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jessicainjapanSo I've finally entered week two of actually being in my assigned junior high school!
Is it really only the start of my second week? It feels so much longer, but in a good way! I've never had a job that I was so excited to go to. Currently I'm still only doing my self-introduction to the students. I haven't quite hit all of the classes (my JHS is the biggest in the city!), but either late this week or early next week I'll get into team teaching.
I'm sad that my time to sort of take over the entire lesson is drawing to a close, but I'm really interested in the actual content of the lessons. I also really want to see how each of the teachers conducts their lessons. I've started getting a feel for their teaching styles during my introductions and I expect there to be huge differences in the teaching atmosphere. Since I've been paying attention to their quirks during this first week, I won't be too caught off guard.
Before I ramble too far on how interested I am in the education system (and bore anyone reading this to tears), I'll share some of the questions the students ask!
- What sports do you like?
- What color do you like?
- Do you like/can you eat Japanese food?
- Where do you want to go in Japan?
- Which do you like better: America or Japan?
- Do you like [insert animal here]?
- What sports do you play?
- What is your favorite subject?
- Do you have a boyfriend? (These kids think they're a riot... right up until I shoot back, "Do you have a girlfriend?" Parry and riposte, good sir!)
- What famous Japanese person do you like?
- Do you like music/what kind of music do you like?
- Sensei, why are you so pretty? Like a doll... (What?! I'm totally not. But you, kid, are now on my good side for life. Maybe that was her intention!)
...and many more!
My introduction is generally pretty simple. I talk about my family, what my city is famous for, what I am surprised about in Japan (no AC in the classrooms, cars on the opposite side of the road, bicycles everywhere, etc.), my hobbies, my dreams, and so on. I try to be as genki as possible and speak loudly in a clear, slow voice.
Overall I'm fairly pleased with how my self-introductions go. They usually last between 15-20 minutes and with the Japanese English teacher's help, I have the more difficult ideas walked through so that the students understand as much as possible. To give them a hand while I'm talking, I scribble out illustrations on the chalkboard as I go and repeat key information in different contexts.
Outside of the classroom I haven't done a lot of work. I've corrected some homework papers on grammar and spelling, and I've also been consulted by the English teachers on correct word usage and things like that. Simple stuff so far. I'll update with more when I get into the actual team-teaching and the "let's be nice to the new American" feel at work wears off.
Is it really only the start of my second week? It feels so much longer, but in a good way! I've never had a job that I was so excited to go to. Currently I'm still only doing my self-introduction to the students. I haven't quite hit all of the classes (my JHS is the biggest in the city!), but either late this week or early next week I'll get into team teaching.
I'm sad that my time to sort of take over the entire lesson is drawing to a close, but I'm really interested in the actual content of the lessons. I also really want to see how each of the teachers conducts their lessons. I've started getting a feel for their teaching styles during my introductions and I expect there to be huge differences in the teaching atmosphere. Since I've been paying attention to their quirks during this first week, I won't be too caught off guard.
Before I ramble too far on how interested I am in the education system (and bore anyone reading this to tears), I'll share some of the questions the students ask!
- What sports do you like?
- What color do you like?
- Do you like/can you eat Japanese food?
- Where do you want to go in Japan?
- Which do you like better: America or Japan?
- Do you like [insert animal here]?
- What sports do you play?
- What is your favorite subject?
- Do you have a boyfriend? (These kids think they're a riot... right up until I shoot back, "Do you have a girlfriend?" Parry and riposte, good sir!)
- What famous Japanese person do you like?
- Do you like music/what kind of music do you like?
- Sensei, why are you so pretty? Like a doll... (What?! I'm totally not. But you, kid, are now on my good side for life. Maybe that was her intention!)
...and many more!
My introduction is generally pretty simple. I talk about my family, what my city is famous for, what I am surprised about in Japan (no AC in the classrooms, cars on the opposite side of the road, bicycles everywhere, etc.), my hobbies, my dreams, and so on. I try to be as genki as possible and speak loudly in a clear, slow voice.
Overall I'm fairly pleased with how my self-introductions go. They usually last between 15-20 minutes and with the Japanese English teacher's help, I have the more difficult ideas walked through so that the students understand as much as possible. To give them a hand while I'm talking, I scribble out illustrations on the chalkboard as I go and repeat key information in different contexts.
Outside of the classroom I haven't done a lot of work. I've corrected some homework papers on grammar and spelling, and I've also been consulted by the English teachers on correct word usage and things like that. Simple stuff so far. I'll update with more when I get into the actual team-teaching and the "let's be nice to the new American" feel at work wears off.
