A typhoon passed by...
Just a quick note. Not much to write about today. A typhoon passed by here in Tokyo, so my class today was cancelled. I stayed home reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I bought one book to read on a bus ride to Osaka last Golden Week, now I am also of those fans of the series. Well, other than reading, I did not do much today. Actually, I did not do anything but read that book. I am now on page 586. There are a total of 734 pages. Oh, and I received a phone call from my boss.
He called me to say that he'd spoken to the company representative, but the letter of resignation was necessary. He went on to explain that since the letter was promised to the school, (according to my boss) the company representative could not changed the request. Strange that a letter of resignation was promised without consulting me. However, my boss assured me that it was necessary because the school had spoken to him around 9pm at night, and he thought that he was doing me a favor by choosing the letter of resignation over a letter of termination.
It seems to me that his story has more holes than Swiss cheese, but then what do I know. I am not the smartest person in the world.
Again, I was about to list the inconsistencies of his story, and probably spend a hour typing this entry, but I would rather continue reading Harry Potter. My life sucks!!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Putting on weight.
Last week, I got on the bathroom scale and realized that I was putting on weight. I also noticed for the first time that my scale also has metric measurements. This summer, I have been drinking a lot of juice (about 2,000 or 3,000 ml each day). That is about 2 or 3 containers of juice a day. I have also been drinking about 1 (sometimes 2) cartons of whole milk each day. And, I have not been exercising (nor walking) to burn off the extra calories. Unfortunately, I like juice more than water, so when I am thirsty, I drink juice(the cheap kind which is mostly sugar). Also lately, I have not been feeling like doing anything...except sleep. I am really going to have to change, or I am going to make myself sick.
And the stress, I've been living with recently, has not helped matters.
I told myself (yet again) that I am really going to have to start exercising....starting next week(Monday)! Real exercises, not the light morning stretches that I have been calling exercises in my Japanese blog. Which brings up my next topic.
In my other blog, I mentioned that I would write about the meeting I had with my current boss concerning the high school resignation letter. However, I recently realized that I probably shouldn't be writing about my current boss and posting it on the internet.
To make a long story short. Basically, the meeting was pointless (90 minutes). Although, after about an hour, my boss (when he realized that I was not going to write the resignation letter, because I was so angry at the school for the way they (the administration) treated me (almost ignoring me for the last 2 weeks, among other issues), my boss decided to change tactics. Short story, He admitted that the resignation letter was his idea. The high school wanted to fire me, but (according to my boss), he thought the resignation letter was a better idea.
I did not find out why the high school was so eager to fire me. My boss also seemed at a lose. We both agreed that if the school had waited until the summer, the "separation" would have been much neater. However, they(the high school) could not wait 1 more day. The school choose a day before final exams. I was a little annoyed hearing about the school's intention the very next day after I'd just finish making the final examination for my classes . It took me about 8 to 10 hours in total (over two days) to make (partly from my slow typing, partly due to conversating in the teacher's room, and partly due to me being a little bit too much of a perfectionist).
There is a lot more I could write about, like......nah...I'll end this now. I could be here all day writing about:
a slick (but lame) opening argument. It was very nice, except he forgot, just didn't care, or thought I was too stupid to understand. I already knew (before the meeting started) that the school did not want me to return, so telling me it was a company decision to reasign me to a better teaching situation was well....nice, but lame.
Or, I could write about the company's idea of respect, telling me that if I did not write the letter, it was possible that I could lost the company's respect. Again, forgetting, not caring, or...you know the rest.
Example? In the past 2 years, I have been sent on average to teaching assignments that are about 2 hours away(one way), with a "take it or leave it attitude". "Sorry, that's all way have at the moment", is what I have often been told. All the while I'm counting how many new teachers have come and gone teaching in places like Kichijoji, Kokubunji, Nakano etc...All places about 30 minutes from my home. Oh, my boss told me that the above assignment allocations were... coincidences. His exact words were, "An unfortunate matter of timing". But, he went on...if I didn't write the letter, then it might not be unintentional". But he was quick to add (and repeat several times), that the company would not give me similar difficult assignments intentional. huh!?!?
And I have not even mention the salary cut...Okay, I just did. But, I think I wrote more than I should have. It felt good to write, but maybe I should delete this entry. Tabun....
