A Note About My School

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but my desk just happens to be right in front of one of the doors into the teacher's room. Incidentally, when it is a bit windy, my desk is the spot that receives the grand majority of it. No one else is plagued by flying papers, cold flashes, or general irritations that are brought on by this wind. In the summer, it was much appreciated. But now, I hate it.

Next, I remember reading in a Japanese culture book that seating arrangement is very important and it represents seniority. Well, there are about three different rooms for teachers at Tosayamada. There is the main one where I am which has about 12 teachers and the vice principal. There is a second one down the hall that has that has about 7 teachers and some small meeting rooms as well as a desk area for students to work at. Finally there is a third one across the courtyard that has two teachers, my supervisor (female) and another very nice male teacher (he always says Good Morning and then Okayo Gozaimasu. Very nice guy). The reason why there are only two teachers in that room is because it is similar to a counselors room. It has a nice little couch where students can come by and just talk about what's on their minds and discuss problems they are having.

Anyway, the point of all this is that I only now recognized some of the seating arrangements! In the main teachers room, all the female teachers are in one cluster and the men are in another with a row of computers separating the two. The vice principal is on the men's side by the window (coveted place apparently, even though his back is facing it)

I don't know enough about the whole seating arrangements to figure out how important they really think I am. I can tell you though that I sit right next to the newest teacher who typically has the least seniority and status. She doesn't have a computer either for whatever that's worth. She's the only one without and though mine is still a piece of crap, it's still better than nothing.