Flimflammery I tell you...
Well, that was quite possibly the cruellest experience I have ever had to put a child through.
Teaching at my special school this morning: “Ah, Geoff-sensei. 'If You’re Happy and You Know It'. Teach yes? You. Yes.” And she put up the words to it on the board. OK. I only have to do this for 40 minutes, I can handle that. Right then. It all goes fine for the first few words and then BAM! “what your what?” they all queried? Your hands, clap your hands. Hmm. Why are you looking at me like that. Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhh.
I’m sure they really wanted to. Daichi has no arms and only half a leg. Saeya couldn’t make her hands meet if given a few hours and a some rubber bands, let alone meet with enough force to clap. In fact most of them have trouble controlling their arms generally. Maybe three could’ve done it. The sensei however insisted we continued. So I finally get through it, mostly it's just all me. Onto the next verse. No. No no no. Those that could just about get by with the clapping in the first part certainly cannot join me in the next: stamp your feet. Really, if they could I’m sure they’d love to. I spent 40 excruciating minutes basically showing off to a bunch of disabled kids what I can do with all four of my working limbs.
“Hey, Daichi! Check this out – Yeah! Stamping! Oh yeah! Yo, Takahiro, look at me woooo-wooo woooooooo! can ya do this? Can ya can ya?”
Recently I’ve been pondering the great question. No, not that great question – I sussed that one ages ago. This question is the one that plagues all JETs at around this point every year – should I re-contract?
JETs start to feel out who’s staying, who’s going. Teachers begin dropping subtle hints (which in Japan is very hard to catch unless you’re really concentrating). Yesterday my supervisor sing-songed “So, Geoff-san, neh. Have you madeupyourmiiiiiind? Neh, neh. Maybe one year is tooooooo short neh.” Which is the Japanese way of saying “please stay.” I was rather surprised at this as I was sure she cant wait to see the back of me. No, they want me to stay.
But do I?
Maybe I should write a pros and cons list:
Pro: Money
Con: Teaching Japanese kids
Pro: Great friends
Con: Teaching Japanese kids
Pro: Excitement, adventure, and really wild things
Con: Teaching Japanese kids
Actually, the teaching is not all that bad, it’s the things that go along with it: the terrible unresponsiveness of Japanese students; the highly boring essay marking; the ridiculous bureaucracy; the demand for TOTAL commitment to the school; the assumption that you know everything so there’s obviously no need to tell you; having to get up at 6am during the week; being totally unable to have a decent lie-in on the weekend because you get up at 6am during the week; teaching elementary kids and having to torture them with “If You’re Happy and You Know It”; the frustration of being unable, most of the time, to get an idea or a question across to an ‘English teacher’; the slight resentment from teachers that I earn more money than when they started.
Hmm, that’s quite a list isn’t it?
Then again there’s the actual thrill of everything coming together when you teach a successful lesson; the coolness of living, even succeeding, in an entirely alien culture; kids talking to you in English outside of the classroom; fun weekend trips; the great people I’ve met and will meet; the JET community; a guaranteed income every month.
Nope, that didn’t really help.
Before I came out here my mother told me never to come back. Well, no, of course she didn’t. She did, however, suggest I stay for longer than a year because of the great opportunity and the great pay. How many people can say in passing: “Japan? Oh yeah, I worked there for a few years when I was younger.......so this Aston Martin, does the price include a sunroof?” She has a point. I could actually get round to learning Japanese if I stayed an extra year; I could pay off all my debts and get round to starting some savings; I could totally breeze next year’s teaching because I’ve already done the prep.
Robin and I have discussed it and we still don’t know (though we are definitely starting from the “no” side). We’ll discuss it more by January and make a decision then (Robin: We are/are not staying.
Geoff: OK
Have I resolved my dilemma? No. Have you been entertained by my anguish? Maybe. At least someone’s getting something out of it.
Teaching at my special school this morning: “Ah, Geoff-sensei. 'If You’re Happy and You Know It'. Teach yes? You. Yes.” And she put up the words to it on the board. OK. I only have to do this for 40 minutes, I can handle that. Right then. It all goes fine for the first few words and then BAM! “what your what?” they all queried? Your hands, clap your hands. Hmm. Why are you looking at me like that. Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhh.
