End of the semester

Hello there. Well, Kelly's been out of the country visiting the fam and getting ready for Anne's wedding while I'm still here in Fuji working like a dog. And by working like a dog, I mean a dog like Caspian whose only work involves sleeping, eating and licking. Yes, slow days these days at work. I had 6 classes last week and all were pretty easy and then 3 on Monday and 1 yesterday and now I'm done with classes until the new term starts in January. So these last three days will be pretty slow and boring so I am switching back and forth between studying Japanese and vegging out on the computer. And then every once in a while I go and supervise some kids during cleaning time which basically means me talking to them and showing them the cool things on my iPhone. :) Tomorrow is outdoor cleaning and then Friday is closing ceremony followed by the teachers' Bon-Enkai which is an end of the year party. It's at an onsen resort type place so I'm expecting some good food and relaxation and also planning to test out my Japanese on some of the other teachers who I've never talked to before. So that should be fun. I actually had an entire coversation with a guy in Japanese last weekend. It was pretty cool. Granted it wasn't about politics or the economy or anything tough like that. It was about food which is what the majority of my English conversations are about anyway. But it was still an accomplishment in my mind.

So as I have basically come to the end of my first semester of teaching in Japan, I'll give some thoughts. As most of you know I was a teacher at home for three years with a one year "let's see what else I can do--ooh I don't like sales at all" break mixed in. And I can say with confidence that I enjoy teaching here 10 times more than I ever did at home. Yes it is completely different because I'm teaching a different subject and I'm an assistant teacher, and I have less class time each week, but not having to deal with behavior problems and students who don't care about me or my class is such a relief. This is the first full-time job I have ever had that I didn't want to quit a month after starting. So that has led to my being much happier over the past four and a half months than I have been in a long time. Because you can have a lot of friends and a good family and a lot of good stuff going for you, but you spend so much time at work that if you don't like you job, you're going to be unhappy. At least that's how it works for me. So anyway, I love working here. The classes are fun and not too hard to plan or teach. I love the students and I love the fact that they actually want to talk to me and at least say hi when they see me. I like the way the school is set up and run, and though some things are very strange and would never work in American schools (i.e. the students all sitting in their classrooms unsupervised while the teachers have a morning meeting - try that at Channelview High School!), I've gotten very used to the routine and I feel comfortable with it.

As for problems I've encountered, it can be extremely difficult to get students to respond to you in class. I guess the only thing worse than giving an incorrect answer is giving an incorrect answer and using incorrect English while doing it. But sometimes if you can get one student to break out of their shell and volunteer an answer it helps everyone. It also can be a little taxing at times to work with so many people that don't speak your language, but considering that I was never really a big talker at my other jobs, that's not as bad as it seems. I guess other than that, the only other problem is that sometimes it feels like some other teachers don't take my job seriously or see what my purpose is. But the great thing is, I don't really care. :) I know what my purpose is and as long as I take it seriously, that's all that matters.

So those are my end of semester thoughts. I'm definitely glad for a 2 week break coming up in a few days. It will be nice to get away from work (I've only taken one day of leave all year up to this point - a record for me) and be able to relax and experience the holidays in Japan. But it will also be nice to not dread going back after the break like I always have before.

I'll try to fill everyone in on our vacation time and what we're up to, but since I probably won't write again before Christmas, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and enjoys your time with friends and family.

ﾒﾘ- ｸﾘｽﾏｽ!!!