Timothy Baril

It’s Monday morning. Rain drizzles down. I show up to school wet, dreading a dull day of classes. Lucky for me, it’s just as I fear.
First period grade 9s. I stand next to the chalkboard after a good morning greeting that wouldn’t register on a decibel meter for singing mice. The Japanese teacher teaches. Homework [...]

Teaching in Japan
Jet Programme
Teachers report that students basically failed at their English midterms. Results were terrible, across the board with all 3 grades. Teachers from other subjects indicated similar results.
I suspect that if the city of Moriguchi doesn’t improve its education system by pumping a lot more life and heart and professionalism into it, [...]

Teaching in Japan
JET Programme
Midterms day one of two today. English tests were today. The English teachers are busy at their desks, tall stacks of tests and work books and files handed in from students at their elbows. They work steadily, heads down.
It kind of makes me wish that Japanese teachers didn’t have so much [...]

Teaching in Japan
Year 2, Month 3
Difficult Students
My first class is first year students again this week. The class is terrible, worse than before. They are rude, unruly, and completely ignore the teacher. She struggles, looks flustered and red faced, the class is a complete waste of time. No teaching was done at all, and needless [...]

Teaching in Japan
JET Programme
Though I don’t yet have details, I have heard that there were serious incidents last night involving first year students misbehaviour, or that at least the first year teachers have gotten to the point where they have spent last night, and perhaps today, contacting parents about the children in an attempt to [...]

JET Programme
Year 2, Month 3
I’m revisiting the first year students I had trouble with in the previous week. As before, the teacher was without any respect from students in class. She seemed to attempt to act tougher, get sharper with students faster, but it had no effect. She degraded into a state of being lost [...]

Teaching in Japan
JET Programme - 2nd Year
Today, due to a compressed schedule thanks to Culture Festival preparations, 1st year classes were not split in half as they normally are. The resulting larger than normal class proved to be less well behaved than normal, and entirely uncontrolled.
Since arriving from elementary school some four months ago, [...]

I Found it in Japan
I stand beneath the blossoms of famous cherry trees, delicate pink and white petals fluttering all around me in the light breeze. The sun shines bright and clear overhead, and the air is warm on my bare skin. Through the trees I see the river meander slowly by, deep and heavy, [...]

My “tentative” Summer Schedule. It’s only April and the summer is shaping up to be busy and very active!! (And expensive - ouch!) Can’t wait to get out and have some fun. This should make up for the quiet winter when the cold and rain keeps people indoors. Thankfully the JET Programme allows plenty of [...]

It’s my first year on the JET Programme (Program) and I’m already finished my time at my second school. 3rd semester only runs from January to March, and within that you miss about 3 weeks between beginning and end of term. SO SHORT! And unfortunately, I’ve been quite sick for 6 weeks of the term, [...]