My teaching schedule

I have been here for 6 weeks already, and so far, everything is fine. This is my weekly schedule, at both Yaei High, in Sagamihara, and Kanagawa Sohgoh High in Yokohama. I go to Yaei on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.


I have 10 teaching sessions every week. Classes start at 8:50 in the morning and end at 3:30. This year, I was told to follow the same schedule as the the Japanese teachers. So I have to stay in school till 5:10 before I can leave.

During this time, I work with the students who need tutoring. Right now, I am tutoring a student in French who is going to France in March for 3 weeks.


The classes I teach are Practical English for the 1st year students (10th graders) and English Expressions for 2nd and 3rd year students (11th and 12th graders). At Kanagawa Sohgoh, the classes are more varied. I go there on Tuesdays and Fridays. School starts at 9:00 a.m. and I have to be there by 8:25. On Tuesday, I teach 2 periods of 90 minutes each. The classes are "Media and the World" (very interesting) and Creative Writing. Media and the World is focused on world events and the teaching style is discussion-based followed by writing. On Fridays, I have Global Studies, Presentation, and Creative Writing. Each class is also 90 minutes.

As you may have guessed, things have picked up here. You know, I came at the end of the Japanese school year, so now I find myself in the middle of the end of year entrance exams into high school, and university entrance exams for 12th graders.

So far though, all is well, and I enjoy teaching as well as working with my Japanese colleagues. Though reserved, they are quite funny and interesting. At one of the schools I teach (Kanagawa Sohgoh), they are giving a party in my honor on February 6!

3 weeks ago, I went to Costco and bought some food items I am familiar with. I used my Costco card from Maryland.