5 seconds

5 seconds. 1......2......3........4............5. That's all it takes for a situation to turn ugly. And at one of my schools, that's all the time it takes for a situation to resolve myself. Not 10 minutes, I was sitting at the computer reading peaceful. My contemplative state was shattered however, when a teacher ran into the staff room saying that another sensei had gotten hit in the face. In a flash, 10 teachers went running out to the field where it had happened. I even kicked off my shoes to run faster. But we arrived only to find the teacher in question holding some toilet paper over his bleeding nose, with a group of students slinking away nonchalantly while the vice-principal looked on. Now, in the staff room, I have picked up snippets of the conversation. The teachers are huddling around, conferring over police action and a trip to the hospital for a broken nose.

Yet in a mere 20 minutes time, everything seems to be back to normal. There is the social studies teacher, munching on a carrot. There is the Japanese language teacher, preparing her lesson. I am frightened to think that the staff at this school has gotten so complacent, desensatized to these events, which are far too common. It feels like a criticism of Generation Y America, but it seems that this sort of thing can happen anywhere in the world. The children of Japan have lost the respect for their elders and their teachers, a trait that was renown throughout the world. When I ask my friends to conjure up images of the typical Japanese school child, they often respond with the kind of respectful teenager imitated in the Karate kid. Even I had visions of such a situation, that my pupils would be drilled rigorously, me the Sensei, and they, the young grasshoppers. But I have realized that this, like many stereotypes, may have had some grounding 50 years ago, but has since disappeared.

While my experience at other schools has been different, a general lack of respect seems to be inherent in the Japanese education system. I can only hope that the dinosaur that is the Japanese education system finds an impetus for change in the actions of these malcontents, but I have little faith that change is anywhere but far off.

Pianicas

Oh so this is just for Julian, Emily, and other academy kids. Remember Pianicas guys? REMEMBER? The abomination of an instrument that is the pianica? Well that monstrosity that Cheril Lehr forced us to play has made its way to Japan. Attached is a picture of 2 of my first grade (6 yr old) students playing them. Gawd i should take them and burn them so that they can't ever be played again. Oh and dont be fooled. The part they are blowing into comes out and is attached to a hose. Its the real deal.

Elementary School

Hi everyone,

I know its been a long while, but I've been busy and I don't know how many of you actually read this anyways. But today's topic is elementary school. I am what is called a "one shot" Jet and as such, I travel to several different schools and expose as many kids to English as possible. I have two junior high schools and 5 elementary schools. While this seems like an inefficient approach, the idea is to get the kids used to English and hopefully to get some of them to even like it before it becomes mandatory in elementary school (it already is mandatory in junior high).

While I certainly enjoy junior high, my favorite days have been the days that I am at elementary school. So far I have only been to two elementary schools but both have been a blast to teach at. I have taught grades 1 through 6, meaning the 6 year olds to the 13 year olds. I like elementary school a lot more because the elementary kids have not yet developed the social trait that is common in Japanese society, whereby it goes against the harmony of society and the group if a student is to raise his or her hand, thereby singling themselves out from the rest of the group. Therefore, in junior high, I am faced with many silent classrooms and getting kids to answer is like pulling teeth (although I can eventually do it). At elementary school however, the situation is different. Social manners are not yet observed and therefore I am just about the greatest thing ever to hit Kurume. The kids all swarm me and I have yet to be greeted with a silent hallway if I am walking through it. I usually enter a school to hear shouts of "Oh, Asa sensei. Hello" Or "gooood morningggggggg."

When class starts, I have no problem getting the kids to volunteer, and often they want to show off their English skills. Its great fun, and as my lessons almost always invariably contain a game, the students are really liking English (i think at least). The best time of the day usually is recess, when I always go outside and play Kori-oni (ice demon = freeze tag), cops and robbers, kick ball, soccer, or dodgeball (dodguboru in Japanese english). Piggyback rides are also a common site. To that end I have a picture attached for emphasis of both piggyback rides and recess. More to come. So as you can see, elementary is definitely the most fun.

