It's a gorgeous Saturday - gorgeous because I don't have to go to work today. It's a little overcast and grey outside, so I think I'll just be a hermit and stay in to catch up on my tv shows, and tidy up my apartment.
It's spring, it's traditionally a time for rejuvenation, new life, and all that jazz. You'll see from my previous pictures that cherry blossoms are, with good reason, quite famous in Japan. It signals the time when people can go some evenings without their electric heaters or kotatsus turned on all night. Here, the school year starts in April, and so it's a new time for me too in that regard. I have a new crop of 282 students.
In a way, I want to stick with my old kids! Here in Japan, teachers stick with the same kids and move up in grades with them. I guess it's good if you like your teachers, but if you don't, you're certainly stuck with them! Unfortunately, because the Oral Communication class I teach is only offered to 1st year students, I stay behind. Most of the students I had last year were shocked to find out they no longer had OC class, and were kinda sad. I guess that's a compliment - they liked my class. I've even had one come up to me and ask if they would still get to read the Suzette Gazette! Wow, and to think that I thought none of them read it!! Apparently I have a decent readership! In any case, I've spent my past 8 months getting to know these kids and it sucks that I have to start all over with a new batch. It took me all year to get those kids to open up and not be so annoyingly shy and quiet. Now I gotta break in some new ones - all 14 classes worth!
Each week seems to fly by now. Only another couple of months before my time here is up and I get to go home to take back what's rightfully mine - my friends that John has stolen in my absence! I gave some of the boys an ultimatum and asked whose friend they were. Peter audaciously asked me, "and how many times have YOU fixed my car?"
Yah. My friends. I sure do miss 'em. What I'm really missing right now is HOCKEY PLAYOFFS. As I've told a number of people, I'm going to look mighty stupid riding my bike down the main street, madly ringing my bell. GO SENS GO!
It's spring, it's traditionally a time for rejuvenation, new life, and all that jazz. You'll see from my previous pictures that cherry blossoms are, with good reason, quite famous in Japan. It signals the time when people can go some evenings without their electric heaters or kotatsus turned on all night. Here, the school year starts in April, and so it's a new time for me too in that regard. I have a new crop of 282 students.
In a way, I want to stick with my old kids! Here in Japan, teachers stick with the same kids and move up in grades with them. I guess it's good if you like your teachers, but if you don't, you're certainly stuck with them! Unfortunately, because the Oral Communication class I teach is only offered to 1st year students, I stay behind. Most of the students I had last year were shocked to find out they no longer had OC class, and were kinda sad. I guess that's a compliment - they liked my class. I've even had one come up to me and ask if they would still get to read the Suzette Gazette! Wow, and to think that I thought none of them read it!! Apparently I have a decent readership! In any case, I've spent my past 8 months getting to know these kids and it sucks that I have to start all over with a new batch. It took me all year to get those kids to open up and not be so annoyingly shy and quiet. Now I gotta break in some new ones - all 14 classes worth!
Each week seems to fly by now. Only another couple of months before my time here is up and I get to go home to take back what's rightfully mine - my friends that John has stolen in my absence! I gave some of the boys an ultimatum and asked whose friend they were. Peter audaciously asked me, "and how many times have YOU fixed my car?"
Yah. My friends. I sure do miss 'em. What I'm really missing right now is HOCKEY PLAYOFFS. As I've told a number of people, I'm going to look mighty stupid riding my bike down the main street, madly ringing my bell. GO SENS GO!
3 Comments:
At April 21, 2007 at 9:18 PM,
Phill said…
It's nice to know that you made an impact on your old students, and it's always nice to find out how much they liked you and your classes!
What's your general feeling about your new students? Even though you're only going to have them for two months, I'm sure that some of them will grow on you and that you'll miss some of them, too!
At April 22, 2007 at 6:52 AM,
julie said…
I was out with some fellow JETs about 5 or 6 weeks ago at a local bar, and there was a soccer game playing on the TV, and before I knew what had happened, I suddenly heard myself saying, "God, I'd KILL for a hockey game." The others all had a good laugh at the poor Canadian playing true to stereotype :)
At April 26, 2007 at 2:22 AM,
Anonymous said…
shit, i thought i had lots of students. well i have about 600 but it doesn:t count when you are at elementary only 2 times a month. i have 18 new students in my one junior high and am having troubles remembering their names. haha. gambate! -britt
Post a Comment
<< Home