Cafe Catalina

I just learned this morning that I have to be a JLPT 4 proctor tomorrow. And here I was, thinking I could spend one quiet Sunday snoozing all day. OK, maybe not so quiet, because everyone will be watching Manny Pacquiao’s match tomorrow and will most probably be screaming their lungs out at the TV.

Only a few hours more till the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Again, I won’t be taking the exam this year. I’ve put off 1kyuu for several years now, working as exam proctor instead. I did try to study for 1kyuu on my own, but it was not possible considering my busy schedule, since I have 2 jobs. Also, it is not going to be easy, since I still need to review everything in 2kyuu before I proceed with 1kyuu material. I will probably just review 2kyuu for the rest of the year, then enrol in the 1kyuu review class next year.

No pressure, though. I already passed 2kyuu, after all. In the school where I teach, your JLPT level is worth a lot. I think I can just take my sweet time, preparing myself for 1kyuu, because there are some teachers who are still working on their 2kyuu certificates and I think the school’s ultimate goal is to have everyone pass at least 2kyuu. So until everybody is a 2kyuu passer, there’s no need for me to sweat it. Or maybe there is. Kouchou-sensei did tell me earlier today that she will be freeing me up for one class next year, so I could attend the 1kyuu class. I guess it is her way of gently pressuring me. Why me?? But anyway, I think this JLPT deal is good — Nihongo Center Foundation will just keep on raising the bar for quality Nihongo eduation in the country by producing quality teachers. (OK, I’m going to stop the plug now)

October has already passed and I completely forgot the date of my 1 year anniversary as a Nihongo teacher. Baka. Kouchou-sensei, fortunately, knew the exact date. Haha. So OK, I officially turned a year old as a teacher on October 26th. She told me she remembered because our teacher training course just ended and she gave me only a WEEK before I took on my very first Nihongo class. Again, I was silently screaming, why me?? And to make things worse, she shipped me off to the Makati school, where I barely knew anyone — I was a student at Sampaloc from elementary to intermediate to advanced to teacher training, and I had to teach in a “foreign” environment. I still remember that first day of class, like it were yesterday (or last week) — but that is another story for another day.

Now, I am just thankful that I have learned so much and met a lot of great people in my year of teaching (scary, weird and funny people, as well). I am still relatively new at this (and a part-timer, at that. I still won’t give up my day job!) but I’ve been picking up lots of new ideas and techniques in teaching and I always look forward to preparing for and conducting my classes — OK, well, maybe not ALWAYS. I mean, I do have the Nihongo class equivalent of bad hair days, KWIM. But generally, I am happy being a teacher, I am happy that I am working under the BEST NIHONGO TEACHERS in the BEST NIHONGO SCHOOL in the Philippines. (OK, I am really going to stop the plug now). I’m going to keep working for NCF for as long as my main job permits me, because I love what I am doing — certainly not doing this for the money!! Gets?? XD

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