Last week, I got on the bathroom scale and realized that I was putting on weight. I also noticed for the first time that my scale also has metric measurements. This summer, I have been drinking a lot of juice (about 2,000 or 3,000 ml each day). That is about 2 or 3 containers of juice a day. I have also been drinking about 1 (sometimes 2) cartons of whole milk each day. And, I have not been exercising (nor walking) to burn off the extra calories. Unfortunately, I like juice more than water, so when I am thirsty, I drink juice(the cheap kind which is mostly sugar). Also lately, I have not been feeling like doing anything...except sleep. I am really going to have to change, or I am going to make myself sick.
And the stress, I've been living with recently, has not helped matters.
I told myself (yet again) that I am really going to have to start exercising....starting next week(Monday)! Real exercises, not the light morning stretches that I have been calling exercises in my Japanese blog. Which brings up my next topic.
In my other blog, I mentioned that I would write about the meeting I had with my current boss concerning the high school resignation letter. However, I recently realized that I probably shouldn't be writing about my current boss and posting it on the internet.
To make a long story short. Basically, the meeting was pointless (90 minutes). Although, after about an hour, my boss (when he realized that I was not going to write the resignation letter, because I was so angry at the school for the way they (the administration) treated me (almost ignoring me for the last 2 weeks, among other issues), my boss decided to change tactics. Short story, He admitted that the resignation letter was his idea. The high school wanted to fire me, but (according to my boss), he thought the resignation letter was a better idea.
I did not find out why the high school was so eager to fire me. My boss also seemed at a lose. We both agreed that if the school had waited until the summer, the "separation" would have been much neater. However, they(the high school) could not wait 1 more day. The school choose a day before final exams. I was a little annoyed hearing about the school's intention the very next day after I'd just finish making the final examination for my classes . It took me about 8 to 10 hours in total (over two days) to make (partly from my slow typing, partly due to conversating in the teacher's room, and partly due to me being a little bit too much of a perfectionist).
There is a lot more I could write about, like......nah...I'll end this now. I could be here all day writing about:
a slick (but lame) opening argument. It was very nice, except he forgot, just didn't care, or thought I was too stupid to understand. I already knew (before the meeting started) that the school did not want me to return, so telling me it was a company decision to reasign me to a better teaching situation was well....nice, but lame.
Or, I could write about the company's idea of respect, telling me that if I did not write the letter, it was possible that I could lost the company's respect. Again, forgetting, not caring, or...you know the rest.
Example? In the past 2 years, I have been sent on average to teaching assignments that are about 2 hours away(one way), with a "take it or leave it attitude". "Sorry, that's all way have at the moment", is what I have often been told. All the while I'm counting how many new teachers have come and gone teaching in places like Kichijoji, Kokubunji, Nakano etc...All places about 30 minutes from my home. Oh, my boss told me that the above assignment allocations were... coincidences. His exact words were, "An unfortunate matter of timing". But, he went on...if I didn't write the letter, then it might not be unintentional". But he was quick to add (and repeat several times), that the company would not give me similar difficult assignments intentional. huh!?!?
And I have not even mention the salary cut...Okay, I just did. But, I think I wrote more than I should have. It felt good to write, but maybe I should delete this entry. Tabun....
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Hello Pen pal.
It has been few days since my last entry on my Japanese blog. I was a little angry about the situation I was in, but now I am feeling okay.
As you know, my Japanese blog is where I practice using Japanese by writing about my day (in Japanese). However, since my Japanese skills are so low, I could not explain about the resignation letter in Japanese, so I am writing about it in English.
On Wednesday, July 13, 2005, after returning home from teaching English at an elementary school in Machida, I received a call from my company. They informed me that the high school I usually teach at every day of the week (but Wednesday) wanted me to write a letter of resignation.
A little background information about the high school. It is one that is suppose to have a high reputation for its English program. Many Japanese (who have lived over-seas) go to this school. Anyway, I was hired to teach English. I was given books without Teacher's editions. I was hired even though I have very little teaching experience at the high school level, I am an elementary school teacher.
Sorry, this is getting long, and I have not even scratched the surface. I am getting tired, and I don't really feel like rehashing old news. I'm just going to summarize. Keep in mind the old saying that there are two sides to every story. This is just my side.
