- Easy to sign up for services (Credit cards, internet and cable, etc.)
- American Football. Gotta love them Green Bay Packers!
Cons:
- Service is not as good. Many people will only give good service because it is commission based.
- People may not always be as honest. They may just want to make the sale and tell you something otherwise about a product or service in order to sucker you in.
- Food is very unhealthy and it always ends up being the same thing. Sandwiches, greasy food, or fries/pizza. (although tasty, not what I want to fill up on all the time)
Japan
Pros:
- People are very trustworthy and it's a safe country. People will go to great leaps and bounds to return even the smallest thing to you if you forget it or lose it by accident!
- Good public transportation system. Very efficient and easy for people to live without a car in the bigger cities.
- The food here is great!!! I love all the fresh variety and it's all healthy.
- Matcha Ice Cream!!!! Need I say more?
Cons:
- It's more difficult to make a road trip to further places. The roads are not as well structured and it may take a lot longer to go the same distance in the U.S. than in Japan.
- The overwork culture. Many people work too much overtime, in my opinion, and it's just not cool...
So as you can see, there are good and bad to Japan and America. Just like with everything else, there's always going to be a tradeoff. This list is not all iinclusive and there are probably things that I will add to it as I think of them.
What I'm just trying to do now is enjoy my time in a new and different place than I'm used to. So far, I'm loving it over here and am trying to take advantage of my time here by going to many places and experiencing different things. Although I have not made a sound decision on which country I'd rather live in, I know that I will be back and forth to America and Japan!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Fridays....rock!
Well, today was a busy day at the elementary school. I had a full day but split between 2 schools. I taught 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade at one school and 2 5th grade classes at a different school in the afternoon.
So to say that I'm tired right now is an understatement! Haha, but at least the day's over with and I can get my weekend started! Well, today I did the alphabet with the 3rd and 4th grade at the first school. The 3rd grade teacher there is a nice lady, but at first glance she looks like your typical school teacher. Rigid, tough, a little older, and the type that will give commands and isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. She also has the glasses with the string things on them so they hang around her neck when she doesn't have them on her face. So at first, she was a little intimidating when I met her about 1 month ago. However, she talks to me and said that she's good friends with two people that are in my Eikaiwa class. And so she has been friendly to me because of that connection.
And actually, she gave me a very flattering compliment today. After class, she asked me where I learned to teach for JET. I told her, that actually, no teaching experience is required to teach for JET and that the only official "training" I got was a few seminars when we first arrived to Japan. These seminars are very high level and don't give you much guidance on the actual teaching aspect and the details of how a lesson should be run. Well, the 3rd grade teacher basically told me that she thought I was a great teacher and that her students had a lot of fun. She also mentioned that she thinks the way I ran the class is good because since the students were having fun, it was a great experience but at the same time they were learning. She thinks that this is very important...something that I agree with!:)
Well, I was very happy when she told me this and it made my day! As well, I had good conversation with the vice principal while I was in the office. He's pretty decent at basic conversation and I think he likes to talk to me so he can practice his English. I was asking him about all sorts of places in Japan to go visit and he was telling me about many different places. Although he's never been to an English speaking country, I would rate his conversational English at a fairly high level compared to most people I've talked to that can speak English. He's pretty good!
And the afternoon was filled with other classes and of course....BINGO! Haha, well the day finished up and I'm glad to be back and done! Now time to enjoy the weekend!
So to say that I'm tired right now is an understatement! Haha, but at least the day's over with and I can get my weekend started! Well, today I did the alphabet with the 3rd and 4th grade at the first school. The 3rd grade teacher there is a nice lady, but at first glance she looks like your typical school teacher. Rigid, tough, a little older, and the type that will give commands and isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. She also has the glasses with the string things on them so they hang around her neck when she doesn't have them on her face. So at first, she was a little intimidating when I met her about 1 month ago. However, she talks to me and said that she's good friends with two people that are in my Eikaiwa class. And so she has been friendly to me because of that connection.
And actually, she gave me a very flattering compliment today. After class, she asked me where I learned to teach for JET. I told her, that actually, no teaching experience is required to teach for JET and that the only official "training" I got was a few seminars when we first arrived to Japan. These seminars are very high level and don't give you much guidance on the actual teaching aspect and the details of how a lesson should be run. Well, the 3rd grade teacher basically told me that she thought I was a great teacher and that her students had a lot of fun. She also mentioned that she thinks the way I ran the class is good because since the students were having fun, it was a great experience but at the same time they were learning. She thinks that this is very important...something that I agree with!:)
Well, I was very happy when she told me this and it made my day! As well, I had good conversation with the vice principal while I was in the office. He's pretty decent at basic conversation and I think he likes to talk to me so he can practice his English. I was asking him about all sorts of places in Japan to go visit and he was telling me about many different places. Although he's never been to an English speaking country, I would rate his conversational English at a fairly high level compared to most people I've talked to that can speak English. He's pretty good!
