Just Sit There And Look Pretty

I recently had one of my friends ask me, “So, what exactly do you DO at work?” Well right now I am writing a blog entry, eating my lunch consisting of ochazuke (quite possibly the fastest, easiest thing to make in Japan ever as it involves emptying a packet of seasoning onto rice and lazily adding hot water whilst yawning) and checking my cell phone every three minutes to see if someone has shown me some love. That’s not to say I do this everyday – only Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are quite different and involve better food. I think my job can readily be compared to that of a class pet – say a hamster or gerbil or something. When the teachers want something slightly different and out of the ordinary they come to me, release me from my tank and clap their hands in glee as they watch me fumble around franticly on my wheel trying to think of something that will keep forty students mildly amused for fifty minutes.

If someone had asked me a few months ago if I thought I’d be drawing happy-looking bunny rabbits playing baseball, video games, bobbing along to an i-pod and lamely declaring statements like, “ENGLISH IS FUN. LET’S ENJOY!” for high school students, I would have guffawed loudly at them. But most of my morning was spent doing exactly that- attempting to improve my mediocre drawing skills for an interview worksheet that I am hoping the students won’t crumple up and throw back at me whilst screaming profanities in Japanese. *cue music from Gangsta’s Paradise*

I’ve only been ‘teaching’ here for a day and I’ve already experienced the two sides of JTEs: The ones who want you, for the love of God, to leave them alone and the ones who want you to tag along and then stand in the corner observing as you crash and burn. According to my supervisor I am supposed to be ‘teaching’ a class with a teacher today but according to said teacher, I am not. I told my supervisor this and he just looked at me and smiled. That smile that says “Oh. Ops. Now I’m uncomfortable. Hm. Smile. Smile and nothing can ever go wrong..” If I were to teach that class then I’d have to throw something together for the one that directly follows it, as the way the classes work I’d be facing the exact same students twice in a row. Now I wouldn’t put money on this, but I think they might be able to tell if I did the exact same ‘lesson plan’ twice in a row. Then again, maybe not.

My days so far have mainly been spent flipping through materials past JETs have left behind, compulsively checking my email, occasionally conversing with other teachers when they feel so inclined, and trying to arrange my schedule so that I can fit in music lessons and such. In between all of this are usually a lot of perplexing exchanges in which I try to figure out what classes I have that day, when and where they are. Without fail they leave me scratching my head. I’m hoping that once this kafuffle that they are so tense about (Sports Day) is over, the schedule will be a bit more regular and easy to follow. On days that it’s raining (like now) I find my staring out the window which is conveniently located near my desk and marveling at how misty the mountains can become. Today one would never know Niihama HAD mountains as the mist has completely enveloped them.

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Published:
9.5.06 / 5pm
Category:
classroom antics, what i call life