This is what a typical day looks like for me.  In the morning I come in and generally the first thing I do is observe Chi's physics class.  He is an excellent teacher, but is all-in-all the polar opposite of my own teaching style.  He says his students have some of the best exam scores in Japan, so his methods are working for him.  Watching him teach has been quite the educational experience.

There are some decorations on the wall that might not make the grade at an American high school.  I'm still trying to decipher the meaning behind some of the signs on the wall.

I enjoy watching the kids during their physical education periods.  They really get into their sports!  It makes me want to join in, but I don't know how polite it would be to ask.  I'm trying to convince some of the students to play catch with me.

The picture on the top left above is an example of the journaling that I've been doing with the students.  Really helps me get to know them, and I hope their English abilities will improve also.  After only two or three exchanges it's impossible to tell how much, if any, it's helping.

The closing activity of the day is the room cleaning.  The students in each classroom are responsible for cleaning it, the hallway immediately outside their room, and also any restrooms that may adjoin their room.  It's incredible - they do such a great job!  I'm gonna take a video and show it to my students!

1G students and I pose for a picture on the last day of school...

...and a more formal photo was requested by Kawakami sensei.