I'm back home safe and sound. The trip back was not even very bad. My usual airplane headache and general bad feelings were absent and the taxi driver was very nice and gave me a little discount for helping translate for him. There were a couple of English speakers riding the same taxi. Lucky him and lucky me.
I sent my passport to the US Embassy to get my name changed. It makes me nervous to have to send it in the mail, but there's not a lot I can do about it. When I finally get it back, I'll then have to start the process of changing my visa and the name on my bank account and cellphone and stuff. I get to go through the hassle of changing my name in two countries. Aren't I lucky? When I get all of it done, it should make my life here easier though...hopefully. At least I'll be able to do any kind of work I like. Being stuck to one field makes me feel constricted; though I don't know what other work I could find here. I'll have to look around. Not that I'm in need for work. It's just in the case that I don't fit in to the overall working of my husband's shop. I'm not sure if I'm meant to spend my life in retail or English teaching for that matter. But soon I'll have options. I'm a big fan of having work options.
So I'm talking to my first graders (7th graders) about American junior highs...well in my case middle schools. I showed them a calender for the year and explained that we have two and half months for summer vacation. The kids all said they wanted to go to school in the US after hearing that.
Then I showed them the day's schedule. Start at 8:50, five minutes between classes, seven classes...they all said that they liked the Japanese system better, with 10 minutes and only 5 classes.
Then I pointed out that we don't have to clean the school; that turned their votes back to the US schools.
After that I explained the different classes that American students take. They couldn't believe that we have to take the same classes everyday, but some were excited by the idea of an elective class. They have electives here, but it's always an extra class of a subject they are already taking. For example, all the kids study English, but they can choose the take an extra English class during the elective time. They can choose remedial or advanced English for their elective. It's all very complicated, but it's not like taking band or choir as your elective. The kids were all on the fence about with system they liked better by this time.
The decisive point was grades. In the US, 69 and below is failing, right? Not so in Japan. They don't make that kind of distinction. There's an average for the tests, but not a failing or passing grade. There is almost no possible way to get held back or fail a grade in Japan. And my students did not like the idea of going to school during summer vacation to make up for failing. It's sad, but our averages for tests are usually about 50. I often hear kids congratulate themselves or others for scores around 60. I would have been bummed out about anything lower than an 80 when I was in school. I don't know, maybe the tests are harder here...or since they don't study each subject everyday, they don't retain the information as well. Who knows...
I sent my passport to the US Embassy to get my name changed. It makes me nervous to have to send it in the mail, but there's not a lot I can do about it. When I finally get it back, I'll then have to start the process of changing my visa and the name on my bank account and cellphone and stuff. I get to go through the hassle of changing my name in two countries. Aren't I lucky? When I get all of it done, it should make my life here easier though...hopefully. At least I'll be able to do any kind of work I like. Being stuck to one field makes me feel constricted; though I don't know what other work I could find here. I'll have to look around. Not that I'm in need for work. It's just in the case that I don't fit in to the overall working of my husband's shop. I'm not sure if I'm meant to spend my life in retail or English teaching for that matter. But soon I'll have options. I'm a big fan of having work options.
So I'm talking to my first graders (7th graders) about American junior highs...well in my case middle schools. I showed them a calender for the year and explained that we have two and half months for summer vacation. The kids all said they wanted to go to school in the US after hearing that.
Then I showed them the day's schedule. Start at 8:50, five minutes between classes, seven classes...they all said that they liked the Japanese system better, with 10 minutes and only 5 classes.
Then I pointed out that we don't have to clean the school; that turned their votes back to the US schools.
After that I explained the different classes that American students take. They couldn't believe that we have to take the same classes everyday, but some were excited by the idea of an elective class. They have electives here, but it's always an extra class of a subject they are already taking. For example, all the kids study English, but they can choose the take an extra English class during the elective time. They can choose remedial or advanced English for their elective. It's all very complicated, but it's not like taking band or choir as your elective. The kids were all on the fence about with system they liked better by this time.
The decisive point was grades. In the US, 69 and below is failing, right? Not so in Japan. They don't make that kind of distinction. There's an average for the tests, but not a failing or passing grade. There is almost no possible way to get held back or fail a grade in Japan. And my students did not like the idea of going to school during summer vacation to make up for failing. It's sad, but our averages for tests are usually about 50. I often hear kids congratulate themselves or others for scores around 60. I would have been bummed out about anything lower than an 80 when I was in school. I don't know, maybe the tests are harder here...or since they don't study each subject everyday, they don't retain the information as well. Who knows...
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