Being a teacher in Japan

Having had a basic bit of knowledge about Japan there were no major surprises when I got here. There were however, a number of minor eccentricities to be found in Japan that I wasn’t expecting at all. I am actually writing an article for the Hyogo Times (the local JET news letter) on this topic, which I will post once finished, but for know I will simply comment on some of the most recent events.

I was given the Friday off after Yashiro orientation so I could attend the PTA meeting at school on Saturday. All I was told was I would introduce myself to some of the parents and students. Saturday morning came and I couldn’t decide what to wear. I thought putting on a collared shirt would be appropriate, but it can be so blasted hot here. I finally decided to go with a polo shirt and slacks. They know how hot it is; it would look plenty formal. I arrived at school only to find all of my co-teachers in sportswear: tracksuits, shorts, t-shirts, and sports polos, and I was wearing slacks.

Thinking back I have no idea if I was told to wear sports wear, because the PTA meeting was put on my schedule three weeks prior. In any case, there was some reason that all of my co-teachers were dressed to go running at a PTA meeting. After a quick journalistic investigation I discovered the PTA meeting is an annual event in which different groups of parents with their children from around the neighborhoods square off in a huge tug-of-war tournament. There was no talk between teachers and parents about the coming school term. The teachers were only required to straighten the ropes and declare winners while sweating parents and children yelled and pulled for the pride of their neighborhood. There was a trophy for first place and prizes for places one to three.

I ended up giving my self-introduction speech, which was well-received, and then I simply watched and enjoyed the event while frantically fanning myself to keep cool in my dress slacks.

(Cultural side note: Everyone fans themselves here. Some people have expensive folding fans, but most people use the free fans given away on the street and near train stations with advertisements on the back. It sometimes strikes me as a little effeminate to furiously flick the wrist while fanning, but it is hot here and men and women both do it. When in Rome...)

Yesterday was the all-school work day. This time I was told in advance to wear sports clothes. I found out on Friday that I would be with the seventh grade teachers doing some digging. I didn’t know what to expect, but it turned out to be a serious morning of work. While we were working the teachers explained to me that Japanese teachers do more than just teach in the classroom. Except for the principal, no one has their own office. We all work in one large community office and whoever happens to be in the office answers the phone when it rings. The teachers really work as a team here and don’t have a problem having to do activities outside the range of academics.

Likewise, students go beyond just attending class. In some schools the students take turns in serving each other lunch. They also clean the school at the end of the day. All of these things not only eliminate unneeded cleaning staff at school but also teach about teamwork, etc.

So on this particular work day the seventh grade teachers and I were pulling up drainage grates and digging out all the mud, sand and silt that clogged them up over the past five years. I worked as hard as I could, and I’m a little sore today, but the teachers seemed impressed by my enthusiasm. After the digging we carried branches for a while, but finally finished before lunch time. In the teachers room we were rewarded with watermelon (it’s quite expensive here) and iced coffee. I have to say, there really is a sense of team work in such an activity that I have not experienced at any other job.