The Greatest of all time!!

Thursday - My life in Japan

I thought I was the king of teaching English in Japan. I did my job well and the students and teachers loved me. My teaching style was so good, teachers from other BoEs came to see my lesson style to learn. With 13 years of teaching under my belt, I was unstoppable. Then, SHE came. The teacher wanted to tell me what to do. WHAT, HOW DARE HER! I told her, “Sit back, relax and grade papers.” She wasn't having it. She insisted to jump in and add ideas I felt would not work. She didn't like me and I didn't like her. It was terrible My feedback that semester with this teacher only was the lowest I ever had. Me? The greatest ALT of all time!! Over the summer break, I started reflecting on how can we make it better. After all, the lesson was for the students. When the 2nd semester started, I begin to cooperate with her and started to take in her ideas and incorporated them into the lesson. We started to smile more and we're able to communicate with eye contact when it was my turn and when it was hers. At the end of the semester, we talked about what happened in the 1st semester and she told me she wanted to learn English teaching from me, with me, rather than sit back and grade papers. She wanted to teach English just like me!! All that time I assumed she just didn't like me. Don’t assume the worst. We are all trying to help students improve in English.

I hope now she is the greatest teacher of ALL time in all subjects including English.