School in Japan

April 2007

Well I have finally got around to writing about school in Japan! A typical week for me is Monday to Wednesday and Friday at my junior high school (grades 7-9).
The schedule is –
8:20-8:40 teachers meeting
8:40-8:50 homeroom
8:50-9:40 lesson 1
9:50-10:40 lesson 2
10:50-11:40 lesson 3
11:50-12:40 lesson 4
12:40-1:20 lunch
1:25-2:15 lesson 5
2:25-3:15 lesson 6
Homeroom and cleaning 30 minutes.

We don’t have 6 lessons every day but there is no recess and no yard duty as students aren’t allowed outside. Students are left alone for 10minutes between lessons as teachers come to their homeroom. It is amazing how they are unsupervised so often and I have only seen one student who hurt himself. At the end of the day students clean their room and the hallways! No need to pay cleaners! Don’t think that would work in Australia!

My Junior High School.


Shoe lockers to leave your outside shoes in before changing into “slippers”. (Not everyone wears slippers but as long as your shoes have never been worn outside they are ok.)



Once I get to the train station near school I get on another bike that one of the teachers has kindly lent me for 7 months! I ride through narrow streets (almost footpaths) passing many market gardens along the way – it is cabbage country! As I ride to school I pass many students on the way and say “Good Morning” to them. I often get a surprised look and once I have riden past I hear “Good Morningu!”(so cute!)

The gardens on the way to school.


The teachers at the junior high school are really friendly and most enjoy practicing their English with me. The students are well behaved and are eager to speak to me and ask questions about everything! School is very strict here and students have to wear a uniform but it must be worn exactly. They also cannot dye their hair, have pierced ears, long fingernails or trim/shape their eyebrows! In Japan it is popular (with boys and girls) to trim your eyebrow hairs so they are short and then also shape them. The first time I saw an “eyebrow check” I was amazed! Can you imagine this in Australia?!! Also if a student has dyed their hair (usually red/brown) a teacher will remove them and spray their hair black! Teachers in Japan have more control over students and there doesn’t seem to be any regulations about physical contact as some teachers will adjust the student’s uniform or “knock” them into line! Very different from Australia!! Any assembly here is a formal occasion and teachers are expected to wear a suit but as you must wear inside shoes so it is never totally formal! I love wearing slippers at work!

Third graders graduation (year 9’s).






Bento – lunch given to all teachers at the junior high school on special occasions. This was for the 3rd year (year 9) graduation.



On Thursdays I go to one of three primary schools. I rotate through 3 primary schools and each time I teach a variety of grades. I really enjoy the primary school although it is a lot harder as many primary school teachers don’t speak English and the students have not been exposed to a lot of English as they don’t have regular lessons. However at the primary school I get given lunch each week. The students are very responsible and they have monitors who put on a white coat, chef hat and face mask! Some students clean the tables while others go and collect the lunch from the canteen. Students then serve all the meals and you always get a small milk with lunch. Before we start eating we say “ittadakimasu” together and after the meal “gochi so samadeshita” which is thanks for the meal. I get to sit with the students when I eat lunch. It is great as they all janken (rock, paper, scissors) to see which table I get to sit at! One class did this and many students were upset so the teacher rearranged the class so the students could all sit in rows facing me while they ate! Some classes all want you to sign your “autograph” when you have finished and shake your hand – makes you feel like a celebrity!

Students serving lunch


Students lined up for lunch
x

Student making me origami – I have such a collection- I have made a paper crane mobile!


Yum Primary school food!




Students all facing me when they couldn’t let janken decide!(mine is the empty seat)


School is really great here and there are many funny stories to tell whether it has been lost in translation or students/teachers trying out their English. I think the best one is when I taught the special class (4 students) how to make a snapping crocodile and one student who loves reptiles told the Japanese teacher he thought I was marvellous and that I must be the best teacher in Australia and that is why they have sent me to Japan although in the same class one student thought that I wasn’t very smart as I can’t speak Japanese! He thought that everyone knows Japanese! And he still talks to me in Japanese thinking I know it! There are so many stories to tell so I will try to add a few each time!