Some concluding thoughts...

Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea, relax, and settle in. I know that I’m never short with words on this site, but I believe that this is going to be the longest post. As I’m now flying back to the US, it feels like this is the conclusion to a book. The acknowledgments section is joining in. It's a real party over here. :)

Conclusion

After my experience with how much time it takes to craft some sort of writing each day, I’ll never look at serious blogging casually again. Because I encouraged participation, both before I left by soliciting questions people wanted answered about Japanese culture and throughout in the form of comments, the blog was a dynamic medium. Because I was using multimedia formats and responding to reader interest, it became progressively harder to draft it in Microsoft Word then simply paste into the Blogger site. I also realized that I underestimated the ease of WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) software. I have a new-found respect for people who follow tightly prescribed formatting rules for fonts, type size, picture placement, etc. Frequently, “what I saw” on my compose screen was substantially different from “what I got” in the preview window. Some days, more time was spent on formatting than content. I’ve also learned that you see the world around you differently when you have an “audience.” I don’t know how many conversations among JFMF participants began, “Wait until the people on my blog read about this…” I also had this in the back of my mind, which was perfect for this trip, an educational venture. At the same time, I can see how documenting your life and your thoughts becomes an exercise in narcissism and self-promotion. I think it feeds into these tendencies, and also keeps people from experiencing the moment they’re in.

So, my (unsolicited) advice to you is two-fold. 1. Don’t embrace something just because it’s new. 2. Don’t fear something just because it’s new. Simply being new isn’t a value judgment; new things aren’t in and of themselves dangerous or safe, worthwhile or worthless, good or bad. If you come across something that interests you, take the time to learn about it and decide for yourself if it’s worth your time. Before this trip, I had never blogged, and before October 15th, I had never commented on anyone else’s blog. (Yes, I actually prefer to lurk in the background of blog reading...) As much as I’m going to miss recording my experiences (and the experiences themselves), I’m very much looking forward to a computer-free weekend with my husband and parents when I return. Then, I’ll be back on track and tech-friendly Monday morning. I will be writing a few more posts and encouraging a few more caption contests.

One last paragraph before I step off my soapbox. (Ah the perils of a captive audience---oh wait, you're free to skip ahead or stop reading anytime I’m boring you.) I’m relatively certain that I’m the youngest person on this trip. That’s probably because the application asked for applicants who’d been teaching 2 or more years. In my application, I was honest about my lack of teaching experience. I said that I was new to my job but that I loved it and was planning on spending many years in school libraries. I also said that I brought the enthusiasm of a student, one who’d been working in graduate school for two years so she’d be able to have the job she had just begun. Thank goodness I didn’t let the “requirement” stand in my way; after this year, there’s no more JFMF. (Which is a huge loss to teachers and students across the United States!) As the Japanese like to say to their students, “Find your purpose, find your heart.” Whatever it may be, as Thoreau said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.” For me, as a travel opportunity and an educational experience, this opportunity was priceless. (Although it's amazing how the incidentals on an 'all-expenses paid trip still add up quickly!) Personally, I value travel highly, and I am so glad that I spent this summer traveling the states. There were at least 2 attendees from each state, and I felt like I had a logical starting point for conversation when I knew something about their hometowns. You live in Champaign; I ate in a great restaurant there. You went to grad school at Berkeley; on the Fourth of July, I was playing wiffleball near the campus. Wisconsin? I just mail ordered apples from there. I understand that not everyone values travel the way that I do, and that's fine. I just encourage everyone to try to surround themselves with things and people that make them happy and fulfill them.

