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Published: September 8th 2008
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Cleaning time
Scrubbin' porcelain with great enthusiasm and sense of honor Never in my life has one week provided more stories, head-scratches, pleasant surprises, and all together confusion than my first week working in a Japanese Junior High School. Seriously, this blog is practically writing itself. I’m going to walk you through a typical day in the life as well as touch on some special highlights. Of course, seeing is believing, and I’m sorry you weren’t here to see some of this for yourself.
First, I was hired by the Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education. Some JETs were hired by their city or town Board of Education which then places them in one or two schools within that district. I, on the other hand, am teaching at various schools under the control of the Prefecture, seven to be exact. I teach at each school for a week at a time and then start the cycle over again. For my first assignment, I was at Zentsuji-higashi (east) Chu-gakko (Junior High School).
The day begins by stepping onto the morning train and realizing that I’m the only person not decked out in a school uniform. Girls giggle and chat with one another while never taking their hands or eyes off their cell phones (keitai). After a short train ride and quick walk to the school, I enter the building wearing my work shoes, deftly remove them and put on my Crocs, walk to the teachers room next door, remove my Crocs, and enter the room with nothing but socks on my feet.
After bellowing out a loud “Ohayo gozaimasu!” (Good morning!), I dodge the countless teachers running around like chickens with their heads cut off because of the amount of work they (I assume) have to do. Most don’t even have the time or the confidence to acknowledge my presence. No hard feelings; they have much more to do than I.
Monday morning started with an all-school assembly for…ME. When I got to the gym, the students were sitting in military formation in perfect uniformity, alternating rows of boys and girls. On stage sat a podium and one chair. I copied a short self-introductory speech in Japanese out of my JET Handbook, and with great enthusiasm fumbled and mispronounced at least half of it. When I finished, the drill sergeant, er, vice-principle (kyoto-sensei) ordered the students to stand, bow, and say “Arigato gozaimashita” (Thank you very much) back to me in unison. Believe me, it was stranger in person.
Ahhhh class. Class officially begins with the same bow and chant of “Onegaishimasu” (please?) and ends with “Arigato gozaimashita”. Now it’s time for me to work my English-teaching magic. The first thing that the school wants me to do is give a self-introduction presentation, explaining about my life in America, personal interests and hobbies, favorite foods, etc. In a week, I gave my 50-minute PowerPoint presentation twelve times.
Definitely the weirdest part of the day happens at lunchtime. There are no cafeterias, so huge vats of food are brought up to each homeroom, where the students eat. Lunch is not served by lunch-lady Doris, but by the kids themselves. Everyone is decked out in a smock and doctor/dentist mask. Typical lunch is a carb-filled meal consisting of boiled veggies, a big bowl of white rice, tiny little dried fishes, and a glass of whole-fat milk. You are expected to eat everything on your plate, but passing off your dried fish to another student is perfectly acceptable. I actually enjoyed lunch this week, but JETs often warn of the inevitable “pregnant” dish. Like class, you can’t start eating until everyone is sitting and you chant “Itadakimasu” (I’ll start). Lunch ends with “Gochisosama deshita” (It was a feast). Then all the students load their dirty dishes into different trays that they bring back down to the lunchroom.
Before I explain the next part, let me say that the Japanese are a very neat, clean, and germ phobic people. So everyday after lunch is school cleaning time. Everyday. I almost laughed out loud when I was handed a broom and told to sweep a classroom that literally hadn’t been used to since the last cleaning. Accompanied by my team of 7th grade girls, we swept and toweled every inch of an already immaculately clean classroom. Do you know what it’s like to sweep and not a single speck of dirt or dust gets moved? Then I was told to supervise the boys bathroom cleaning. What I saw was one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever witnessed. Boys were face-deep in each urinal and toilet scrubbing every inch of porcelain with a toothbrush while others mopped the floor and cleaned the sinks. They actually even seemed to be enjoying it! It’s amazing to see what kids will willingly do just because it’s expected of them. Why hire janitors and lunch ladies when you have free labor at your immediate disposal?
Finally, at the end of the day, I will hang around until 4:15pm while the teachers and students get busy for their club and sports activities. No day could ever close without the appropriate chant. I holler out “Osaki ni shitsurai shimasu!” (Excuse me for leaving before you), which is the truth because most of my colleagues will well into the night. Sometimes its better to not be held to Japanese standards.
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