ONE OK BUNNY vs the First Week

It is Friday and all I can say is TGIF! The last few days I felt like I haven't gotten a lot of sleep. I am someone who needs to wake up a bit in the morning before doing anything so leaving the house at 7:20 to catch my bus means getting up at 5: 30 am or so. In the morning I've been feeling feverish and thankfully by the time I got to school I felt better but once back at home I start feeling feverish again. Even now still feeling a little off.

My time at my Elementary school was so much better then the day before! I liked the lesson well except for the chant I had to do... the kids aren't really feeling it... don't blame them but the rest of the lesson went well ^^ I seem to be getting over the "OMG I don't know what I'm doing and they are going to kill me!" phase faster then I thought ^^

Though never assume anything when teaching! I had a script to read and CD to play and I assumed that the teacher would give those/bring those to my English room. Nope! Thankfully I had memorized the script but not the answers... ok it was a self introduction and the character says they like one of the items and the students draw a line from the person to what they liked. So with the first group I improv'd the answers but it turned out I had them right! ^_^ V

The kids were shy and had to get in groups to come up with questions to ask me. All asked when my birthday was and I answered today! lol I love the slower recognition when translating in their minds. Today? Kyo? Kyo desho!? And I got a 'happy birthday!' and claps ^^ They are amazing!

When meeting new people and things of the like I am usually quiet and sit back and listen more than I talk. It sadly is the same with the students as well yesterday having lunch with the students I didn't say anything but laughed and enjoyed listening them talk about what animal, fruit they were. ^^;

Best part of the day was standing at the bus stop and a car drove by and two of my students were in the back and hear the shock when they saw me outside of class and telling their mom I was the new teacher ^^

I now know that when parents tell their kids they don't have a favorite child it's a lie lol I can see there are some kids I am looking forward to seeing again and some because of their name will just get called on more lol.

Seriously though there is one 6th year student that looks like he is a Johnny Jr.... maybe he is! He is going to be trouble so I got to win him over fast! ^^;;

Today I was back at my JHS I love love love the teachers at the school! I sit next to the vice principal and he is so amazing! So I spent the day mostly at my desk working on a story. The students were in full practice for sports day. I felt more comfortable heading out around the school to watch them. Still from afar ^^;; I am new so I would be too distracting to them. I stood on the balcony outside the teachers room to watch a relay-race and I got spotted and a few of them started waving and saying hello!

I ended up helping Super Vice Principal who had so much going on today. I was happy to help lol I had a feeling I was a little late today having not heard anything from the school or interac about starting time. I had a conversation with the super vp about it and he let me know when he thought would be a good time to show up ^^ I know the schools shouldn't give you orders but getting on the same page about when to show up when you haven't heard anything isn't a bad idea .

There was a meeting at the end of lunch to talk about the Typhoon coming in and how it will most likely cancel tomorrows sports day. Very sad the students have been working so hard! I hope it means it's next weekend if it gets canceled.

My first week was amazing! Can't wait for next week!

ONE OK BUNNY vs the start of Elementary School

Another day at a new school but today I actually had to teach ^^

I got thrown into it right away and bombed my first class. I think I was assuming I would get more queues from the teacher in terms of timing but no. The first teacher I heard about before; he seems so strict and by the book in class but he is a great guy. I felt bad messing things up. My timing was off and I believe i ran into the next class. The next class I ran out of time during the second to last activity. >_< The next class was the least responsive and it was a bit like pulling teeth. The last class though was the best with my timing down as well the teacher helping me by placing the flashcards on the board for me as I ran through them. Then the two periods after lunch were prep times so I sat in the teachers room writing.

So I had lunch with 6-2 which was my best class of the day. It was something else! I was escorted by two of the kids back to the teachers room where they took my tray of food and carried it back to their classroom with me in tow. I felt like a queen with her court lol I also would get summoned to the classroom by a couple of the kids coming to the teachers room.

