Time to Get Down to Brass Tacks

It is fair to say that since arriving in Gotō I have had time to hang around, explore, and generally enjoy a good time this past month. I have "worked" here and there but for the most part I have enjoyed a beautifully chill transition. This is now ending.

After orientations in Tokyo, Gotō, and Nagasaki, I am incredibly hyped for classes to begin. No doubt the first few weeks--maybe even the first month--will be a challenging transition especially since I will bounce between multiple schools. But I am as ready as I will ever be for this new job and experience: I have spent the past few months lazying around. I am ready to work!

Tomorrow is the first day of school but the students will be busy taking tests so my involvement, with the exception of helping out with an English test, will be zero. Friday and perhaps Monday and Tuesday of next week my predecessor will lead the class while I play the role of observer. Watching him will definitely provide more insights than any orientation I could attend so I will certainly be attentive. Next week I will officially begin teaching.

I am definitely a bit nervous but not as nervous as I used to be. I remind myself that I am an assistant language teacher; I won't be devising a new curriculum and creating daily lesson plans; I am here merely to assist and further the work of my JTE (Japanese Teacher of English). With that understanding in mind my concerns dissipated. For those familiar with the Meyer-Briggs personality test, perhaps as I age I am renouncing aspects of my "J" nature in exchange for "P"-like qualities. In general a J is very well organized, creates plans in great detail, and is incredibly disciplined. A P by contrast is spontaneous, adventures, and flies by the seat of their pants. While I still prefer to have a plan in mind, I seem more willing to improvise and "wing" things when needed. I think this change began before Japan; living in Gotō and enjoying the island life is exacerbating this transformation.

Saganoshima Rewind

I mentioned on Facebook I would post about my island school reflections so now I am going to do just that. Saganoshima is about ten minutes away by boat from Fukue Island (where I am living). I honestly get confused about where Gotō ends and Fukue begins but that is a geographical and linguistic quandary for another time. It's a very small island which features a school, houses, and I think one store. The population is about two hundred people and, like most of Japan, has declined steadily over the years.

Within the past few weeks I learned about an interesting difference between American and Japanese schools. In the U.S. teachers are employees of the school; they apply to work at a school and, if they wish to transfer, will apply for a position at a different school. In Japan teachers are employees of the prefecture and thus serve at a school with the pleasure and consent of the prefecture. Teachers can expect to remain at a school for three-five years before being transferred, a choice in which they have no say. In some cases, teachers have moved from Nagasaki to Gotō a mere week or two before classes begin as they await to hear from the prefecture! It is up to the teacher and his/her family whether or not the family comes with or stays behind. The staff is required to live near the school; in the case of Saganoshima, the staff is required to live on the island. For example the principal of Saganoshima lives there while his wife works at Sakiyama Junior High School, which is probably an hour away by car plus a ferry ride.

My knee jerk reaction was surprise and condemnation. How is this fair to the staff? The stress and problems this creates for teachers, in a profession that is itself in already challenging, is unnecessary. Why the frequent turnover? Then I met Tsukigawa Sensei.

Tsukigawa Sensei lived in Nagasaki before moving to Gotō when she was transferred to work at a local school. Recently the prefecture transferred her again to Saganoshima. One of the most interesting things about Tsukigawa is her strong English speaking abilities and overall competence; she studied abroad in the UK for three years. How the hell did she end up in Saganoshima?

In Japan education through middle school is compulsory though way over 90% of students continue onto high school as well. The government endeavors to ensure students receive a good and uniform education. Thus teachers are shared around the island so that even a small school like Saganoshima, which only has seven students (!), has the benefits of learning from Tsukigawa Sensei.

And Saganoshima will likely never be closed as long as there are students to attend to the school. Every student is guaranteed an education and need not travel farther than necessary to go to school. In the U.S. Saganoshima would undoubtedly be closed to reduce costs but in Japan it remains open to cater to the students. As surprising as this realization was to me, I think it is also very admirable. I am truly looking forward to teaching here.

Nagasaki Ventures

This past Monday I attended an orientation in Nagasaki. While much of the content was familiar, I enjoyed the opportunity to meet other ALTs from around the Prefecture and learn about the many places there are to see in this small corner of Japan alone. A group of volunteer ALTs run a pamphlet called the Nagazasshi. I hope to be a contributor whenever possible to practice my writing skills and provide the Gotō perspective.

If you go to Nagasaki, I strongly recommend you visit the Glover Gardens. It is a historic spot as it contains the residence of the former Thomas Glover, a merchant and entrepreneur who helped Japan modernize in the late 19th century. His house sits on a hill overlooking Nagasaki Bay; it is a wonderful view (see above). The house stands across the bay from Mt. Inasa where I saw Nagasaki's night view two weeks ago. I am pleased to say I have seen both sides of the bay--one at night, the other at day. They are both equally marvelous.

I will end with a bit of advice and warning: be wary of Japanese rain! When it rains, the clouds go all out; they don't screw around. Perhaps an incoming typhoon added to the torrent but we got blasted in Nagasaki this weekend. I wasn't irritated though because it lowered the temperature and humidity. Honestly it was one of my first cloudy days in Japan! The rain periodically broke before resuming again and again in a Poseidon-inspired surge. Reminds me of when while jogging around Akita four years ago, I looked up at the clouds, and thought "It will begin drizzling in about ten minutes. I give myself twenty minutes before the storm truly hits." Nope. I was drenched and my iPod destroyed within five minutes.

I should really go to bed now. Good night!