I think it finally hit me
Holy crap. I'm moving to Japan in 2 months. O_O
I don't know why it suddenly sunk in. Maybe it's that to this date (er...yesterday's date actually, because it's now the 7th), in two months exactly I'll be landing in Tokyo and going to the JET orientation.
Maybe it's because all the paperwork is flooding in, and somehow figuring out and filling out forms so I can bring prescription medications into Japan made me realize how formal all of this is--I'm really going. Maybe it's because I sat down with the JET info handbook and read it (almost) cover to cover, because I was about bursting with questions.
I still am! And I'm in contact now the predeccesor ALT, and she's been simply wonderful with providing info and answering questions.
But there are just SO MANY that I know she can't answer. Like how about: how has it been teaching Middle School (should I call it Junior High School instead?) in Japan? Did you like it? Was it hard? Was it fun? Were the teachers nice? Were they helpful? Did you work well with them? Did you ever feel pressured to teach for the purpose of those dreaded entrance exams I hear so much about? Did you like the town? Were the people nice? Did you feel safe? Were there other ALTs in the area? Did you go to any JET arranged events? Did you make friends? ...Were you happy?
I should really assume that last question would be 'yes' from her because she's been in Shigaraki for 2 years. ^^
Ha! I just realized that if you replace all those 'weres' and 'dids' with 'will I/they'--that's pretty much how I feel right now. Those are all the questions I have about my soon to be experience. And there's no way to answer them! I'm nervous and excited all at once. I read the part about what ALTs do in the classroom, and I just felt...I don't know, a wave of excitement. My mind began plotting all sorts of ideas about what I could do--*such a nerd!* I love helping students learn. ^^ I WANT them to learn, and I want to be able to teach well so they DO learn! And it might be my downfall sometimes, but I love making things fun. It's my greatest reward when I can making a lesson interesting enough that the students get into it. (Ha! I feel like I'm writing my essay to JET all over again! ^^)
But yeah...then I read all the other info in the handbook--about living in Japan. About paying bills and having to set up things like a bank account (which I think I'll get help in doing, but still...) About having to communicate in Japanese again, and knowing I have a weakness for being hesitant in unfamilar situations. About knowing what to do and how to be safe and who to call and some situations I could possibly run across as a foreigner (female, at that) in Japan. And all those questions I wrote up there came swirling into my mind, and my 'excitment to teach' feeling kinda got lost in a slightly...ok majorly overwhelming feeling.
And now I can't sleep. I've been trying to keep myself busy, trying to relax myself by writing all my questions/concerns down in a list so I can email the ALT over there right now... But finally, as a theraputic outlet, I finally just sat down on LJ here and typed my heart out. I feel a little better. But I'm still jittery. I'm still wide-awake. (I still have to get up at like 8:30 to go into work!! ><;;)
My lil sister said the sweetest thing to me when she came downstairs for a snack and I was still up. She said, 'Sarah, you were like born for this. You studied Japanese, and you've been teaching kids for, like, ever!' ...It made me feel really good, and I know deep down she's right. I bet I'm gonna have a good time. I bet it's going to go pretty well... I just hate all these unknowns! I feel so out of control of my own destiny at the moment...
Hee hee, that last bit was a bit melodramatic, wasn't it? <33
I don't know why it suddenly sunk in. Maybe it's that to this date (er...yesterday's date actually, because it's now the 7th), in two months exactly I'll be landing in Tokyo and going to the JET orientation.
Maybe it's because all the paperwork is flooding in, and somehow figuring out and filling out forms so I can bring prescription medications into Japan made me realize how formal all of this is--I'm really going. Maybe it's because I sat down with the JET info handbook and read it (almost) cover to cover, because I was about bursting with questions.
I still am! And I'm in contact now the predeccesor ALT, and she's been simply wonderful with providing info and answering questions.
But there are just SO MANY that I know she can't answer. Like how about: how has it been teaching Middle School (should I call it Junior High School instead?) in Japan? Did you like it? Was it hard? Was it fun? Were the teachers nice? Were they helpful? Did you work well with them? Did you ever feel pressured to teach for the purpose of those dreaded entrance exams I hear so much about? Did you like the town? Were the people nice? Did you feel safe? Were there other ALTs in the area? Did you go to any JET arranged events? Did you make friends? ...Were you happy?
I should really assume that last question would be 'yes' from her because she's been in Shigaraki for 2 years. ^^
Ha! I just realized that if you replace all those 'weres' and 'dids' with 'will I/they'--that's pretty much how I feel right now. Those are all the questions I have about my soon to be experience. And there's no way to answer them! I'm nervous and excited all at once. I read the part about what ALTs do in the classroom, and I just felt...I don't know, a wave of excitement. My mind began plotting all sorts of ideas about what I could do--*such a nerd!* I love helping students learn. ^^ I WANT them to learn, and I want to be able to teach well so they DO learn! And it might be my downfall sometimes, but I love making things fun. It's my greatest reward when I can making a lesson interesting enough that the students get into it. (Ha! I feel like I'm writing my essay to JET all over again! ^^)
But yeah...then I read all the other info in the handbook--about living in Japan. About paying bills and having to set up things like a bank account (which I think I'll get help in doing, but still...) About having to communicate in Japanese again, and knowing I have a weakness for being hesitant in unfamilar situations. About knowing what to do and how to be safe and who to call and some situations I could possibly run across as a foreigner (female, at that) in Japan. And all those questions I wrote up there came swirling into my mind, and my 'excitment to teach' feeling kinda got lost in a slightly...ok majorly overwhelming feeling.
And now I can't sleep. I've been trying to keep myself busy, trying to relax myself by writing all my questions/concerns down in a list so I can email the ALT over there right now... But finally, as a theraputic outlet, I finally just sat down on LJ here and typed my heart out. I feel a little better. But I'm still jittery. I'm still wide-awake. (I still have to get up at like 8:30 to go into work!! ><;;)
My lil sister said the sweetest thing to me when she came downstairs for a snack and I was still up. She said, 'Sarah, you were like born for this. You studied Japanese, and you've been teaching kids for, like, ever!' ...It made me feel really good, and I know deep down she's right. I bet I'm gonna have a good time. I bet it's going to go pretty well... I just hate all these unknowns! I feel so out of control of my own destiny at the moment...
Hee hee, that last bit was a bit melodramatic, wasn't it? <33