the end is in sight...

Last week we had 11 new teachers visitTIU!  It was a bit overwhelming for me.  Quiet mornings preparing for class were filled with excitement and chatter of 11 more people!   This week it looked like a tornado came through my cubicle.  There were piles of papers and notes and random things everywhere!  It was a needed moment to meet all the new staff!  Two will join us in the fall semester. We had a formal business dinner on Friday, and I chatted with the hard working Toru-san.  At times I can get frustrated and complain about work, but overall I am grateful for this opportunity.  It is a once in a lifetime opportunity!  I truly appreciate all that I hope to gain from this experience.
¤2 Weeks until the semester ends!
¤1 month until Thailand!

Chillin' in the English Lounge

With the AmAziNG Toru-san!

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.