Sometimes Wednesday can be a busy day for me, but today it was pretty mellow. I had just two classes instead of the customary four – two classes were dedicated to preparation for exams next week.
I used my free periods to do some research on the web, some revisions for the upcoming listening test, and to dodge the history teacher.
The classes I did have were interview test classes, and those went pretty smoothly. I can’t say enough how much fun those classes are. I know the students dread them, but it is great to talk to everyone.
In every class of students I have some favorites. They are the ones that I talk with in the hallways between classes or have impressed me in the past with their confidence or bravery. Today I seemed to be interviewing lots of my favorites, and they all responded well with a good score.
I had lunch in the cafeteria today with Moriguchi sensei, a new math teacher that is kind of a young guy, and Nozaki sensei. We talked in Japanese since Moriguchi sensei doesn’t speak any English. He seemed more than a little interested in the new ALT, especially when he heard that she is female. I don’t know what’ll happen, but she may be in for a warm welcome.
Nozaki sensei wanted to look over the application of the new ALT (Brenda). She looked it over and said that she writes like a young person, and I can see what she means. My experience over the phone with her gave me the idea that she is a lot younger than she looks in her picture. I hope she’ll be fine with the job, though – hopefully the teachers will be patient with her.
At the end of the day there was a staff meeting, but I heard it was about the schedule for August and September, and since I’m going to be gone by then I wondered out loud to key people if it was absolutely necessary for me to be there. Turns out that the key people thought it might be OK for me to skip it, which was big progress. As soon as everyone went up to the staff room I made a dash for the door and got out of work 30 minutes early.
The key to a good escape is to do it without attracting a lot of attention, but as I left all the students leaving outside were shouting out “Goodbye Bryan!” as I walked away – the bad news is that the teacher’s meeting was being held in the second floor right above the students, and since it is hot all the windows were open. I fear it was not the most inconspicuous exit I’ve ever made.
I got home and took care of some chores, and then walked over to Carrefour to do some shopping for a little Mexican party that we are going to have with Yasu and his mom on Friday night. I got back home with some marked down cheese, but Kuniko called at 8:45 saying that she was stuck at work, so I ate it alone while watching the Tigers game.
Tomorrow I have day two of the presentations, and just one other class so it should be a light day. Kuniko will get home pretty late tomorrow as well. I hope she’ll be able to get free for the party on Friday…
