Lessons taught, lessons learned

39 noisy, wide-eyed students watch me curiously as I enter the room. I glance at them, but mostly I focus on the small teacher's desk in front. I set my bag on the table next to the desk and remove several large, colorful phrase cards from it. I shuffle through some other items in my bag, checking carefully to see that they are in order. I smile at the JTE(Japanese Teacher of English). She smiles back encouragingly. We nod to each other and she quiets the students in their seats. My first lesson begins...
Currently, in Japan, I am exhausted. I have given two self-introduction classes of 17 total I will give in this school alone. I will spent about two months here, teaching basic lessons every day but Wednesday. On Wednesdays I go out to give a self-introduction at the various elementary schools in town.
Five middle schools with approximately 15 introductions apiece(an intro to every class in every grade), 12 elementary schools, visiting twice a year... that makes [(5x15)+(12x2)=] 99 self-introductions. Someone please correct my math!
See, last year they had two of me. Well, they had two assistant English teachers, but due to lack of funding and some other issues, there's just one now. So I have to cover the amount of schools it took two people to cover for the past two years.
I was really shocked today when I realized that one of the English teachers here(there are four) doesn't understand English. She really has no grasp of the English language, and even that's being kind. We taught together this afternoon, and I couldn't say anything to her the whole class, because she would just look at me blankly. Someone could've shot me with a stun gun and I wouldn't have changed expression. How do we 'team teach' if we can't talk to each other?
My Japanese seems to have improved slightly. I can now say cool, good, cute, scary(cute and scary sound almost exactly alike--I found that one out the hard way ;) ) pretty and beautiful. I don't know how to say anything negative except the word scary. I guess that makes for a positive impression on anyone I try to speak to!!
My heart sends best wishes to all,
Julie