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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

First month of teaching


Being a foreigner in a different country Is like being the retard in the class. Your special and people enjoy your company. Not to mention that if you make a mistake they think its funny and you are always forgiven. Despite the fact that you are immune to some mistakes you do sometimes feel out of place no matter how much you are welcome.
The first week of teaching was like walking into heaven. I love school, even though when I was young I was bullied, poor and did not have many friends, I always remembered the fun I had as a child. Sometimes I wish I can just go back to the bus stop and have no worries and meet friends. As I walk into the school I can smell the candy that students sneak into their bags, the smell of lunch and breakfast being prepared and not to mention the sound of kids screaming and having fun. My first day I needed to meet with the principal. I took off my shoes and sat in his office. I felt like I was in trouble. I nice old man enters the room with his hair combed to the side, it was indeed the principal. His office was filled with certificates and his breath smelled like coffee. He welcomed me to the school and asked me a lot of questions about my life and where I am from. He then goes to explain that I will be introducing myself to the entire staff in a meeting.
About 50 teachers stand at the ready and their 100 percent attention is to the principal as he announces the new teacher. He says my name and looks at me. I nervously walk center stage and wearing my suit. I felt overdressed cause all the other teachers were wearing t shirts and jeans. I introduce myself in Japanese and said a small joke to where they laughed. I realized that the entire week will be for the students to study. So there was a lot of free time for me to walk around and meet the students. The female students laughed and giggled as they touched my hair and said “so cool”. The school boys laughed and rough housing each other. I noticed that the entire week I will be doing just this. Hanging out with the students. So I roamed the school like the creepy gaijin that I am and talked to the students any chance I got. I was told by my boss that this was the biggest school in Osaka and the one with the most troubled students. I thought well it can’t be as bad as it is in America. I am thinking oh great they are going to stab me or shoot me or who knows.
The first lesson was what I was teaching all month, where I am from , how I got here and my story. I told the compelling story of my life from when my mother swam to America from Mexico to me getting bullied cause of my speech problem and the finale me leaving my life and job in America to be a teacher. Students said “OH SUGOI” ( oh wow amazing). All the students were interested in my story and even the teachers could not believe why I would leave so much of what I had to be here to teach. I told them the reason. I have always wanted to be teacher. Not just any teacher but one who will touch the hearts of students and get their attention. My first class students were sleeping, bored, and shared no interest in school. It’s not their fault, its mine. In the middle of my speech I stopped and looked around to my students. I looked into their eyes each every one of them, and something inside me started to happen. For 10 seconds I paused holding my hand in the air as I stopped my speech. I remembered back when I was in school. My teachers ignored me because of my speech problem; they hand out packets and tell us to work quietly while they receive their pay check.
I said, “ I see some of you sleeping” 4 students were out. “its not your fault” I said “ when I was young I did the same thing” some of them laughed. I stood there in my suit and I said “I made a promise when I was young that if I ever become a teacher, I would be the best one that I could be. I will be exciting and surprising to make my students smile” I then paused for a moment and I slammed my hands on the desk making a loud BANG!!!! All the students jumped up and the kids sleeping woke up and started laughing. I broke the silence and turned it into laughter and smiles. I jumped up and said “YEA EVERYBODY WAKE UP” I started acting goofy in my suit and tie. The kids started laughing and we all shared this moment of realization that this the beginning of the most exciting year of their lives.