The class schedule here is the most complex thing I have ever seen. They have two different schedules, one where the classes are 45 minutes, and another where the classes are 50 minutes. Apparently we're supposed to figure out which schedule we'll be on for that day. However, many days there are big exceptions to the schedule, so that doesn't really help that much. Some days they'll just not have certain classes, or one of the grades will be doing something different during that period. Also, they will frequently change the order of classes, so that when you think you are teaching english for second period, you actually discover that you are teaching at sixth period instead. It is terribly complex, to the point that it is ridiculous. I much prefer the same periods every day and specific classes always being at the same time. I can't really think of many good reasons why you'd want to do something like swap periods. Apparently they make announcements about the time changes, but they do it all in Japanese, so if no one tells me, I just get screwed. My supervisor showed me this complex grid board and told me I could just read the changes off of that if I memorize the kanji for all the different subjects. Then he started writing some of the different kanji on the board. As I started to copy down a couple, he erased them all! So I asked him if I could see English again, and he wrote it and then erased it again! I don't think he quite understood what I wanted, so I just gave up. Apparently ALTs at smaller junior high schools don't have as many class changes.

Note, if I didn't comment before, Horikawa Junior High is one of the five largest in Japan, with about 1200 students. So it is not just big, it is really big for Japan too.

On Wednesday I got more details about my job at the different elementary schools. Each school has its own curriculum advisor which came up with a plan for what I should do. Two schools are large, but the third is really tiny. One school has about 20 different classes, about 3-4 classes in each of the different grades 1-6. I'll be visiting the school 9 times during the year. So they want me to teach two classes every time I go. Keep in mind I am only going Friday afternoons, so there are only two periods each time. This basically means that at Horikawa Minami (South Horikawa) I will teach each class exactly once and not teach two of the classes. Not really much you can do with that, except have simple fun games to play with the different age groups. Most of them won't be able to speak English, and it is doubtful their teachers will either. My first lesson there is on Friday the 6th. I'll just be like the special guest fireman who comes to class once a year or something.

The other large school is Horikawa Elementary School (Shogakko). This school decided that the younger grades will not get any education in English. Instead only the 5th and 6th grades will get lessons. There are 3 classes in each grade. So I will divide up the two 45 minute periods into three 15-minute slots and I will teach everyone each time I go for 15 minutes. At least these people will be a little more exposed to me, since they will see me more than once. However, they may only see me once or twice a month.

The small school is called Sogawa Shogakko. It is really tiny. To give you an idea, there are only two classes I need to teach. One is a combined third/fourth grade class with 35 students, and the other is a combined fifth/sixth grade class with 30 students. I'll teach each class for one full 45 minute period. These students will obviously benefit more than the others and I'll have to have more of a curriculum for them. They gave me notes about what Pak has talked to them about so far also.