No, I don't mean the kind of Saturday school that you see on The Breakfast Club (though they could use that here). I have been hearing from random people on Facebook and the Internet that the current prime minister wants to add a 6th day (Saturday) to the school week in Japan to increase teaching hours. You can read more about that here. Especially read the comments.
Anyway, I am pretty mellow when it comes to "cultural differences" in Japan. Sure I may vent about certain things on Facebook/my blog/around the dinner table but for the most part I respect that this is not America and I have to play by the rules. For example- the whole Robin can't have a middle name on her Japanese birth certificate. STUPID- but I respect that and just put it on her American forms/IDs. But when it comes to the education system I really do think that other countries have some "better" ideas. Not the best ideas, but better.
I don't think going to school an extra day a week is going to make a difference. A) the kids go to school seven days a week as it is for club and B) when they are in the classroom they aren't learning as much as they could be learning due to several factors. After working in the school system for four years and working with K-9th grades, here is what I would suggest. (And I know that I have mentioned this probably 100 times already, but it is current again).
1 Minimize break time for the days that they are in school.
Right now the students get 10 minutes between every class as well as a 20/30 minute break after lunch. And this is for JHS kids, too. They say it is to give the students a chance to relax so that they will better be able to focus in class, but really it is a time for teachers to take a break and for the students to run around screaming and wrestling. I do think there needs to be some sort of break, but 10 minutes is too long. If you cut down the break time you could add one more class a day, increasing the school day from 6 classes to 7.
In elementary I think they could cut down the break time (or allow no break time) and extend the morning recess. Rather than give them twenty minutes, give them thirty minutes with only five minute breaks elsewhere. The problem with the ten minute break between classes in ES is that the students just get into a game when it is time to pack it up and go back to class. This usually results in them taking a longer time to become focused because they are still thinking about the game they didn't finish over the break.
2 Introduce/increase discipline in the classroom to better maximize learning time.
One of the biggest culture shocks for every foreigner coming to Japan is how there is a lack of discipline in the classrooms. So many of us come to Japan expecting this rigid school system and yet it is in many ways much more relaxed than what we are used to in our own countries. There are some teachers who are able to "lay down the law" when it comes to keeping students on task, but so many are unable to due to a system that doesn't support them. Students are free to make rude comments, walk out of the classroom, sleep, "forget" their learning materials, etc Because it is impossible to fail or be held behind, and because most of them come to school/stay after school for club seven days a week anyway, there isn't really away to punish the students who are out of line other than to scream at them.
And because the students are to be treated fairly, their isn't a way to reward them either. Since they have this freedom it is really hard to keep them on task or to motivate them. You either get students who won't shut up so we learn nothing or you get students who refuse to speak up so we learn nothing. For example, when I was in school your grade was comprised of class participation, homework, and tests. So you could earn or lose points by how you acted in the classroom. I think that Japanese teachers keep track of this, but because they can't hold a student back there is really nothing they can do to the students who are disruptive or put forth no effort. Even
if they go an extra day they won't learn if students continue talking
over the teacher, walking around the classroom, coloring, coming to
class without books, etc
3 Split students into ability, not age.
OK, so I know that there are some bad things that come with dividing students up by ability, but there can be a lot of good. ESPECIALLY for students who have a higher ability than the others. For example, the first year of JHS all English students spend the first month or so learning the alphabet without exception. Never mind if the student can write/read paragraphs. This year we had a student in the 1st year of JHS that I taught privately in Tsuyama. I started teaching her in 2005 and every week we read and wrote the ABCs. As she moved up we went from the ABCs to words and later to books. This year she was put with every other student and made to repeat, "A,A,A B,B,B C,C,C" for a full class period. Talk about a waste of her time. I could understand leaving her be if she was the only kid in the class who had been taking private English lessons. But there were a dozen in each class who could do this (and more).
On the flip side you get the kid who has never seen the alphabet before forced to catch up with the rest of his class despite needing help. They do split the classes up sometimes by level, but the rule is that they all have to take the same test. So even if you wanted to go slower with the lower level group, you can't go at an actual pace that they need because they have to keep up with the regular test. Never mind if they have learning disabilities, were absent for an extended period of time, etc
Now Japanese people aren't stupid. They realize that there is a lot of gaps in what the students learn at school. So they send their kids to cram schools to be privately tutored so that they can either advance at a higher level or catch up to the level they are supposed to be at. This means that so many kids are already going to school on Saturday. Surely that should show Abe that introducing another day to the school week isn't the answer.
4 Cut down on the Mickey Mouse time spent "in school" but "out of the classroom."
OK- so Japanese kids go to school year round, but they aren't actually in the classroom year round. For example, the week before the sports festival Mon-Wed are half days (half in the classroom and half out on the sports field) and Thurs-Sat are full days (fully on the sports field). Though I agree that their needs to be some practice for the sports day, I don't understand why it can't be done in PE or kept to one day. Especially when the kids have been doing these sports days since nursery school. But oh no, we need a full day to practice lining up for races, marching around a track, etc
They also "get out early" or have shortened class periods an awful lot for unexplained reasons. I actually asked a teacher once, just because I was curious, why the classes were shortened that day and why they were missing sixth period, and she literally said,"I don't know."
Another thing is that, in the name of equality, the teachers will not let a class move forward if a small amount of students are missing. For example, one weekend there was a baseball tournament that didn't finish so on Monday all of the baseball students were missing from class (about 40 boys in a school of about 400 hundred students). So the teacher gave the class free time to catch up on homework, work ahead, etc because heaven forbid we move along without the 3 baseball boys. When I went to State Drill Team with the other girls on my team, our classes moved ahead without us and we were expected to make up the work on our own time. Which is only fair to all of the kids not on the drill team.
I hate to be so preachy, but there are so many things that could be fixed with the school system without adding another day to the school week. Teachers and students live busy enough lives as it is! I know America isn't perfect, but I do think the Japanese could learn some things from us. JUST as we could learn some things from Japan. Such as having students clean the schools, having strong classroom bonding, etc I know I am a hypocrite because I am sending my daughter to Japanese schools, but it is mostly so that she will have a strong base in Japanese culture and life. We fully intend to send her to the states for high school and possibly university (although that will be up to her). I think so many students are just getting an "average" education at school and getting everything else in private lessons when they could be getting a great education at school and getting life experience on their freetime.
Showing posts with label working in Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label working in Japan. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Babying Kids
OK, I am going to have a bit of a rant about the absolute BS that happens with Japanese students. Or actually, with the way that they are treated by the Japanese staff. In the west we have this concept that the kids are extremely well behaved and the rules are really harsh, but I find it to be quite the opposite and sometimes it drives me INSANE!
OK- on one hand Japanese kids are quite mature and are quite limited in their freedom. They have to wear uniforms and at my school that includes the shoes they wear. About the only thing they can choose is their socks and belts. They aren't allowed to wear jewelry (earrings are a definite no-no, but some kids do get away with necklaces and bracelets) and they can't wear bright hair clips, bows, etc They have to help clean the school, have to say excuse me when entering and exiting the staff room, they have to come to school on random Saturdays and don't really get much in the way of breaks between school years and at holidays.
BUT IN THE CLASSROOM they are treated like infants. If a kid is sleepy, he will feel free to just sleep. It is perfectly OK for them to never bring their book to class or to always forget their homework. They get ten minute breaks between every class and a longer break after lunch. If they don't want to answer, they don't have to. Because they are automatically passed on to the next grade (as in they don't hold anyone back) it is quite possible for them to NEVER come to class and still graduate (as proven by one of the 3rd year graduates last weekend).
All of that is pretty frustrating. But what really frustrates me is when the students are not pushed to try. A lot of students have amazing ability but they don't excel because no one is there to push them on. Not that we want to beat the students into learning, but a little push would help.
What set me off on this rant was last week when an elementary 6th grader was asked, "What's your name?" he replied in Japanese, "I don't know," and the teacher said, "I'm sorry, he can't speak English." I would have understood if he had been really young or if he had been special needs. I would have also understood if the question had been one of the more difficult ones like, "What do you want to be?" or "Do you have a cat?" BUT SERIOUSLY!! I ask "What's your name?" at the kindergarten and all of the kids jump up to tell me right away.
I also would have understood if this had been outside of the class. But this was in the class and about five other students had already answered the question. The teacher translated for him, and his friends did as well, but when I asked again, the kid continued to say he couldn't understand English, and the teacher continued to say sorry, he wasn't good at English. When I think about the teachers I know in the States, I know they would have told the kid to stop messing around and to answer the question.