Acknowledgments

And now I’m down from the soapbox conclusion and ready for acknowledgments. Thank you Mrs. Klein for sending the initial email last fall. Without you, I never would have heard about JFMF. Thank you Mr. Snodgress, Mr.Lisk, and Ms. Gunst for recommending me. Whatever you wrote must have been great. Thank you Mrs. Orr for proofreading my application. I know that lots of people take advantage of your proofreading skills. Thank you Mrs. Pullen, Mr. Snodgress, Mrs. Wolcott, and Dr. Watts for supporting this professional development opportunity and allowing me to miss classes for most of the month of October. I will definitely utilize what I’ve learned. Thank you Tech Office, Mrs. Potwin, Library Monitors, Mrs. Bermudez, and Mr. Whelan for keeping the library running at base level while I’m away. Thank you Ms. Heap for the promotional hoopla you’re so excellent at. Thank you to everyone who offered advice about Japan and overseas travel, especially Mr. Yanelli, Mr. Moran, Ms. Spector, and Mr. Whelan. I have an adapter and lots of related reading thanks to you. Thanks to everyone who wanted to collaborate on a lesson about Japan or who sent me on an information-finding scavenger hunt throughout my stay.

One of my personal goals for my role in the school involves increased collaboration between classroom teachers and me, and I think JFMF is going to prove very productive in helping me work towards that goal. I’m also grateful to the JFMF selection committee, the trip organizers, the other teachers who taught me how education “really works” in much of America, and the Japanese government for allowing access to government officials and schools and for supporting me in a style way above my means. And, last but not least, thank you to everyone who read my blog and shared in this experience with me. I didn’t know any other participants when I stepped off the plane, but I never felt like I was out of the thoughts of my family, friends, and colleagues back in the states. Despite being an ocean away, I felt like this trip brought me closer (or back in touch!) with many of you.

In some way that’s meaningful to you, embrace the spirit of the Atlas Initiative. Show curiosity and care for the world around you!

(Thank you Karen for the suit. I got so many compliments on it. I kept saying to people that I had nowhere else to where it, and they said it looked like a great 'dinner suit.' I don't know where they go to dinner, but "dinner suit" is not in my vocabulary. I was also told to wear it for my presentation next Friday. It seems just a tad overdressed, but we'll see. I'm considering it...)

Appreciation of Saint Stephen's

****IMPORTANT-READ BEFORE READING THIS POST*** I wrote this on the airplane on the way to Japan, but I wanted to wait to bookend it with reflections at the end of my trip-coming later today. It's not meant to be disparaging towards public schools, just reflections on the public school system based on what I've heard from other teachers, and an honest appreciation for the Saint Stephen's community.

Even though I’m on the plane and haven’t yet set foot in Japan, I’ve learned so much from my colleagues at schools across the United States. Over 90% of the teachers in this program are public school teachers. Since I attended and worked at Catholic schools before my job at Saint Stephen’s, I hadn’t realized just how broken, in many ways, our public school system is. When caught up in the daily grind of life at Saint Stephen’s, it can be easy to forget that we are, in many ways, an academic bubble. In the first 5 hours of meeting my colleagues in San Francisco, I began to feel like I wasn’t worthy of this fellowship. I love my job and my school, and I feel that I’m supported in pursuing what is best for the library. I already bought into the notion that teachers are great people who are passionate about sharing knowledge with young people. But I didn’t realize the adversity that many of them encounter in order to do the work that they love. Here are some comments that I heard on day one:

1. “We strive for around 30 (students) per class, but frequently it's around 35.” –Elementary school teacher
2. “No one asked me for lesson plans, and I know they don’t have the budget for a sub, but I’m hoping they’ll (the students) be supervised by a para. I also left Halloween coloring sheets and crayons. That’s probably what will happen.” –Elementary school art teacher
3. “We have lcd projectors in every classroom. My bulb burned out. I put in a request last fall. I still haven’t heard back.” –High school teacher
4. “We teach to the TAKS!”-Texas middle school teacher
5. “Over 75% of my students are obese. None have ever left the country. I don’t know if any have left the state. They can’t even picture Japan.” High school teacher
6. “All our principal cares about is pursuing the Assistant Principal and test scores.” Intermediate school teacher.
7. “I’ve got it pretty good. Every other year, my kids are scoring at a second grade level. This year, they’re coming to me at 4.” -5th grade teacher
8. “Everything’s about the FCATs.” –Florida high school teacher
9. “We had to cut gifted classes. They’re (the gifted students) already fine.” –Middle school teacher
10. “Why don’t they (the parents) care? Can’t they see they’re hurting their kids when they shoot up!” –Special Education teacher