And the afternoon was filled with other classes and of course....BINGO! Haha, well the day finished up and I'm glad to be back and done! Now time to enjoy the weekend!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Pocky Day! 11/11
So apparently today is Pocky day in Japan, so Happy Pocky Day! If you don't believe me, just watch these commercials!
Why is it Pocky Day? Well, because it's 11/11, I guess it represents 5 Pocky sticks...You see it?! Yeah, I didn't know about it either until someone in one of my classes mentioned it! Unfortunately, I didn't have any Pocky to celebrate....:( Maybe next year. I guess it will be better next year because it will be 11/11/11, meaning there are 8 pocky sticks represented! This will be the most for the next 100 years until it becomes the year 2111! So I guess I'm not missing out on too much this year, haha.
Well, besides the Pocky Day fun, today was another day at the middle school. I had 3 classes in the morning and then was done for the day with class! Woohoo! But it still ended up being a pretty busy day. I finished up the classes, and then had 4th period free. During this time, I was creating lesson plans. I mentioned that earlier this week some student teachers were at our school to observe for this week. Well, next week I will be teaching with them and running class. So I spent 4th period looking online for lesson ideas and anything I could find that would help. Then during 5th and 6th period, I met with them to create the lessons and plan out what we would do for the classes.
Well, we finished that up and I was going to make some copies after school. I ran into the English teacher for the 1st and 3rd grade classes and showed him what I was going to make copies of. Then he pointed out that for the 3rd grade classes, what I was going to make a copy of was not exactly the grammar point that was going to be introduced for Monday...uh oh...
Well, good thing I didn't make copies of that worksheet otherwise it would have been a waste of at least 70 copies or so. Well, I'm glad that I ran into him, because we would have been teaching the wrong grammar point as well on Monday! I guess it pays off to plan ahead and not procrastinate! Well, I met with the student teacher again to point out the mistake and so we started planning again...almost from ground zero...:( But we finally came up with a plan and are pretty much good to go for Monday, I think.
Although planning out lessons and getting a class organized can be good, it's much harder than you may think! There are just some lessons or days that you cannot think of a good lesson plan! And on days when you're tired, it's nearly impossible to come up with any ideas or types of activities! So the student teacher and I were sitting there after school for awhile trying to come up with ideas and neither one of us could come up with much! Haha....well, we finally have something so hopefully it will work out alright. She seems nervous to start teaching on Monday, though. Since she is still a 4th year in college and hasn't taught in front of students yet, I can definitely understand how she would be nervous. Heck, I was even in those same shoes 3 months ago when I first got to Japan!
But I guess I've been up in front everyday for the past 2 months so I've been getting used to it.
On a different note, I love how easy it is to get cheap, fresh sashimi from the grocery in Japan! I got a pack of sashimi at a reduced price. In Japan, there is a large variety of freshly made food ranging from meat, rice, mixed vegetable or meat dishes, and sashimi/sushi. After a certain time, the grocery wants to get rid of the food because it will go bad. So that means that they put a massive discount on the items just so they can get them out the door faster. By massive I mean 30-50% off and meaning very cheap food. So I got a package of sashimi for dinner which I ate with wasabi, rice, and other vegetables and such. The package was cheap to begin with. It was only about 400 Yen (about 4-5 bucks). Well, it was on sale for 40% off which meant that it was reduced down to just over 200 Yen! For fresh sashimi that was really good, I can't complain! Gotta love it!
Well, it's not the first time that I got sushi from the grocery for that cheap but I just finished dinner....so it's fresh on my mind.
Anyway, back to lesson planning and getting ready for my day at elementary school tomorrow!
Why is it Pocky Day? Well, because it's 11/11, I guess it represents 5 Pocky sticks...You see it?! Yeah, I didn't know about it either until someone in one of my classes mentioned it! Unfortunately, I didn't have any Pocky to celebrate....:( Maybe next year. I guess it will be better next year because it will be 11/11/11, meaning there are 8 pocky sticks represented! This will be the most for the next 100 years until it becomes the year 2111! So I guess I'm not missing out on too much this year, haha.
Well, besides the Pocky Day fun, today was another day at the middle school. I had 3 classes in the morning and then was done for the day with class! Woohoo! But it still ended up being a pretty busy day. I finished up the classes, and then had 4th period free. During this time, I was creating lesson plans. I mentioned that earlier this week some student teachers were at our school to observe for this week. Well, next week I will be teaching with them and running class. So I spent 4th period looking online for lesson ideas and anything I could find that would help. Then during 5th and 6th period, I met with them to create the lessons and plan out what we would do for the classes.
Well, we finished that up and I was going to make some copies after school. I ran into the English teacher for the 1st and 3rd grade classes and showed him what I was going to make copies of. Then he pointed out that for the 3rd grade classes, what I was going to make a copy of was not exactly the grammar point that was going to be introduced for Monday...uh oh...
Well, good thing I didn't make copies of that worksheet otherwise it would have been a waste of at least 70 copies or so. Well, I'm glad that I ran into him, because we would have been teaching the wrong grammar point as well on Monday! I guess it pays off to plan ahead and not procrastinate! Well, I met with the student teacher again to point out the mistake and so we started planning again...almost from ground zero...:( But we finally came up with a plan and are pretty much good to go for Monday, I think.
