A Postcard from... Takasaki, Japan

Blending in with the locals

I ended up in Japan on a layover of sorts. My husband and I are slowly traveling the world one region at a time, funding our trip by teaching English, and Japan is a working stop. After earning my CELTA at Teaching House in NY, I began working as a teacher right away at Language Studies International in Manhattan. A few months later, we decided to leave New York and began a 4-5 year trip around the world, starting with Asia. Over the next 6 months we traveled through Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but eventually we ran low on money. That’s when Japan came into the picture. We’ll be here for just over a year earning and saving money for the next leg of our trip, which will take us through China, Tibet, and India.

We work in a small city in Gunma prefecture, and our pace of life is slow. We work 6 days a week (although only 4-5 hours per day), and in our free time we hike through nearby mountains and volcanoes and afterwards soak in natural hot springs. We make a comfortable living and our expenses are low, so we’re able to save money for the next leg of our trip. Being a foreigner in Japan means that we’re always outsiders looking in, although we’ve still been able to get a good glimpse of Japanese culture. Children may stare at us in the small town grocery stores, but they are easily satisfied with a warm smile and a happy “hello!” Life in small town Japan is a delicate balance, not without its awkward moments.

View of Takasaki

We work for a small private school that we found through Daveseslcafe.com, and whatever resources we want or need are only a short order form away. We have the freedom to teach our classes as we see fit, and we choose all of our own materials and set our own curriculum. But with this freedom comes a catch. In a week I teach 51 students of varying ages and levels in 26 different classes. My youngest students are 4 years old and my oldest students are in their 50’s, so it can be a struggle to balance the needs of all these students and plan 26 completely different lessons a week. My school offers little in terms of direct support in this area, so my CELTA has made lesson planning much easier (although I sometimes wish I’d done the Young Learners extension.) When I first arrived, planning for all those students was overwhelming, especially since I had no previous experience working with children. But I adjusted quickly, and now that I’ve finished choosing course books and materials that meet my students’ needs and fit my teaching style, I’ve settled into a comfortable routine. I find I really love teaching (even working with the kids I once dreaded), and I feel lucky that I’m able to use teaching English as a means to travel the world.

Christin Butler
Teaching House CELTA Graduate, Summer Extensive Course 2008

Christin and her students