So this is what I do

Well I thought to kick things off for my second entry, those of you back in Canada might be interested in seeing yours truly in action. While some of you previously knew me as a Startek phone jockey, activating cellphones for T-Mobile 8 hours a day, I want to show you how VASTLY my career prospects have improved. This is me teaching at my junior high school from last semester, Hamawaki. I'm doing an introductory lesson, and let me tell you folks, they're riveted to their seats. I love the fact that I have a captive audience, but I do try and make it interesting for them at any rate. How it works is that I have a base school, a senior high, namely Aoyama or "Blue Moutain" SH. I have been at this school since day 1, and will be there until I leave, as they're my main employer. However, once a week (Tuesdays, if you really care) they ship me off to a junior high, where it is my job to dance around and try to get the kids (who have like, next to NO English ability) to try and give the English language a chance. I've been lucky so far in that MOST of my Japanese colleagues have had pretty good attitudes and good English ability, but this is by no means always the case. I've heard of some ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) who get stuck in a classroom with unruly kids, a teacher that can't help them out at all, and as they walk in the door are told "OK, they're all yours" in somewhat broken English.
So far, it's been quite the opposite for me, which I completely attribute to my charm and good looks. Usually the kids at my schools squeal in delight as I pull up on my bike or moped (they REALLY get a kick out of the moped), and the celebrity status...well let's say it's better than a kick in the pants. I think the reason they like me is largely due to the fact that I like playing games as much as they do, to be honest. Trying to get through a "serious lesson" is bloody murder, frankly, and I gave up on it after maybe 2 attempts. I realize now that teaching is more about imparting interest in the subject matter than it is about conveying information, and maybe, just maybe, if I trick them into paying attention long enough, they might just learn something anyway.