Although planning out lessons and getting a class organized can be good, it's much harder than you may think! There are just some lessons or days that you cannot think of a good lesson plan! And on days when you're tired, it's nearly impossible to come up with any ideas or types of activities! So the student teacher and I were sitting there after school for awhile trying to come up with ideas and neither one of us could come up with much! Haha....well, we finally have something so hopefully it will work out alright. She seems nervous to start teaching on Monday, though. Since she is still a 4th year in college and hasn't taught in front of students yet, I can definitely understand how she would be nervous. Heck, I was even in those same shoes 3 months ago when I first got to Japan!
But I guess I've been up in front everyday for the past 2 months so I've been getting used to it.
On a different note, I love how easy it is to get cheap, fresh sashimi from the grocery in Japan! I got a pack of sashimi at a reduced price. In Japan, there is a large variety of freshly made food ranging from meat, rice, mixed vegetable or meat dishes, and sashimi/sushi. After a certain time, the grocery wants to get rid of the food because it will go bad. So that means that they put a massive discount on the items just so they can get them out the door faster. By massive I mean 30-50% off and meaning very cheap food. So I got a package of sashimi for dinner which I ate with wasabi, rice, and other vegetables and such. The package was cheap to begin with. It was only about 400 Yen (about 4-5 bucks). Well, it was on sale for 40% off which meant that it was reduced down to just over 200 Yen! For fresh sashimi that was really good, I can't complain! Gotta love it!
Well, it's not the first time that I got sushi from the grocery for that cheap but I just finished dinner....so it's fresh on my mind.
Anyway, back to lesson planning and getting ready for my day at elementary school tomorrow!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
MIDDLE of the week at the MIDDLE school!
Today was Wednesday (aka hump day) for me. So that meant another day at the middle school. I taught 4 classes, so not a bad day today. In my first class, the vice principal of the school came in to observe and just hang out...unannounced! Haha, but he's a good guy. He's good at English and I think he likes to study it a lot. He's able to have a relatively good conversation via English and it's quite impressive. Although he's not completely fluent, he's good with the technicality of the language and understands a lot of the nuances that most people may not get.
Well, I haven't had feedback since I was working at Target earlier this year, so it was interesting. He said that the class that the English teacher and I taught was good, but he also had a few comments which he shared with us later. He gave really good perspective on the lesson and told us what went well, and then gave a little bit of his own insight into what he thought could have been more useful or what could have gone better.
One thing that he mentioned that I didn't even think about until then was the "situation." No, I'm not talking about Mike "the situation" from Jersey Shore! Haha, that's just ridiculous. But up until this point, I have been teaching English and helping students to understand the language. They understand basic things like "What's your name? How old are you? How are you? What did you eat for breakfast?" and other questions like that. However, the vice principal also mentioned that it's important to create the scenario or "situation" in which phrases or grammatical points are used. These are the things that can be created with 2 teachers in the classroom (myself and the English teacher). I guess that's a big reason why I'm here in Japan. To help to understand when to use the grammatical points that we teach. Instead of just cranking through the text and showing students the vocabulary, it's important to also help them understand when these things are used. There are many different words that have similar meanings. But it's always hard to know which one to use in which situation unless it's your native language.
I guess since it's natural for me, I don't think about that kind of stuff. I just know when to use different words and for what situation. But most of these students haven't been to an English speaking country, so they have no idea how to use this stuff besides when told to speak it in class. The whole "Putting what you learn to practice and real life" is what the vice principal was getting at. It was really good advice and a really good point. These are the situations that aren't always listed in a textbook. And unless there's not someone there like me (from America or another English speaking country) the students would have a really difficult time understanding how to use them.
Well, I guess a light bulb turned on for me today and that's a good thing. I'm glad that even though I'm not working in a company or advancing my business degree as much, I'm still learning new things and practical ways of life. I guess that's what is important, and even these small things can be transferred over to the business side of me.
I finished off the day with the other 3 classes for the day and then headed home. Tonight I will have my eikaiwa class for the adults, so I have that stuff prepared and ready to go...except one handout which I forgot to make copies of at the school! So I'll swing by the school again and make copies before the class tonight. Not a big deal. It feels like forever ago that I had a class with the eikaiwa group but it's because last week was canceled. I didn't have class last week because it was the national holiday. So after a one week break I feel pretty good and will be back at it tonight!
Well, I haven't had feedback since I was working at Target earlier this year, so it was interesting. He said that the class that the English teacher and I taught was good, but he also had a few comments which he shared with us later. He gave really good perspective on the lesson and told us what went well, and then gave a little bit of his own insight into what he thought could have been more useful or what could have gone better.