Two teachers had to drop out because their schools wouldn’t support this once-in-a-lifetime professional development opportunity. Two are here on unpaid leave. One of those two said that she’s been assured that her position won’t be eliminated while she’s away. When I asked Mr. Lisk and Mr. Snodgress about applying for the program last fall, when they had only known me for three months, both immediately responded, “Go for it!” and wrote recommendation letters. Having been at the school almost another full year, I can’t believe how little they must have known about me when they agreed to write the letters. I want to give the Saint Stephen’s administration a heartfelt thank you for supporting professional development in general and my participation in this program in particular. I can’t wait, figuratively speaking (I definitely want to experience the Japan portion of my travel!), to return to Saint Stephen’s and teach our students and teachers. One of my main goals as a librarian is to serve as a resource to students and faculty in the school, and I am excited to think about the potential impact of this program on the Saint Stephen’s community.

One girl in this program is working on her PhD thesis on community-school relations. She described her ideal school environment as one in which the parents trusted the administrators’ expertise in running the school and in which families would use the school on nights and weekends. This is far from the case at her school. I immediately thought to the volleyball games late in the evenings, Boy Scout meetings after school, Mr. Yanelli’s study skills program, the booster club car washes on Saturdays, and the Sunday AP review sessions. I know that it’s easy to lose perspective; we’re experiencing an unstable economy, have the need for an honor council, and sometimes have to track students down for mandatory community service. Yet, we are so so fortunate to have the strong, intentional, Saint Stephen’s community. Every family has made the choice to send their child to Saint Stephen’s and every teacher has made the choice to make this their home away from home. Other teachers in this country are dealing with a 50% drop out rate, authoritarian principals, metal detectors at the doorways, daily false fire alarms, and 5th graders writing curse words across the school hallways. The one girl I’ve spoken with in-depth who works for an independent school is the school’s curriculum coordinator and teaches an environmentality/sustainability class that she created to fourth through sixth graders. It’s highlighted at the end of each year by a trip to Yosemite (4th), Catalina Island (5th), and a working farm (6th). Teachers in inner city schools are struggling to find outdated textbooks for all of their students. I don’t think it’s a difference in teaching ability but in facilities and opportunities to connect with students and share our passions. Let us continue to strive for the best for our students and for ourselves.

One person said, in response to my feeling like the spoiled little rich kid in comparison to others that she was glad I was here because the kids I teach are going to be the ones creating the policy one day. I can’t argue with her; she’s right. Even though we must continually strive to improve Saint Stephen’s, it is a successful school environment. Our students have a wide range of intellectual abilities, but everyone has a family support structure and the ability to use the school support structures. “We’re not just teaching reading and writing. We have to teach them how to be human beings. We have to teach them to say please and thank you. All they know at home is being yelled at.” This was said by an inner city elementary teacher. We also are concerned with educating and nurturing the “whole child,” but I believe that our bar is raised a bit higher right from the start. I don’t think of my job as just a job and I certainly don’t think of this as a vacation. I think of all of the teachers I work with in the middle and upper divisions (I’m sure it’s true in the intermediate and lower divisions as well; I just don’t know you well enough enough yet!) and I’m motivated by their intensity, challenged by their scholarship, and in awe of their knowledge. We were all hired as teachers and administrators, but we’re not just passing along subject material, we’re also sharing ourselves. Some teachers were saying that they can’t hire people from the same family in the same district, let alone the same school. I can see how this could be an issue for concern but I think our school benefits so much from trust it entails; the entire lives of some of our teachers are tied to the school. We all have a vested interest in improving the Saint Stephen’s experience.