My apartment

Besides the tax free income, every JET participant is guaranteed recommended housing by their contract organization. While that could be anything from a roach-infested shared dormitory to an entire house, I am lucky to have been given an apartment in the upper middle part of the spectrum. While my building, named Faburu house/Tsukamoto house, is not the greatest location in terms of nightlife/things to do, it is 5 minutes away from my Board of Education/one of my schools and is newer than any of the apartments that other JETS in this area have gotten. Perhaps 10-15 years old, the Tsukamoto building stands a pround 2 stories high tucked away in a residential neighborhood known as Shojima-machi (Shojima town). It is surrounded by middle class houses on all sides. Luckily, Popular convinience store is a mere 150 meters away which makes it easy to get to for any drink/food/bill paying needs I might have. In terms of annoyances, the closest grocery store is a 10 minute bike ride away, but next month that all will change when the 24 hour grocery store that is being built across the street opens up.

In terms of the apartment itself, for 450 dollars a month (half of which is covered by my contracting organization), I get a 2, 6 tatami room apartment (1 tatami is around 4x3 so its like 10x7 or so), plus a kitchen/bathroom. While not the biggest in terms of size, it definitely is more than enough for one person. I spend most of my time in my living/bed room as it is the only air conditioned room. The seasons are changing however so its not as hot as it was before. Pics to follow.

School today

So if any other Jet's read this, I have a question for you. Who else has a teacher that expects you to teach the entire class? I arrived at one of my middle schools today, and it's the first time that I am not doing Self-intro lessons here. I go with one of the teachers and she does what I would expect, explain things some and then we have a conversation or shes uses me for pronunciation. First we reviewed the material from last time (what is this, what is that etc), then we did "whats your favorite______) and played a bingo type game. I felt it was quite a mutual class and was satisfied.

Then I went to the next class with another english teacher. Now, her english isnt very good, she is quiet, and I dont see how she is qualified to be an English teacher but she can get by. However, we were leaving the staffroom to go to the class and I was only carrying a ball i use to throw to the students and some stickers and she asks "is that all you need?" It was at this point that I got suspicious but we continued on. So we get to the classroom and she just walks off to the side and leaves me in front of the kids. I was more than a bit surprised but I managed to think on the fly and basically just led the class through what we did in the class before. However, without the teacher helping, I wasnt quite sure if i was doing it right and I had to even control the class. I didn't want to use my Japanese in the class at all b/c the kids currently think i know ohayo and thats it. But god, I was angry. I guess I have to plan every lesson in advance to teach it by myself. A Trial by fire.

WOW

So i thought that yesterday's fire couldn't be topped, but today, 5 minutes ago, one 8th grader kicked the ever loving shit out of another 8th grader. One of the teachers came charging into the staff room and shouted "8th grade fight!", and the rest of us went charging to the 2nd year hallway where 1 boy was crying and another was smirking to himself. They questioned him and led him away, but by the look on his face, I think he knows that nothing is going to happen to him. Unless he is 14. If he is 14, then he might get sent to reform school, which sounds like its run like boot camp. I sure hope he gets sent there. I also wish that I had been the first to catch the kids fighting, cause I would have pulled the bigger one off and would have been tempted to kick the shit out of him. These kids need some discipline!

In regards to the fire issue, apparently some girls came and told the teachers last night who had done it, but they were so scared of the boy coming and beating them up that now the teachers are distributing an anonymous survey to the kids and then after they collect it, they'll go and arrest the boy. What a great school. Now, I don't want to make it sound like it's a terrible place, since many schools in America are just as bad if not worse, and probably 95% of the kids here are good/nice kids, even the noisy ones that talk or sleep in class. But there is just this other 5% who don't give a crap about what's going to happen to them. They don't care about entrance exams to high school. Probably a majority of them will drop out of school after middle school is up, since secondary education is not compulsory here in Japan. The other few kids that encompass that 5% might take the entrance exam for the crappiest high school in the area, but I have a feeling that most of them are going to end up collecting my garbage or working at my nearby convinience store in a few years.

uh looks like i have one of the worst schools in the area

Well, i thought the teachers here at Konan were exaggerating, but it turns out that this is one of the most unruly schools in the area. Today, at around 1:30 local time, the teachers come running into the staffroom to tell us that someone had lit some papers on fire in the hall way in the next building. Yet, noone would fess up to who it was, so instead of making a group punishment until the offender came forward or was fingered, nothing happened. Repeatedly, the teachers simply rely on the idea that society will work it out, but in the meantime, kids are known for fighting, skipping class, and now, lighting fires here at Konan. I guess ill just try my best to ignore it.