One thing that he mentioned that I didn't even think about until then was the "situation." No, I'm not talking about Mike "the situation" from Jersey Shore! Haha, that's just ridiculous. But up until this point, I have been teaching English and helping students to understand the language. They understand basic things like "What's your name? How old are you? How are you? What did you eat for breakfast?" and other questions like that. However, the vice principal also mentioned that it's important to create the scenario or "situation" in which phrases or grammatical points are used. These are the things that can be created with 2 teachers in the classroom (myself and the English teacher). I guess that's a big reason why I'm here in Japan. To help to understand when to use the grammatical points that we teach. Instead of just cranking through the text and showing students the vocabulary, it's important to also help them understand when these things are used. There are many different words that have similar meanings. But it's always hard to know which one to use in which situation unless it's your native language.
I guess since it's natural for me, I don't think about that kind of stuff. I just know when to use different words and for what situation. But most of these students haven't been to an English speaking country, so they have no idea how to use this stuff besides when told to speak it in class. The whole "Putting what you learn to practice and real life" is what the vice principal was getting at. It was really good advice and a really good point. These are the situations that aren't always listed in a textbook. And unless there's not someone there like me (from America or another English speaking country) the students would have a really difficult time understanding how to use them.
Well, I guess a light bulb turned on for me today and that's a good thing. I'm glad that even though I'm not working in a company or advancing my business degree as much, I'm still learning new things and practical ways of life. I guess that's what is important, and even these small things can be transferred over to the business side of me.
I finished off the day with the other 3 classes for the day and then headed home. Tonight I will have my eikaiwa class for the adults, so I have that stuff prepared and ready to go...except one handout which I forgot to make copies of at the school! So I'll swing by the school again and make copies before the class tonight. Not a big deal. It feels like forever ago that I had a class with the eikaiwa group but it's because last week was canceled. I didn't have class last week because it was the national holiday. So after a one week break I feel pretty good and will be back at it tonight!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesdays are alright...
Today I had elementary school. I was at one in the morning where I taught 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. This morning, the classes all went pretty well. However, time just seemed to be standing still while I was teaching! For some reason, each class period took forever and I felt like the time was ticking by at an exorbitantly slow pace! After 2nd period was finished, I felt like I was still running at the beginning of a marathon, just dreading the rest of the race! I mean, teaching and stuff is fun, but I think that today I was pretty tired.
I could definitely tell that I was tired when I kept hearing my alarm going off and I kept hitting snooze. I didn't wake up until literally 14 minutes before I was supposed to be out the door to get to work. SO I guess I kind of started the day off on an off note, and that probably bled into the rest of the morning! It was also odd this morning...I was sleeping and I have this really thick, warm and insulating comforter. At night here, it gets pretty chilly in the rooms because there is no central heating and essentially no good insulation in homes in Japan. So in the rooms, it's pretty chilly...I guess around 50 or 55 F when I wake up. At night, it's probably closer to 60-65 but gets cooler as the night progresses.
So when I go to sleep, it's pretty cool and I get cuddled under the blankets. But this morning at around 4am, I woke up and was under the covers. I felt warm so I took the covers off to cool off and then got this cooooooool chill all over my body! It was because my body was completely covered in sweat! I mean, I was just drenched with it on my arms, chest, back, body, and really uncomfortable! I don't know why I was sweating so much...it's not like I had a bad dream or anything! So that was really weird, and I just didn't get as good of sleep after that...so that's why I think I was pretty tired.
Well, as the afternoon came around and I was teaching my last 2 classes of the day, my mind was getting pretty exhausted! We played some BINGO and had other activities in the classes, but I was pretty tired mentally while running everything. Well, the last 2 classes of the day ended and I was finally able to go home! I got back and rested for a little bit. But I was just absolutely exhausted from the day! I guess the elementary school days just wear you down sometimes! Haha.
And tonight, the local dentist had me over at her house for dinner! She made delicious katsu and ebi fry. Also complimented with a salad, pumpkin, and miso soup. For dessert, she had kaki (persimmon) which is grown in her own backyard. It was all very filling and delicious. I'm extremely full as I type! This is probably the 5th time or so that she's had me at her house for dinner. The dentist here has always served as the local "mom" for the ALT in this town since there was an ALT for my area. She's very kind and always makes sure that I'm alright.
Well, today was a long and tiring day and I'm ready to go off and get some rest. So more to come tomorrow! Hopefully I'll get some better sleep tonight and won't wake up in a random cold sweat again! That was NOTTT comfortable!
I could definitely tell that I was tired when I kept hearing my alarm going off and I kept hitting snooze. I didn't wake up until literally 14 minutes before I was supposed to be out the door to get to work. SO I guess I kind of started the day off on an off note, and that probably bled into the rest of the morning! It was also odd this morning...I was sleeping and I have this really thick, warm and insulating comforter. At night here, it gets pretty chilly in the rooms because there is no central heating and essentially no good insulation in homes in Japan. So in the rooms, it's pretty chilly...I guess around 50 or 55 F when I wake up. At night, it's probably closer to 60-65 but gets cooler as the night progresses.
