Japan: Arao City Daisan Middle School Visit

We arrived at Daisan (which means 3rd) Middle School just before school started. Daisan Middle School is a small school compared to Mabry, about 250 students compared to Mabry's 850. The school consists of two 7th grade classes (which in Japan is called 1st grade of Lower Secondary), two 8th grade classes (2nd grade), and three 9th grade classes (3rd grade). All of the students in Japan from middle school (lower secondary) through high school (secondary) wear a school uniform.

When homeroom began, all of the students sat down and began 20 minutes of silent reading time. What was amazing about this was that no teachers were in the rooms, and no bells rang. The students just automatically paid attention to the clock and began reading as they do every day at that time. The teachers were all in their morning staff meeting. The principal later told me that he wants students to be self-directed, self-disciplined, and always time conscious.

Our visit began with a presentation of general information about their school. Each of the teachers introduced themselves in English, telling us what grade and subject they taught. We then introduced ourselves in Japanese*, and explained our roles in our respective schools around the United States. The teachers then went on to their classes, and the principal provided us with a detailed overview of Daisan Middle School.

We then walked around to each of the classes to observe. Most of the instruction was didactic, with the teacher standing in front of the class of students following along, taking notes, listening, sometimes underlining words in their textbooks, which, unlike the United States, the students all own themselves.

In Art class the students were painting. In chorus the students were singing. In science class the teacher brought groups of students up to see the effects of sound waves from a sounding fork when it was submerged in water--the exact same type of activity we do in our science classes at Mabry.

I spoke with Masa, one of the two 7th grade homeroom teachers about having his students participate in the 7th grade Japan blogging project with us at Mabry. Masa speaks English fluently. When I shot this picture of him, he made this crazy, "serious" pose to show his sense of humor. He teaches his 7th grade students the English language.

Probably in his early thirties, Masa participated in "Up with People" as a dancer traveling all over the world performing. He lived in Denver, Colorado, for one year, staying in about 10 different American families homes. His first career in Japan was that of an editor in Tokyo. He and his wife moved to Arao when he was assigned as a teacher at Daisan Middle School.

He asked if our students were really interested in learning about Japan, and I assured him that we are, as our 7th graders study Japan. He was eager for his students to participate in this learning project. At lunch time, I ate with his lunch class. All of the students in Japan eat in their homeroom classroom.

At lunch time he selected several students to introduced themselves and tell a little about themselves in English while I recorded them on the video iPod. I took a picture of each of the students who were brave enough to have their English introductions recorded and will include it as a podcast in a later post. Masa hopes that the school computers will be able to get to our blog. Japanese schools, like American schools, often restrict access to blogging sites.

That afternoon several teachers and I had the opportunity to speak with Masa about what it is like to be a teacher in Japan. We were all fascinated. The education profession in Japan is considerably different than that in the United States. But while significant differences exist, the students in Japan are very much like the students in the United States. People are pretty much the same everywhere. I'll include information about schools and other information about eduation in another post about teaching.

Perhaps most amazing to me was watching "cleaning time." For 30 minutes every day every single student cleans an assigned area of the school at every grade level (from first grade in elementary through the 3rd grade of secondary school [12th grade]!) And I must make sure you understand that the students take wash cloths and literally scrub every single inch of the floors and the bathrooms, fixtures and all! They weed the school grounds. They sweep. The teachers and even the principal join in daily cleaning time. Japanese schools generally do not have custodians. The Japanese are extremely conscious about cleanliness.