Happy Tanabata!
Just one more day and the weekend is finally here. For some reason this week seems longer than others. I kind of got used to the fact that I have to move from school to school so often. Crazy thing happened today… ok so you remember the meeting that I went to last week Friday? Well, when I asked for a schedule they said that they didn’t have one yet. So as a courtesy I asked them to just send it by fax to whatever school I have this week. Anyway I get my schedule and the bastards have me scheduled for more than 4 classes a day! I guess it may not sound so bad but when you have to do a fifth and sometimes sixth lesson in one day it gets really tiring. Out of the six days that I got to that school I have three days that have more than 4 periods a day. One day even has six periods scheduled. Jeez Louise! What the fuck are they trying to do? Does that mean on Friday I can bail at 1 o’clock since I already paid my dues?
I saw the schedule and immediately took that to my current V.P. He looked over it and saw what I was up there for. But at the same time he didn’t have a look of sympathy or anything. He looked as if the schedule was unfair. Not necessarily for m but for his school because the rules in our contract state that we cannot have more than 4 periods a day unless it’s a specific/special circumstance. So he’s probably thinking “if we can’t have Chris do more lessons a day than you can’t either.” Anyway he called the school and told them about the whole schedule thing. Just before he called I got worried about “first impressions” and told him that the schedule they gave me for this week was ok but to tell them not to do that in the future. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?! I can’t believe I gave into the guilt. All I know is that I’ll be suffering a little bit next week.
I vaguely remember the principal asking if I ever taught a disabled class. I made a comment that I did, and he asked me something about the strict ruling of the whole four periods a day thing. I didn’t quite understand what he said but I tried my best to explain that I am willing to teach his disabled class but I am under strict rules about teaching more than 4 classes a day. I guess I got the conversation a little mixed up and he thought I was doing their school a service by working my ass off just because the Principal is over enthusiastic about English. But I guess I can let it go this one time since it is a new school and it’s the first time they’ve had an ALT come to their school.
Today is July 7th and in Japan its Tanabata. It’s really cool how the schools incorporate the holiday into the school. Well its not a holiday where you don’t need to come to work but it’s a special day where you make wishes. It’s about the old Chinese legend about two lovers that where separated for whatever reason and turned into stars. And every year around this date they supposedly meet in the heaven for a night of courtship or something like that. Anyway as the stars meet you make a wish as they made a wish to be together. And supposedly if you are true the wish comes true as well. During lunch over the P.A. system the 6th graders read off wishes that were made. You got your usual “I want a Nintendo D.S, or a new PS2 game, or etc.” Bu then you would hear some really thoughtful and cute things especially from the younger kids. For example, 1st grader said “I want everyone in the school to be happy like a really big family.” 2nd grader asked “I wish my brother good grades on his test he can play with me more.” 2nd grader said, “I wish for candies for my mom because she works hard.” You can’t help but be touched when the kids say things like that. I often say that kids are dumb and you can get away with anything but in truth kids can be very insightful and sincere. I guess you can say that they’re just naïve but you meet a kid and something about him/her makes you feel that someone, somewhere did something right.
Sigh…. Kids….
Break it Down
I saw the schedule and immediately took that to my current V.P. He looked over it and saw what I was up there for. But at the same time he didn’t have a look of sympathy or anything. He looked as if the schedule was unfair. Not necessarily for m but for his school because the rules in our contract state that we cannot have more than 4 periods a day unless it’s a specific/special circumstance. So he’s probably thinking “if we can’t have Chris do more lessons a day than you can’t either.” Anyway he called the school and told them about the whole schedule thing. Just before he called I got worried about “first impressions” and told him that the schedule they gave me for this week was ok but to tell them not to do that in the future. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?! I can’t believe I gave into the guilt. All I know is that I’ll be suffering a little bit next week.
I vaguely remember the principal asking if I ever taught a disabled class. I made a comment that I did, and he asked me something about the strict ruling of the whole four periods a day thing. I didn’t quite understand what he said but I tried my best to explain that I am willing to teach his disabled class but I am under strict rules about teaching more than 4 classes a day. I guess I got the conversation a little mixed up and he thought I was doing their school a service by working my ass off just because the Principal is over enthusiastic about English. But I guess I can let it go this one time since it is a new school and it’s the first time they’ve had an ALT come to their school.
Today is July 7th and in Japan its Tanabata. It’s really cool how the schools incorporate the holiday into the school. Well its not a holiday where you don’t need to come to work but it’s a special day where you make wishes. It’s about the old Chinese legend about two lovers that where separated for whatever reason and turned into stars. And every year around this date they supposedly meet in the heaven for a night of courtship or something like that. Anyway as the stars meet you make a wish as they made a wish to be together. And supposedly if you are true the wish comes true as well. During lunch over the P.A. system the 6th graders read off wishes that were made. You got your usual “I want a Nintendo D.S, or a new PS2 game, or etc.” Bu then you would hear some really thoughtful and cute things especially from the younger kids. For example, 1st grader said “I want everyone in the school to be happy like a really big family.” 2nd grader asked “I wish my brother good grades on his test he can play with me more.” 2nd grader said, “I wish for candies for my mom because she works hard.” You can’t help but be touched when the kids say things like that. I often say that kids are dumb and you can get away with anything but in truth kids can be very insightful and sincere. I guess you can say that they’re just naïve but you meet a kid and something about him/her makes you feel that someone, somewhere did something right.
Sigh…. Kids….
Break it Down
posted by Chris at 11:10 PM
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