I had no clear personal reason for coming to Japan.  After college, I decided to travel and live abroad before entering graduate school. I chose countries based on job availability.  Kohgakusha was literally the first company to hire me.

But I feel I have been very lucky in coming to Japan and working for Kohgakusha.  I recently signed my second contract with our company.  In retrospect, I would not have enjoyed working for one of the larger English companies that tend to already have set curriculum and lesson plans.  Because I was given a lot of opportunities to develop my own activities and curriculum, I feel in a way I discovered how to be a teacher, instead of simply being taught what to do.

My first classes were some of my best lessons.  My students all had huge smiles on their faces when I came into the room.  They made it so easy.  I made a lot of mistakes.  I pronounced names wrong.  I hadn’t yet acquired the skill and patience needed to explain a card game or a word puzzle to children who can’t speak English.  The kids were brave; they drew pictures or did charades to help me say what I wanted to say.

Unlike public schools, the cram schools have a more relaxed environment.  The teachers are always joking around with the kids or reading a book with them or just chatting.  Students are encouraged to hang out and study with their friends.  Because there is less pressure on them, they can relax a little and enjoy learning. 

Working for a Japanese company highlights the differences between the American and Japanese mindset. Because I speak only a limited amount of Japanese, I am often unable to express problems to my school managers.  Usually we have to communicate through interpreters.  It can get frustrating always speaking to people indirectly.  When I first arrived from America, I was used to everything being bigger.  Often, sitting at a desk, I would spread my papers and take up more room than allotted.  The same with speaking; I often spoke louder than a Japanese would when having a  conversation.  But these were habits I had picked up through my whole life, and only recently been able to adjust to my life in Japan.