Sunday Funday

Well, it's Sunday night and we are heading into Week 13...

The new GTFs are here and will be coming into our classrooms for most of the day throughout this week!  What a trip it will be to have another teacher in the room! I'm excited and nervous at the same time! Eep! I'm not sure why... Maybe thoughts of insecurity of not being a good teacher in the eyes of another more experienced teacher?

On another note. I'm feeling uncomfortable.  I am grateful for this job and working with great teachers.  I also have to face the reality of being one of the few POC on an "American" staff.  Already the view that most Japanese people have of Americans are the face of a "White" person, and I do not fit that. I love my students and I have faith in their potential to be strong leaders in their communities and sometimes I wonder if they think they would want to have an "American" English teacher that was "White." My issue with teaching English was the connection to "colonization" and "educating" non-European looking people with Christianity and English.  Then I thought about it and decided well, I get to build relationships with my students and support them in their education as they figure out what they want to do with their lives.  Yet, I still feel uncomfortable with teaching "English."  I understand it can help them be more hirable and impact their desire to travel and learn about other cultures.  Sometimes I realize I am living in Japan, and I am in a bubble at work... but the bigger question is how do we shake up one culture's view on another culture?  What does it take for change to happen? Should it change? Or is this all in my head?

3 Months~

Now:

[6.26.2013]

Then:

[4.17.2013]

Cheers mates!! Here to the most challenging 3 months to adjusting to a new life in Japan, and to the start of my teaching career abroad!!!

week 12!!!

Well, well, well... There are 4 weeks left in the spring semester. There is still so much to do and to think about.

Today, I said, "Good morning!!!" several times to my students until they said, "Good morning" more  enthusiastically to me. haha. Fake it until you make it~

I may have mentioned my decision to choose to be more positive.  The last two weeks or three months... felt like they were dragging along... and dragging me along as well...  Today, I had the intention to choose to be positive.  How!?  I am choosing to take care of myself better by going to sleep earlier, practicing yoga in the morning, making my lunch, and leaving work before 6:30pm.  I did that all today, and I feel better already!  Now to keep it up for the rest of the semester... haha.  I'm trying to find the right balance, and it is difficult... AND it has to start somewhere... and no time like the present.

Welcome Summer Time!!!

Friday!!!

On Wednesday it was my student's birthday! Happy 19th Birthday Miyu! She said she had a happy birthday, even though I gave her a long midterm!

On Thursday, I picked up one of the books that the student read and found some fun images to go with the vocabulary! Reading is fun!

T.G.I.F.  After class today, I noticed that my students were matching! Brown pants and blue shirts. Lol. Too cute~

We had our usual Friday meeting and found out that a TIUA professor was not joining us in the fall, and that they hired 13 new GTFs! Amazing... Two of them will join us this Fall and the rest will come next year in 2014!! We will double in size in one year! 11 of them are coming next week and they will get an orientation of everything that goes on here. Oh my! 

dinner with the Niles~

Welcome to Midterms???

Yes, it's Midterms Week. Why? Well, we were on a trip across the Pacific Ocean during Midterms Week, and it's about time to get the students a taste of an "American" style Midterm Exam.

Well, not really... The test was about 4 pages long, and worth 100 points.  Today, I gave Midterms to my English Comprehension classes. Tomorrow I will give Midterms to the Basic Communication classes.

I've been feeling "off" all week. And by all week I mean Monday and Tuesday. ha!  I didn't even realize it was Monday yesterday. I don't know which day I was thinking that it was, but definitely not a Monday. Sure enough it was Monday.

Cheers.

Happy Tuesday.

TGIf

The low thoughts are covering and concealing the good times. Must stay focused and fight the negative thoughts. Don't let them win the battle.  I am content. Can't complain... I have a job and a home.  Thus far, 2.5 months working in Japan. Oooh my...  2 years to go !

Going into Week 10~

（≧∇≦）

Well, here we are again.  Another Sunday night thinking about work and what will happen this week.  I'm surprised and in awe most of the time with how fast and slow time has gone by while I've been living/ working in Japan. I have never felt this before.  The anxiousness I feel right before class begins.  And the constant thought of "Oh, my God" and "What am I doing today?" and "There's so much to do!"  

Today we had Open Campus, where we talked to prospective students.  It was a good opportunity to chat with students and get to know them.  I was at work from 11-3.  Not too bad... Others had to work Saturday and Sunday.  Luckily for me, I had Saturday  off and went to Asakusa and the Sky Tree with my mom.  

THURSday (木)

Greetings friends & family... there is so much to tell, but not enough time. Here's the quick version of the past 3 weeks.

Week of May 20-24

• 3rd orientation session with first year students about Window on Willamette - Study Tour
• Attending and leading the Seminar Group that I was in charge of chaperoning (Kind of a nightmare... There is more to the story that I won't divulge here.)
• Student & Faculty interviews regarding the WOW Study Tour

Week of May 27-June 1

• Monday - 9 hour flight with 120 students to Portland, Oregon + 1 hour bus ride to Salem!!! Orientation Meeting, mac & cheese dinner, overwhelming feelings & emotions of being back in Oregon on a work trip and wanting to see friends... Went to eat Mexican food for dinner and it was divine...
• Tuesday - Walk this way... Walking all over Downtown Salem and Willamette Campus!!!  Quick trip up to Portland (Thai food & Papa Hydn) & was pulled over for swerving between lanes because I was falling asleep. Thank goodness I was pulled over because it woke me up! Catching up with Gwen, Char & Eric~
• Wednesday - Sports Activities Day! Frisbee, flag football, and basketball.  Saw 2 ASP students. yipee! Went on a tour of the Capitol Building.  Ran errands around Salem. Spent way too much money, but it was worth it. haha.  Had ribs for dinner and went to watch The Great Gatsby. Somehow stayed awake throughout the movie~ pure joy. Felt alive again.
• Thursday - Zena Farm Forest trip~ Luckily it didn't rain too much, and the sun decided to make an appearance.  Walked to the Riverfront Carousel and had a picnic in the park.  Went shopping in Salem Center Mall with one of my students. Returned back to campus and started packing.  BBQ farewell dinner. Many TIUA staff and faculty were there. I saw 2 other ASP students. It was a joyous reunion.  Bittersweet moment to say hello/goodbye.
• Friday - 1 hour bus ride up to Portland. Checked in 120 students plus 6 teachers.  Made it all through security check! Some students had liquids and were surprised to have to take off their shoes!  Ate mahi mahi tacos and drank a Rogue beer before heading back to Japan.
• Saturday - 11 hour flight... 2.5 hour bus ride. 15 minute taxi ride. AND I made it back to my home in Japan. Showered and ate pasta for dinner at a nearby restaurant. In a hazy daze.

Now I've had classes for 4 days, and I have been in a zombie mode. My eyes are open, but my brain is slowly functioning. On top of that my Mom arrives tonight, and I need to go to the airport to fetch her.  ON TOP of that we have Open Campus this weekend. Working on the weekend when I am required to be there is rough.  I usually go in to get things done, but it is on my own accord... It's harder when they say we are required to work on the weekend...

On another note... The WOW trip was wonderful.  It was great to connect to the students outside of class, and to spend time communicating and traveling together on a social level without the umbrella of academics hovering above.  It was a low key/ almost painless trip when I think about the relationships and connections made. It was truly a WOW experience.

@ Narita Airport

On top of the State Capitol Building~

Reunion with ASP Students!