Junior and Senior High Comparison

(If you're following the blog and received something like 10 notifications about this post, it's because it keeps showing up fine in preview but changing my formatting when it posts....grrrrr!)

The little kids at the elementary school were so excited and I took so many photos, I felt like had to post right away. I wanted to wait before I wrote about Nagamine Junior High and Tomishiro Senior High School. Curriculum is prescribed by the national ministry at the elementary and junior high level, but I hoped to hear from teachers assigned to other prefectures before writing about my school experiences, to limit my generalizations to their applicable comparisons.

Out of the three schools, the junior high school was my favorite. (Just like I love the Saint Stephen's middle school students and their energy!) Little kids are excited no matter who visits; you have to work a little harder with preteens. Yet I found them intensely curious about my life and about life in America. They wanted to practice their English, or pantomime, and I'm sure we were a huge distraction to whatever lessons teachers were attempting to teach. In their free time they asked similar questions to what our students might ask. "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Do you have a cell phone?" "Do you like school?" While I'm not going to say that they were always focused in class, they always had an intensity about them that I appreciated. 80% of the junior high students are involved in clubs, like sports (super-competitive, plus they only play one sport year round), brass band, and engineering (robotics, technology, and solar car competition). The clubs meet Monday through Friday after school through dusk, and they also meet on Saturdays! Another co-curricular program sounded a lot like Saint Stephen's IQ program, cultural trips to other parts of the country and work experience days with local businesses. The reasoning behind the work days, however, is quite different. As I mentioned in describing the elementary school, we visited a poorer area of Japan. The school instituted the work days help students make knowledgeable decisions about work, since high school is not mandatory. Last year, 4 students of 198 graduates chose not to attend senior high school, either because they didn't pass an entrance exam, couldn't afford the fees, or weren't interested.

If you haven't looked at the slideshow yet, now's the time to do so. (Separate email in order to comply with privacy laws) My group members kept commenting, especially in the junior high, about the deteriorating condition of the school building. It's only 29 years old, but the humidity has not been kind to the structure. I didn't think it was bad; the building was very clean, just not aging well, and in keeping with the style of many schools I've seen in tropical areas. But depending where you're from, like the big box brick schools of the American midwest, I guess it could be jarring.

The motto of the senior high school we visited is “academics and sports.” (I think this says quite a bit about the type of school that we visited.) The administrators said that their school is a lower-performing academic school, but “they are nice and good students.” The school focuses not just on scholarly learning, but also guides the students in life choices. The school operates on the principles of diligence, cooperation (the principal said something here about “healthy bodies, healthy minds” but I’m a slow note taker, so I didn’t get more than that recorded), creation, and producing functioning adults. The school offers three tracks: sports (for athletes and future gym teachers), IT (for university and vocational students), and academics (for smarter students who are willing to take two extra classes, one before school and one after.) I’ll be bringing back a copy of the curriculum and the three year plan for anyone who is interested in learning more about the specifics of the academic system. The school has a college and career office. While the administrators stressed student interest and individual attention, most of the work of this office is completed in group sessions. After graduating, 60% of the students attend university and 10% find jobs. The school’s biggest challenge is helping the other 30% of the students find a purpose in their lives.

We were not given the same amount of freedom to wander the halls and classes of the high school. In fact, we only got one period on our own; otherwise, we saw part of a computer class and part of an English class. Unfortunately, many of the students that we did see seemed bored. (While I’m not going to claim that the junior high students were always paying attention, it’s because they were talking or otherwise engaged in an activity, not because they were sleeping.) We found out, however, that many of the more motivated students attend one of the other, more highly-respected, high schools in the city. Even clubs, for which Japanese schools are renowned, are not as active at Tomishiro because many students have to work after school.

In both the junior and senior high schools, we noticed what we would consider old-fashioned, teacher-centered, teaching methods. (It turns out this is indeed representative of schools in prefectures of schools across Japan.) The teacher stood at the blackboard and lectured. Students sat in their rows of desks, listened, took notes, and completed worksheets. I wondered if this was the case because we visited a poorer district, but this is true across Japan. I was going to write here about technology in the classroom, as you might imagine, it’s nothing like technology use in US schools, but expect a later post about this...

I greatly enjoyed both my days in the schools! The above should be seen as a comparison and description, not a judgment. I'd love this to be the beginning of a discussion of different education styles and different ways of learning. I've learned so much on this trip and in visiting the schools! With all of the traveling I've done, I've never been able to get an inside view of education in that area. We were welcomed with open arms, and I feel like I made some wonderful connections with students and teachers.

Photo Slideshow of Beautiful Tropical Okinawa

We arrived back in Tokyo this afternoon, to the opulent New Otani. After only a week in Okinawa, the formality of Tokyo was a little jarring. Here are two photos I took on my five hour walk around the city this afternoon.

(I loved the shoes at the door and the suits!)