Now, again, I don't want to bully the kids into speaking English, but in letting them get away with, "I don't know," you are basically letting them get away with not trying, and as a result, they miss out on the chance to really learn.
As a child I hated it when my dad tried to teach me to ride a bike. I, like all kids, fell down and was really frustrated with the whole thing. Because one doesn't need to learn how to ride a bike, my dad left it. Then three years down the rode at school when the police officer came to school to teach us bike safety, I was ashamed to be basically the only kid in the 4th grade who couldn't ride a bike.
With this elementary school kid, all I can think about is how, because he wasn't asked to practice in the lower grades, he is going to be really behind in Jr High and will eventually end up hating English and all English teachers. Like riding a bike, he doesn't really need to learn English in the grand scheme of things. BUT he does need it to get into a good high school. I would hate to have him look back in regret at all of the time he wasted.
Now I don't want to come off as too crazy. There is a chance that this kid will go to Jr high and be fine. But this whole practice of letting the kids pretend they don't understand can be found in all of the lessons, and it seriously limits what we can do. For example, when we were practicing, "Who is the ~est in the class?" I asked about who was the oldest. When the kids said they didn't know, I asked about who had an April birthday (sine the school year starts in April kids with April birthdays are the oldest). When no one answered, I moved on to May. The teacher then told me that, "The kids are too shy to answer about their birthdays so we can't discuss the question." What complete and total BS!!
To put a positive spin on this, at another school there is one student who is extremely special needs. Sorry I don't know the PC terms to describe him. I think he is autistic and for the most part, he is in his own world. He has a teaching aid with him and he comes to English class, but I don't really think he knows what is happening. In most classes I think he would be just left to the side as he doesn't understand even simple games like fruit basket or high card. But the teaching aid doesn't give up.
Every day in class she repeats the English over and over with him. When we do a writing exercise, she writes it out and has him trace her letters (and this is in elementary where I am told to not even do writing with the high level students- I am asked to wait until Jr high which is even more BS). When we are playing Rock Scissors Paper, she grabs him by the shoulders and has him face his opponents. She does let him bring story books for when we are doing long explanations or CD listening, but she also makes him do the English book. In all reality, this kid can barely speak Japanese so the idea of him speaking a foreign language is a STRETCH! And yet, no matter what, she does not allow him to not try, and because of that he has small victories. Two weeks ago at the elementary he said Good morning to me in the staff room. And when she told him it was time for English class one day, he picked up the English book. She pushes him because she cares enough to not give up on him- she knows he can be more then what he is now. In seeing his progress, it makes me sad and extremely annoyed when perfectly able children are allowed to settle for less.
America is not perfect in its education. And I am by no means a perfect teacher. But seriously Japan, why are you selling these children short of their futures???
OK- on one hand Japanese kids are quite mature and are quite limited in their freedom. They have to wear uniforms and at my school that includes the shoes they wear. About the only thing they can choose is their socks and belts. They aren't allowed to wear jewelry (earrings are a definite no-no, but some kids do get away with necklaces and bracelets) and they can't wear bright hair clips, bows, etc They have to help clean the school, have to say excuse me when entering and exiting the staff room, they have to come to school on random Saturdays and don't really get much in the way of breaks between school years and at holidays.
BUT IN THE CLASSROOM they are treated like infants. If a kid is sleepy, he will feel free to just sleep. It is perfectly OK for them to never bring their book to class or to always forget their homework. They get ten minute breaks between every class and a longer break after lunch. If they don't want to answer, they don't have to. Because they are automatically passed on to the next grade (as in they don't hold anyone back) it is quite possible for them to NEVER come to class and still graduate (as proven by one of the 3rd year graduates last weekend).
All of that is pretty frustrating. But what really frustrates me is when the students are not pushed to try. A lot of students have amazing ability but they don't excel because no one is there to push them on. Not that we want to beat the students into learning, but a little push would help.
What set me off on this rant was last week when an elementary 6th grader was asked, "What's your name?" he replied in Japanese, "I don't know," and the teacher said, "I'm sorry, he can't speak English." I would have understood if he had been really young or if he had been special needs. I would have also understood if the question had been one of the more difficult ones like, "What do you want to be?" or "Do you have a cat?" BUT SERIOUSLY!! I ask "What's your name?" at the kindergarten and all of the kids jump up to tell me right away.
I also would have understood if this had been outside of the class. But this was in the class and about five other students had already answered the question. The teacher translated for him, and his friends did as well, but when I asked again, the kid continued to say he couldn't understand English, and the teacher continued to say sorry, he wasn't good at English. When I think about the teachers I know in the States, I know they would have told the kid to stop messing around and to answer the question.
Now, again, I don't want to bully the kids into speaking English, but in letting them get away with, "I don't know," you are basically letting them get away with not trying, and as a result, they miss out on the chance to really learn.
As a child I hated it when my dad tried to teach me to ride a bike. I, like all kids, fell down and was really frustrated with the whole thing. Because one doesn't need to learn how to ride a bike, my dad left it. Then three years down the rode at school when the police officer came to school to teach us bike safety, I was ashamed to be basically the only kid in the 4th grade who couldn't ride a bike.
With this elementary school kid, all I can think about is how, because he wasn't asked to practice in the lower grades, he is going to be really behind in Jr High and will eventually end up hating English and all English teachers. Like riding a bike, he doesn't really need to learn English in the grand scheme of things. BUT he does need it to get into a good high school. I would hate to have him look back in regret at all of the time he wasted.
Now I don't want to come off as too crazy. There is a chance that this kid will go to Jr high and be fine. But this whole practice of letting the kids pretend they don't understand can be found in all of the lessons, and it seriously limits what we can do. For example, when we were practicing, "Who is the ~est in the class?" I asked about who was the oldest. When the kids said they didn't know, I asked about who had an April birthday (sine the school year starts in April kids with April birthdays are the oldest). When no one answered, I moved on to May. The teacher then told me that, "The kids are too shy to answer about their birthdays so we can't discuss the question." What complete and total BS!!
To put a positive spin on this, at another school there is one student who is extremely special needs. Sorry I don't know the PC terms to describe him. I think he is autistic and for the most part, he is in his own world. He has a teaching aid with him and he comes to English class, but I don't really think he knows what is happening. In most classes I think he would be just left to the side as he doesn't understand even simple games like fruit basket or high card. But the teaching aid doesn't give up.
Every day in class she repeats the English over and over with him. When we do a writing exercise, she writes it out and has him trace her letters (and this is in elementary where I am told to not even do writing with the high level students- I am asked to wait until Jr high which is even more BS). When we are playing Rock Scissors Paper, she grabs him by the shoulders and has him face his opponents. She does let him bring story books for when we are doing long explanations or CD listening, but she also makes him do the English book. In all reality, this kid can barely speak Japanese so the idea of him speaking a foreign language is a STRETCH! And yet, no matter what, she does not allow him to not try, and because of that he has small victories. Two weeks ago at the elementary he said Good morning to me in the staff room. And when she told him it was time for English class one day, he picked up the English book. She pushes him because she cares enough to not give up on him- she knows he can be more then what he is now. In seeing his progress, it makes me sad and extremely annoyed when perfectly able children are allowed to settle for less.
America is not perfect in its education. And I am by no means a perfect teacher. But seriously Japan, why are you selling these children short of their futures???
Graduation
Last Saturday was the Jr High graduation. I had been to this ceremony two years ago, but didn't really remember all of it. I also missed the one last year due to being at home.
In Japan the children go to kindergarten and then elementary school from first to sixth grade. They then start over in Jr high as first graders and graduate when they are third graders. After Jr high they go to different high schools based on different tests they took, and though some will still be with a few friends, they are pretty split up. So Jr high graduation is kind of a big deal as it is the last time they are all together and for some, the last time they are going to school in their hometown. If students aren't very good at school, they might not even go on to high school or might attend a tech school. Before you get all shocked, let me say that they are 15 years old when they graduate Jr high, not 13 like I was when I graduated Jr high.
Anyway, in Japan they have ceremonies for everything and they have graduation ceremonies for everything. They are all made out to be these serious events, but because there are so many of them they end up being more of a hassle than a big deal (sorry if I am offending anyone). At the school I teach at, aside from parents, not many people come to the graduation and even then not everyone had parents come. Also, you don't see many siblings or grandparents like you would in America. People are always on the go in Japan so a lot of times people want to come but can't because of work, house responsibilities, etc
The ceremony itself was quite boring and somber. The adults all wore their best black suits and the students wore the same uniforms they had been wearing the past three years. I was a rebel in that I had a dark pink shirt with my black suit, but I just really didn't want to feel like I was going to a funeral. We had speeches from the principal and then two members of the city hall, and though my Japanese isn't the best, I am pretty sure not a single joke was told.
