First week of school!
Trip Start
Jun 27, 2009
1
8
47
Trip End
Jun 25, 2011
Nachikatsuura,
Japan
Friday, September 8, 2006
Here's a brief description of a couple of the schools I visited this week. (I will let the pictures speak for themselves) I'm only writing this because they are all SO different from American schools and I find it really interesting that each school has such a different personality and they are only miles apart. Almost all of the schools here were quickly constructed after WWII so they are very old today and some schools have construction going on in parts to strengthen the buildings for earthquakes
01 sea turtles in the hallway!
. No schools have AC, they have one fan per classroom and open the windows and doors all day. Children change from outdoor shoes to indoor shoes (white slip-on ked type things) when they first come in and put their shoes in an assigned cubby. Most schools the kids just run around doing whatever they want before school starts, all the teachers are always in the teacher room at their desks before school and in between classes. They don't really seem too concerned about the kids wherabouts, no running in the halls, yelling, etc...Whatever image you have of a stereotypical Japanese school is not the case! Shimosato Shogakko (Elementary School): 136 Students 1st-6th grade. I got off the train and walk outside the station to see 15 fifth graders and their teacher Watanabe-sensei holding up Welcome Katherine signs, and handmade Japanese flags. I belted out "Ohayo Gozaimasu" and tried to appear confident and outgoing :) The kids were super friendly and all said "Good Morning!" as we began our 15 minute walk which I was told was a "shortcut." Some shortcut! These streets are so small in this town it's like the Venice of Japan. And just like in Venice there are no street names or signs so you kidna just learn your way around I guess? So here I am trying to talk to the kids, the sensei (who knows veryyy little English) AND look around me to remember the route, but after a few minutes of going through backyards, down alleyways, through parking lots and past shops I gave up
02 close up of sea turtles
. There was no way I would remember how to get to this school without a good map and LOTS of help. Today I was walking inside with some students and see a rabbit hopping around in this bed of wildflowers. I stopped and said "Sugoi!" (cool!) and they said "Hai, Kawaii!!" (yes, very cute!) and I asked what the rabbits name was, and they said there were 2, and they didnt have names!! The girls decided to name one of the rabbits Katherine! haha I caught it and held it for a little while. They let the rabbits loose in the morning to hop around, and apparently they dont run away! They have a large hut outside the school that they stay in at night.We walked right along the Pacific and it was so beautiful with the sun coming up, waves crashing, tons of little Japanese kids walking to school with their matching white hats, shirts and royal blue shorts, and government issued backpacks. They all giggle and run away as I say "Hi!!!" We get to the school and I change into my indoor shoes and the first thing I see is 2 huge sandbox type bins FULL OF BABY SEA TURTLES swimming around in water!!!! It was so cool, the secretary lady told me the kids went out to the beach outside the school and dug up the eggs so they wouldn't be eaten by birds. There were about 80 sea turtles as big as the palm of my hand swimming around in 2 bins, and then about 25 more eggs in a bin filled of sand. SO COOL!
03 playing kickball at recess
Everyone was very nice in the teachers room - which is just one big room of desks all in a square shape. There's no central AC so there are usually a couple fans blowing, but everyone wears a sweat towel around their neck to wipe sweat from their face. Yes, it's that hot, all day, everyday. Try teaching for 5 hours DRIPPING in sweat! It's not a pretty sight. Katsuura Shogakko: 436 Students 1st-6th (biggest in the area) I rode my bike through the wharf area of town and caught a glimpse of the tuna/shark/swordfish auction that was going on. Once I got closer to the school I started riding past students who I could hear uttering "Eigo Sensei! Eigo Sensei!" (English teacher! English teacher!) and they would laugh and run away also. This seems to be a trend at most schools-the kids are very shy until you have them in their classroom and then they don't hold back at all! Every class I taught at each school was so excited to have English class. They really enjoy it and their enthusiasm makes it worthwhile.
Ohta: 56 Students 1st-6th (3rd smallest school in the area) This is a beautiful new (10 years old) school about 15 minutes drive. There is no direct bus there so the principal picks me up each time I teach there. THe school was designed for small numbers which makes it feel less empty
04 playing an english game with fake dollars
. Beautiful hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, a nice gym, and classrooms. Like the other schools, everyone here was extremely friendly and tried to communicate with me in various ways, whether it was offering me cohee (coffee) or motioning me to follow them down the hall so they could show me where the bathroom is. I played volleyball at recess with the 3rd graders and then badmintion with the 1st graders. We also watched a 5/6th grade baseball game going on outside, the Vice Principal was playing with them also. Sansen: 19 Students (1-6th) Not the smallest believe it or not, but the 2nd smallest school! This is a big school with no students to fill it. There are 5 teachers, a principal, vice principal, and a lady that serves tea/cooks the food/does the gardening. I played baseball with the boys at recess, and I struck out!! I was so embarrassed, but I did make 2 outs in the field to redeem myself. The kids were so surprised when I caught the ball, and then could throw it to third base. haha
Other interesting things that are the same at all schools:
-music is played over the loduspeakers to signify the end of recess and the beginning of a school-wide cleaning time. it lasts for 30 minutes and students have brooms, mops, sponges and rags and are often racing through the halls on all fours pushing a rag along the floor
05 4th-6th grade prepare lunch by themselves
. -lunch time is a group effort. the teacher helps with grades 1,2 and 3, but 4,5,6 graders are completely responsible for bringing in the lunch cart, setting out all the food, and serving it into the correct number of bowls. The teachers often go to the teacher room during this time to get their own lunch. I was so surprised at how much responsibility they give even the small kids, and they can handle it!
-after a kid is done eating, they get up and stack their bowls, tray, sort their trash and put their chopsticks in a bowl...then they go get their toiletry kit and go out into the hallway to a huge trough like sink and brush their teeth. there are actually timers they turn over so that they know they are brushing for 2 minutes - yet the japanese still have bad teeth?? i know why! no flouride in their toothpaste
-students all walk to school on their own, no parents by their side, no cars droppping kids off at school and mothers lingering around to gossip. usually the kids will walk in small groups, backpack on and waterbottle around their shoulder. they leave school the same way and walk all the way home.
i think thats about it, so look at the pictures to see the students...they're so terrific - such happy kids!