So when I go to sleep, it's pretty cool and I get cuddled under the blankets. But this morning at around 4am, I woke up and was under the covers. I felt warm so I took the covers off to cool off and then got this cooooooool chill all over my body! It was because my body was completely covered in sweat! I mean, I was just drenched with it on my arms, chest, back, body, and really uncomfortable! I don't know why I was sweating so much...it's not like I had a bad dream or anything! So that was really weird, and I just didn't get as good of sleep after that...so that's why I think I was pretty tired.
Well, as the afternoon came around and I was teaching my last 2 classes of the day, my mind was getting pretty exhausted! We played some BINGO and had other activities in the classes, but I was pretty tired mentally while running everything. Well, the last 2 classes of the day ended and I was finally able to go home! I got back and rested for a little bit. But I was just absolutely exhausted from the day! I guess the elementary school days just wear you down sometimes! Haha.
And tonight, the local dentist had me over at her house for dinner! She made delicious katsu and ebi fry. Also complimented with a salad, pumpkin, and miso soup. For dessert, she had kaki (persimmon) which is grown in her own backyard. It was all very filling and delicious. I'm extremely full as I type! This is probably the 5th time or so that she's had me at her house for dinner. The dentist here has always served as the local "mom" for the ALT in this town since there was an ALT for my area. She's very kind and always makes sure that I'm alright.
Well, today was a long and tiring day and I'm ready to go off and get some rest. So more to come tomorrow! Hopefully I'll get some better sleep tonight and won't wake up in a random cold sweat again! That was NOTTT comfortable!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Work...different in Japan?
So today was another day at school. I went to the middle school in the morning where I taught the 1A and 2B classes. Not many classes today...the 3rd graders had an exam today so that was canceled. Which meant that I had 1st and 2nd period to collect my thoughts and get things ready...yay!
As well, we have some new interns or student teachers at the middle school that will be working at my middle school for the next few weeks. This is their first week so they will just be watching and seeing how the classes are run. Then I think they go into action next week. There are 3 total, 2 of them for ENGLISH! and 1 for Physical Education. So that means I'll be working with the 2, I think. It should be interesting...a student teacher and an ALT running class next week...haha! Well, I think it will be fun and be cool to work with other people. And since they're still in college finishing up, they're closer to my age than the other teachers I work with around the area, so that'll be a nice change of pace.
Well, I finished up my morning at the middle school and headed over to the elementary school to teach 2 classes. Normally I don't have elementary school on Mondays, but since I had the day off last Tuesday, they switched the elementary classes on that day to today. Well, today were fun classes. The 5th graders reviewed some gairaigo words (words borrowed from foreign countries like America and Australia) and then we played a game with those. For the 6th grade, we're learning directions. So we made a block out of the desks with different locations and the students had to navigate a partner to the destination using "Left, right, straight, back, stop..etc" until they safely arrive.
All in all, not too bad of a day, considering it's Monday! So the title..."Work...different in Japan?"
I am posting this, because there was an interesting situation today. After my classes at the elementary school, I offered to stay a little bit and do some planning for the next time that I'd be at the elementary school with the 5th and 6th grade teachers. Well, the 6th grade teacher had to take care of some sports festival stuff coming up, so he said that we'd meet next week before classes. That was fine by me. So I went to the 5th grade teacher and she was busy with her bukatsu stuff, so she wasn't able to plan with me either, today. So all this meant that I really didn't have to do anything else and probably could have just gone home right there and then. Well, the 5th grade teacher is really nice and cool, so she talked to the vice principal to let him know that neither her or the 6th grade teacher had time to meet, so essentially I had no purpose of being at the school anymore for the work day. The vice principal is a nice guy and I think he's cool, but when the 5th grade teacher told him that we couldn't meet to plan for next week, he just kind of sat there and was like, "ummmm..."
The 5th grade teacher was like, "So is it ok if he either goes home or does something else since we can't do any planning right now? There's really nothing that we can do for next week today..."
And the vice principal still sat there longer just pondering and wondering. He was like, "So you can't do any planning today?" and the 5th grade teacher responded with, "Yeah, as I said before, neither the 6th grade teacher nor myself can meet right now."
The vice principal continued to sit there and was like, "Well, I guess maybe he can sit here and have some tea or something until the time is up..." At this point, it was about 3:40ish and my time is "technically" until 4:15. I'm just thinking, "Seriously?! What's the point of just sitting there and drinking tea when I could go do something else or just go home?"
That's one thing that bugs me about Japan. The fact that even if you have nothing to do, people want you to stay there until exactly your time is up or after...I don't mind staying late if I have to finish something or am not complete with my duties for the day. I really don't keep my eye on the clock and make sure that I compensate exactly for lost time or for time that I've stayed over. I think that you should just be able to leave when you want/need to.
Well, finally the vice principal was like, yeah, I guess you can leave early today. Since you're going to meet with the teachers next week anyway before classes. And we're all on the same page that you'll be here, right? In my mind I'm just thinking, "Duh! Yeah, I'll be here and obviously know that I have to plan with the teachers!"
