Backstreet Boys

I was never a fan of the group although I also didn’t dislike their songs. This morning, I found myself reading the song “I Want It That Way” out loud and singing it with the class. The third year is on a Backstreet boys treat till they graduate.

Speaking of graduation, I will finally be graduating in March and we finally know which city we are moving to. I have been hired directly by a BOE, which is a good thing rather than being in a dispatch company. I like my company now. Everybody has been very nice and supportive but like most say, it is better to be hired directly. It is a bigger city, more schools but I hope it will be a better place for us especially the kids. It will be another adjustment but I think the change will do us all good. We would be nearer to my sister and Rad would be happier being near to “civilization” and the Tokaido line.

And I am able to write all these gibberish because, again, I don’t have any class. I had a first period but I only did some reading for their listening test for about 15 minutes. My next class is at 4th period. I am again trying to fight my eyes from closing by trying to keep my hands busy on the keyboards. I have all my activities done and darn I am really so bored. I really wish I can bring my scrapbooking materials to school to while away the time. At least I’d be more productive.

After a few hours.....
It turned out to be a day full of excitement....
It began with a girl who was called for several times to the faculty room.At first I didn't get what was her fault as the teachers kept on pushing her bangs away from her forehead. Apparently, she had her eyebrows shaved (shaped) over the weekend and also got her ears pierced to boot. That is a big no-no in junior high schools here. She really got quite a scolding.

Second, before we entered our second class, a couple of boys got into a fight right in front of us. One was pissed by the other because the other was singing all throughout their class.

Then another went home because he said he didn't feel well.And he came back in time for lunch. Why? "Just because"... Where did he go? "Went home to play a bit..."

Plus the numerous things happening inside the classroom which some of us might think strange but are otherwise in this country. All in a day's work!

Back to the "Grind"

Yesterday was the first day of work for me for the year 2011. I didn’t receive any schedule so I didn’t prepare anything at all. When I arrived at the school, I met the English teacher on the hallway and she was so surprised to see me. “Sou da!”. It was so comical, I didn’t mind that I didn’t have anything on my workload today. Later she came and told me that we might not have so many classes till next week because they are preparing for the big exam so would I just prepare for the next lessons? I said sure but later in the day, I guess, they felt guilty that I was just sitting on my desk preparing various worksheets that they told me that I have a class with the first year. I prepared a charades game. It was a flop on the first try with the first class but was a big success on the second.

Day by day, these kinds of experiences affirm to me that one can’t really stereotype a school, a class or a group of students or Japanese (for that matter), into a certain category. They are all different. I only have two junior high schools but the activities I prepare for one school are never applicable to the other school (not completely anyway). How easier my life would be if I can just recycle the activities.
So I thought the charades game I made would be very enjoyable for everybody. It turned out they were too shy to try acting out the words. The JTE informed me that 2 years ago, she tried a similar game and it was a success. It is just not applicable for that class now. But, fortunately, with just a little bit of modification, it was a big success in the next class.