Christmas! And my job!!!

Big news!!  I got a job!!!  A real job that requires my degree and teaching experience!!!   Starting January 8th, I'll be teaching English Oral Communication at Kashiwagi Gauken High School!  Most of my students will be between 15 and 18 years old and there are usually around 30 students in a class.  I went into meet the teacher who is leaving (I found out she's only quitting because they're moving and she has loved the job, phew!) and it's a bit different than I expected, but mostly in good ways! 

 The slightly bad way is that the kids aren't as advanced as I expected at all.  They're new to speaking English, but they sure do like to speak Japanese in class!  And actually some English too, even when the teacher is talking. Not just a little, lots!  So I'm definitely going to have to work on some classroom management because I can't tolerate that.  I'm not sure if the current teacher just doesn't have a strict policy against talking whenever the heck you want, or if this is normal.  I shall research.  Also, the teacher who interviewed me said it best, something like this:  "There are many bright students in Japan, but we have all levels of schools here.  Our students, not so bright!"  I was surprised by this because it's a private international school.   Sounds fancy, right?  Guess not. 

 But on to the good parts: 
*I will be teaching.  It will be very simple English, but it will still be teaching.  They have a grammar class, in addition to this conversation class.  There is a translator in each class with me, so when the students don't understand what I'm saying, the translator will step in and translate.  Also, I don't do any kind of record keeping:  No checking homework, no grading homework, no grading quizzes and tests!  No calling parents!  The translator does ALL of that! My job is to be the expert native-speaker and to get them comfortable speaking English.  Their exam next week covers discussion on fast food, holidays, and jobs. The first chapter that I will teaching will be on receiving/giving directions and using a map.  
*My commute is relatively simple. I could drive, and it's a simple drive, but traffic would be pretty annoying.  I'm told that the school will pay for my train fare, so I'm going to take the train 2 stops east.  This only takes 4 minutes. Then I will walk one mile north.  I just need to buy some warm and waterproof boots.  With traffic lights and everything, it took me 16 minutes to walk.  So that's not so bad.  And I'll get a little exercise.     
*I have to be at work from 8:40 until 3:10 every Monday through Friday, except of course Japanese holidays and breaks.  They go to school "year round", but they still have a big summer break and other several week long breaks.  Also, I don't have to go to work during their exam weeks, which happens three times a year.  The teacher told me that they still get paid during breaks though!   I assumed their full time teachers would, but I figured since I'm going to be only a part-time teacher, I wouldn't.   
*I'm only considered part-time because of a few reasons.  First, on M, T, W, I only teach 2 classes and on TH and F I teach 3.  They're only 50 minute classes!  I see the same kids only twice a week, so there is only 2 classes to prepare for every week.  They have a textbook and workbook and then I'll find some good supplementals online too.  So even though I wouldn't need a lot of extra time to do planning, I have LOTS of planning time during each day.  I'm used to planning for 3 classes every day, so 2 classes per week is a breeze.
*I'm not the only Oral Communications teacher.  The other teacher is also here with the Navy.  She seems really nice, calm, and helpful.  For the first couple of weeks, I'm pretty sure she's just going to tell me what to do and then once I get a better feel for the students ability, I can do more planning with her.  I'm very relieved that she is there.  I was pretty nervous about going in and doing the job all on my own.
*The pay isn't equivalent to my previous teaching jobs, but the work isn't either!  The pay is probably the best I can expect while here, unless I would get a full time teaching job at the American school at Zama.

These are some students that go to Kashiwagi!   It is very normal for students to ride the train and walk a mile or so to school.  Almost all Japanese students wear a formal uniform.  Some private schools don't, but Kashiwagi does.

This picture isn't particularly interesting, but on my walk to work, I saw many people doing what this guy is doing, sweeping leaves.  I guess they just don't appreciate crunchy leaves on the ground like we do, because they sweep them up almost as soon as they fall.  They're very into keeping the roads and sidewalks clean.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!   Even here in Japan.  I think I'm the only one in my neighborhood with actual Christmas lights up, but the stores sell basic decorations and the mall is even decorated pretty well.  I'll take it!  

We put up our Christmas decorations this past weekend.  Actually, we bought new decorations and put them up.  Whenever we were packing to move, I had no idea I'd have all the space that I do have in my house.  So my giant Rubbermaid tubs of holiday decorations did not make the cut.  Off to long-term storage they went, see you in 3 years!   I was lucky to find a tree at Second Fiddle, the second hand store on base that I love, and some bulbs, fake snow and a topper at one of the 100 yen stores (like a dollar store, only it's really $1.25, and so much better).  We got some lights for the tree and our front door on base.  I'm thinking I'm going to hold out on buying other decorations until the day after Christmas sale at Zama, the Army base near us.  It has a lot more Christmas stuff than Atsugi.    I also found a poinsettia for 298 yen, which is roughly $3.50 at the grocery store near my house.  



 

It's probably time to bring plants in since I have up Christmas decorations.  The tree is my favorite, but only at dark.  It's fiber optic!

This past weekend was very nice and relaxing.  We made a couple of trips out, but mostly just hung out at home.  Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving with friends.  It was Adam's birthday last week, so Jimena hosted a surprise birthday part/Thanksgiving dinner at their house.  A bunch of people from the clinic and two fun Japanese gals came.  Lots of delicious food was enjoyed and we played Just Dance.  We also experienced an earthquake!  I read that it was a 4.9 and was just 35 kilometers east of us.  The house shook for about 5 seconds.  No damage at all, but still crazy!  Also, we got our spare bedroom organized finally!  See pics below!

Have I wrote about our curfew on here?   I think I have.  Just to review, previously, we just had to be in our residence or on base for good between the hours of 11pm and 5am.  However, there have been several other bad incidents involving drunken military members and Japanese nationals, so now there is no alcohol sold on base after 8 and no drinking after 10.  Also, most annoyingly, you have to be in your house unless you're in a hotel that has been previously command approved.  Previously, you just had to be in for the night wherever you were.  Booooo!   It's not a huge deal, but getting anything approved in the military is a drawn out and time consuming process.  And, we haven't done anything wrong here at Atsugi.  But I hear that's how the military rolls. 

My dresser.  I bought the decorative fan at a bazaar here.  I love it.  Bryan says its, "tacky Asian". 

The screws came for our bed. Yay!  Also, there is a giant window to the right.  I had to close the curtains and not include the windows because at the time I was taking the pictures, it was very bright outside and it just appeared to be a blinding white spot. 

Our bedroom is extremely spacious and includes 2 nice size closets.

Thinking of visiting? You can this super comfy bed in our spare bedroom.

More of our spare bedroom.  The bright window is out sliding glass door that opens to the balcony on the front of the house.  It just has sheers covering it right now, but we'll buy curtains so that people can sleep in whenever we have our first visitor.  Be the motivation for us to buy curtains!!

Okay, I'm off to make dinner.  I'm going to book club tonight too, woo woo!