I'm really grateful that the principal at my school will stand out in the rain and talk with me for a few minutes every day. Sometimes it's about cycling, sometimes it's about Japanese culture. Sometimes I have to let him know what's going on with my life and health, and he's always there to listen.
Share some positive interactions you have with your staff wherever you work here in Japan.
by T1DinJP
12 comments
Why are you standing in the rain?
What’s been doing on lately? Is that part more specific to you personally or is there a big event I have missed?
Okie dokie.
I’m very lucky in my situation in that a few of the teachers in my small school enjoy playing golf. So every time there is a bit of time to relax and unwind, the conversation always turns to golf. We are still trying to get some of the younger teachers to take up the clubs and join us. Two or three times a year, we get all of the area teachers within the ES and JHS and have a friendly tournament and a drinking party afterwards.
Of course I am at small schools so everyone is pretty friendly. I couldn’t imagine working in a bigger city.
That’s heartwarming 😊
Rough start to the year for reasons I won’t go into. It was good to see my principle this year was one I had 2 years ago and he welcomed me with a big hug. It was nice to be appreciated. My English teacher also seems pretty good at her job which certainly takes the load off this year. I’m already greatful for her commitment to giving me lesson plans a week before the lesson (as apposed to a lot of lessons last year where I got them just before the lesson started).
The band played on as the titanic sank.
One other staff member that is available to chat makes all the difference. One couch always stops by my desk to say hi, huge difference. Your principal rocks.
My co-teacher/boss talks to me about her secret romantic relationship with the science teacher. 🙂
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My Japanese colleague and I are quite new in our roles so we have a lot in common, especially trying to get used to how things work here. Today as I was leaving she was still working on some stuff and I knew she would not leave until nighttime, but she still managed to greet me and asked how my day was. She then shared her own experience of the day and we spent a couple of minutes exchanging words of strength to each other. We also discussed a plan to go get lunch together some time in the future. It was a genuinely nice ending to a rough day of work.
Great to know that you have at least one positive connection at work. Hopefully it stays that way.—I have seen a number of professional relationships start off well and then plummet completely, begin poorly and marginally improve or simply fluctuate over time. The same ones who give you that phony smile at work can be the same ones who turn on you in the end, foreign or Japanese colleagues.
Some people prefer to simply do their jobs and leave for the day and prefer to only discuss work rather than fraternize. Some colleagues and bosses can’t understand that. I think keeping my work and personal lives separate, but being on friendly enough terms to get the job done, works best for me.
Hope your experience continues to be positive.
I wish I could upvote this a couple times at least.