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
Tag: Teach Abroad
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
Amami Oshima, You`re on to Something…
It's been weeks since I've updated! I have been busy playing Amami Tour Guide. My boyfriend was here for a week, and then the day after he left I had some mainland friends stay with me at AirBnBecca (yep, that's what I call my central island apartment.) This week, I've been catching up on sleep,… Continue reading Amami Oshima, You`re on to Something…
The End of the Japanese School Year and JET Interview Resuts
The past couple weeks at school have been all about goodbyes. Not just for the third years, but for some teachers too. All teachers in Kagoshima prefecture are required to fulfill their "island duty" at some point in their teaching career. They are expected to dedicate five years to their island school! Some teachers even… Continue reading The End of the Japanese School Year and JET Interview Resuts
Yoga in Japan(ese)
Last weekend, I tried out my first yoga class on the island. I have been wanting to take a yoga class down here since I arrived, but I only knew about classes that met during the week. And when you're a teacher, a yoga class at 10 am on a Wednesday is not possible. But… Continue reading Yoga in Japan(ese)
One of My Best Week at School Yet.
This week, I want to burn all of my words for warmth because believe it or not, my tropical island is cold. Especially in my school, and specifically in my teachers' room. It has rained every single day since last Saturday. I'm not just talking drizzles here, people...it has been pouring buckets of cold rain. Anyway.… Continue reading One of My Best Week at School Yet.
Everything is Centered Around the Center Exam
Something called the Center Exam will take place at my high school this weekend. These exams in Japan are similar to the SATs in Northern America. So if you score high, you'll have a better chance of getting into the school of your choice. And if you don't do so hot, you'll have to take them… Continue reading Everything is Centered Around the Center Exam
The Island Experience
*This post was originally published on Kagoshima AJET`s blog on November 17th. Like most prefectural ALTs, I didn’t find out exactly where I would be placed in Kagoshima until about a month before my departure. I dreamed about all the different places I could end up—the Osumi or Satsuma peninsula, Kagoshima City, or one of… Continue reading The Island Experience
The Becca Jar 