There's Been a Change

Goodbye, Shonai. Hello, Yufuin. I was transferred to another area of the Yufu City School District. The good part is that I’m closer to home…really close. Tsukahara Elementary School is located within walking distance to my home. The bad part is that I don’t know anyone. Everything is brand new to me. In my life, change equals stress. So, I can expect to be stressed out for a couple of weeks to a month. In Shonai, I was accustomed to small classes. Yufuin Elementary has almost 400 students. The school has been recently remodeled and it comes with all of the bells and whistles. The brand new teacher’s room is gigantic. My initial response was that it felt cold and unfriendly. The four other schools are much smaller and I’m relieved to hear that.

Opening ceremony will be on Monday. I’m anxious, nervous, and excited to get the new assignment. I hope I’ll be able to influence the students and teachers in a positive way. I left Shonai with the impression that the students and teachers enjoyed English. I’ll work hard to bring that same enthusiasm to Yufuin. Wish me luck.     George