(Typical professional-wear of the Tokyo denizens.)

Compare with the Okinawa slideshow below.

They say it’s inevitable to get lost when wandering through Tokyo because most of the streets aren’t named, only the main streets. Also, street names sometimes don’t translate well into English. Little did I know that I was nowhere near where I was headed for (loosely) when I took this picture. I just liked the length of the name. :)

A list about Okinawa

I've loved the warm weather and relaxed atmosphere of Okinawa, but I'm ready for a few more city days before heading back to Florida. Onwards and upwards---to Tokyo!
(By the way, on the flight here, the big screen at the front of the airplane cabin showed the video of our takeoff and landing. That was pretty surreal to watch.)

1. First off, I've learned the correct pronunciation of Tomigusuku. Here's the breakdown. Tom-like the boy's name i-like in eat gus-like in Hurricane Gustav ku-like in cuckoo (This is us with the mayor, superintendent, director of city planning and other city officials. We're waiting to find out if this is going to appear in the newspaper. Our visit is the first time that JFMF has sent a group to Tomigusku.)

2. Okinawa is the poorest prefecture in Japan. Many Okinawans are frustrated with the American military presence in Okinawa. American military bases cover 20% of the land. The first reason that Okinawans give for the high rate of unwed mothers in the prefecture is American military men. Also, most instances of crime come from the actions of drunk soldiers.

3. Okinawa is the melting pot of Japan; it's a strategic military and cultural bridge. There are substantial Chinese, American, Taiwanese, Peruvian, and Bolivian populations.

4. According to the superintendent of schools in Tomigusuku City, the biggest source of pride about the Tomigusku school district is the district's "vibrant children" who want to come to school to see their friends and teachers. The district's biggest challenge is convincing students who do not want to come to school to change their minds.

5. The schools foster cultural exchange by promoting baseball games between Okinawan school children and American children living on military bases.

6. The drinking age in most of Japan is 20, but it's 15 in Okinawa.

7. Okinawa used to be the independent Kingdom of the Ryukyus.

8. Commadore Perry made Ryukyus his base while negotiating with Japan, and he instituted the treaty of friendship between the US and Japan from Okinawa.

9. The trading culture helped Okinawa develop a culture influenced by the foreign lands of Japan, China, Korea, and other Southeast Asian countries.

10. Japanese longevity for men and women is first in the world. In Okinawa, the number of people living more than 100 years is first in Japan. The reasons given for this are assumed to be "healthy diet, mild climate, and a less stressful lifestyle."


(Me with Japanese schoolboys on their way to Okinawa for a cultural exchange field trip. Many Japanese people wear medical masks if they're sick to keep from spreading their sickness to others or to keep from getting sick when exposed to other people's sickness.)

Elementary School Amazingness

I just spent the most phenomenal day at Iraha Elementary School in Tomigusuku City. I never thought that Saint Stephen's could be shown up in terms of hospitality, but it just might have happened. We were met at the gate by a team of students and administrators. Throughout the school, there were professional, printed, and handmade signs welcoming us. The teachers had studied our pictures ahead of time, so they knew who was who. They taught each students to say, "Hello, my name is... Nice to meet you, while extending his hand to shake hello. At our welcome assembly, we walked through flower arches as the students stood and clapped. All students sang for us, and we heard welcome speeches from student leaders and administrators, and we were treated to (surprisingly good) karate and dance performances. JFMF did not plan for a kindergarten visit. Kindergarten in Japan is separate from elementary school, and the school organized a guided tour and playtime session at a nearby kindergarten for the mid-morning. During our observation time, we were given a list of classes and told we were welcome to stop by any that looked interesting and to stay as little or as long as we wanted. This way, we could each watch classes that would be helpful for our own teaching. It showed a tremendous amount of trust and faith on the part of the school that all classes met their expectations of quality instruction. Our one required class was calligraphy with the 5th graders, where we were each given a special helper. For lunch, we were picked up by a delegation of students from the classroom to which we were assigned. Many made signs and necklaces. (I got both!) Because all students eat the same lunch, the city of Tomigusuku wasn't sure it would be enough food or that the food would be to our liking, so they'd sent over sandwiches for us. (The school had also set up a spread of coffee, tea, candies, and Okinawan sweets, which was available throughout the day. Before our meeting with administration after school, a mom brought, in a woven basket on a bed of leaves, traditional Okinawan bread that was still warm from the oven.)

In the afternoon we attended what we thought was a drum dance demonstration for us, but after 15 minutes of the demonstration, we were offered the chance to participate. Parent volunteers were ready to help us dress in costumes they had waiting for us, and we spent the next 15 minutes learning one of the dances we had just seen. After school, we took part in an hour Q and A with school administrators before heading out for the day. Even if we hadn't been welcomed so graciously, we would have spent the day amazed. Little kids are just cute and curious, and they love showing off for guests. But, as I said above, we were given freedom to roam the school. This time was broken into chunks, but the time totaled more than three hours of the school day! We were not the only ones unsupervised; the students have 15 minutes between classes and 30 minutes of recess when they can be anywhere in the school buildings or on school property outside and where teachers are not required to supervise them. They also go to the bathroom on their own during these breaks. These are students age 6-11!