And whether or not you are connected with Saint Stephen’s, you have a vested interest in the US educational system. Remember the 80’s song, “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the future they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride.” As a group of 158 teachers coming together from all states in America, we have a wide range of political opinions represented. Yet, I haven’t heard one teacher who believes that No Child Left Behind is reaching all children. The elections are coming up soon…

Here’s a brief addition to my earlier writings. (There’s also going to be a long ending reflection piece posted tonight.) When we visited the schools, I kept hearing from the other teachers about how respectful and welcoming the students were. I’ll agree; as you know from my earlier posts, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Tomigusuku students. I did not think that their behavior, however, was out of the ordinary. Saint Stephen’s students greet visitors politely, smile, and include them in their school day when appropriate. We had an incredible all school welcome for our Chinese guests last year! Students (and some parents) volunteer to come to school early to meet with students at the Lugalo School! Other teachers said that their students would ignore (best case scenario) or curse at, spit at, or mock school guests. Thankfully, I have no point of reference for that. I have always been very impressed with the public behavior of Saint Stephen’s students, and that’s one of the reasons I think it was necessary to start the Ambassador program. I’m proud of our students and think that they do an excellent job of representing the school. I know we all get worn down by the daily grind, but we need to count our blessings!

Education in Japan

When the program began last week, we heard the most incredible keynote speech from Katsuhide Kusahara, the vice-president of Takushoku University. I thought that it might get lost among the weekend posts, so I decided to wait until today to send it. :)

(If you know me, you know that I'm not one to rush up and get my photos taken with speakers. Nor to gush about their speeches. Yet, I'm doing both here. That's how amazing he was. I even exchanged business cards with him.)

While it began as an informative but dry description of the number of schools (more or less what I was expecting), it turned into an enlightening discussion about the purpose of school. In Japan, schools have the goals of teaching moral, physical, and mental development. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology wants to increase students "zest for living." The ministry measures this through 1. solid intelligence (knowledge and critical thinking), 2. rich humanity (sympathy and emotion) and 3. health and physical strength. Student classes include science, math, music, arts, home economics, physical education, and morals. School trips to other parts of Japan are required, beginning in elementary school, and schools offer many extracurricular clubs and athletics. One item that always impresses JFMF participants is that Japanese students spend time each day cleaning their classrooms. (In the elementary school that I visited, the students' cleaning is good enough that they do not have a professional cleaning crew. Four times a year, parents come in to "get the high places the children can't reach and the weeding. The teachers may help the students in the bathrooms.")

In the speaker's point of view, however, the Japanese educational system lacks critical thinking instruction. He believes that adults should have been taught to be productive, team players, and individual thinkers. Still, Japan focuses mostly on team playing, which "doesn't make for brilliant leaders." Through the university level, classes are uni-directional. Teachers lecture and students listen. The main focus is to receive knowledge from the teacher. For tests, mostly multiple choice, students need to memorize what's in their textbooks. In fact, the Japanese word for education comes from teach and raise; the Japanese word for learn comes from imitate (as in, imitate the teacher). In the classroom, questions are uncommon, and debates are even less common! To ask a question is to admit ignorance, something that is frowned upon.

Katsuhide Kusahara admitted that it's difficult to change an entire school system. Still, he offered several suggestions of ways that schools could change so adults coming out of the school system would be better prepared to work in a global world. First, he said that universities must stop thinking of themselves as victims of of the current educational system. Once they change their methods to include more critical thinking, top-notch high schools will follow suit in order to better prepare their students. This will have an eventual trickle-down effect on all schools. Second, the ministry needs to focus less attention on the university entrance exam* or change this test to better reflect students' ability to think, even though this would make testing harder to prepare for and harder to score. Teachers need to ask students, "Why?" and "What do you think?" to encourage curiosity. If we worked together more, the US could learn from Japan how to teach moral education and discipline and Japan could learn from the US how to teach individual survey and discussion. Confucius said, "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." Kusahara concludes that Japanese schools need to do a better job teaching students how to think.

(Toyko boys in the airport on their way to a cultural exchange field trip in Okinawa.)

On a personal note, when I was working on my masters many people asked me why I wanted to work in a library since libraries were going away because of the Internet and ever-present information access. In fact, public libraries have received a huge boost in numbers as a result of computers and the Internet. School libraries are also far from obsolete. There is so much information out there; children need to learn how to find relevant and useful information and how to process that information. Library media centers and the library media specialist can help support teachers and information literacy by sharing print and digital materials, providing resources with diverse points of view, and teaching research skills. And now I'll get off my soapbox. :)

*Expect a post in the next few days about university testing, college counseling, and college preparation.