nothing to prove

never say never

If you had asked me the first month of my stay in Japan if I would stay another year I would have told you, "hell no". Now I am actually toying with the thought of it all. It is crazy how the changes in a situation and just personal growth can affect a decision. Lately the people at my schools have been amazing. Ok, some schools more than other but overall the students are finally opening up to me. Recently my one of my JTE's (Japanese Teacher of English) suggested I do a newsletter and allow students to write journals to me. It has been a good way to get students to talk to me outside of class. Plus I finally am getting all my classes to have name cards so maybe I will finally learn some of my students names. In talking to some of my friends here who have stayed second and third years, they think the optimal amount of time for ALT's (Assistant Language Teachers) to stay is at least two years. In fact that is the average amount of time that people on the JET program stay for. Plus I eventually want to be a teacher, although I will have to go back to school to become one, and what better experience than actually teaching in a foreign country. Granted I want to teach Art, not English, and elementary or high school, instead of junior high, but experience is experience. I am not making any final decision until after Christmas break, which is when we have to tell them if we are recontracting, but it is never too early to toss ideas around.

posted by Aaron @ 6:48 PM