Snow
Yes, it SNOWED this evening here in Kumano. Very light and didn't stick but it SNOWED.
It is not even December, and we had snow.
The schools do not turn their heaters on until December.
...it is COLD.
As it is, I am busting out the winter gear. If it gets any colder than this, I might just freeze to death. I can only tolerate wearing so many layers of clothing. I need electric/gas generated heating.
Anyway, Sunday. Went up to see Rachel, stuff was done, and she was cool enough to drive me almost half way back home. Public transport and I seem to be in an unspoken war. I want to get somewhere - everything decides to run late. Buses and trains, running late, in a land that boasts about how on-time these things are. It soured my mood. As did hide's head popping off.
Monday was...alright. I felt ill and I didn't have to teach too much which was cool. Being ill, tired, and stressed over a doll, as dumb as they may be, had me in a funk. It was also cold. I think the classes were fine...one boy hugged me, full body hugged me. It was sweet.
Today was...not so great. It was a bad day basically. If half the class wasn't missing, then they weren't interested in my lesson, or they just didn't care to pay attention.
Sixth grade wasn't interested and due to how the teachers handle things, the teacher had no idea what I was doing. It's not my fault they don't put the Japanese versions of my lesson books out on the public bookshelf for all the teachers to look at. Instead, some teachers are just...holding onto them, and not sharing. I and the teacher don't have time to translate the English versions I have, and due to when I come and leave work, we don't have time to discuss lesson plans either. Now I probably could write up plans or something, but that takes time, time I don't always have, and when you don't hand me the themes you want me to do until a few days before hand, I still won't have time. And even if I made plans, when would the teachers get back to me on them? The day of class? Before class? During class? Half the time they just go oh ok sure and it's AFTER IT FAILS AND THE KIDS SAY IT ISN'T FUN AND THUS THE TEACHER TELLS ME I AM NOT A FUN TEACHER ANYMORE that they tell me what they think. Thanks. I really needed that. I knew it wasn't working the second you gave me a confused look.
And Fifth grade...I think I hate this one class a lot. They treated my period with them as recess. No one listened, kids ran around the room, played, went in and out, basically anything but English learning. And they shouted at me to speak in Japanese. Of course their teacher is a fresh out of college, barely got his teaching license teacher so he has NO CONTROL WHATSOEVER. The kids treat him about as well as they treat me, if not worse. He even left for part of the class. These kids didn't even abide by the rules of the game we played and were constantly trying to steal the prizes from me. At one point I told them I was angry. I still am. The kids were just so rude and bad that I wanted to start slapping kids - and then I would be fired. How can they expect me to teach when the kids are out of control? I'm not ALLOWED to discipline. It's gotten to the point that some days I want to walk out of the classroom - am I allowed to do that? Can I just leave the class if they're not behaving? Because short of that, I don't know how to get order, or at least respect out of them sometimes.
But it was a bad day. I'm apparently no fun, and the kids don't respect me. Great. They want to change my schedule so we can plan out lessons - okay, fine, that's cool, then you won't be confused anymore and I can sleep in more. Oh, but I TEACH FIRST PERIOD AT YOUR SCHOOL. HUH. GUESS IT WON'T WORK WILL IT? Just...if you want to plan things with me, then make time in your schedule. Send my schedule ahead two weeks or something and say "please make plans, fax back, we ask teachers for approval, we fax back etc etc until a lesson is in place." Changing my schedule to cut out one class period each day so I can stay an extra 30 minutes does not mean I can plan 18 classes in an hour.
Like I said, I like School 3 better. I might have to pee in a small Japanese toilet, but at least the people there are friendly, try to connect with me, and don't make me feel like I am expendable, even if I am. In fact, I haven't heard the word re-contracting in my neck of the woods yet. That makes me uneasy. Am I really that bad? Am I no good at this? If Interac plans to let me go, I'd like to know now so I can start reserving a plane ticket home.
All day I had a sore throat, a headache, and was freezing. My FILLINGS were frozen which caused even more pain, along with ear pain.
So yes, very bad day.
Good part: fixing hide. His head and neck are back on his body. It's not as mobile, but I think that's the price of gluing his neck seams shut over the neck ball. He can still turn his head, his neck just has to be...forced to go back or forward, and really I don't use that feature much so it's a-okay with me.
