I am now 6 weeks through Summer School in Japan. It has been 16 hour days, endless coffee, choosing between showering or eating breakfast, constantly asking myself ‘what is a lunch break?’, making endless craft, creating lesson plans 3 minutes before the lesson begins, tears, laughter and hurried chocolate breaks next to a photocopier.
It is a whirlwind, but I love it. I love impromptu Taylor swift discos during lunch and my kindy kids making pinwheels then running around the classroom to make them spin.
Here are my observations, for anyone who is considering working in Japan.
- Glitter solves everything. Someone is crying? Offer glitter. Don’t have an activity planned? Whip out the glitter.
- Sleeping on your commute is surprisingly easy to do.
- Plan as much as possible, but know your lesson plan will eventually turn to chaos.
- Rice crispy squares are always fun. No one is ever sad with a rice crispy square.
- This week I spent 2 hours making a piñata that my kids broke in 27 seconds. Seems about right.
Most importantly, always thank your colleagues. It quickly becomes a habit and you’ll appreciate each other. You’re only as good as your team, and my team is pretty boss.
Thank you so much for reading!
Japan Living 