I just got rid of my Twitter account because I never use it. But before I clicked deactivate, I browsed through my old updates, and happened upon one I posted in the fall of 2014: One of my freshman writers referred to dead leaves as "the corpses of spring" in a Nature Observation Exercise I had my… Continue reading A Snapshot of my life as a Writing Teacher/Sensei
Author: beccamayhem
My First Trip to the Doctors in Japan
I made it over 11 months without needing to go to the doctors here, but today I had to go because my right ear had been plugged up with sea water since Saturday and I couldn't get it out. I am very dramatic and worried I had an inner ear infection even though I wasn't really experiencing… Continue reading My First Trip to the Doctors in Japan
An Ephipany in the Classroom
I started off my week by giving a speech to all my third grade students about how I was failing math in high school until I found a teacher who tutored me almost every morning before school so I could pass his class. I told them to never be afraid to ask for extra help… Continue reading An Ephipany in the Classroom
Learning to Appreciate the Here and Now
I've always been a restless person. I can never stay in one place for too long. When I was still living at home, I was gone almost every weekend visiting friends in other parts of New England or New York. I think one of the best parts about growing up in the northeast was how… Continue reading Learning to Appreciate the Here and Now
Not Recontracting and My Future JET Successor
This is the cup of coffee my supervisor gave to me on the day in early January I had to tell her I wasn't recontracting. I have so much love for my placement and my school, and while I felt no pressure from anyone about my decision other than myself, it was still more difficult and… Continue reading Not Recontracting and My Future JET Successor
JET Placement Results: 7 Things I Did and One Thing I Wish I Did Before Moving to Japan
So word on the web is that JET Placement Results have been unleashed to the world. It`s all so exciting! Last year, my impending move to Japan finally sank in when I received the email saying that I was headed to Kagoshima-ken. I was excited to be headed south to a place with friendly people, a subtropical climate,… Continue reading JET Placement Results: 7 Things I Did and One Thing I Wish I Did Before Moving to Japan
The Struggle is Always There
When I did my self introduction for my students back in September, I always shared with them one interesting fact about myself: "I like to go for a run every morning," I would say proudly as I clicked through pictures of all my racing bibs and the Tough Mudder last June. And when I shared… Continue reading The Struggle is Always There
An Elephant Experience of a Lifetime
It's only the middle of May, and I can already cross off the three things I promised myself I would do in 2016 before the end of the summer. (1. Run a half marathon, 2. visit Kyoto, and now 3. go to Thailand). Before I make a new list, I want to share with you one of… Continue reading An Elephant Experience of a Lifetime
A Snapshot of My Life, and Why I Haven’t Written About Golden Week Yet
I love the way sunshine breathes life into a city. I just returned from a beautiful evening bike ride around my little city, the perfect way to close out a great weekend at the beach. On my bike ride I saw more kids outside playing than usual, and lots of people were enjoying dinner with their… Continue reading A Snapshot of My Life, and Why I Haven’t Written About Golden Week Yet
Sneak Peek: Golden Week in Thailand
Like most of my experiences during my year abroad, my Golden Week trip to Thailand turned out to be much more than I had anticipated. Here I am with my elephant friend, Mae Come Hpo, on a banana snack break as we make our way through the forest in one of the Karen Villages in… Continue reading Sneak Peek: Golden Week in Thailand
The Becca Jar 