I’m sure they really wanted to. Daichi has no arms and only half a leg. Saeya couldn’t make her hands meet if given a few hours and a some rubber bands, let alone meet with enough force to clap. In fact most of them have trouble controlling their arms generally. Maybe three could’ve done it. The sensei however insisted we continued. So I finally get through it, mostly it's just all me. Onto the next verse. No. No no no. Those that could just about get by with the clapping in the first part certainly cannot join me in the next: stamp your feet. Really, if they could I’m sure they’d love to. I spent 40 excruciating minutes basically showing off to a bunch of disabled kids what I can do with all four of my working limbs.
“Hey, Daichi! Check this out – Yeah! Stamping! Oh yeah! Yo, Takahiro, look at me woooo-wooo woooooooo! can ya do this? Can ya can ya?”
Recently I’ve been pondering the great question. No, not that great question – I sussed that one ages ago. This question is the one that plagues all JETs at around this point every year – should I re-contract?
JETs start to feel out who’s staying, who’s going. Teachers begin dropping subtle hints (which in Japan is very hard to catch unless you’re really concentrating). Yesterday my supervisor sing-songed “So, Geoff-san, neh. Have you madeupyourmiiiiiind? Neh, neh. Maybe one year is tooooooo short neh.” Which is the Japanese way of saying “please stay.” I was rather surprised at this as I was sure she cant wait to see the back of me. No, they want me to stay.
But do I?
Maybe I should write a pros and cons list:
Pro: Money
Con: Teaching Japanese kids
Pro: Great friends
Con: Teaching Japanese kids
Pro: Excitement, adventure, and really wild things
Con: Teaching Japanese kids
Actually, the teaching is not all that bad, it’s the things that go along with it: the terrible unresponsiveness of Japanese students; the highly boring essay marking; the ridiculous bureaucracy; the demand for TOTAL commitment to the school; the assumption that you know everything so there’s obviously no need to tell you; having to get up at 6am during the week; being totally unable to have a decent lie-in on the weekend because you get up at 6am during the week; teaching elementary kids and having to torture them with “If You’re Happy and You Know It”; the frustration of being unable, most of the time, to get an idea or a question across to an ‘English teacher’; the slight resentment from teachers that I earn more money than when they started.
Hmm, that’s quite a list isn’t it?
Then again there’s the actual thrill of everything coming together when you teach a successful lesson; the coolness of living, even succeeding, in an entirely alien culture; kids talking to you in English outside of the classroom; fun weekend trips; the great people I’ve met and will meet; the JET community; a guaranteed income every month.
Nope, that didn’t really help.
Before I came out here my mother told me never to come back. Well, no, of course she didn’t. She did, however, suggest I stay for longer than a year because of the great opportunity and the great pay. How many people can say in passing: “Japan? Oh yeah, I worked there for a few years when I was younger.......so this Aston Martin, does the price include a sunroof?” She has a point. I could actually get round to learning Japanese if I stayed an extra year; I could pay off all my debts and get round to starting some savings; I could totally breeze next year’s teaching because I’ve already done the prep.
Robin and I have discussed it and we still don’t know (though we are definitely starting from the “no” side). We’ll discuss it more by January and make a decision then (Robin: We are/are not staying.
Geoff: OK
Have I resolved my dilemma? No. Have you been entertained by my anguish? Maybe. At least someone’s getting something out of it.
posted by Geoff at 5:06 AM
5 Comments:
Stay. Sunshine will be sad without you two.
Your JTE is going to burn in hell for making you do that song with disabled kids. I'm guessing they weren't able to touch their toes either . . .
Stay. Sunshine will be sad without you two.
Your JTE is going to burn in hell for making you do that song with disabled kids. I'm guessing they weren't able to touch their toes either . . .
Stay. Sunshine will be sad without you two.
Your JTE is going to burn in hell for making you do that song with disabled kids. I'm guessing they weren't able to touch their toes either . . .
I don't know about you, but I'm going to hell for laughing so much at that story! :D
I think one year in Japan is too short. But two years could be too long... I say don't stay because of money, but do stay for the experience.
I agree with Chris.
I stayed the full 3 and then another 2.5 years for good measure. Shoulda left sooner, but climbing Fuji and a few other things were worth the hassle. (And by "hassle" I mean "Teaching Japanese kids :D)
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