It was around 4ish so I was like, "Arigato gozaimasu" and peaced out. In Japan, it's just so different that even if you're not being productive, your presence there is essential or valued. I worked for a company in America, and people were allowed to make their own hours, essentially. I knew some people that left work at Target around 3:30 every day, and no one cared. It's basically your own call that if you finished your work for the day, then you can do whatever. No one is going to sit there and watch you to make sure that you stayed until 5pm or whatever. And so I guess I'm just used to that mindset. There were some days at Target where I'd stay until 6 or 7pm because I had to finish working on stuff, and other days where I'd be out of there by 3:30 or 4 because I didn't have much else to do.
Technically, classes here at my school end as early as 2:30 or 3pm, depending on the day. But my designated time says that I have to stay until 4:15pm. There are some days where I just walk around the school because I have nothing else to do. I just try to occupy my time with something because I have to stay until 4:15. I think that it is so pointless and kind of annoying, but I guess that's one part of the culture.
Well, I've rambled on enough about this topic, but I guess it's something that you learn only when you live in a foreign country. You can learn about it, but it's so much different experiencing it firsthand!
As well, we have some new interns or student teachers at the middle school that will be working at my middle school for the next few weeks. This is their first week so they will just be watching and seeing how the classes are run. Then I think they go into action next week. There are 3 total, 2 of them for ENGLISH! and 1 for Physical Education. So that means I'll be working with the 2, I think. It should be interesting...a student teacher and an ALT running class next week...haha! Well, I think it will be fun and be cool to work with other people. And since they're still in college finishing up, they're closer to my age than the other teachers I work with around the area, so that'll be a nice change of pace.
Well, I finished up my morning at the middle school and headed over to the elementary school to teach 2 classes. Normally I don't have elementary school on Mondays, but since I had the day off last Tuesday, they switched the elementary classes on that day to today. Well, today were fun classes. The 5th graders reviewed some gairaigo words (words borrowed from foreign countries like America and Australia) and then we played a game with those. For the 6th grade, we're learning directions. So we made a block out of the desks with different locations and the students had to navigate a partner to the destination using "Left, right, straight, back, stop..etc" until they safely arrive.
All in all, not too bad of a day, considering it's Monday! So the title..."Work...different in Japan?"
I am posting this, because there was an interesting situation today. After my classes at the elementary school, I offered to stay a little bit and do some planning for the next time that I'd be at the elementary school with the 5th and 6th grade teachers. Well, the 6th grade teacher had to take care of some sports festival stuff coming up, so he said that we'd meet next week before classes. That was fine by me. So I went to the 5th grade teacher and she was busy with her bukatsu stuff, so she wasn't able to plan with me either, today. So all this meant that I really didn't have to do anything else and probably could have just gone home right there and then. Well, the 5th grade teacher is really nice and cool, so she talked to the vice principal to let him know that neither her or the 6th grade teacher had time to meet, so essentially I had no purpose of being at the school anymore for the work day. The vice principal is a nice guy and I think he's cool, but when the 5th grade teacher told him that we couldn't meet to plan for next week, he just kind of sat there and was like, "ummmm..."
The 5th grade teacher was like, "So is it ok if he either goes home or does something else since we can't do any planning right now? There's really nothing that we can do for next week today..."
And the vice principal still sat there longer just pondering and wondering. He was like, "So you can't do any planning today?" and the 5th grade teacher responded with, "Yeah, as I said before, neither the 6th grade teacher nor myself can meet right now."
The vice principal continued to sit there and was like, "Well, I guess maybe he can sit here and have some tea or something until the time is up..." At this point, it was about 3:40ish and my time is "technically" until 4:15. I'm just thinking, "Seriously?! What's the point of just sitting there and drinking tea when I could go do something else or just go home?"
That's one thing that bugs me about Japan. The fact that even if you have nothing to do, people want you to stay there until exactly your time is up or after...I don't mind staying late if I have to finish something or am not complete with my duties for the day. I really don't keep my eye on the clock and make sure that I compensate exactly for lost time or for time that I've stayed over. I think that you should just be able to leave when you want/need to.
Well, finally the vice principal was like, yeah, I guess you can leave early today. Since you're going to meet with the teachers next week anyway before classes. And we're all on the same page that you'll be here, right? In my mind I'm just thinking, "Duh! Yeah, I'll be here and obviously know that I have to plan with the teachers!"
It was around 4ish so I was like, "Arigato gozaimasu" and peaced out. In Japan, it's just so different that even if you're not being productive, your presence there is essential or valued. I worked for a company in America, and people were allowed to make their own hours, essentially. I knew some people that left work at Target around 3:30 every day, and no one cared. It's basically your own call that if you finished your work for the day, then you can do whatever. No one is going to sit there and watch you to make sure that you stayed until 5pm or whatever. And so I guess I'm just used to that mindset. There were some days at Target where I'd stay until 6 or 7pm because I had to finish working on stuff, and other days where I'd be out of there by 3:30 or 4 because I didn't have much else to do.
