Butterflies in the staffroom**

OK, any second now a teacher will come running up to me and tell me it is time for class, and I will be absolutely unprepared. I came in early this morning to avoid this very catastrophe, as Motobu Shogakko was not in my original schedule for the term, and i did not know what classes I will teach. Since Hiromi sensei of Kamimotobu JHS, left for Canada yesterday for a 6 month course, my schedule got turned topsy-turvy. I was originally scheduled for KamiChu this week, but when Hiromi sen. realised that, she spoke with my supervisor and for the past two weeks my schedule was redone.

Now, schedules are changed all the time. I go to some schools armed with 5 different lesson plans and suddenly I have no class because swimming pool classes have been scheduled there. Or its a sunny day, so they do an outdoor class day, and all the kids are at the beach. Or a test is scheduled on the only day in the month that I am visiting that school. So one would think that with all this switching around, it would be no problem to fit me in somewhere... Ah, you are gravely mistaken my dear friend. In Japan, expect the unexpected. It has been over an hour since I have been here and there has been no talk of which classes I will go to. Which of course, leaves me completely unprepared...


At the elementary schools, the mental standard of each grade is different, and therefore, I need a different lesson plan for each class. I don't mind improvising on the spot at most occasions, in fact I am all for spontaneity; but seriously, when i have one 45-minute class in a year, I want it to be successful, and not have the kids sit there bored, with me killing all their enthusiasm to learn English!

So, till then, I'll just sit here, terrified, waiting in dread of the impending doom, coming at me with the sweetest of voices tinkling these four little words: "Juhi sensei, retts gou!"


** the heavens seem to be mocking me, for seriously, there are at least two real butterflies flitting around happily in the staffroom and, dear Reader, you thought it was refering to butterflies in my stomach, didn't you!! well, God surely has a sense of irony!