A few times a year the school I work at has a special meeting. At that talk we go over all the students who are facing beyond-the-norm problems. Obviously I am not going to go into any great detail but I will say these problems run from academic troubles to emotional issues to recent divorces … More School Blues
I’ve talked in the past about my current real life job, teaching at a private elementary school. Hopefully I have made it very clear that I greatly enjoy this job and the people (staff and students) that come along with this. I genuinely like it. I want to make that clear. Because every now and … More Living the Dream (for a day or two)
Here in Japan the school year is on an April to March schedule. So, just as the cherry blossoms are in peak bloom a new set of lessons begins. I’m one of the lucky ones that actually gets a decent spring break. Combine that with the end of year and beginning of year ceremonies and … More Teaching is an Endurance Sport
The 6th graders had their final day as elementary students today. What a bunch a little cuties. Whenever I watch a graduation ceremony in Japan I think of the differences between the ones here and the ones I went to in the US. The individual elements are the same, but the order is flipped. The … More Graduation Day
Today was the last day of classes for this school year. I teach in an all-girls private elementary school here in Tokyo. I’ll admit I was reluctant to return to teaching at the beginning of 2015. I had been burned and was feeling quite jaded. But it has been a very good move. Today was … More Last school day of the year
I’ve talked in the past that I like my current job. It is the best place I’ve taught in the 10plus years I’ve been teaching. Great kids, a very supportive administration, fantastic teachers I get to work directly with and a school of other friendly teachers. But today had something a little special: we made … More Today I Got Pie
One thing about Japan, is that there are drinking parties. There are places that make them mandatory and by all accounts they can get rather tiresome. And then there are other places that make them optional and just want the folk who join to relax and enjoy themselves. I have the good fortune to work … More A Short and Tipsy Update about work
Over all today has been quite solid. Taught some classes at school. And since it was Wednesday we had club time. I am one of the teachers in charge of the English club. We do a variety of things in club. Sometimes we play English games. Sometimes we sing songs. Last week we played guess … More Frisbee Girls
Most of my adult life I have been teaching Eglish in Japan. Straight out of college I came over and taught in a Junior high school in a mid-sized city. After doing that for four years, and with various adventures and disasters that make up teaching spirnkled in, I moved up, or perhaps over is … More Teaching English in Japan
(A True Life story about a recent day working with a class of junior high school students.) “Okay class, we are about to begin,” the teacher announced. The assistant looked over the room. Twenty six of the twenty seven students were in attendance. It was a private girl’s school. Technically it was a Catholic school … More Blank Tapes
Deadly Troubadour 