Technically, classes here at my school end as early as 2:30 or 3pm, depending on the day. But my designated time says that I have to stay until 4:15pm. There are some days where I just walk around the school because I have nothing else to do. I just try to occupy my time with something because I have to stay until 4:15. I think that it is so pointless and kind of annoying, but I guess that's one part of the culture.
Well, I've rambled on enough about this topic, but I guess it's something that you learn only when you live in a foreign country. You can learn about it, but it's so much different experiencing it firsthand!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday Chill Day
So today was a very relaxing day. I really did nothing! I wish I had more Sundays like this...:) Or I wish every day could be like this! Haha, but it was good. I slept in until pretty late...11 am or so and then ate a late breakfast/lunch. Or I guess brunch. Then I did some laundry and since the weather has actually been pretty decent for the first time in awhile, I was able to hang it outside! Before this week, it's been rainy or kind of crappy literally every day. So I'd been having to hang my laundry inside...which doesn't dry as well.
I then ran some errands in the afternoon with my buddy and then just had a nice nap under the new kotatsu...yup...it's going to be a nice cozy winter. There will be many naps under that kotatsu! So trouble because I will never move from that spot! But at least it makes the investment in the table worth it, right?!
Well, I wish there were daylight savings in Japan as well...because then that would mean that I have an extra hour right now. But instead, I guess time will continue without the switching or confusion...I've been so used to calculating the time difference between America and Japan as just 14 hours, but now I'll have to remember that it's now 15 hours instead. Wow, it's interesting to think that the time difference is so much! But I guess that's how it goes! Well, time to get ready for tomorrow. I have my middle school in the morning and then will have to head to an elementary school in the afternoon. I missed having that elementary school last week because I had Tuesday off, so I have to make up for that missed class tomorrow...oh well! It should be fun!
I then ran some errands in the afternoon with my buddy and then just had a nice nap under the new kotatsu...yup...it's going to be a nice cozy winter. There will be many naps under that kotatsu! So trouble because I will never move from that spot! But at least it makes the investment in the table worth it, right?!
Well, I wish there were daylight savings in Japan as well...because then that would mean that I have an extra hour right now. But instead, I guess time will continue without the switching or confusion...I've been so used to calculating the time difference between America and Japan as just 14 hours, but now I'll have to remember that it's now 15 hours instead. Wow, it's interesting to think that the time difference is so much! But I guess that's how it goes! Well, time to get ready for tomorrow. I have my middle school in the morning and then will have to head to an elementary school in the afternoon. I missed having that elementary school last week because I had Tuesday off, so I have to make up for that missed class tomorrow...oh well! It should be fun!
Kotatsu...Check. TT! Check! ;)
Oh no....this is going to be good but bad....
So on Saturday I went up and met up with someone from Tokyo and we went kotatsu shopping. It's officially the season for kotatsu and it definitely showed at the store. We went to a DIY store called Nitori. And well, let's just say it was "slightly" crowded there! Haha, everyone was out to buy a new kotatsu to stay warm for the winter. So there may be some of you out there wondering what a kotatsu is. It's a table that's exclusively in Japan. The tabletop is separate from the rest of the structure. The reason is so that you can lay a blanket down over the structure, and then place the tabletop over the blanket that you lay out. The blanket is also supposed to be large enough to drape over the sides and create an insulated pocket beneath the table. That way it traps in the heat. "Heat?" Yes. There is a heater built in to the table which plugs in to an outlet. You turn on the heater and it heats up, then you sit under the table cuddled up with the blanket and keep warm.
Sound fantastic!?! Yeah...it pretty much is. I'm sitting under mine as we speak this instant! I think that I will be sitting under this table a lot this winter...staying warm and probably falling asleep there every night...so that's why my new kotatsu is good and bad!
After getting a kotatsu, we headed over toward Tokyo Tower. Tokyo Tower is a structure in Japan that looks very simi
lar to the Eiffel Tower. I've been wanting to see the Tokyo Tower ever since I knew what it looked like and what it was...(which I found out 2 years ago, haha). For those of you that have seen the show "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" hosted by Rome Kanda, I hope you'll appreciate this. Well, that show aired the summer of 2008 and it was about a group of 8 contestants that were selected to be on a new reality TV show. But little did they know that they would be on a crazy game show, let alone one that takes place in Japan! Haha, so if you know anything about game shows in Japan, you'd know that they are absolutely ridiculous! They have the contestants always dressed up in humiliating costumes and having to do or accomplish the most ridiculous task. Basically, the goal is to humiliate the contestant as much as possible and make sure they do not come out of the task clean or with a straight head, haha. Well, this became one of my new favorite TV shows. And I went on this rant because whenever they showed this on TV, they always panned over the skyline of Tokyo. And in Tokyo, you could prominently see the Tokyo Tower, glowing in the skyline. So thus began my obsession to go visit this landmark.
Well, we went to visit and check it out. I was interested in going up to the main observatory...but the line to go up was ridiculously long!! So we bought some Tokyo Bananas. Yeah, that's right. Tokyo Bananas. Haha, she pointed out this unique food to me and I really wanted to try it. It's a banana shaped fluff cake filled with a banana custard. It's really good! I'm glad I got this to try it!
