Surfing it old school

…by old school, I mean dial-up. Yes, the only internet which I could procure out here in the countryside of Japan was good ol’ dial-up. I won’t knock it (too much), however. After all, going from completely plugged to barley understanding local news is a very big shock.

I have lived in Japan for a whole month now. In actuality, this isn’t that big as my last stay in Japan was three months long. However, those three months and my one month are so different that it seems ludicrous to even try and compare the two.
Before, I lived in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. My host family took amazing care of me, my friends were all at school, and all I was doing was what I do best, studying (some people are good at sports, I’m good at being a student). This is a complete three-sixty from my life now: countryside, absolutely no one I know, and I’m on the other side of the desk.
So what is it like to be a teacher? In a word – ulcer-inducing. I have such a hearty new found respect for all of my past teachers (except my sixth grade math teacher. I still detest you). Between planning a lesson that you hope won’t bore the students to tears, keeping control of a class, and keeping your cool when you have some real…err…sweethearts in your class, you can find yourself completely whipped out.
As an assistant I plan a weekly lesson which I then implement in twelve different classrooms under the direction of seven different teachers. The English teachers range from awesome, to bitchy, to barley able to speak English. In turn, each of those twelve classes varies in skill level (barley able to make a sentence to about medium). After only two visits to each class, I know which ones I can enjoy and which ones I will be breaking my legs to get out of.

My first lesson was…bad. I should be getting some sort of aid from the U.N. or have it declared a federal disaster. Perhaps even its own day in remembrance, or, at the very least, a museum dedicated to enlightening others about the horror that befell mankind on that day.

Why was it so bad?

Well, I didn’t think about my audience (a cardinal sin for any advertiser!)
In the Japanese classroom there is none of those willy-nilly ‘discussions’, ‘debates’, or ‘interactive lessons’ that American classes use.
And that is the way the Japanese like it.
Teachers pride themselves on having students sit quietly and be attentive of the lecture. My students never raise their hands and never speak out (generally speaking). Not taking this into account, my first lesson was very quiet, very one-sided, and very, very, very awful.

I have learned since then and this week was actually rather fun. Ever since my emo-tastic first weekend I have been having a blast. Missing my last train and being forced to stay out some more (oh the horror), joining Naginata (long-sword/spear training), seeing the mountains of Japan - I have made some fun memories.

Naginata is my favorite part of Japan (but food is very close). The students were a bit reluctant to speak to me in club at first. I don’t blame them – I would be freaked out if my English teacher was wailing on me with a wooden sword. Now they freely talk to me in my rambling Japanese and teach me everything they can about Naginata.
Our captain is amazing. Ranked number two throughout all of Japan, and yet she is so ready to help me. In the ring, she scares the crap out of me. Outside she is always bright and cheerful.

The first month has been a very crazy roller coaster. I feel as if I am starting to settle down a little bit. You can feel the bite of fall in the air, which will bring about it the lovely autumn leaves and the deal of all the irritating mosquitoes.

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Urgh, I just REALLY don't want to make any worksheets right now...