On Wednesday I was asked to resign. The strange part is that I think I was working too hard(just my opinion). A couple of examples:
1. I displayed the students writing samples, even though the head teacher (I suspect) did not want me too. However, instead of being honest and saying; "No, I don't want you to hang up the students work"!, she wasted my time (about 20 minutes), saying "it's okay, really, it's okay. How about here, or here? Spaces that were all too small. So, I felt if she going to give me a run around, then okay, I'll put up the students' work. But, I did add that if I had to dig (and move) panels out of storage, forget it. I was not interested. She said, "no problem leave everything to me".
June 9, she left a post-it note on my desk:
"Please catch me when you need the panels(this sentence underlined). I have my classes in 4th, 5th, 6th, & 7th period today. (I'll be busy during the lunch time & after the classes as well)".
I was annoyed, and I'd said to myself forget it, this is too much.I arrived at 4th period. About 30 minutes later, she walks into the teacher's room. I told her; "Forget it!" "Sorry to bother you!" " I don't need to panels". Her reply: "Oh, it's okay. Really, the doors open. Come I'll show you.
She takes me to the maintainance room to show the panels to me. She says; "See they're right here. If you want to use them, they are right here". Again, I say to myself, "if you are going to give me the run around, okay...." I take the panels. After about 3 or 4 minutes getting the panels past the paint cans and other things in the way, the head teacher says to me, "how long are you going to use them, the room has to be locked soon. If you need them for a day or two its okay. I decide okay, now the work goes up. At the moment the students's work went up, the head teacher barely spoke to me. Occasionally, I might get a terse (or rough) "hello" in the hall.
Oh, to see the display click here :
http://www.annex-5a.com/Tokyo_KHS.html
2. Each student in my class received a progress report, listing each assignment that they received a grade for, along with the class average for each assignment. I use an automatic grading program. I don't think the progress report was well received by the school adminstration.
Around June, a group of students complained about my teaching style. They went to their homeroom teacher, who translated the complaints into English, who then forward the complaints to the principal. Some examples???
*Teacher suspects students of plagiarizing for no reason.
*Teacher gives puzzles with words like "cat, pencil, friend,etc.." almost every lesson.
*Teacher taps his pen on the chalkboard to get the students attention.
*Teacher doesn't seem to understand that the students are full of academic curiosity.
*Teacher repeats the same word at least twice, or even four times.
I could go on, but I won't. I think you get the idea. There were about 12 items on the list. Did the principal ask me if the items were true? No. Did the principal ask for proof of plaiarism (I had it)? No. Did the principal follow up, to check if conditions or the situation improve? No. Well, not to my knowledge. The principal seemed only interested in making the students happy. Oh, and made a point of asking that I not tap my pen, because it annoys the students.
So, about a month passes, when I get called to come to my company's office. I work for an English conversation school/company. The company's job is to send out English teachers to various assignments, mine was this high school. The same complaint list was faxed. Again, truth or fiction was not the issue, only that the client was not happy, and the...possibility that I might not be asked to return.
So now, we are back to Wednesday. I was asked to write a letter of resignation, and to make up an excuse of why I resigned. I was angry. I believed (and I still do) that if the high school wanted to fired okay. If the school feels that I am incompetent...okay.
Oh, however, it is a little strange. that the vice principal sat in on my class to observe (some time in April). No reply, no feedback. And, on May 9th, the principal, and the other vice principal observed my lesson. Response? A couple of days later, the principal walks up to me in the hall, and shakes my hand. He said my lesson was well planned, well organized, and the students were attentive. He said he enjoyed my lesson very much. Strange.
So now, here I am, a little less angry. And a little unsure what my next move will be.
It has been few days since my last entry on my Japanese blog. I was a little angry about the situation I was in, but now I am feeling okay.
As you know, my Japanese blog is where I practice using Japanese by writing about my day (in Japanese). However, since my Japanese skills are so low, I could not explain about the resignation letter in Japanese, so I am writing about it in English.
On Wednesday, July 13, 2005, after returning home from teaching English at an elementary school in Machida, I received a call from my company. They informed me that the high school I usually teach at every day of the week (but Wednesday) wanted me to write a letter of resignation.
