Coming attractions..
Wondering what
its like inside a Japanese school? Well, you've come to the
right page! It may seem a little overwhelming in your first couple of days...umm..months..
But once you get to learn the secret handshake and password, its one big party,
let me tell
you.
First, lets take a look at the students....
Some kids may seem bored or apathetic about
you at
first, but don't
worry, they're really just shy. They'll warm up to you eventually.
Try bribing them.
Food seems to work well.
All the kids have matching clothes and matching desks
and matching bags.
Some of them even have matching faces. This is a survival
mechanism, so
teachers get confused when confronted by a group and are unable
to single out individuals by name. If
you carry a large stick you can just poke
whoever you want.
Violence may be
common at your school. Sometimes its
just for fun, but its hard to tell the difference. If your not going to join
in, you can
at least ignore it. If you befriend some of the larger ninth graders, you can
get
them to do your bidding. It can drastically cut down on the number of kids who
forget their
worksheets, or refuse to pose for pictures.
Students in Japan get to clean
their own schools. They have
a special period for it a couple times a week.
This accomplishes several
things. The schools save money on janitors, the students
learn responsibility and we, in turn, learn not to sit on the floor, lean against
the walls,
or reach under desks for dropped pens.
This
is the universal Japanese
'I'm getting my picture taken' gesture. Many students love posing for
pictures.
They're also eager to learn the universal American 'I'm getting my picture taken'
gesture. Make something
up. Be creative. Its fun, and they'll never know the
difference. By the way, handing over your expensive camera to thirteen year olds
may
not be the greatest idea.
All
schools in Japan have a pool. And a large sandy dirt
field that
masquerades as a baseball, softball, soccer, track field and playground.
Both
are
safely within the confines of the school walls, just in case someone responsible
feels like
coaching or watching
the kids.
This
is a view of the seventh graders wing of the school.
The classrooms are on the third floor. The other floors house practice rooms
and empty
space. That's the guard tower seen in back.