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I'm a California girl who from 2007-2008 studied abroad in Tokyo at Toyo University. 2008-2010 completed my B.A. Degree in Japanese at the University of Hawaii @ Manoa. I was hired on May 6th 2011 to become an Assistant Language Teacher with Interac Co., Ltd. After the events of 3/11 I wanted to do something to help Japan. I decided to start early with Interac and be placed in one of the prefectures most affected by the earthquake/tsunami. <3

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Yet another interview!

A:Rose outside my front door ........ B:Statue on a bench, Harker School


I hope this will be the last one for a bit. Especially I have in mind that Interac will be at least for a couple years.

I interviewed for a school called the Harker School. They used to be a boarding school but to expand to a high school they turned the dorms into the high school. During the summer they have summer programs and one of them is a English Language camp. They get students from China, Korea, Japan mainly but they are open to anyone internationally. They look for student assistants that can speak one of the main languages that their students speak. It's a 7 week program with training week before. This is like the perfect pre-Interac job! Experience working with kids learning English and coming up with ideas for games and things.

So today was my interview and I believe that was it... I get my paperwork in and they contact my references and things. I don't think I have to go back in.

So I got an email before I left from Richelle the Interac recruiter and she asked for us to send her a headshot because she had forgotten to do that at the interview. Good timing I was dressed to impress at the interview so I took the shot and sent off the picture and asked about the Japanese level check.

Because of that I was running late to catch the bus. So I hurried myself to the bus stop which was about a mile away and made it just at the time the bus was scheduled to arrive and thankfully it was running a little late. So once on the bus I looked at the time and guessed when it would be close to getting to where I needed to get off. Google said it was a 48 minute bus ride. so I figured i'd pay attention to where i was about 40 minutes from then. @_@
In about a half hour I looked up out the window and saw the shopping plaza near the school and thankfully I knew the name of it because the interviewer gave me one address and their website gave me another then google said something else so I clarified with the interviewer that it was near that plaza. lol So needless to say I dashed off the bus just in time ^^;;;

I was going to go to a starbuck near by to wait for the interview and relax before hand... there was no starbucks to be found so I went to subway and got a coke zero and apple slices. And headed off to the interview.

At the school it reminded me so much of what elementary school was like for me. Watching the kids and thinking that now i'll be on the other side of that shaping young lives... Then a mother and daughter walked by and the daughter was talking about her homework in grammar and spelling and the mother listened to her and commented back. I swear it was a scene out of a movie or tv show. It made me tear up... my mother passed away about a year and a half ago so somehow remembering that feeling and thinking about how I can no longer rattle on about my day to her... wow even now i'm tearing up ^^;;; So anyways I calmed down cause I didn't want to cry before an interview or make my mascara run. ^^ So went for the interview.

Wow these things keep getting easier and easier. He was a nice personable guy so I didn't feel that nervous. His accent helped as well. I felt I faltered a little when he asked the question of what my strengths were I said I was genki and the kids will love me and I can explain things that are hard to understand and he asked if I would be considered a leader.... >_< I should of said that as a strength but he fished it out lol

I really love the idea of this summer program and I want to be a part of it. I even forgot to ask about the pay but he brought up. It's even more of a nice fit for the over all plan. I really want to work with kids though!

The closer I get to leaving and I research about ALTs I am falling more and more in love with the idea of being a teacher!


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