Four 2nd graders stood up and shared memories of the 3rd graders while a girl played a slow song on piano, and then the underclassmen sang a song. It was a nice song, but the set-up was really weird. In the gym there was a stage and then chairs lined up in rows facing it. The 3rd graders sat closest to the stage with the underclassmen behind them and the parents behind the underclassmen. The teachers sat to one side and the "guests" (city council workers, BOE members, elementary school principals, etc) sat on another side. When the underclassman sang, rather than go up and face the 3rd graders, they just stood behind them and sang to the 3rd graders' backs.
Later four 3rd graders stood up and shared memories about the past year. Again, not a joke was told and almost all of them cried. Yes it is a sad time, but it is also an exciting time. At one point each 3rd grader stood up and said, "Here" when their name was called, but, except for the leader of each class, none of them went on stage or even turned around so that their parents could get a good picture.
I shouldn't always insist on comparing things to "America," but it makes me a little sad/annoyed that what should be such a fun experience is so boring/somber. I don't know why they couldn't do skits, wear their own choice of fancy dress, go up and receive some sort of paper or at least turn around for a photo op. for the parents. Though my high school graduation was sad, I also remember all the fun of hearing classmate speeches, throwing our hats in the air at the end, hearing a guest speaker we selected, selecting the outfit I would wear under my robe, etc
The worst part was, after the ceremony the 3rds graders met with their different clubs and were given gifts from the underclassmen. Then, after about an hour, it was announced on the loudspeaker that they needed to leave. After they were gone, the underclassmen and staff ate a rushed lunch and then hurried out to club practice or to start working on things for class the next week. It was like, "Well, that's done. Time to move on." Part of it is the fact that in Japan there isn't really a break between the school years and so things are busy all year round.
In the west during the weekend of graduation my parents, who were teachers, went from house to house where families were hosting parties for the graduates. Even for Jr high graduation (which is not a big deal at all), we had a cake at my house and family and neighbors came over to celebrate. I wonder if the graduates did anything with their families... I especially feel bad for those students who aren't going on to any higher form of education... For this to be it seems a little sad.
In Japan the children go to kindergarten and then elementary school from first to sixth grade. They then start over in Jr high as first graders and graduate when they are third graders. After Jr high they go to different high schools based on different tests they took, and though some will still be with a few friends, they are pretty split up. So Jr high graduation is kind of a big deal as it is the last time they are all together and for some, the last time they are going to school in their hometown. If students aren't very good at school, they might not even go on to high school or might attend a tech school. Before you get all shocked, let me say that they are 15 years old when they graduate Jr high, not 13 like I was when I graduated Jr high.
Anyway, in Japan they have ceremonies for everything and they have graduation ceremonies for everything. They are all made out to be these serious events, but because there are so many of them they end up being more of a hassle than a big deal (sorry if I am offending anyone). At the school I teach at, aside from parents, not many people come to the graduation and even then not everyone had parents come. Also, you don't see many siblings or grandparents like you would in America. People are always on the go in Japan so a lot of times people want to come but can't because of work, house responsibilities, etc
The ceremony itself was quite boring and somber. The adults all wore their best black suits and the students wore the same uniforms they had been wearing the past three years. I was a rebel in that I had a dark pink shirt with my black suit, but I just really didn't want to feel like I was going to a funeral. We had speeches from the principal and then two members of the city hall, and though my Japanese isn't the best, I am pretty sure not a single joke was told.
Four 2nd graders stood up and shared memories of the 3rd graders while a girl played a slow song on piano, and then the underclassmen sang a song. It was a nice song, but the set-up was really weird. In the gym there was a stage and then chairs lined up in rows facing it. The 3rd graders sat closest to the stage with the underclassmen behind them and the parents behind the underclassmen. The teachers sat to one side and the "guests" (city council workers, BOE members, elementary school principals, etc) sat on another side. When the underclassman sang, rather than go up and face the 3rd graders, they just stood behind them and sang to the 3rd graders' backs.
Later four 3rd graders stood up and shared memories about the past year. Again, not a joke was told and almost all of them cried. Yes it is a sad time, but it is also an exciting time. At one point each 3rd grader stood up and said, "Here" when their name was called, but, except for the leader of each class, none of them went on stage or even turned around so that their parents could get a good picture.
I shouldn't always insist on comparing things to "America," but it makes me a little sad/annoyed that what should be such a fun experience is so boring/somber. I don't know why they couldn't do skits, wear their own choice of fancy dress, go up and receive some sort of paper or at least turn around for a photo op. for the parents. Though my high school graduation was sad, I also remember all the fun of hearing classmate speeches, throwing our hats in the air at the end, hearing a guest speaker we selected, selecting the outfit I would wear under my robe, etc
The worst part was, after the ceremony the 3rds graders met with their different clubs and were given gifts from the underclassmen. Then, after about an hour, it was announced on the loudspeaker that they needed to leave. After they were gone, the underclassmen and staff ate a rushed lunch and then hurried out to club practice or to start working on things for class the next week. It was like, "Well, that's done. Time to move on." Part of it is the fact that in Japan there isn't really a break between the school years and so things are busy all year round.
In the west during the weekend of graduation my parents, who were teachers, went from house to house where families were hosting parties for the graduates. Even for Jr high graduation (which is not a big deal at all), we had a cake at my house and family and neighbors came over to celebrate. I wonder if the graduates did anything with their families... I especially feel bad for those students who aren't going on to any higher form of education... For this to be it seems a little sad.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Random Humor
So here are some quick things that aren't big enough for a post on their own but that made me laugh...
1) I Hate Mother Teresa
We are studying Mother Teresa in the Jr High and when we brought up a picture of her to introduce her to the students, one boy called out, "Ah man! I hate Mother Teresa!" in Japanese. Later on I asked him what he meant, and he explained that he hated church related things. Really odd as there aren't really churches out here....
Then, when completing a comprehension worksheet, we told the students the answer was... "Mother Teresa always saw poor people on her way to school." One kid said, "Eh, the answer isn't She always saw God?" and the boy who originally said he hated Mother Teresa said, "Only drunk people can see God!"
2) Choir
We have another choir concert this weekend and we have yet another new outfit. These ones are already made and we just have to go to the closet in the concert hall to pick one up. But during the discussion about if we would wear them or not, one women raised her hand to say that she was concerned I wouldn't fit into one because my boobs are so large (I am a 36C). Luckily, I did in fact fit into the dress, although I was worried about my thighs and butt, not my boobs. It's just funny because the choir is filled with little old ladies who are quite saggy (NO OFFENCE!).
And it is really stupid, but we were all laughing at our choir director who has decided to play the trap set as accompaniament to one of our songs. It is mean of us, but she is an older woman in her 60's and plays like the little boy in Love Actually when he is just starting out.
3) Elmo!
So you kind of have to know the other song to get this, but the video below made me laugh out loud. The original song is by LMAFO and it is called "I'm Sexy and I Know It" It features lyrics like,
When I walk in the spot, this is what I see
Everybody stops and they staring at me
I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it
1) I Hate Mother Teresa
We are studying Mother Teresa in the Jr High and when we brought up a picture of her to introduce her to the students, one boy called out, "Ah man! I hate Mother Teresa!" in Japanese. Later on I asked him what he meant, and he explained that he hated church related things. Really odd as there aren't really churches out here....
Then, when completing a comprehension worksheet, we told the students the answer was... "Mother Teresa always saw poor people on her way to school." One kid said, "Eh, the answer isn't She always saw God?" and the boy who originally said he hated Mother Teresa said, "Only drunk people can see God!"
2) Choir
We have another choir concert this weekend and we have yet another new outfit. These ones are already made and we just have to go to the closet in the concert hall to pick one up. But during the discussion about if we would wear them or not, one women raised her hand to say that she was concerned I wouldn't fit into one because my boobs are so large (I am a 36C). Luckily, I did in fact fit into the dress, although I was worried about my thighs and butt, not my boobs. It's just funny because the choir is filled with little old ladies who are quite saggy (NO OFFENCE!).
And it is really stupid, but we were all laughing at our choir director who has decided to play the trap set as accompaniament to one of our songs. It is mean of us, but she is an older woman in her 60's and plays like the little boy in Love Actually when he is just starting out.
3) Elmo!