That has been something amazing to me! Kids would come to the room to say get me or get a key from the cabinet they stand at the door and announce themselves; "I'm Tanaka from class 6-3 here to get oneokbunny-sensei!" then the vice principal or other teacher will give them the ok to come in and they hurry to my desk ^^

Also after lunch well during lunch but after we all eat there are a few kids who come in to clean the teachers room for us. They take out the trash and sweep the room. I love seeing how much respect the teachers have. I personally believe they deserve it! Our future is coming from their lessons ^^

So the annoying thing about my ES is that the bus comes over an hour after I get off and if I miss that one I wait 2 hours >_< but there is a 100 yen shop and it is a huge one at that! I might be able to run over and get some things and make my bus. Though I swear the IC tried to show me the bus stops for my ES and they were in front of the 100 yen shop! but today I went to head back that way and there were no stops on that street O_O shocking! so I have a bit of a worry on timing on making the bus if I go shopping ^^

So tired at the moment and feeling a little off so taking some vc and getting some sleep!

ONE OK BUNNY vs the First Day

Today seems a very long time coming. Coming in one of the last groups of recovery teachers and being one of the few who didn't have to teach for over a month... had it's pluses (who wouldn't want to be paid for sitting around? Extra time for settling in!) and well it's minuses... like training after training... after training. Training started to get annoying for me because I am the type of person who opens a manual reads "flip the on switch" and throw the book aside in favor of pushing buttons to see what they do. During training you can try things out in front of others and get feedback but it's not the same as working with the kids. Or at least I don't think so! ^^;;;

Today was my first day and it was at my JHS. In spite of how things turned out before... I got a lot of info about my ES but heard nothing about my first day at my JHS. I did was I was supposed to do telling Interac a week before. I heard nothing. So last night after yet more training I went into the office to at least find out what time I should show up.

The scheduler quickly called the JHS and asked what was going on. We learned that today would be the opening ceremony so I would most likely give a speech and sit in the teacher's office for the rest of the day. I was so so so relieved and all the fear I was feeling about my first day was gone! Now that I knew what was going to happen and I could relax!

So today I headed out early to see where the bus would be for my trip to my ES tomorrow and to get to school around 8am. On my walk I came across a couple of my future students who said "Hello" to me. I made my way to the hill which my school sits on top of. I still hate this hill but today it seemed shorter then I thought lol

I arrived and walked up to a teacher welcoming students in and said I didn't know where to go. She took me in the teacher entrance, which is next to the students, and up to the teachers room. I met the principal and vice principal and was served iced coffee as I waited.

I was introduced to the teachers and made them laugh. I was told I would be saying something at the opening ceremony and met the English teachers for each year. The 1st year teacher helped me out a lot and stood by my side during the ceremony. He explained parts of the ceremony as well.

I got up and when I said Good Morning! the 100+ students replied lol I said in Japanese my name where i was from and said my Japanese wasn't good so switching to English, Let's try English! ok? and I heard the reply ok!

My school is currently readying itself for the sports day festival this weekend so most of the teachers were working with their students. I wrote most of the day in my notebook; working on a new novel.

Lunch was good! Some of the best Curry I've had! ^^ I am hoping that most of the school lunches will turn out as good.

After lunch I made the mistake of how i answered a question the vice-principal asked. He asked if I knew how to get to my ES. I answered "...yes?" This lead to the VP the P and a couple teachers looking at maps and buses for me. I feel the love in it but I feel bad for putting them out like that... and felt even worse when they called the ES @_@! But it reminds me what I love about Japanese culture! They all seemed to really want to help me figure out how to get to my ES.

I went home and yeah even though it's 9:30pm now as soon as I finish writing I am going to sleep!

Today was magical though! one of those moments when the universe seems to click and say hey you've been through bad stuff in life so hey here's one on me be happy! It's ok!

Butterflies and Dragonflies going about in the gym during the ceremony. My coworkers at the school seem amazing! It seemed that every time I left my desk there was a treat left on it. Random students walking by the open door to the teachers room seeing me and whispering hello. Watching the students prepare the games and dances for the sports festival...... it was all so magical!!

Tomorrow.... my first day at my ES and my first day teaching. Hope it's as magical as today!