April 30, 2016
JET teacher Teresa's Late April Blog Post!
Teresa here!
My last April post detailed my vacation, but this post details the start of school till now. Even though the term started in the beginning of April, my classes will officially begin on May 9th. The first couple weeks of school gave the homeroom teachers and the other teachers time to get to know the students and explain how the school functions.
During that time, Laurence and I have been burning endless amounts of calories by running from one task to another. From creating vocabulary puzzles for different textbooks to scanning, printing, laminating, and cutting a variety of materials, we have worked really hard to complete the tasks given to us. We even had the enormous task of photocopying hundreds of Kanji flashcards (I’m not kidding), scanning them into the system, and filing them properly in a folder.
Laurence and I spent the last week or so dedicating our time to the Extensive Reading Room, or the 多読. The cycle repeated: we printed, cut, laminated, and pasted decorations and signs throughout the room. Additionally, we wiped and cleaned books the school ordered for the room. I even called the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo for any free materials. They did not disappoint; they sent me nine English mangas as well as free promotional materials, such as pencils, stickers, and post-it notes! In total, we have 246 books, which we electronically filed.
I am so proud of us for completing these tasks! The Extensive Reading Room is also almost done and I’m sure a picture of it will be posted soon. With a week left before our classes, we are also currently trying to prepare for classes. These tasks were/are fun, but we are looking forward to Golden Week!
Cheers,
Teresa