So you kind of have to know the other song to get this, but the video below made me laugh out loud. The original song is by LMAFO and it is called "I'm Sexy and I Know It" It features lyrics like,
When I walk in the spot, this is what I see
Everybody stops and they staring at me
I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it
or
When I'm at the beach, I'm in a speedo trying to tan my cheeks
This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go
We headed to the bar, baby don't be nervous
No shoes, no shirt, and I still get service
We headed to the bar, baby don't be nervous
No shoes, no shirt, and I still get service
The video is kind of lame, and normally I HATE Elmo, but his dancing is so cute and the "Tickle" part is hilarious/clever (In the original song, the guy sings "wiggle wiggle wiggle" as he thrusts his crotch while wearing speedos).
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
March Jaken Article "A Year Ago"
So I write a monthly article for a small local magazine called Jaken. I wasn't selected to write based on talent but more on the fact that I am here and foreing. ANYWAY, I don't think they would really want me posting my articles for free (they never said so but I just assume that is the way it goes with published material), but here is my March article. As you can probably see from my other blog posts, I have a hard time sticking to the 500 word count so I write a long article and then edit it down. The result is usually not so good... but what can you do. I also tend to do the article the day before it is due, so it also lacks a lot of insight and planning.
March 11th, 2011
On March 7th, 2011 I learned that my mother had suffered from a blood clot in her chest and that she would be undergoing open heart surgery. Later that night I was told that my mother had not survived the surgery. It was a big shock.
My mother had been fairly healthy. She didn’t smoke or drink and she exercised by walking our dogs. She was 61 but was still working as an elementary school teacher and a dance team coach. On March 6th I had called home and she had been busy packing for her upcoming trip to Japan. Several family members were coming for my Japanese wedding party. She was energetic about the trip. No one could believe that she had died.
My husband and I flew home March 9th. For him this was rough because he didn’t know how to act at an American funeral. Whereas I would usually explain things for him, I was too shocked to do anything but cry.
In America, the night before the funeral people come and pay their respects to the family and the deceased. My mother was a teacher and coach for 35 years, so she knew a lot of people. But we were overwhelmed with the over 900 people that showed up on March 10th. My husband stood with my family and greeted every single person despite not knowing them and not speaking much English.
That night many people asked my husband about earthquakes in Japan. I assumed they were trying to make small talk- just like when Japanese kids ask me about tornadoes. What we didn’t know was that people had already seen coverage about the earthquake and tsunami.
At home we turned on the news and watched the scenes of the tsunami. It was of course terrible to see, but at the time, I didn’t care. As for my husband’s feelings, I didn’t have the energy to ask.
The rest of the week was a blur of ceremony and family. We returned back to Japan and, trying to “forget,” my family came too as originally planned. While others were at home watching the “news,” we were touring Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Kobe.
I say with all due respect that my family, in some ways, found comfort in hearing about the tsunami. We thought ourselves lucky that we knew what my mother’s last moments were like. My father and other family members were in the hospital and were able to say good-bye. Many in the Tohoku region must be haunted that they will never know what happened to their loved ones and that they couldn’t have a proper burial.
Now that a year has passed I can now focus on what happened in Tohoku with a clear head and heart. I recently helped with an English camp for students in Sendai and would like to do more to help the people of Miyagi. As the years go by and more natural disasters occur, many will forget about what happened. But due to the death of my mother, I will always remember March 11, 2011.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Random Teaching Moments
I have had a lot of "on the spot" questions from Japanese teachers about various things. Though they are not supposed to do this, it really can't be helped and sometimes I feel a bit like an idiot when I don't know the answers off the top of my head (like, What does am pm stand for? What day is Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday? What is the history of Friday the 13th being an unlucky number?). Luckily this week I was in my element when the teacher asked, Do you know about science fair in the US?
To back up, we are studying October Sky, or the story about some American teenagers who made rockets and later worked for NASA. In the story (or I guess in real life) the boys go to the National Science Fair. In Japan they might have such a thing, but it is not something done where I teach at. In fact, there is very little time spent towards projects/presentations of any kind. There is a shop/computer club that enters a robot competition, but only about 10 students in the whole school (we have about 400 kids I think) are involved and they are NERDY.
So when asked about science fair I was like, "Why yes, yes I do know science fair. In fact, you have asked exactly the right person." This is because not only did I do science fair, but so did my whole school. And not only that, my parents were science fair teachers. My mom was actually the teacher whose job it was to introduce the whole science fair idea to kids in 4th grade so that they could go on to do it on their own in Jr high and high school. In other words, every year in February/March I lived science fair.
For those of you non-Americans (or I guess I could say non-Iowans), science fair where I'm from is not like in the movies. You don't make a volcano or a model of the solar system. You start with a question and then find an answer which you then present to a judge/class. As in, "Does ice melt faster in regular or diet cola?" Or "Which window treatment works the best?" You do tests/experiments to get your answer.
Where I am from we do science fair from 4th grade up on into high school and while the project is important, the main point is to learn scientific reasoning. We learn words like, "question, hypothesis, procedure, results, conclusion" and have to work on presenting something scientifically. It's a way for us to realize that we can discover an answer on our own.
Anyway, in talking about this in class the first thing that came to mind are the year that a girl named Kim in my high school researched "Which feminine douche works the best?" She did this by growing bacteria in petri dishes and then using different douhces to kill the bacteria.
The second thing that came to mind was the kid who "supposedly" did his project on "Which is hotter, microwave popcorn or the devil?" His hypothesis was "I don't think Mr. Broman will like this project." I say, "supposedly" because I never saw the project. I stood next to Kim for judging, though, so I know that she in fact did do a project on douches.
Of course, I didn't tell the Japanese students about this. I merely told them about my lame projects...
*Will a banana stay freshest in a paper bag, a plastic bag, or a tupperware container?
*Does colored glass heat a room better than regular glass?
*Does bread mold grow faster on white or wheat bread?
I'm a little sad that my kids won't do science fair as it is something that builds character. As much as we dreaded it and laughed about it in school, it did give us some real world skills.
To back up, we are studying October Sky, or the story about some American teenagers who made rockets and later worked for NASA. In the story (or I guess in real life) the boys go to the National Science Fair. In Japan they might have such a thing, but it is not something done where I teach at. In fact, there is very little time spent towards projects/presentations of any kind. There is a shop/computer club that enters a robot competition, but only about 10 students in the whole school (we have about 400 kids I think) are involved and they are NERDY.
So when asked about science fair I was like, "Why yes, yes I do know science fair. In fact, you have asked exactly the right person." This is because not only did I do science fair, but so did my whole school. And not only that, my parents were science fair teachers. My mom was actually the teacher whose job it was to introduce the whole science fair idea to kids in 4th grade so that they could go on to do it on their own in Jr high and high school. In other words, every year in February/March I lived science fair.
For those of you non-Americans (or I guess I could say non-Iowans), science fair where I'm from is not like in the movies. You don't make a volcano or a model of the solar system. You start with a question and then find an answer which you then present to a judge/class. As in, "Does ice melt faster in regular or diet cola?" Or "Which window treatment works the best?" You do tests/experiments to get your answer.
Where I am from we do science fair from 4th grade up on into high school and while the project is important, the main point is to learn scientific reasoning. We learn words like, "question, hypothesis, procedure, results, conclusion" and have to work on presenting something scientifically. It's a way for us to realize that we can discover an answer on our own.
Anyway, in talking about this in class the first thing that came to mind are the year that a girl named Kim in my high school researched "Which feminine douche works the best?" She did this by growing bacteria in petri dishes and then using different douhces to kill the bacteria.
The second thing that came to mind was the kid who "supposedly" did his project on "Which is hotter, microwave popcorn or the devil?" His hypothesis was "I don't think Mr. Broman will like this project." I say, "supposedly" because I never saw the project. I stood next to Kim for judging, though, so I know that she in fact did do a project on douches.
Of course, I didn't tell the Japanese students about this. I merely told them about my lame projects...
*Will a banana stay freshest in a paper bag, a plastic bag, or a tupperware container?
*Does colored glass heat a room better than regular glass?
*Does bread mold grow faster on white or wheat bread?
I'm a little sad that my kids won't do science fair as it is something that builds character. As much as we dreaded it and laughed about it in school, it did give us some real world skills.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Sendai/Nikka English Camp pt 3: Presentations
So as I said before the main focus of the English Camp (apart from speaking English) was to polish and present an 8 minute presentation about Japan that they will present to students in Singapore. The presentations were judged by the English teachers (hard to not be biased when judging your own group) and were open to Q&A from students.