And so we headed to sushi for dinner, where I had some good sushi and tried "Shirako" for the first time, I think...I can't remember if I had eaten it before, but I'm pretty sure it was my first time. I may have tried it before...but I forget. But basically it's the eggs of fish, but it was delicious! We also had some other sushi and then headed back. Well, Tokyo Tower was still there, but luckily the long lines to go up weren't! So we he
aded up the 150 Meters to the observatory to check out the view. Luckily it was a nice night! No rain, no typhoon, good view! The tower is 333 Meters tall, so we were just about 1/3 to almost 1/2 of the way up. It was really nice. Check out the view!
We also got our picture taken with the Tokyo Tower official mascot, Noppon! And if you're wondering whether Noppon is petting our heads...that would be yes!
There was also a lookout window from the floor. From this window, you could look straight down and it's as if you're standing on clouds! Haha, not
really but it's a fun concept and pretty cool.
I have a notebook where I have random things written down. Among the randomness is a list of things that I want to do while in Japan. Well, visiting Tokyo Tower was on that list, and now I can check it off! Yay! Although buying a kotatsu was not on that list, I can gladly say that I have one and will be staying warm this winter! Yay to that as well!
So on Saturday I went up and met up with someone from Tokyo and we went kotatsu shopping. It's officially the season for kotatsu and it definitely showed at the store. We went to a DIY store called Nitori. And well, let's just say it was "slightly" crowded there! Haha, everyone was out to buy a new kotatsu to stay warm for the winter. So there may be some of you out there wondering what a kotatsu is. It's a table that's exclusively in Japan. The tabletop is separate from the rest of the structure. The reason is so that you can lay a blanket down over the structure, and then place the tabletop over the blanket that you lay out. The blanket is also supposed to be large enough to drape over the sides and create an insulated pocket beneath the table. That way it traps in the heat. "Heat?" Yes. There is a heater built in to the table which plugs in to an outlet. You turn on the heater and it heats up, then you sit under the table cuddled up with the blanket and keep warm.
Sound fantastic!?! Yeah...it pretty much is. I'm sitting under mine as we speak this instant! I think that I will be sitting under this table a lot this winter...staying warm and probably falling asleep there every night...so that's why my new kotatsu is good and bad!
After getting a kotatsu, we headed over toward Tokyo Tower. Tokyo Tower is a structure in Japan that looks very simi
lar to the Eiffel Tower. I've been wanting to see the Tokyo Tower ever since I knew what it looked like and what it was...(which I found out 2 years ago, haha). For those of you that have seen the show "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" hosted by Rome Kanda, I hope you'll appreciate this. Well, that show aired the summer of 2008 and it was about a group of 8 contestants that were selected to be on a new reality TV show. But little did they know that they would be on a crazy game show, let alone one that takes place in Japan! Haha, so if you know anything about game shows in Japan, you'd know that they are absolutely ridiculous! They have the contestants always dressed up in humiliating costumes and having to do or accomplish the most ridiculous task. Basically, the goal is to humiliate the contestant as much as possible and make sure they do not come out of the task clean or with a straight head, haha. Well, this became one of my new favorite TV shows. And I went on this rant because whenever they showed this on TV, they always panned over the skyline of Tokyo. And in Tokyo, you could prominently see the Tokyo Tower, glowing in the skyline. So thus began my obsession to go visit this landmark.
Well, we went to visit and check it out. I was interested in going up to the main observatory...but the line to go up was ridiculously long!! So we bought some Tokyo Bananas. Yeah, that's right. Tokyo Bananas. Haha, she pointed out this unique food to me and I really wanted to try it. It's a banana shaped fluff cake filled with a banana custard. It's really good! I'm glad I got this to try it!
And so we headed to sushi for dinner, where I had some good sushi and tried "Shirako" for the first time, I think...I can't remember if I had eaten it before, but I'm pretty sure it was my first time. I may have tried it before...but I forget. But basically it's the eggs of fish, but it was delicious! We also had some other sushi and then headed back. Well, Tokyo Tower was still there, but luckily the long lines to go up weren't! So we he
aded up the 150 Meters to the observatory to check out the view. Luckily it was a nice night! No rain, no typhoon, good view! The tower is 333 Meters tall, so we were just about 1/3 to almost 1/2 of the way up. It was really nice. Check out the view!We also got our picture taken with the Tokyo Tower official mascot, Noppon! And if you're wondering whether Noppon is petting our heads...that would be yes!
There was also a lookout window from the floor. From this window, you could look straight down and it's as if you're standing on clouds! Haha, not
really but it's a fun concept and pretty cool.I have a notebook where I have random things written down. Among the randomness is a list of things that I want to do while in Japan. Well, visiting Tokyo Tower was on that list, and now I can check it off! Yay! Although buying a kotatsu was not on that list, I can gladly say that I have one and will be staying warm this winter! Yay to that as well!
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