A kind of strange day today at school. I took another route to school today to change my routine, but I couldn’t shake the history teacher. He rides a bike to school and he must patrol the streets looking for me. My spine stiffens when I hear the sound of his bike slowing down behind me. Yikes.
This week is the last week for my first year classes. It’s kind of sad – these students have never had another ALT and so I feel really close to them. We have interviews this week, and so at the end of the class I took a few minutes to say how much I’ve enjoyed teaching them. It’s a really great group of students, and I hope next year’s group is as much fun to teach.
Since this is the last week, everyone’s homework is due. Since today is Monday there were some people who forgot, so I made a deal that anyone that came up to me and asked me in English for a one day extension would get one. I had a line of ten students after class, and I listened to their plea and then gave them until tomorrow. The students did great on their interviews.
I keep coming back to why I like teaching – it’s the students. Lots of people talk about working conditions, salary, whether the rooms are heated or not, how much overtime you have to work. For me the thing that makes my job interesting is the students. They are, when taken separately, full of energy or completely drained. They respond to your teaching style, they complain, they laugh, they talk, and when taken collectively they form this mass that you communicate with. In my class the communication is more two way, and I find myself changing activities or pace based on how the class reacts.
It’s hard to describe but there is this element of unpredictability to every class I teach, from the moment the first student walks into my classroom. You have to relinquish control of your environment and give them some – that’s something that I’m not usually comfortable with. When it works and the things are clicking, there’s nothing like it.
Mr. Hayashi was pretty hungover today. He and Mr. Komuri went out with one of the office ladies to Kobe last night after the STEP test. I’m glad I missed it – it sounds like they really did some damage (to their livers). Mr. Komuri received a bunch of pictures from the group of people that we were drinking with during the sake party a while back. Mr. Hayashi was really enjoying that – he likes the idea that I might have picked up a girlfriend there. I can’t wait to tell these guys the truth and get them off my back.
In other amusing tales, Mr. Hayashi, Mr. Komuri, and Mr. Kimura were all telling me how expensive it is to get married in Japan. Mr. Hayashi was saying it costs 5 million yen. Even Mr. Kimura was telling me stories, and he’s never been married. I didn’t offer any evidence to the contrary, but it seems when you take out the glowing tower of chemicals and the bubble machines, the wedding can be a bit more affordable.
One of my ESS members brought me a homemade almond tart that she had cooked last weekend. It was a late Valentine’s present. It was really good – a very nice thing to do. I’ll have to bring back some great omiyage from America for everyone that took care of me on Valentine’s day.
After school I went over to Tsuji-san’s place for my Japanese lesson, and we spoke about her experiences working on the STEP test. She said that it was really interesting, and it sounds like she was a pretty strict interviewer. Next month she will start her new job, so I’m not sure we’ll be able to continue the lessons. I hope so!
Dinner tonight was carne asada tacos – yum. Sara sent me some salsa from New Mexico, so I used that on the tacos – it tasted really good. Nice fresh flavor.
Speaking of fresh flavor, have you tried the “Vanilla Mint” Colgate toothpaste flavor? Sara sent me a tube, and, wow. I never thought I’d live to see the day when toothpaste was revolutionized, but that day has come. I spent half the day today looking forward to brushing my teeth tonight. The space shuttle, impressive. The internet, impressive. Vanilla mint toothpaste? Mind-boggling. Anyway, check it out. You’ll feel guilty brushing your teeth because it tastes so good.