Though I believe that they were given the option to do anything, the presentations fit into 3 categories: Life at Nikka School, The Tohoku Disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear crisis), and Japanese food and culture. It was hard to judge them against each other since those topics have very different overtones. For example, the school one and food/culture ones had a lot of humor which the disaster ones didn't (obviously). But the disaster ones had a lot of "What we can do now..." while the other ones were purely informational.
The first three groups about school were fairly straightforward but interesting for the judges since we had met the kids but knew nothing about the school. Also, the school is a mix of Japanese and foreign curriculum so that was interesting in itself since I think a lot of us (non-Japanese teachers) feel torn between western and eastern ideas on schooling. One group did, A Day in the Life of Nikka, and did it like a classroom setting. The "teacher" asked kids to talk about each subject of the day and their was a lot of banter as there would be in a regular class. I think I liked this presentation because the kids acted the most natural and talked the most like regular teens from home.
Again, because the school presentations were straightforward, the Q&A was pretty tame, "What is your favorite part of school? Which teacher do you like? etc" The hardest question was, "I like P.E. Why didn't you discuss P.E. in your presentation?"
The second three groups were about the disaster and were obviously more sensitive and more open to criticism. I thought all were well done (I am literally not one to judge as I don't know about the disaster like the students do) and could only comment on the fact that one group had too much information and another had too much silence (they did some acting).
The first group had a detailed description of how a tsunami works, of how the Japan tsunami compared to other past tsunamis (as far as casualties, destruction, etc), what aid was given to Japan from what country, and what the students could do themselves to help rebuild Miyagi. First question was "Why did you not discuss the Fukushima nuclear crisis?" The judges were all a little shocked and a bit nervous about this because we had been avoiding the subject all week, but the team handled it well. They simply answered, "We didn't feel we had enough time to address all of the effects of the earthquake last year."
The second group had way too much detail and talked a mile-a-minute to finish under 8 minutes. They were hit right off the bat with, "What do you really think about the Fukushima disaster?" They answered, "It is scary but it is a man made problem and man needs to fix it." Again, these seem like average Q&A but considering all of this is being done in the students second language, it was quite good.
The third group ditched the fact route and went the drama route by showing us, "A Family on the Day of the Disaster." They showed where each person would have been and how the events of the day effected them. It started out great, but slowly lost focus and didn't have a clear point.
The final four groups were fun and probably interesting for more students as they dealt with Instant Ramen, Oshougatsu (New Year's similar to Christmas to westerners), Masamune (a historical figure from the area), and my group which did food from the area. Most of the questions were why they picked the topic, which food they liked, etc The Oshougatsu group did get asked why the title was in Japanese instead of English, and they answered brilliantly that they will be teaching Singapore students about Japanese culture so they should use a Japanese word.
My group's was pretty dry (they kind of just read a bunch of recipes) but they made it fun by starting out with a skit about aliens who attack a food festival and the "super food man" who saves the day by throwing food from the region. It didn't quite match with the main topic, but it was funny and earned them a second place for most original. The good thing about them was how well they worked together and how good they were at coming out of their shells to put on a good show. Like I said earlier, my nerd was the best actor as one of the aliens and my negative girl did all of her part with a big voice. Some of the other groups had their best speakers out front and center but my group had a fairly equal division of who said/did what. Event though they dissed each other during the day and at meals, when it came time to putting the presentation together they were really a team.
On that note, I was a little sad as it made me realize the lack of group work I see in my regular Japanese schools. I think that was something we did a lot more of in Iowa and something that really built character.
Again, all of the presentations were very good for Japanese ESL students and I know the people in Singapore will be impressed. It was only 3 days but the camp really touched all of the English teachers. Some were crying at the end (which I thought was a bit much, but then again I am used to Camp Adventure that lasts for 3 months) as were a lot of students. I hope that my company asks me to do a lot more of this kind of thing or, if given the chance, I can do this kind of thing in the area I live in.
Though I believe that they were given the option to do anything, the presentations fit into 3 categories: Life at Nikka School, The Tohoku Disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear crisis), and Japanese food and culture. It was hard to judge them against each other since those topics have very different overtones. For example, the school one and food/culture ones had a lot of humor which the disaster ones didn't (obviously). But the disaster ones had a lot of "What we can do now..." while the other ones were purely informational.
The first three groups about school were fairly straightforward but interesting for the judges since we had met the kids but knew nothing about the school. Also, the school is a mix of Japanese and foreign curriculum so that was interesting in itself since I think a lot of us (non-Japanese teachers) feel torn between western and eastern ideas on schooling. One group did, A Day in the Life of Nikka, and did it like a classroom setting. The "teacher" asked kids to talk about each subject of the day and their was a lot of banter as there would be in a regular class. I think I liked this presentation because the kids acted the most natural and talked the most like regular teens from home.
Again, because the school presentations were straightforward, the Q&A was pretty tame, "What is your favorite part of school? Which teacher do you like? etc" The hardest question was, "I like P.E. Why didn't you discuss P.E. in your presentation?"
The second three groups were about the disaster and were obviously more sensitive and more open to criticism. I thought all were well done (I am literally not one to judge as I don't know about the disaster like the students do) and could only comment on the fact that one group had too much information and another had too much silence (they did some acting).
The first group had a detailed description of how a tsunami works, of how the Japan tsunami compared to other past tsunamis (as far as casualties, destruction, etc), what aid was given to Japan from what country, and what the students could do themselves to help rebuild Miyagi. First question was "Why did you not discuss the Fukushima nuclear crisis?" The judges were all a little shocked and a bit nervous about this because we had been avoiding the subject all week, but the team handled it well. They simply answered, "We didn't feel we had enough time to address all of the effects of the earthquake last year."
The second group had way too much detail and talked a mile-a-minute to finish under 8 minutes. They were hit right off the bat with, "What do you really think about the Fukushima disaster?" They answered, "It is scary but it is a man made problem and man needs to fix it." Again, these seem like average Q&A but considering all of this is being done in the students second language, it was quite good.
The third group ditched the fact route and went the drama route by showing us, "A Family on the Day of the Disaster." They showed where each person would have been and how the events of the day effected them. It started out great, but slowly lost focus and didn't have a clear point.
The final four groups were fun and probably interesting for more students as they dealt with Instant Ramen, Oshougatsu (New Year's similar to Christmas to westerners), Masamune (a historical figure from the area), and my group which did food from the area. Most of the questions were why they picked the topic, which food they liked, etc The Oshougatsu group did get asked why the title was in Japanese instead of English, and they answered brilliantly that they will be teaching Singapore students about Japanese culture so they should use a Japanese word.
My group's was pretty dry (they kind of just read a bunch of recipes) but they made it fun by starting out with a skit about aliens who attack a food festival and the "super food man" who saves the day by throwing food from the region. It didn't quite match with the main topic, but it was funny and earned them a second place for most original. The good thing about them was how well they worked together and how good they were at coming out of their shells to put on a good show. Like I said earlier, my nerd was the best actor as one of the aliens and my negative girl did all of her part with a big voice. Some of the other groups had their best speakers out front and center but my group had a fairly equal division of who said/did what. Event though they dissed each other during the day and at meals, when it came time to putting the presentation together they were really a team.
On that note, I was a little sad as it made me realize the lack of group work I see in my regular Japanese schools. I think that was something we did a lot more of in Iowa and something that really built character.
Again, all of the presentations were very good for Japanese ESL students and I know the people in Singapore will be impressed. It was only 3 days but the camp really touched all of the English teachers. Some were crying at the end (which I thought was a bit much, but then again I am used to Camp Adventure that lasts for 3 months) as were a lot of students. I hope that my company asks me to do a lot more of this kind of thing or, if given the chance, I can do this kind of thing in the area I live in.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sendai/Nikka English Camp pt 2: My Group
So the post below was an overview of the camp whereas this is more about my specific group. Group 10 had some really smart kids who could speak English but who didn't always want to. They were great about speaking to me but didn't really speak to each other in English unless I asked for no Japanese. I won't write their names here, but I will instead call them by their answers to, "What Anpanman Character are you?"
We had our group leader, Cheese, who also went by Boss. He should have been Anpanman. He fit the role of group leader perfectly and could probably lead a country some day. He was honest, to the point, and held the others accountable for their actions. He could be both polite and stern but also enjoyed himself. I will never forget though, his answer to why he liked the Japanese group AKB48 more than the Korean group Kara. He told me, "Japanese people need to support Japanese artists." He was 13.
