school visits...four out of four completed.

Over the past week I've been making appearances at the schools where I will be teaching. Every meeting has been different, ranging from a quick run around the staff room to a more formal sit-down type affair. This morning I visited the last school where I'll be teaching- Naruto Technical High School. The teachers were very amiable and the principal told me that I had "a warm personality that will fit well with the students." They were all happy to hear that I played sports when I was younger and assured me that the students will want to know more about my sport-playing past, especially baseball. As I knew before going into this school, Naruto Tech is home to the top baseball team in the prefecture of Tokushima. I watched them practice for a little bit and could see the professional attitude of the players...it was quite impressive. Naruto Tech will be an interesting situation for teaching because English education is not a priority for the majority of the students. In fact, some of them literally have no practical reason to learn the language due to their selected trade or skill. The teachers were not shy about telling me this either. I told them about my previous teaching experience at City Charter High School and how the students were very "energetic" much like I expect the Naruto Tech kids to be. However, because I don't know the language it will be very different when I try to connect with the students here. My City High job was so fulfilling because of the personal relationships that evolved with the students over the course of the year and, though the schools are not analogous, I feel like there will be a potential to connect with a few students on a common level- even if it doesn't come about through language.

So now I am beginning to prepare my self-introduction for the students and staff at my four schools. I am going to try to give my staff introduction speech in Japanese. Even if it's not perfect I think they'll appreciate the effort. Most of the schools are having an assembly specifically to introduce me to the student body. I'll have to wear a suit that day and bike a few miles beforehand...I'm hoping that it doesn't rain on the days that I'm doing this. I'm really looking forward to my time in the classroom and I felt a good rapport with the majority of the teachers that I've met during my visits. I'm still without a mode of transportation at the moment so I've been catching rides to work in Jill's (neighbor/fellow ALT) car or borrowing a bike for my morning commute to the Board of Education office. It's going to be nice to have my own bike. And the internet. But I'm not holding my breath on the latter- it's looking like I've got about a month to wait. But I've got enough to keep me occupied in the meantime so it's no big deal...