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.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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.
Monday, September 10, 2007
School in Japan
I've Finally started! After a month of sitting around the board of education and staring at the wall, I'm officially a teacher. My first week was last week. On monday I went to konan (ko as in kobe bryant and nan as in the indian bread) middle school where I sat through an opening ceremony and gave a short speech in English. "hello, my name is Arthur Winer. I am from America. I dont speak Japanese, so please speak to me in English." Now, the I don't speak Japanese part is a bold faced lie, but both my supervisor and my fellow teachers (mostly) agree that I should at least pretend to only speak english so that the students will make an effort to speak to me in English. I am sure that if they knew i spoke decent Japanese, I would never get a question in English again. After that I basically sat around and went home early, as they had no use for me.
The second day, tuesday, was my first day of teaching and to commerate that historic day, I went to Shojima elementary school. Located a 4 min walk from my house, Shojima elementary is small, with only about 200-230 students. However, when I arrived, I was tasked with giving my self introduction to 3rd, 4td, 5th, and 6th grades. Man was it difficult t change the scale of the lesson according to how much english the students knew. But somehow I managed, and after my self intro I had them practice feelings. It is also a tradition to eat school lunch with the students, and upon entering the 4th grade classroom where I was to eat, I was served a meal of a disgusting egg miso soup, and some pretty good curry. It was a tiring but fun day all and all. The kids especially liked the english version of rocks, scissors, paper. In Japan, its called Janken, and its used to solve just about any dispute in school.
Wednesday was my first day at Konon junior high to officially teach. I again gave my self introduction, this time to 9th graders. Depending on the class, it was a smashing success or a total bust. On average, it was somewhere inbetween. As I mentioned in an earlier post, harmony is one of the most important social qualities to be had in Japan. This manifests itself in junior and senior high school as the students staying as quiet as they can in class, never raising their hand to be singled out in giving an answer. Instead, teachers usually lecture to the kids, who take notes, and then are tested on those notes later. Conversation and spontaneity are not encouraged so much so when I walk into the class and expect them to respond enthusiastically, I may be deluding myself. I have brought a ball to class to try to stimulate the kids and force them to talk, which works to some extent but not always. The opposite of this is the fact that some other classes are noisy and almost out of control. Students frequently talk or sleep, and some bad students even get up and leave class in the middle of it. This has to do with the lack of discipline in Japanese schools. As students are expected to promote harmony in their classes, teachers rarely discipline students themselves and instead try and let other students keep their classmates in check. However, most students just stay silent, conforming to the other social trend, thereby letting the bad kids do whatever they want. There is no system of disciple a la detention, and therefore all the teachers can do is yell at the kids which does no good. I've been told about one student who is only in 8th grade and is only 13 but he's already fought a student, frequently leaves class, talks, is noisy, etc. When the teachers put him in a room by himself to punish him unsupervised, he broke everything in the room. Apparently, when he reaches the age of 14, he can be sent to reform school, but until then, the teachers can only sit back and watch. Outside of class however the kids are friendlier, and more willing to try to talk. I suppose there is less pressure to make a mistake.
Thursday and friday, I traveled more than 30 minutes, including bike, train, and walk time, to Miyanojin (ME-YAN-NO-JEAN) junior high, my only other junior high. Located in the next town (also called miyanojim), across the river from kurume, the school is in a bunch of rice fields which is a nice contrast to my city school. There, the students are better and more attentive though they can still be noisy when they want to. That school is currently practicing for its sports day, when the entire school gets together and competes in both sporting events and dancing/cultural events. The entire school is split into 3 blocks, red, yellow, and blue, and the teams compete against each other. It was interesting watching a bunch of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders dance to techno-pop music. Ill try and get a video on here sometime soon.
So all in all, my first days of teaching have been fun if a bit frustrating. I am pretending not to speak Japanese at all in middle school which can be difficult if the students ask me something in Japanese and I understand it, or insult me somehow (this is rare). Ill keep trying to only speak english with them for a while, then maybe later ill tell them i speak the language. More to come.
The second day, tuesday, was my first day of teaching and to commerate that historic day, I went to Shojima elementary school. Located a 4 min walk from my house, Shojima elementary is small, with only about 200-230 students. However, when I arrived, I was tasked with giving my self introduction to 3rd, 4td, 5th, and 6th grades. Man was it difficult t change the scale of the lesson according to how much english the students knew. But somehow I managed, and after my self intro I had them practice feelings. It is also a tradition to eat school lunch with the students, and upon entering the 4th grade classroom where I was to eat, I was served a meal of a disgusting egg miso soup, and some pretty good curry. It was a tiring but fun day all and all. The kids especially liked the english version of rocks, scissors, paper. In Japan, its called Janken, and its used to solve just about any dispute in school.
Wednesday was my first day at Konon junior high to officially teach. I again gave my self introduction, this time to 9th graders. Depending on the class, it was a smashing success or a total bust. On average, it was somewhere inbetween. As I mentioned in an earlier post, harmony is one of the most important social qualities to be had in Japan. This manifests itself in junior and senior high school as the students staying as quiet as they can in class, never raising their hand to be singled out in giving an answer. Instead, teachers usually lecture to the kids, who take notes, and then are tested on those notes later. Conversation and spontaneity are not encouraged so much so when I walk into the class and expect them to respond enthusiastically, I may be deluding myself. I have brought a ball to class to try to stimulate the kids and force them to talk, which works to some extent but not always. The opposite of this is the fact that some other classes are noisy and almost out of control. Students frequently talk or sleep, and some bad students even get up and leave class in the middle of it. This has to do with the lack of discipline in Japanese schools. As students are expected to promote harmony in their classes, teachers rarely discipline students themselves and instead try and let other students keep their classmates in check. However, most students just stay silent, conforming to the other social trend, thereby letting the bad kids do whatever they want. There is no system of disciple a la detention, and therefore all the teachers can do is yell at the kids which does no good. I've been told about one student who is only in 8th grade and is only 13 but he's already fought a student, frequently leaves class, talks, is noisy, etc. When the teachers put him in a room by himself to punish him unsupervised, he broke everything in the room. Apparently, when he reaches the age of 14, he can be sent to reform school, but until then, the teachers can only sit back and watch. Outside of class however the kids are friendlier, and more willing to try to talk. I suppose there is less pressure to make a mistake.
Thursday and friday, I traveled more than 30 minutes, including bike, train, and walk time, to Miyanojin (ME-YAN-NO-JEAN) junior high, my only other junior high. Located in the next town (also called miyanojim), across the river from kurume, the school is in a bunch of rice fields which is a nice contrast to my city school. There, the students are better and more attentive though they can still be noisy when they want to. That school is currently practicing for its sports day, when the entire school gets together and competes in both sporting events and dancing/cultural events. The entire school is split into 3 blocks, red, yellow, and blue, and the teams compete against each other. It was interesting watching a bunch of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders dance to techno-pop music. Ill try and get a video on here sometime soon.
So all in all, my first days of teaching have been fun if a bit frustrating. I am pretending not to speak Japanese at all in middle school which can be difficult if the students ask me something in Japanese and I understand it, or insult me somehow (this is rare). Ill keep trying to only speak english with them for a while, then maybe later ill tell them i speak the language. More to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)