Next we had our vice group leader (that wasn't actually his title but he acted like that was his job), Shoko Pan Man, who was one of the sweetest Japanese students I have ever met. He sincerely wanted everyone to do well and was always translating for me when the other students spoke Japanese (even though I understood). He is actually the vice-class president and though the other kids tease him for his fashion sense and his enthusiasm for pop singers, you could tell he is well liked. He was a life saver in that he always kept the conversation going. the first night at dinner, he asked question after question but finally ran out of things to say. He looked at the other group members and pleaded, "Please speak!" The boss replied, "We are busy eating."
After that came Curry Pan Man who, unlike the character, was really laid back and played the role of Mr Cool. He was a good balance between the group leader (who was sometimes too serious) and the vice group leader (who was sometimes too friendly). He had great English and was quite funny. He seemed to be friends with everyone in camp and was considered quite cool by a lot of the girls.
Opposite to him was Bakinman who was very much, er, a nerd. The type of kid who hates sports and would have rather been playing games. He was polite enough but often tuned out in conversation to no doubt replay video games in his head. However, in the presentation he had great comedic timing and was quite a great speaker.
The final boy was Jam Ojiisan who was, like the character, the old man in the group. He was the smallest but also came off as the wisest. He was also the quietest and seemed the shyest, though he spoke a lot to me. He wouldn't contribute to the conversation on his own, but when asked a question, his answers were well thought out.
The girls were lead by Dokinchan who was just your average sweet Jr High Girl. She didn't speak a lot but made up for that by always smiling. She had great English but was slow to talk, mostly because I think she didn't want to overstep the boys.
Dokinchan's sidekick was Kokinchan, who barely said a word and made it clear she didn't really like English. The group actually said at one point, We're sorry. She is negative. Still, I had to give her credit for overcoming her stage fright and really doing well during the group presentation.
Last but not least was Melonpanna. I think she fit her chosen character in that she was one of the girls but also fit in with the boys too. She had great English and was quiet, but spoke the most out of the girls. She also tried the hardest to speak to me and to correct her own English. She was a total sweetheart who got on well with others but could also be by herself.
The group fit me I think in that I didn't pressure them too much. They were at their best when I gave them a game in English, such as I Never or English Uno. I liked that they weren't rude or obnoxious, and that they were pretty independent.
We had our group leader, Cheese, who also went by Boss. He should have been Anpanman. He fit the role of group leader perfectly and could probably lead a country some day. He was honest, to the point, and held the others accountable for their actions. He could be both polite and stern but also enjoyed himself. I will never forget though, his answer to why he liked the Japanese group AKB48 more than the Korean group Kara. He told me, "Japanese people need to support Japanese artists." He was 13.
Next we had our vice group leader (that wasn't actually his title but he acted like that was his job), Shoko Pan Man, who was one of the sweetest Japanese students I have ever met. He sincerely wanted everyone to do well and was always translating for me when the other students spoke Japanese (even though I understood). He is actually the vice-class president and though the other kids tease him for his fashion sense and his enthusiasm for pop singers, you could tell he is well liked. He was a life saver in that he always kept the conversation going. the first night at dinner, he asked question after question but finally ran out of things to say. He looked at the other group members and pleaded, "Please speak!" The boss replied, "We are busy eating."
After that came Curry Pan Man who, unlike the character, was really laid back and played the role of Mr Cool. He was a good balance between the group leader (who was sometimes too serious) and the vice group leader (who was sometimes too friendly). He had great English and was quite funny. He seemed to be friends with everyone in camp and was considered quite cool by a lot of the girls.
Opposite to him was Bakinman who was very much, er, a nerd. The type of kid who hates sports and would have rather been playing games. He was polite enough but often tuned out in conversation to no doubt replay video games in his head. However, in the presentation he had great comedic timing and was quite a great speaker.
The final boy was Jam Ojiisan who was, like the character, the old man in the group. He was the smallest but also came off as the wisest. He was also the quietest and seemed the shyest, though he spoke a lot to me. He wouldn't contribute to the conversation on his own, but when asked a question, his answers were well thought out.
The girls were lead by Dokinchan who was just your average sweet Jr High Girl. She didn't speak a lot but made up for that by always smiling. She had great English but was slow to talk, mostly because I think she didn't want to overstep the boys.
Dokinchan's sidekick was Kokinchan, who barely said a word and made it clear she didn't really like English. The group actually said at one point, We're sorry. She is negative. Still, I had to give her credit for overcoming her stage fright and really doing well during the group presentation.
Last but not least was Melonpanna. I think she fit her chosen character in that she was one of the girls but also fit in with the boys too. She had great English and was quiet, but spoke the most out of the girls. She also tried the hardest to speak to me and to correct her own English. She was a total sweetheart who got on well with others but could also be by herself.
The group fit me I think in that I didn't pressure them too much. They were at their best when I gave them a game in English, such as I Never or English Uno. I liked that they weren't rude or obnoxious, and that they were pretty independent.
Sendai/Nikka English Camp pt 1: Camp Overview
Last week I got the huge privilage to join in on Nikka Jr High English Camp. This was a camp held at a resort in Sendai which is in the heart of Miyagi prefecture where the tsunami and earthquake happened. I will start by saying that the events of last year were LARGELY downplayed. The camp was to get the students ready for an upcoming trip to Singapore, and we focused on that, the future, rather than the past. If you didn't know any better, you wouldn't even have realized what some of these kids have been through over the past year.
Nikka Jr. High is a special school that you have to test to get into to. It has the regular subjects as well as some subjects usually found in western schools. There is an emphasis on the arts with things like a school wide choir contest and talent shows. There are also science fairs, field trips, etc I also got the impression that the school is not cheap and that the kids were kind of rich. Supposedly it is the second jr high school in the nation, although I find that a little hard to believe considering it is not in Tokyo. In other words, these weren't your average jr high school students.
The camp had a simple set up. The students were split up into groups of 8 students. Each foreign teacher got a group and then there were two extra foreign teachers in charge of running the camp. There were ten groups and I was with group number ten. The other teachers were actually all kind of big-wigs from my company. Quite a lot of interesting personalities and big egos, but entertaining people.
The three days consisted of working in groups to go over situations the students would encounter on their trip. We practiced what to do if you got lost, lost something, in customs, etc We had the students act out their own made-up situations and I had a wonderful pair do this dialogue.
a: Excuse me. I'm looking for my car. Have you seen it?
b: Maybe... Please tell me about it.
a: It's red. It's made in Italy.
b: Please tell me more.
a: It is about this size. It has leather seats. It is very cool.
b: Oh yes. I think I have seen it.
a: For real? Where?
b: It was stolen.... BY ME!
a: OH NO!!
For Japanese kids, this was pretty good for only five minutes of brainstorming.
Also during the three days we made a Nikka Book, a paper version of Facebook. The kids went around and interviewed each other and then made profiles for each other. We then displayed all of the pages for everyone to see.
We also had free choice activities where students could choose what they wanted to talk about. I led the music group and we discussed our favorite music groups/singers and what was more important, music or lyrics.
The main part of camp was for each group to polish a presentation they had been working on and then present it at the end of camp. I will talk more about that in another post.
Of course there was free time and meal time where the kids were just kids with the exception that they had to speak English. For some kids, this didn't really work. I had one girl in my group who would only speak if asked a direct question. For others, though, they absolutely made good use of the foreign teachers. Approaching us all the time to chat, ask questions, etc These kids really benefited from the camp and improved a lot in only 3 days. I really wish this opportunity was available to more students in Japan as it was such a natural, fun way to speak English. I wish the kids that didn't want to be there could have been replaced with kids at average schools who would have taken advantage of the situation.
Below are pictures of the hotel, but I am a horrible photographer. Not sure how much it cost, but if you are ever in Matsushima (about an hour from Sendai) I highly recommend the place.
Nikka Jr. High is a special school that you have to test to get into to. It has the regular subjects as well as some subjects usually found in western schools. There is an emphasis on the arts with things like a school wide choir contest and talent shows. There are also science fairs, field trips, etc I also got the impression that the school is not cheap and that the kids were kind of rich. Supposedly it is the second jr high school in the nation, although I find that a little hard to believe considering it is not in Tokyo. In other words, these weren't your average jr high school students.
The camp had a simple set up. The students were split up into groups of 8 students. Each foreign teacher got a group and then there were two extra foreign teachers in charge of running the camp. There were ten groups and I was with group number ten. The other teachers were actually all kind of big-wigs from my company. Quite a lot of interesting personalities and big egos, but entertaining people.
