My Life in Japan
This thing called work

What is it that we do?

Nova teachers are effectively divided into two kinds; the full timers and part timers.  A full timer teaches 8 lessons a day, a part timer teaches 5.
 
As a full timer my work day can start at any of three times.  10:00, 11:40 and 13:20.  Within my working week my days alternate between these times.
 
The first day of my working week is Thursday.  I start at 13:20 and I finish at 21:00.  A usual Thursday for me is as follows. 
 
13:20 - 14:05   LESSON 
14:15 - 15:00   LESSON
15:10 - 15:55   LESSON
16:05 - 17:00   LESSON
17:00 - 17:40   BREAK
17:50 - 18:30   Nova Kids Senior class.
18:40 - 19:20   LESSON / VOICE
19:30 - 20:10   LESSON / VOICE
20:20 - 21:00   LESSON / VOICE
 
As you can see the classes before my break are 45 minutes long, followed by a ten minute gap in which we write comments, hand over files, find new files and plan the next lesson.  After my break the classes are 40 minutes long.  The period between 13:20 and 17:00 is viewed as the slowest period of the day so `the company` chose to make the classes 5 minutes longer to entice the students.
 
From 18:40 until 21:00 I have listed LESSON / VOICE this is because the time when I get Voice on a Thursday is not set, it can be any of those three lessons or none actually.

There are many different styles of teaching within `the company`; some good, some bad, some standard, some inspired.  The teachers currently have more control on what they teach and how they teach it.  We use a book but we can use it in a variety of ways.  Sometimes I adore the job and sometimes I hate it - I`m normal.  What makes the job worth doing - for me? - the students and the relationships between the teachers (in some schools). That`s why I`m sticking around.

My Friday work day (and my Monday work day) begin at 11:40.  Here is my usual schedule on Friday, in brackets I will show my Monday classes if there is a difference.
 
11:40 - 12:20   LESSON
12:30 - 13:10   LESSON
13:20 - 14:05   LESSON 
14:15 - 15:00   LESSON
15:10 - 15:55   BREAK
16:05 - 17:00   LESSON
17:00 - 17:40   Nova Kids Kinder class.  (Nova Kids Junior class.)
17:50 - 18:30   LESSON
18:40 - 19:20   Nova Kids Senior class.   (LESSON)
 
My other two workdays are Saturday and Sunday and both days begin at 10:05 as the shopping mall in which I work only opens at 10am so the school lessons begin 5 mins later.  Sunday as some kind of concession to the teachers has no 45 minute lessons in the afternoon (great concession - anyone for sarcasm?).  Notice how that precious 10 minutes between lessons is only 5 minutes long after the first lesson, it goes so quickly and quite often the teachers have 4 students files to write out and plan for!
 
10:05 - 10:45   LESSON
10:50 - 11:30   LESSON (Nova Kids Kinder class)
11:40 - 12:20   LESSON
12:30 - 13:10   Nova Kids Kinder class.  (LESSON)
13:20 - 14:05   BREAK 
14:15 - 15:00   LESSON / VOICE
15:10 - 15:55   LESSON / VOICE
16:05 - 17:00   LESSON / VOICE
17:00 - 17:40   LESSON / VOICE
 
As with Thursday, after break I can get Voice at any of those times on Saturday or Sunday or nto at all.

LESSON = a class between 1 and 4 students of very ages and varying ability.  A time where one tries to impart some Native Speaker wisdom, whilst having a point and having fun.  Quite the challenge on occasion.
 
VOICE = a room of any number of students.  Some teachers play games, some tell stories, some set up activities, some try to promote conversation between the students.  I fit into the latter two categories most of the time.

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