Teachers & Teaching

Coming to Japan has been one of the biggest milestones in my life.

I am grateful, in more ways than one, of the opportunity I have been given and try to make the most out of it.

The best and most important thing to come out of my time in Japan, is discovering my calling... what I'm meant to do.

Yes, I'm meant to be a teacher.

Teaching here in Japan has awakened this urge I have to pass my knowledge... not only of the subject I'm teaching, but also my knowledge on life and how to be someone you're proud to be.

I cannot stress enough the importance and the influence one single teacher can have on a student. I mean, a good portion of our lives are spent in the school environment. As early as from the point you're 3 (in Japan, that's when kids start kindergarten) to the age of 16 (at the very least since that's the age that some kids are obligated to go to school).

So, basically... everyone has about a good 10-13 years of going to school... Monday to Friday... from the morning to afternoon. I'm telling you... this is most of our lives during these years.

The thing is... not only do we spend such a long time of our lives in school... but, it's also during one of the most critical moments in our lives. These are the years where we learn how to be the people we're going to turn out to be. We take everything in... we observe everything... and from what we gather during these years... we are shaped.

Of course there are some exceptions... but, I think this generalization I'm making is a fairly accurate assumption.

This is why a teacher has such an important influence on kids and why they're more important than many other people in a person's life.

I take on this challenge... I want to be a major factor in why these kids are becoming the people they become. I mean, at the very least... you hear how much I complain about people... maybe I can shape out people that I don't have things to bitch about... heh heh...

... but, yeah... all jokes aside... this is a very serious matter that I'm eager to partake in.

The problem is, however... just like my teaching tenure in Japan has awakened me to such positive things about teachers and teaching... it has also brought upon so much frustration... especially as of late.

Why oh why... having such a power influence on kids the way they do... are some people allowed to play this important role on the lives of kids?

I can't stress it enough! Especially in Japan, a country where firing a teacher is practically unheard of!

The only times I've heard of teachers being "let go"... was in the case of there being a drunk driving incident. I can't speak 100% confidently on this matter... but, even then... I think it was also more a factor of said teacher "disappearing" as a result of unrepairable shame.

Every school I've been to... has at least one or two teachers that are pretty worthless. Sometimes worthless as a teacher... unfortunately, sometimes worthless as a human being. I know this sounds harsh and I might be a bit too critical... but, c'mon... they're involved in shaping our future!

They will be the reasons why in the future... there will be another person just like them. Unmotivated... uninterested... just getting by with the littlest possible work/energy available.

I just wish, in Japan especially... that there'd be more of a filtering out of these worthless teachers. I just recently found out that one of the people that work at my schools used to be a teacher teacher. However, he apparently had some kind of breakdown or something and ended up hitting a special needs student.

As shocking as that sounds... what I find more shocking is that he's still working at schools. Are you fucking kidding me... he struck a child... a special needs child, no less. Technically he's not allowed to be a real teacher and was "demoted" or whatever... but, he's still working in schools. I am without words.

This ordeal that I have been recently made aware of frustrates me so much. But, as frustrated as I am about unfit teachers... it also encourages me to be that much better of a teacher.

I want to be that one teacher that a student looks back on. That one teacher that they claim is the person that changed them. That one teacher that has made them the person they are now and proud to be the adult they've become.

It's not about the money... I can honestly say. Teaching is not exactly going to give me the life of luxury.

But, being given credit to touching someone's life... that is really all I need and all I want. I vow to become that teacher... not just once... not just to one student... but, to every student I come across.