back to school

Aloha, folks.

I started the new job on Friday. I am teaching English in Japanese elementary schools now, as I think I mentioned before. Lemme tell ya, its a world of difference from the last job.

For starters, the dress code. GEOS was coat and tie...well, tie anyway. At the elementary school, the best dressed folks dress for the weather, because they don't do central heat and air in the school buildings. My first day, I was COLD.

Second, the students. GEOS students range in age from two and a half to eighty two and a half. Pretty much, if you can pay, you can play. I got me first graders to sixth graders only. And lots of 'em too. Class sizes at GEOS topped out at ten, and I never had a class that big. The most kids I ever had was three at a time, and that was a mess. Now I've got anywhere from 12 to 37 kids at a time...quite a difference.

Third, the food. At GEOS, of course, I was on my own for food, and free to run down to the shops if I felt like a snack. Now, I can't leave the school during school hours and I'm expected to eat the school lunch, often with the kids. Which brings us to another interesting point. There is no cafeteria in the elementary school. The kids eat in their classrooms, and it is part of my job to take my lunch in a different classroom every day. I actually haven't done this yet, but it's the only thing on my schedule for today (and next monday and tuesday).

Fourth, the general atmosphere. GEOS was a strange mix of artificial good cheer in the lobby and crushing stress and greed in the office. In the elementary school, the pace is quick because the kids demand it, but quite friendly and relaxed aside from that. The teachers are not under so much pressure, and genuinely care about what they are doing. Its very nice, and a welcome change.

Friday was my first day, and my first school was a small school in the countryside, which was very excited to have me. I showed up at 8:20 so I could be introduced to the staff, and then I was informed that the school music festival was that morning, so there wasn't anything for me to do except to say hi to the kids and parents at the beginning and try not to fall asleep during the performance. I did both with flying colors, then helped put away the folding chairs...to be nice and to try to get my circulation moving again.

My next task was to play with the 1st graders after lunch. They actually have me scheduled in for recess with a certain class. We played freeze tag, and I got in lots of trouble for not remembering the rules and fouling up the game at first, but after 5 different kids explained various aspects of the game at the same time at the top of their lungs I finally got the idea. After that, I did a self introduction lesson for the 5th and 6th grades, which went pretty well, and I went home with a feeling of a job well done.

Yesterday (Monday), I had my first day at the biggest school on my route. I showed up early, they assigned me a desk, and told me that there was NOTHING for me to do that day. Clean out the desk and poke around the school, they said. I did that, prepared 3 lessons, and it was still only 11:30. I wrote an article for my friend's web-magazine...12:45. The day went Ssslllloooooowww. Today is more of the same, except I have a lunch date with the 6th grade today, and we all went out onto the field to run for five minutes. I shouldn't complain about being less than covered up, but it does get a bit old hanging out in the office while everyone else is wrangling kids. I'm sure that will change as soon as they start to figure out what to do with me, though. Can't wait.