It is not even December, and we had snow.
The schools do not turn their heaters on until December.
...it is COLD.
As it is, I am busting out the winter gear. If it gets any colder than this, I might just freeze to death. I can only tolerate wearing so many layers of clothing. I need electric/gas generated heating.
Anyway, Sunday. Went up to see Rachel, stuff was done, and she was cool enough to drive me almost half way back home. Public transport and I seem to be in an unspoken war. I want to get somewhere - everything decides to run late. Buses and trains, running late, in a land that boasts about how on-time these things are. It soured my mood. As did hide's head popping off.
Monday was...alright. I felt ill and I didn't have to teach too much which was cool. Being ill, tired, and stressed over a doll, as dumb as they may be, had me in a funk. It was also cold. I think the classes were fine...one boy hugged me, full body hugged me. It was sweet.
Today was...not so great. It was a bad day basically. If half the class wasn't missing, then they weren't interested in my lesson, or they just didn't care to pay attention.
Sixth grade wasn't interested and due to how the teachers handle things, the teacher had no idea what I was doing. It's not my fault they don't put the Japanese versions of my lesson books out on the public bookshelf for all the teachers to look at. Instead, some teachers are just...holding onto them, and not sharing. I and the teacher don't have time to translate the English versions I have, and due to when I come and leave work, we don't have time to discuss lesson plans either. Now I probably could write up plans or something, but that takes time, time I don't always have, and when you don't hand me the themes you want me to do until a few days before hand, I still won't have time. And even if I made plans, when would the teachers get back to me on them? The day of class? Before class? During class? Half the time they just go oh ok sure and it's AFTER IT FAILS AND THE KIDS SAY IT ISN'T FUN AND THUS THE TEACHER TELLS ME I AM NOT A FUN TEACHER ANYMORE that they tell me what they think. Thanks. I really needed that. I knew it wasn't working the second you gave me a confused look.
And Fifth grade...I think I hate this one class a lot. They treated my period with them as recess. No one listened, kids ran around the room, played, went in and out, basically anything but English learning. And they shouted at me to speak in Japanese. Of course their teacher is a fresh out of college, barely got his teaching license teacher so he has NO CONTROL WHATSOEVER. The kids treat him about as well as they treat me, if not worse. He even left for part of the class. These kids didn't even abide by the rules of the game we played and were constantly trying to steal the prizes from me. At one point I told them I was angry. I still am. The kids were just so rude and bad that I wanted to start slapping kids - and then I would be fired. How can they expect me to teach when the kids are out of control? I'm not ALLOWED to discipline. It's gotten to the point that some days I want to walk out of the classroom - am I allowed to do that? Can I just leave the class if they're not behaving? Because short of that, I don't know how to get order, or at least respect out of them sometimes.
But it was a bad day. I'm apparently no fun, and the kids don't respect me. Great. They want to change my schedule so we can plan out lessons - okay, fine, that's cool, then you won't be confused anymore and I can sleep in more. Oh, but I TEACH FIRST PERIOD AT YOUR SCHOOL. HUH. GUESS IT WON'T WORK WILL IT? Just...if you want to plan things with me, then make time in your schedule. Send my schedule ahead two weeks or something and say "please make plans, fax back, we ask teachers for approval, we fax back etc etc until a lesson is in place." Changing my schedule to cut out one class period each day so I can stay an extra 30 minutes does not mean I can plan 18 classes in an hour.
Like I said, I like School 3 better. I might have to pee in a small Japanese toilet, but at least the people there are friendly, try to connect with me, and don't make me feel like I am expendable, even if I am. In fact, I haven't heard the word re-contracting in my neck of the woods yet. That makes me uneasy. Am I really that bad? Am I no good at this? If Interac plans to let me go, I'd like to know now so I can start reserving a plane ticket home.
All day I had a sore throat, a headache, and was freezing. My FILLINGS were frozen which caused even more pain, along with ear pain.
So yes, very bad day.
Good part: fixing hide. His head and neck are back on his body. It's not as mobile, but I think that's the price of gluing his neck seams shut over the neck ball. He can still turn his head, his neck just has to be...forced to go back or forward, and really I don't use that feature much so it's a-okay with me.