This must have been how Pinocchio felt...

So, it's official: I'm a teacher! A contracted, full-fledged (yet part-time) teacher!

I'll be teaching the third and fourth year Japanese classes at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Michigan. (Did you even know there was such a town?) I'll have three classes (two third-year levels and one fourth) and it should be a blast! I've become good friends with the woman teaching the beginner levels and I think we'll have fun working together. ^_^ She's a great lady and I'm really looking forward to learning from her and collaborating with her~ woooooot!

Funny, though... how I still feel nervous and am thinking, "Can I really do this?" Sometimes I can't believe myself! I really should listen to the people around me more. :P heh... I'm just going to (kinda) be on my own for the first time... but, if the last few days have been any indication, I know I am going to be working with awesome, supportive people. I think the school really has an attitude of "we're here for the students" and if I need any support in my job, I don't think I'll have trouble getting it.

So, school starts in about a month and I have a lot of work to do! The previous teacher, who is just working with the first and second years now, was the only Japanese teacher the school had (ever, as far as I know!) so she didn't write a lot of things down, curriculum-wise. But, we're working with a great textbook (Adventures in Japanese) so I don't think planning will be all THAT bad. (And, as a first-year teacher... nothing is going to go as planned anyway... so it's all good. heh)

Wish me luck!