Not the best day ever.
Mar. 4th, 2004 10:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaitouOne thing living in Japan has done is definately improved my ability to think on my feet. You'd think with my planner and weekly schedules with each school I'd remember what I was teaching every day, but this week has been bad for that. And last week I ran around saying "Oh, leave that to me," a lot apparently. But! None of my elementary classes have been a failure either. But the one with 1st and 2nd grade at Tsumo elementary was close.
They asked for a review game to cover everything we learned this year. (Japanese school year ends in March, starts in April) So I came up with a board game across the floor, laying out all the flashcards they learned plus cards like "count 1-10" "How are you?" "Go Again!" and "Miss a Turn!" Usually this game works very well with this grade level. But I have to say that of the three schools Tsumo has the least well behaved 1st and 2nd graders. I think part of it is because the 2nd grade teacher is a 1st year teacher and he still seems pretty hesitant. Not like I'm not or anything, but I didn't go to teacher training either, so I feel justified in feelign snide. And today the other teacher had to go to a conference or something so it was just the two of us and the kids. Anyway, to make a long story short, the kids mostly ran around like something out of "Kindergarten Cop" and my best English speaker in 1st grade spent the whole time sulking and not participating......because he had a hole in his sock.
Then today I looked at my notes for the day and saw that I'd put myself in charge of the 5th and 6th grade class. My note for me was "Culture." Didn't have a clue what I was going to do. But I actually managed to pull a fun class out of thin air, so I'm a bit proud. I taught them to play Jacks and Heads up Seven Up.
So for the most part elementary school went pretty well this week, even if I did feel like I was fighting my way out of a wet paper bag half the time. My real disgruntlment this week rests square with the JHS and the Board of Education. First of all, no one told me that this was the last week of classes. According to my calendar I've got another two weeks before the last day. So I didn't have time to say anything to the graduating students, or take class pictures like I did last year. That really, really pisses me off. I'll still be able to take tons of pictures at graduation. But I didn't even get to spend more than 10 minutes of the last class with my students before I had to leave for elementary school. We played bingo, and that was it.
And now I'm getting pressured into teaching Adult Ed (better known in Japan as Eikaiwa) in addition to teaching everyone in Mito between the ages of 5 and 15. They want to tack it on to the end of my Fridays, so I have 7 periods instead of 6. They say it's so I can make "special memories" before I leave. I say it's so they can tell the next ALT it's part of their duties. But my contract states that I basically have to do whatever my boss tells me to do. I'd be more willing to do this if they made some concessions on my part too. Like time off at a different time in return for teaching the class or something. It's not like I can use the same games I've built up over the past year and a half, it's a whole new style of teaching that I'd have to prepare for in addition to Junior High and Elementary.
Growl. Snarl.
And as a late comment, I'd like to say I had a lovely time last weekend with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
melf42 who came to visit. We had an excellent breakfast of fresh fruit dipped in (semi) fresh whipped cream and toast with black currant jam. Tastes like awesome. And she found Labyrinth in her town! I'm definately going to go visit.
They asked for a review game to cover everything we learned this year. (Japanese school year ends in March, starts in April) So I came up with a board game across the floor, laying out all the flashcards they learned plus cards like "count 1-10" "How are you?" "Go Again!" and "Miss a Turn!" Usually this game works very well with this grade level. But I have to say that of the three schools Tsumo has the least well behaved 1st and 2nd graders. I think part of it is because the 2nd grade teacher is a 1st year teacher and he still seems pretty hesitant. Not like I'm not or anything, but I didn't go to teacher training either, so I feel justified in feelign snide. And today the other teacher had to go to a conference or something so it was just the two of us and the kids. Anyway, to make a long story short, the kids mostly ran around like something out of "Kindergarten Cop" and my best English speaker in 1st grade spent the whole time sulking and not participating......because he had a hole in his sock.
Then today I looked at my notes for the day and saw that I'd put myself in charge of the 5th and 6th grade class. My note for me was "Culture." Didn't have a clue what I was going to do. But I actually managed to pull a fun class out of thin air, so I'm a bit proud. I taught them to play Jacks and Heads up Seven Up.
So for the most part elementary school went pretty well this week, even if I did feel like I was fighting my way out of a wet paper bag half the time. My real disgruntlment this week rests square with the JHS and the Board of Education. First of all, no one told me that this was the last week of classes. According to my calendar I've got another two weeks before the last day. So I didn't have time to say anything to the graduating students, or take class pictures like I did last year. That really, really pisses me off. I'll still be able to take tons of pictures at graduation. But I didn't even get to spend more than 10 minutes of the last class with my students before I had to leave for elementary school. We played bingo, and that was it.
And now I'm getting pressured into teaching Adult Ed (better known in Japan as Eikaiwa) in addition to teaching everyone in Mito between the ages of 5 and 15. They want to tack it on to the end of my Fridays, so I have 7 periods instead of 6. They say it's so I can make "special memories" before I leave. I say it's so they can tell the next ALT it's part of their duties. But my contract states that I basically have to do whatever my boss tells me to do. I'd be more willing to do this if they made some concessions on my part too. Like time off at a different time in return for teaching the class or something. It's not like I can use the same games I've built up over the past year and a half, it's a whole new style of teaching that I'd have to prepare for in addition to Junior High and Elementary.
Growl. Snarl.
And as a late comment, I'd like to say I had a lovely time last weekend with
melf42 who came to visit. We had an excellent breakfast of fresh fruit dipped in (semi) fresh whipped cream and toast with black currant jam. Tastes like awesome. And she found Labyrinth in her town! I'm definately going to go visit.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 06:09 am (UTC)...
how long are you going to be in Japan? If you're still there, can I stay with you? If you're not, can I come visit you so you can tell me all about it/give me tips before I go? ^_^
First week of Japanese classes over, and now I have to learn all my hiragana. *dies*
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 01:55 pm (UTC)