Life as a Teacher

I started teaching last week and so far it's been phenomenal! I have a total of 7 schools to visit, all of which, except 2 are on near by islands.

My first day of school was extremely nerve wracking. I was so nervous about everything. I didn't know how the kids or the teachers would react to me...or if I would mess up...or if I would just appear completely clueless. So I drove to my first school, of course arriving about 45 minutes before I was supposed to show up. Clearly due to a nervous sleep the night before and the utter panic that I would be late. The school I went to is called Takami Elementary, it's on an island called Mukaishima. To get there I picked up a car at the Board of Education (BOE) and took the bridge across. It takes about 20 minutes from the BOE, but it takes me about 10 minutes to get to the board. Anyways, I pull up to the school and park near the front, take a deep breath, gather my stuff and step out of the car. My heart is racing and the only thing going through my mind is that I want to jump right back into the car and race back to Canada. Regardless of my anxiety, I step out and to my surprise about 30 six year olds run to the windows, and frantically start waving and screaming and yelling "Alexandra-sensei, Alexandra-sensei!!". Pewf. My blood pressure resumed to it's normal level and all of a sudden I felt oxygen enter into my bloodstream once again. I notice a big smile come across my face, almost spontaneously. I wave back and yell "Hello! Hello!". I continue to the front door and realize that my breathing is becoming heavier and that my nerves are becoming unsettled again. But as I stepped through the front doors of this tiny elementary school, there's a huge sign that some of the kids made, that reads "Welcome to Takami Elementary School Alexandra, we are very excited to have you." I could help it, but it did make me well up a little. I just felt so relieved. So taken care of. So un-frightened in such a frightening situation. The kids at that school were amazing and they all insisted on having their picture taken with me. A great school to go to on a first day.

The next 3 days I spent at Mukaishima Elementary School, which is also on Mukaishima Island. It takes me about 20 minutes to get there. First I bike to the train station and from there I take a ferry, with my bike, to the island, then I bike to the school. I usually get there a bit early, to sort through my things and put in a bit of face time. My best classes have been the grade 5 students who are singing a Sister Act song for a music show that their school is having. Picture 60 10-11 year old kids, singing Sister Act gospel songs...with Japanese English. It's adorable. Since I don't really get to see them that much I made sure to tell the teacher that if they need more help with the pronunciation of the words or help with the rhythm to call me up and I'll come to the school. I'm really excited to go to their music show and watch them sing. I'll be sure to record some of it and post it for you all! I also have Mukaishima Junior high, but I haven't been there yet.

The only other schools I've been to were Momoshima Elementary and Junior High. They are on this remote island called Momoshima and I have to take a 45 minute ferry ride from the train station to get there. I didn't have the chance to visit these schools before I started (which is what I did with most of my other schools) so I had no idea where I was even going. So my supervisor called the school to make sure that someone would be taking the ferry with me to bring me to the school. So I show up at the ferry terminal with my stuff and within 5 minutes of waiting there are 5 teachers who have come to meet and greet me. But of course...none of them speak english. So we all fumble through the little bit of communication we can get to and then the awkward silence falls through. Only to be disturbed by the ferry docking in. The ferry, this huge ferry, bumps the dock and shakes it. Of course my first reaction is to squeal and reach for the first grounded object, which to my surprise was an old man. Everyone looks at me and then starts to laugh. Then the old man whom I'm still grasped onto says to me in Japanese; "First time? Haha". Yeah...first time. Anyways, we board this huge ferry and go to the second deck where there's an air conditioned room. We sit there, me trying to focus not to throw up from seasickness and 5 teachers staring at me. At one of the stops my english teaching partner comes on board and all the teachers give a big sigh of relief and push her to sit near me and say to her "We don't know much english, and she doesn't look healthy." Of course, I must have been a bright color green by then. Rie-sensei, the english teacher, asks me if I'm alright and I respond that I don't do well at sea. She nods her head and says "relax". We dock at Momoshima island a good 45 minutes after departure and I'm happy to have hit solid ground. Rie-sensei walks with me to the school and gives me a town tour at the same time. There are only 900 people who live on the island. It's small! Very rural! Or inaka, as they say in Japan. She points out a huge building on a hill and says that was the old junior high, but it didn't make sense to have to few students in such a big school, so everyone is in the elementary school building. So there's just this huge empty building on the island. Probably the biggest thing on the island. Empty. Strange. Anyways, we get to the school and she points out some shrub-ish looking trees at the front of the building that are actually Tangerine Trees. Cool! The school itself was actually pretty big. I'd say the size of a regular elementary school. Except that there are about 11 kids in the entire thing....including the junior high students!!! It's nuts. We enter the staff room and there are about 25 staff members to this tiny school. Yup, that's right, more then twice the amount of staff members to students! On Friday, when I went there again, I taught a class of 1 student. 1! But usually my classes are bigger than that...at least 3 kids!! It's very strange difference to teach to such a small class. Especially when there's me, Rie-sensei (the english teacher), plus the homeroom teacher. That's right 3 teachers to 1 student. It's going to take some getting used to. But what I like about that school is that I get a lot of leeway in the classes and pretty much get to make my own lesson plan, which is really good experience.

So I still have Harada Elementary and Junior to go to. It's my furthest school at 1 hour drive north. That school combined has only 24 kids. What a big school! Haha. I also have Miyuki Elementary School, which is a 30 minute drive to Mukaishima Island. Oh, and Mukaishima Junior high.

But after only 2 weeks of doing this, I definitely feel like I've gotten the hang of it. The students are really interested in me. Maybe because most of them have never seen a white girl with green eyes and curly hair before. In my short time I have learnt one golden rule though; Rock paper scissors is the law with these kids.