A little background information about the high school. It is one that is suppose to have a high reputation for its English program. Many Japanese (who have lived over-seas) go to this school. Anyway, I was hired to teach English. I was given books without Teacher's editions. I was hired even though I have very little teaching experience at the high school level, I am an elementary school teacher.
Sorry, this is getting long, and I have not even scratched the surface. I am getting tired, and I don't really feel like rehashing old news. I'm just going to summarize. Keep in mind the old saying that there are two sides to every story. This is just my side.
On Wednesday I was asked to resign. The strange part is that I think I was working too hard(just my opinion). A couple of examples:
1. I displayed the students writing samples, even though the head teacher (I suspect) did not want me too. However, instead of being honest and saying; "No, I don't want you to hang up the students work"!, she wasted my time (about 20 minutes), saying "it's okay, really, it's okay. How about here, or here? Spaces that were all too small. So, I felt if she going to give me a run around, then okay, I'll put up the students' work. But, I did add that if I had to dig (and move) panels out of storage, forget it. I was not interested. She said, "no problem leave everything to me".
June 9, she left a post-it note on my desk:
"Please catch me when you need the panels(this sentence underlined). I have my classes in 4th, 5th, 6th, & 7th period today. (I'll be busy during the lunch time & after the classes as well)".
I was annoyed, and I'd said to myself forget it, this is too much.I arrived at 4th period. About 30 minutes later, she walks into the teacher's room. I told her; "Forget it!" "Sorry to bother you!" " I don't need to panels". Her reply: "Oh, it's okay. Really, the doors open. Come I'll show you.
She takes me to the maintainance room to show the panels to me. She says; "See they're right here. If you want to use them, they are right here". Again, I say to myself, "if you are going to give me the run around, okay...." I take the panels. After about 3 or 4 minutes getting the panels past the paint cans and other things in the way, the head teacher says to me, "how long are you going to use them, the room has to be locked soon. If you need them for a day or two its okay. I decide okay, now the work goes up. At the moment the students's work went up, the head teacher barely spoke to me. Occasionally, I might get a terse (or rough) "hello" in the hall.
Oh, to see the display click here :
http://www.annex-5a.com/Tokyo_KHS.html
2. Each student in my class received a progress report, listing each assignment that they received a grade for, along with the class average for each assignment. I use an automatic grading program. I don't think the progress report was well received by the school adminstration.
Around June, a group of students complained about my teaching style. They went to their homeroom teacher, who translated the complaints into English, who then forward the complaints to the principal. Some examples???
*Teacher suspects students of plagiarizing for no reason.
*Teacher gives puzzles with words like "cat, pencil, friend,etc.." almost every lesson.
*Teacher taps his pen on the chalkboard to get the students attention.
*Teacher doesn't seem to understand that the students are full of academic curiosity.
*Teacher repeats the same word at least twice, or even four times.
I could go on, but I won't. I think you get the idea. There were about 12 items on the list. Did the principal ask me if the items were true? No. Did the principal ask for proof of plaiarism (I had it)? No. Did the principal follow up, to check if conditions or the situation improve? No. Well, not to my knowledge. The principal seemed only interested in making the students happy. Oh, and made a point of asking that I not tap my pen, because it annoys the students.
So, about a month passes, when I get called to come to my company's office. I work for an English conversation school/company. The company's job is to send out English teachers to various assignments, mine was this high school. The same complaint list was faxed. Again, truth or fiction was not the issue, only that the client was not happy, and the...possibility that I might not be asked to return.
So now, we are back to Wednesday. I was asked to write a letter of resignation, and to make up an excuse of why I resigned. I was angry. I believed (and I still do) that if the high school wanted to fired okay. If the school feels that I am incompetent...okay.
Oh, however, it is a little strange. that the vice principal sat in on my class to observe (some time in April). No reply, no feedback. And, on May 9th, the principal, and the other vice principal observed my lesson. Response? A couple of days later, the principal walks up to me in the hall, and shakes my hand. He said my lesson was well planned, well organized, and the students were attentive. He said he enjoyed my lesson very much. Strange.
So now, here I am, a little less angry. And a little unsure what my next move will be.
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