I teach in many schools.
Specifically, Japanese private kindergartens. Young kids rarely learn anything their usual Japanese Sensei doesn’t already know. However, Japanese school officials acknowledge that many adults are far too timid with gaijin (foreigners). They believe exposing young children to foreigners will help them embrace English learning throughout their lives.
Since I am legally forbidden from sharing pictures of my students, here is a picture of another Japanese Kindergarten class from the Wall Street Journal.
The schools I teach in are spread throughout the metropolitan area of Osaka, Japan’s second largest city. In Japan, Kindergarten includes a compulsory form of what the western world understands as optional “Pre-K,” and has three levels: the three to four-year-old “Nensho,” the four to five-year-old “Nenchu,” and the five to six-year-old “Nencho.”
Starting this job was frightening for me, although frightening was an improvement. Thanks to some chats I had with encouraging people at the right time, I felt reassured that I was capable of fulfilling my requirements. No longer quite petrified, I was still confused by the young children and nervous about making mistakes. I didn’t understand them.
It was the unknown and I was scared. Having conquered the last transition, I was ready to try.