New Beginnings

For the new readers:
In Japan, the school starts in April. So a couple of weeks ago, some teachers got shuffled about (it’s very common in Japan) and my new 1st years (what we’d call sophomores) have come back from “camp.” “Camp” at my school means that for 3 days, they go to a large campsite, learn the school rules, learn the school song, get to know each other, build bonds, discuss their goals for the year/high school life and get yelled at a lot. I’ve yet to go to one but from what I’ve gathered, that seems to be what goes on. They do come back more “high-school-student-ish” than “junior-high-school-student-ish.”

Anyway, so some teachers got shuffled about. Luckily, it wasn’t a huge blow as it was last year when half the English Department got transferred! It felt as though 1 teacher from each department was transferred. But I still find it a sad and unsettling time. What bummed me out this year was that my vice-principal, who was very 元気 and used to be an English teacher, got transferred after 1 year!!! Usually teachers don’t get transferred until they’ve at least been at a school for 3 years. However, some teachers end up staying a school for a really long time (Like my recently transferred 書道 teacher who managed to stay at my school for 22 years!!!)

Now, because I mainly teach the 1st years, I don’t get many opportunities to talk with the newly-transferred-teachers who are teaching the 2nd and 3rd years. But among the newly-transferred-teachers in my grade, one of them speaks Italian! He lived in Italy for 6 years so we can kinda communicate using Italian and Spanish. And I believe another teacher is a graduate from my school. Haha. It’s funny how many of them end up teaching here.

And it looks like I'll be teaching more classes this year! Woohoo~
Not only do I get to teach the 3rd year Writing class again, but I might get another 3rd year class to teach!!! Now, if I can find a way to enter the 2nd year classes...muahahahahahaha!