First Impressions in the Classroom

I'm doing my first round as an ALT. Basically, I create lessons that are used for two weeks, and after the two weeks are up, I create a new lesson for the next two week cycle. So since Monday, I've been just doing the same self-introduction with slight changes to the lesson. After the introduction, I go up to each student individually and ask them their names and shake their hands. Before that, they're usually nervous and shy, but afterwards they seem to be more comfortable around me. In one class that I went to on Monday, I have all boys, and they're VERY...er.. energetic. It's quite strange to be receiving so many loud and awkward love confessions, or having random guys yell out "Bob Marley!" everytime they do something and I'm in the area. It's also quite strange when they see me, they automatically try to speak English, even if it makes no sense. It's quite easy to tell if they don't know what they're saying because the intonation is a little off. For example, if I were to walk by the classes with all boys, I tend to get greetings like, "Oh Yes! Oh Yes!" However, it's nice because some of the students who I thought weren't going to do any work, were interested in learning some English words. I also tend to get a bunch of girls telling me that I'm "kawaii" and how I should "keep smiling." It's really cute!

I think that most of the students would prefer someone that they can relate to, and when I talk to them about popular Japanese people and songs, they feel a connection and they'll be more likely to pay attention the class. So far, I have really good relationships with all the people in the office and with most of the students, the others, I haven't met yet.