Gardening is a class activity because the school believes it fosters "moral development" to care for plants. Students seemed to value the vegetable gardens, and a number chose to spend their free time outside watering and weeding. Others used the playground or rode around on the (school-owned) unicycles. My favorite students were the first graders. Immediately after lunch, they practiced pom-pom dancing with their teacher. When the teacher left, they turned on a cassette and danced together (like macarena or electric slide together, coordinated - not paired together). These kids are coordinated and definitely able to work well together. Whether anyone was watching them didn't influence their behavior. Two girls completely won me over when they grabbed me, and, in halting English exclaimed, "Let's play!" We decided to dance, not surprisingly, since that was the activity of choice for these kids. I know that this is just what young kids do, but not my kids in the middle and upper school. :) (Not that I want any of you dancing in the library...) They were adorable!

Around this time, the kids started mobbing us for our autographs. We were like rock stars - they kept mobbing us with pens and paper shouting, "Sensai!" Ms. Heap, I decided to give the Saint Stephen's post-it notes to my grade three lunch class (because pens and chapstick seemed better suited to the junior and senior high school students), and the students with the post-its started using these as autograph books. I loved this. Where were the teachers during all this time? Well, since they teach class during the day, attend "special" classes with their students, and eat lunch with the kids in their classrooms, I assume they were regrouping in the teachers' room. As several other American teachers noted, we're relatively certain this is a poorer school. The building overall showed wear, children didn't have the nicest clothes, and many children were overweight (unfortunately, a sign of poverty). Yet, they still had respect for school, for authority and seemed intrinsically motivated to behave well.

***Because of new privacy laws (discussed in a previous post) I can't post close-ups of students without written permission. We have oral but not written permission. Believe me, it's hard enough to get young students to continue what they're doing and not start posing as soon as they see your camera. You had to get it ready and sneak it out last second. :) Or you got lots of "peace" and "wishes" signs and a clump of heads right next to the camera lens. Getting only group shots from a distance would have been very difficult. Instead, I can post these on a site only open to the people who receive the site information. I'm sending that to Saint Stephen's all school list and others who I know read the blog. Please do not repost the pictures elsewhere on the Internet. The close-ups are some of my favorites, but I also want to respect the laws of Japan! Parents and students reading this site, if you ask any Saint Stephen's employee, you will also be able to see the pictures. It's a long slideshow, but there are lots of excellent candids. I encourage you to take the extra step and check it out. (This is a first for me. If this method doesn't work immediately, I'll adapt it until it does. Technical feedback is appreciated.) Thanks!***

Surprise!

Lots of other things that I was planning on writing about, but I just came from my host city orientation, and I have exciting news. In the midst of orientation, talking about the home stay next weekend, our guide says that the two of us who are doing the radio show will need to leave our host families early because of rehearsal. Which is fine, but all of us are staring blankly. Obviously, since I'm writing this, one of those two individuals is me. The city wanted to interview several program participants on its weekly hour-long show. We'll have rehearsal in the early afternoon and tape in the mid afternoon. So, I'll be representing not only Saint Stephen's and the United States, like usual, but also the other Tomigusku participants and JFMF. :)

Leaving our meeting, all of our participants were so excited about the coming week; the school and university visits, tours of local industries, a homestay, and a traditional ryoken.

Imagine our surprise when we meet our guide and she starts off by saying to the men in suits, "It's very hot there...(discussion of US being the only country that does not use the metric system but temperatures in the 80s)...they don't wear those (suit coats and ties). What are those shirts with the big flowers?" Ah yes, we're going to the school district where they wear Hawaiin shirts. (I'm sad because now I have a tailored suit, which she recommended that I leave in Tokyo. While normally I'm fine with my suit-free lifestyle, I'd been gearing up for this opportunity to wear one. We give a group presentation when we return; perhaps at that point.) She said the only long sleeves we'd need would be maybe for for a sweater at night. No flip flops, but open-toed shoes are fine. They even wear shorts there, despite the stern warning we got against bringing them. Our first night, we're staying at a full-fledged beach resort, with free time after 2:30. So you can see why we might be excited.

Walking back to the room with someone from another group, she commented that she was completely drained from her orientation. It turns out that only 5 of the hotel rooms have Internet access, and they're all smoking rooms. What was the logical solution? Why, rock-paper-scissors until a pecking order had been arranged. Another group is staying at the "clean, comfortable, cheap" backpacker hotel. It turns out that not everyone is quite as excited to leave Tokyo.

And now I'm off for an evening at the Oriental Bazaar and the used kimono store.