The three days consisted of working in groups to go over situations the students would encounter on their trip. We practiced what to do if you got lost, lost something, in customs, etc We had the students act out their own made-up situations and I had a wonderful pair do this dialogue.
a: Excuse me. I'm looking for my car. Have you seen it?
b: Maybe... Please tell me about it.
a: It's red. It's made in Italy.
b: Please tell me more.
a: It is about this size. It has leather seats. It is very cool.
b: Oh yes. I think I have seen it.
a: For real? Where?
b: It was stolen.... BY ME!
a: OH NO!!
For Japanese kids, this was pretty good for only five minutes of brainstorming.
Also during the three days we made a Nikka Book, a paper version of Facebook. The kids went around and interviewed each other and then made profiles for each other. We then displayed all of the pages for everyone to see.
We also had free choice activities where students could choose what they wanted to talk about. I led the music group and we discussed our favorite music groups/singers and what was more important, music or lyrics.
The main part of camp was for each group to polish a presentation they had been working on and then present it at the end of camp. I will talk more about that in another post.
Of course there was free time and meal time where the kids were just kids with the exception that they had to speak English. For some kids, this didn't really work. I had one girl in my group who would only speak if asked a direct question. For others, though, they absolutely made good use of the foreign teachers. Approaching us all the time to chat, ask questions, etc These kids really benefited from the camp and improved a lot in only 3 days. I really wish this opportunity was available to more students in Japan as it was such a natural, fun way to speak English. I wish the kids that didn't want to be there could have been replaced with kids at average schools who would have taken advantage of the situation.
Below are pictures of the hotel, but I am a horrible photographer. Not sure how much it cost, but if you are ever in Matsushima (about an hour from Sendai) I highly recommend the place.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Crazy Old Man Drill
Last night I had a very vivid dream about a tornado coming to the Jr High School. One of the students pointed it out to me and I started rushing about getting everyone under a desk since we don't have a basement. I then tried to frantically figure out where to put everyone since every room in the building has windows and to get to the gym you have to go outside and across a parking lot. No one would listen to me because they were all really curious and wanted to see the tornado since they had never seen one before. I wasn't panicked in the dream but I remember thinking about how no one knew what to do and that I was therefore in charge and it was up to me to get everyone to safety.
I think I had this dream because this week on Tuesday I took part in a practice earthquake drill at an elementary school. Though I know the basics of an earthquake drill (get under a desk, stand in a doorway) I wasn't sure if one should go outside after the shaking finished. The teachers taught me that I should go outside only after the all clear had been given and that I should take something to cover my head in case of falling debris. I also learned that one shouldn't go back inside for quite awhile because of aftershocks. Good to know. We don't really get earthquakes here but they like to practice for obvious reasons. It just made me think about how my kids won't ever practice Tornado drills unless they got to high school in America.
One other drill that they do here that I think we should do in America (if we don't already) is "Scary Old Man Drill." I'm not sure if this what you would really call it, but that is how it was explained to me. I feel like I already blogged about this, but for those who don't know, SOMD is when the kids practice what they would do if a crazy person came in with a knife or something and tried to attack the students/teachers. They go to safe locations, keep quiet, and wait for the crazy old man to be caught and escorted away by police. It looks silly when they do it because the guy playing the old man usually looks harmless, but it is a good thing to practice in this day and age.
However, once when we were practicing this drill at an elementary school I was "hiding" in the teacher's office with some first graders when a real scary old man showed up. Actually, it was someones grandpa who was bringing something a student had forgotten (homework, lunch money, PE clothes, etc). The old man, not knowing we were having a drill, came and knocked on the window of the office. The students, not knowing if the drill was real or not, thought he might be the scary old man and started screaming. I, being a first timer this specific time, really had no idea how I was supposed to react or what I should say. Luckily a secretary came running over and explained to the guy that we were in a drill and he needed to leave. As much as the kids were traumatized, it was really funny.
I think I had this dream because this week on Tuesday I took part in a practice earthquake drill at an elementary school. Though I know the basics of an earthquake drill (get under a desk, stand in a doorway) I wasn't sure if one should go outside after the shaking finished. The teachers taught me that I should go outside only after the all clear had been given and that I should take something to cover my head in case of falling debris. I also learned that one shouldn't go back inside for quite awhile because of aftershocks. Good to know. We don't really get earthquakes here but they like to practice for obvious reasons. It just made me think about how my kids won't ever practice Tornado drills unless they got to high school in America.
One other drill that they do here that I think we should do in America (if we don't already) is "Scary Old Man Drill." I'm not sure if this what you would really call it, but that is how it was explained to me. I feel like I already blogged about this, but for those who don't know, SOMD is when the kids practice what they would do if a crazy person came in with a knife or something and tried to attack the students/teachers. They go to safe locations, keep quiet, and wait for the crazy old man to be caught and escorted away by police. It looks silly when they do it because the guy playing the old man usually looks harmless, but it is a good thing to practice in this day and age.
However, once when we were practicing this drill at an elementary school I was "hiding" in the teacher's office with some first graders when a real scary old man showed up. Actually, it was someones grandpa who was bringing something a student had forgotten (homework, lunch money, PE clothes, etc). The old man, not knowing we were having a drill, came and knocked on the window of the office. The students, not knowing if the drill was real or not, thought he might be the scary old man and started screaming. I, being a first timer this specific time, really had no idea how I was supposed to react or what I should say. Luckily a secretary came running over and explained to the guy that we were in a drill and he needed to leave. As much as the kids were traumatized, it was really funny.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Opinions of a Japanese Jr High School Student Pt 2:Anne Frank
This might have to become a running theme. Not that I mean to make fun of my students, but seriously this is hilarious. Over the past couple of weeks we have been studying excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank. The excerpts are pretty edited down to make the language as simple as possible, but still it is a hard topic to cover. Mostly the excerpts are about the Anti-Jewish Laws put in place by the Nazis and then about how this effected the lives of the people. There is mention of yellow stars, families being taken away in the middle of the night, and parent-less children freezing and starving on the streets.
In keeping with the way that we have been studying the book all year the teacher has asked the students to write their "thoughts" on Anti-Jewish Laws and the suffering caused by them. There are too many "good lines" to choose from, but here are some highlights. Keep in mind that a lot of this is due to the students not knowing how to form sentences in English. They aren't really racist...I think.
1.The Jews were pitiful.
Talked to this student and it turned out that she meant to say that the situation for the Jewish people, not the actual people, was very sad or horrible.
2. I don't permit Anti-Jewish Laws.
Good for you! If only they would have had you around during the Holocaust.
3. I think wear yellow star is good idea.
Obviously has no clue what is going on in the book.
4. I like soccer. I don't like Hitora (Hitler).
Good to know. I like ice cream. I don't like terrorists.
5. I am sorry that I think.
Ummm... Don't be too hard on yourself. Thinking isn't a bad thing and can be quite good.
6. Why anti-Jewish laws begin? Did Jewish do something bad?
No, although at the time it was advertised that they were evil.
7. I like children.
Really? Me too!.
8. I can't eat old carrots.
Oh, well you are lucky you weren't born during the second world war when, "The children on the streets were so hungry that they even ate old carrots."
9. I feel sorry that there were many Jewish people.
Umm... Are you a Nazi?
10. I hope the war ends as soon as possible.
And are you also hoping that Japan wins? Hate to spoil the surprise, but it's over and the US won.
11. German is I'm afraid.
You should be.
Again, there were a lot more good ones in the bunch. To be serious, it makes me a little angry that we even have this in the textbooks in the first place. Not that I think we shouldn't study the Holocaust, but I don't see the point in teaching such a serious topic to 15 year old ESL students. Or the point of teaching only a small bit. As you can see in number 6, the students really don't know any of the history of this so it is really hard for them to understand why this would happen. They have history at school, but I am pretty sure they are still in the middle of learning Japanese history.
Two months ago we were discussing Martin Luther King Jr and I was asked on the spot to explain race relations in America. This would be hard for the students to respond to even if we were speaking in their own language, let alone having to work in English. I really don't know why the books don't just stick to "life at school" "life at home" "life as a home stay student." Especially when they are only in Jr High. It is no wonder they don't want to speak in English when the book is filled with phrases like Anti-Jewish Laws, Apartheid, "In 1968 Martin Luther King Jr was killed for working to end discrimination of non-whites." Surely the kids would open up if we were to say, "Today we are going to read about pop stars around the world. Who is your favorite pop star? Do you know any songs in English?" We do a bit of that, but a lot of the stuff is pretty heavy.
