How I got here.

Years ago I was lucky enough to stumble upon a job listing in my local newspaper. I had recently finished my BA degree in English Literature and Philosophy and like many in that position was wondering what on earth I was going to do with it. The job listing was looking for someone from the local community to come and teach English in my towns sister city in Japan. This perked my interest. Degree required. Perhaps the justification for my debt I was looking for. The process was a whirlwind. Literally two weeks later I was in Japan. Smack bang in the the middle of the country side, or 'inaka' as they say here. My head was spinning. To a degree it still is. It is safe to say that I was not someone people thought of as the sort to move to another country. Let alone one that doesn't speak English!

What started out as a one to three year contract kept getting extended. Somewhere along the line I fell in love and started a family. Here I am seven years later, still in the countryside, still teaching English, and still enjoying it.

Teaching English...

Where does coding come in?

Over the past seven years I have seen my role in the classroom grow and change. Recently for my area, and Japan as a whole, the introduction of technology in the class has been the hot topic. How do we as teachers integrate it into the classroom? How do I as the link to the English speaking world incorporate the use of computers in a fun and impactful way? What is the Assistant Language Teachers role with respect to using this technology in the first place? It is something that the industry as a whole is still figuring out.

My first thought however? ... games. Many talented teachers have made amazing powerpoint games that students love. How cool would it be to have a game the kids could use in the classroom to practice the target grammar on their own tablet!? So I searched, but I could just never find one that suited my needs exactly. Inevitably I asked myself the question, why not make one yourself?

Impossible, I thought. Code is for Neo and the like. You have to be a genius to do that. It`s not that I am dumb, but I am not that kind of smart.

This was not the first time I had thought about the possibility of learning to make games or code in general. However I was always quickly scared off. I don't know math, I'm not good at problem solving, I can't code. Impossible. Then I thought of my young son and my students. What would say to them if if I heard such self defeatist talk. Not impossible! You can do it! That is what any good father and teacher would say.

So here I am, roughly four months later, and I am crazy about learning to code. Don't get me wrong. It is hard. But it is also so much fun. Other than gaming and keeping a journal, I have never had a hobby that has captivated me like this. It is hard to put into words how great of an experience this has been.

My journey

As far as my learning goes I am most certainly at the proverbial tip of the ice burg. I am very much a beginner, I know how to do some basic stuff but I am a long way from making a game that works well in an English class.

I am however determined to see it through. So I practice everyday. I hack away in the code editor, I google over and over to figure out why what I am writing isn't working. And I am always on the look out for new useful resources to help on my journey.

Enter hashnode.

Learning in public is something I have heard about before, but never really experienced. I guess it is not exactly in my nature. Many though have talked about its exponential effect on ones learning progress. Community is a powerful tool. One that in this day and age is accessible to all from the comfort of a desk chair, or a device we carry in our pocket. There is no excuse.

So here it is, my first post!

Here is to self improvement. Here is to proving to ourselves that actually we can do it. Here is to learning in a cool community and here is to the awesome possibilities of programming!!

To anyone reading and on a similar journey 頑張れ ましょ!! Good luck!! Let's do it!