They grow up so fast dont they? They're playing with lego one month, and the next thing, they're teaching English in Japan. (This is actually true... except for the part about "teaching"). Of course, being Japan, there is much ceremony and ritual that goes on around the start of a new term. So i had a speech all prepared, which didn't take very long as since I came to Japan I've already had to do... roughly 30... per day. And of course, I put on my nicest and only tie (this took considerably longer than preparing the speech). The assembly was basically a 90 minute workout with the students and teacher constantly bowing, sitting and standing up. I was the odd one out, always doing the wrong action... And I was hoping to blend in...
My speech went well. It is a small school of only 170 students, so it wasn't so bad. But when I was about to finish, one of the students collapsed. I'm very proud of myself for not saying "holy shit" into the microphone. Don't worry, the student was okay. 4 teachers helped him out by dragging him off to the corner of the hall, the assembly proceeding as if nothing happened. From here on, I'm sure the assembly would have been boring for even those who can understand Japanese. There was another highlight when another student on the stage fainted. They were dropping like flies.
So, taught my first classes. What I couldn't understand was that the students were so damn quiet. It was as if they just saw a ghost. I mean, I'm not that white, am I? Of course the lessons included another self introduction, and the students introduced themselves at a volume only audible to dogs, with informative information such as "I like game". I have my work cut out for me. To try and get them to open up a little more (and because I know nothing else) I did some card tricks. Normally when I do a good trick, everyone goes crazy saying stuff like "how did you do that" yada yada yada. Not for my classes. When my tricks came off perfectly, and I got nothing. Squat. I got blank, scared stares from the whole class. I image I could have attained a similar result by shooting a puppy. I don't know if it is because the students are all so well behaved and polite (an unlikely scenario, even in Japan), or if they are so scared of seeing a foreigner and actually having to use the English they've been studying for years. The whole reason the JET programme exists is to get English speakers into schools and get the children to use it. This all means that I really have my work cut out for me.
However, I had my first primary school visit yesterday. I taught 3 new entrant classes (6 year olds), and this was so much fun. I just talked to them, they introduced themselves, similar to what I did at my Junior High School, the only difference being that the 6 year olds had better self introductions. They even asked me questions in Japanese. My favourite questions were "what is your favourite insect?", "what fruit do you hate?", and "what family (member?) do you like the most?". I also did some card tricks. I don't know if they really understood them, but they seemed to like them. The whole morning was a lot of fun, and my primary school visits will probably become the highlights of my week.
So it has been an interesting introduction to my schools. But again, don't think that now I'm finally busy and earning my money. Even now, most of the time I am sitting at my desk sharpening pencils.
(note to self: buy more pencils)
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