In keeping with the way that we have been studying the book all year the teacher has asked the students to write their "thoughts" on Anti-Jewish Laws and the suffering caused by them. There are too many "good lines" to choose from, but here are some highlights. Keep in mind that a lot of this is due to the students not knowing how to form sentences in English. They aren't really racist...I think.
1.The Jews were pitiful.
Talked to this student and it turned out that she meant to say that the situation for the Jewish people, not the actual people, was very sad or horrible.
2. I don't permit Anti-Jewish Laws.
Good for you! If only they would have had you around during the Holocaust.
3. I think wear yellow star is good idea.
Obviously has no clue what is going on in the book.
4. I like soccer. I don't like Hitora (Hitler).
Good to know. I like ice cream. I don't like terrorists.
5. I am sorry that I think.
Ummm... Don't be too hard on yourself. Thinking isn't a bad thing and can be quite good.
6. Why anti-Jewish laws begin? Did Jewish do something bad?
No, although at the time it was advertised that they were evil.
7. I like children.
Really? Me too!.
8. I can't eat old carrots.
Oh, well you are lucky you weren't born during the second world war when, "The children on the streets were so hungry that they even ate old carrots."
9. I feel sorry that there were many Jewish people.
Umm... Are you a Nazi?
10. I hope the war ends as soon as possible.
And are you also hoping that Japan wins? Hate to spoil the surprise, but it's over and the US won.
11. German is I'm afraid.
You should be.
Again, there were a lot more good ones in the bunch. To be serious, it makes me a little angry that we even have this in the textbooks in the first place. Not that I think we shouldn't study the Holocaust, but I don't see the point in teaching such a serious topic to 15 year old ESL students. Or the point of teaching only a small bit. As you can see in number 6, the students really don't know any of the history of this so it is really hard for them to understand why this would happen. They have history at school, but I am pretty sure they are still in the middle of learning Japanese history.
Two months ago we were discussing Martin Luther King Jr and I was asked on the spot to explain race relations in America. This would be hard for the students to respond to even if we were speaking in their own language, let alone having to work in English. I really don't know why the books don't just stick to "life at school" "life at home" "life as a home stay student." Especially when they are only in Jr High. It is no wonder they don't want to speak in English when the book is filled with phrases like Anti-Jewish Laws, Apartheid, "In 1968 Martin Luther King Jr was killed for working to end discrimination of non-whites." Surely the kids would open up if we were to say, "Today we are going to read about pop stars around the world. Who is your favorite pop star? Do you know any songs in English?" We do a bit of that, but a lot of the stuff is pretty heavy.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Merry Christmas Maniwa!!!
Last night we had a teachers' "Step-Up Seminar." It is a night when Japanese teachers can meet with non-Japanese teachers to practice English. For the past year these meetings have been planned by the women who is in charge of English for the board of education. But, after hearing her tell me she has been very stressed this year I offered to plan and present the meeting. Rather than do what she usually does (a word puzzle game where you match the Japanese card to the English card in groups of two or three) I created a pub quiz featuring questions about Christmas, Japan, and Christmas music. Though the quiz was a little difficult for the non-English speakers, I think it went well overall. Here are some sample questions...
Christmas
In the song the 12 days of Christmas, what does he bring 9 of?
What country do Christmas trees come from?
What are the 4 ghosts in Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol?
How many points does a snowflake have?
Japan
What year did Tokyo Disney open?
What does "nikko nikko" mean in English?
How many times has Japan hosted the Olympics?
What is shiragi-jo?
Christmas Songs (name the title of the song the lyric comes from)
And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas.
Kiyoshi Kono yoru.
Well way up north where the air gets cold there's a tale about Christmas that you've all been told
Prospero ano y felicidad
For bonus rounds we played a game where they made a sentence using a gird. Vertically were the words, "I will, I won't, I might, I can't" and horizontally were the words, "eat cake, see santa, go to a shrine, get a present." They made a sentence and then got the mystery points that were in that grid spot. Then for the other bonus round we did the game where each team member gets a small whiteboard. They draw a category/topic such as "a yellow fruit" or "a convenience store." The team gets points if two people have the same answer and more points if three people have the same answer, etc
"The Grumpy Angels," came in first place followed by "The Blushing Snowmen," in 2nd and "The Cheeky Rerindeer," in third place. Its nice to be able to teach English and yet have fun at the same time. Although the trivia was a bit hard, overall everyone had fun and the BOE lady has asked me to plan the next event for Valentine's. Very excited! I really should have been a game show host...
Christmas
In the song the 12 days of Christmas, what does he bring 9 of?
What country do Christmas trees come from?
What are the 4 ghosts in Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol?
How many points does a snowflake have?
Japan
What year did Tokyo Disney open?
What does "nikko nikko" mean in English?
How many times has Japan hosted the Olympics?
What is shiragi-jo?
Christmas Songs (name the title of the song the lyric comes from)
And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas.
Kiyoshi Kono yoru.
Well way up north where the air gets cold there's a tale about Christmas that you've all been told
Prospero ano y felicidad
For bonus rounds we played a game where they made a sentence using a gird. Vertically were the words, "I will, I won't, I might, I can't" and horizontally were the words, "eat cake, see santa, go to a shrine, get a present." They made a sentence and then got the mystery points that were in that grid spot. Then for the other bonus round we did the game where each team member gets a small whiteboard. They draw a category/topic such as "a yellow fruit" or "a convenience store." The team gets points if two people have the same answer and more points if three people have the same answer, etc
"The Grumpy Angels," came in first place followed by "The Blushing Snowmen," in 2nd and "The Cheeky Rerindeer," in third place. Its nice to be able to teach English and yet have fun at the same time. Although the trivia was a bit hard, overall everyone had fun and the BOE lady has asked me to plan the next event for Valentine's. Very excited! I really should have been a game show host...
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Lost in Translation
Today I literally lost something in translation. At the morning meeting I overheard the principal say that they would soon be cleaning out the fridge in the teacher's lounge. I say overheard because technically it is not my job to be at these meetings and I don't have to pay attention (usually I read the news and prepare anything I need for that day's lessons). Anyway, I had just put to small containers into the fridge- one with fruit and almonds and one with a salad. I hadn't labeled them, but nothing in the fridge was labeled.
Worried, I asked the English teacher that sits next to me about it. She said that my stuff would be fine. She said that they were only throwing away old stuff and that they would be doing it later on anyway. So I left my stuff and went about my day.
Come lunch time I went to get my food, though, and the salad container was gone. I am happy because the fruit container is a more expensive one that came in a matching set. The salad container was a Ziploc one. BUT- it was a special sized one that came in a 15 piece set. Also, the lid that went on it also goes on about 6 other pieces in the set and there is only one other lid in the set. I still have one lid, but that now means that I can't use more than one of those containers at the same time, which kind of defeats the purpose. They are the round kind with the screw on lids that I don't usually see.
I know it is partially my fault for not double checking and also for not labeling my stuff. BUT the container was clear and the food inside could not have been mistaken for being old. Being lazy, my salads are usually cut up, fresh vegetables. I don't add dressing or cheese so they never appear "soggy." If they were left for any more than a day they would look dried up. UGH! I now have to ask the cleaning guy where it went and then I have to ask myself whether I will keep the lid (if has gone in the trash). I need to pay more attention to what Japanese is being said rather than relying on second hand information from Bieber Fever girls (see prior blog entry).
Worried, I asked the English teacher that sits next to me about it. She said that my stuff would be fine. She said that they were only throwing away old stuff and that they would be doing it later on anyway. So I left my stuff and went about my day.
Come lunch time I went to get my food, though, and the salad container was gone. I am happy because the fruit container is a more expensive one that came in a matching set. The salad container was a Ziploc one. BUT- it was a special sized one that came in a 15 piece set. Also, the lid that went on it also goes on about 6 other pieces in the set and there is only one other lid in the set. I still have one lid, but that now means that I can't use more than one of those containers at the same time, which kind of defeats the purpose. They are the round kind with the screw on lids that I don't usually see.
I know it is partially my fault for not double checking and also for not labeling my stuff. BUT the container was clear and the food inside could not have been mistaken for being old. Being lazy, my salads are usually cut up, fresh vegetables. I don't add dressing or cheese so they never appear "soggy." If they were left for any more than a day they would look dried up. UGH! I now have to ask the cleaning guy where it went and then I have to ask myself whether I will keep the lid (if has gone in the trash). I need to pay more attention to what Japanese is being said rather than relying on second hand information from Bieber Fever girls (see prior blog entry).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)