I cannot stop crying. I have been crying since 2:00pm. During lunch the fourth year teachers (school secretary, the custodians, nurse, and librarian) ate lunch with me and gave me goodbye presents. I got stationary and a beautiful Japanese silk towel. It is orange with a picture of the moon and two Japanese style rabbits sitting in the grass ( Read more... )

Today is my last day at school. I am not too sure how I feel about it at this moment. I cleaned out my desk, printed off my speech, and now I am waiting for second period and the closing ceremony. I think I just feel a bit empty and lost right now. It is going to be hard to say goodbye. This has been one of the best schools that I have taught in; ( Read more... )

Two words: TEST DAY

I had no idea it was test day and I didn't come prepared to sit at my desk all day. I guess I will read my Lonely Planet: Japan and see I want to visit any where else before I leave.

I got to school, looked up at the monthly schedule and said “No way! I am reading that kanji wrong.” I got out my electronic dictionary and then said “You have got to be kidding me.” My last solution was to call over Aoyama Sensei and ask her if I was right...and I was.

The third year graduation is on March 11. That is a Tuesday. A TUESDAY! A ( Read more... )

Aoyama Sensei came up to me and said “Erin, today many students are missing from 1-3. There are 20 students in class now and 14 students have the cold. But I want to you have 1-1 conversations with the students who are there.”

I walked up to the class and found every student who was there wearing a mask (the mask is supposed to help keep them from ( Read more... )

The high school results for some of the very good schools are coming in. One or two of the teachers are out doing rounds of the high school to check the posting numbers. When each student takes an entrance test they are given a number the results are posted with the numbers of the students who passed the exam and can enter the school.

The teachers ( Read more... )

At Asahi Junior High School I do not have a set schedule. When a teacher wants to have me visit a class, they come up to me and ask me to help them. Normally I try to get my schedule set on Monday. I go up to the three English teachers and ask, “What classes do you want me to visit this week?” The first and second year teacher are good about giving ( Read more... )

 
It was the first day back at school and I didn’t teach. I got some lesson plans made and showed my teachers the pictures from Thailand. Nothing too exciting.

 
My school is crazy. I have told numerous people this but I think today proved it.

Kocho Sensei and Shucho Sensei were arguing about something in the office. Shucho Sensei kept telling Kocho Sensei to sit down and leave him alone. Kocho Sensei always replied with “I don’t want to”. This had all of the teachers in the teachers’ room laughing (myself ( Read more... )

 In Japan Christmas is considered a Christian holiday. When I asked my adult conversation class if they were going to give their children presents for Christmas they all replied, “No because we are not Christian.”

I said, “Ok” and then started to move on. Then what they said hit me and I stopped the lesson and said “Wait, you are not giving your ( Read more... )