Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Learning from Pain

In the morning after the first night in Japan, I woke up feeling some discomfort on my back.  It was quite evident: the tatami mats.  A futon was not thick enough to protect my exhausted body on the hard floor  although I grew up with this exact style.  It reminded me of how long I have been away from this particular culture.  The next day, I noticed minor soreness on my thighs, shins, and bottom.  What did I do?  Here is the answer, "Going to School".   I decided to walk for half a mile to school with my kids and back home.  When school is over, I pick up each child because thier dismissal time is different.  In addition, sometimes I have to run for some errands on foot.  Three round trips with some extra; I am walking for a little over 3 miles a day.  It used to be the regular routine while growing up, but it took me a long time to remember the good old days. 

The important remark is here: the physical "pain" often gives you some clue that you have to pay attention.  Especially, when you are sick or injured, pain and its scale significantly help you and your doctor to understand and find the treatment for your body.  In some cases, the significant chest pain is from the extreme emotion such as grief.   My pain (I know it's minor!) I am experiencing right now, too, is a kind of sign that I have to notice.

Not only with my siblings, but also with cousins and friends, I used to play and sleep over on the traditional rice straw mats.  Unlike individual beds, sleeping on the floor as a big group of kids is just another party at night.  It is like an indoor camp without a tent.  They don't even require flash lights or sleeping bags, but futons.  Tatami was born a long time ago from geographical and historical uniquenss of this country (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatami)  along with other rice based products, e.g., Sake, Miso, etc.  Just like Native American Indian using ceder trees for the log house, basket, cloths, Japanese people have utilized rice in thier lives wisely. 

While walking to school, we see the tiny green baby oranges that just started to grow for the early winter harvest.  The leafs that are larger than your whole head wave at us with the gentle wind.  Japanese nightingales are charping over head.  Passing people bow each other to greet.  With some exceptions like obnoxious drivers who don't stop or even slow down for the pedestrians (!),  walking will make you a special "private eye" in the rural community. 

Another interesting thing is the school dismissal.  After the 15 minute closing meeing, the sixth grade students say "Sayonara" with a deep bow to ther teacher in the class.  The teacher dismisses each child at the door, then, the students stay in the hallway until everybody is out from the classroom.  Together, they go down from the 3rd floor and move to one area in the school yard, of course after changing thier indoor shoes to outside shoes.  Each single file of many lines represents the group that goes home to the similar direction.  A teacher then announces for dismisal.  It is a shockingly long process just for going home, but that is the way of keeping children safe.  In fact, not only 6th grade, but every class and grade level does the exact same routine as I learn.  Instead of school buses and parents' pick up, the school promote kids their independence and teamwork. 

At the end of each busy day, I sit on the tatami mat and start yoga, contemplating of appreciation and respect on diversity that I am able to celebrate with my own children.  Hoping, the soreness on my bottom will be gone shortly.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Off to the Japanese School

June is the rainy season and schools are still in session in Japan.  My childen looked a little nervous about the school they are going to for a few weeks.  The different language, culture, and new environment are good enogh reasons to be sensitive.  But I also know there are something more than language in communication between person to person.  Human to human.

What major facts would help determine your first impression when you see someone new?  The most important fact is your willingness to learn about the person.  The principal looked friendly and welcomed us.  He answered numeral questions of mine.  He tried to ask some questions to us.  His willingness to learn about my children was evident.  Unlike most Japanese administrators, he had a nice smile on his face, too.  A great first impression!  I hope my children had the same  feeling and they will have great experiences with Japanese children for a next few weeks.  Thier curiousity will lead to some great first impressions on everybody and everything they will see in the new school.  These first impressions will be such a remarkable life experiences. 

To maintain the remarkable first impression is similary essential.  In the rainy Monday morning, this principal was at the school gate smiling and greeting each student while coming through.  Not only the impression, but my admiration grew towards the principal's practice.  When the administrator himself demonstrates positive leadership, the whole school seemed to be positive.   Teachers and students are all proud of being in their school.  Action speaks.   That is the universal common sense.  My kids are in the right place in the right time.  That is the mother:s instinct.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Time for Celebration

In the two story house of the neighborhood, there were people from everywhere in and out of the town.  Green grass was mowed yesterday, numeral pots full of colorful flowers, balloons, countless pictures from infants to the high school prom, and the sign, "Happy Graduation".  In addition to the familiar faces of friends and relatives, people in different ages, jobs, and relationships congratulated my niece and enjoyed the endless conversation with each other.  The lady who sat by me started talking about the cultural diversity.  "The American's communication style's is almost too open and rude compare to some other countries.  I think we are friendly."  I replied, "I guess the way of our communication is developed for the necessity in our true lives. Our country has people from everywhere.  People who have different backgrounds and culture needed to communicate to each other in order to live together harmoniously on the same land."  Sacajawea and Pocahontas were occupied in my head.  I though I was on the right track.

A few days later, I was stuck.  The film, Traces of the Trade http://www.tracesofthetrade.org/ was navigated on my laptop screen while checking the Moncure family's website http://moncure.mysite.com/.  The principal, in the school where I have previously worked, shared her remarkable family project.  I have never paid attention so closely about the slavery except the major historical summary because no one was around me to make a connection to this subject until now.  The lady in front of me was the descendant of the tragic history of our country.  Sadly, the human trafficking was the legal business in order to live "harmoniously".  These people who were brought from Africa didn't have any human rights.  They were not allowed to communicate but had to do whatever they were ordered by the traders, merchants, and owners.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for Moncure clan's  and Dewolf clan's effort to untangle the stories that have never told.  Yes, the communication is highly valued to learn and share about the pains and struggles in our country's history.  Don't seal the wound scar with a band-aid before you clean it out.  It is going to infected.  Just because the people have done that in the past for a long time, we had no chance to learn it.  Many people like Pat decided to rip open the band-aid to start the conversation.  I admire their action and courage to educate our country's pain and healing.

Another story awaited at home.  I found out that a mother of my daughter's friend was a half Japanese.  I asked her, "Does she live around here?"  She dropped her head and said, "She passed away when I was eight."  She continued, "I have three cousins in Japan whom I have never met.  When my sister talked to them, they said something like, 'You are too American.  You are not welcomed.'  So I don't know my roots in Japan.  I wish I could.  Only I know is where my mother was born."  A lady at the graduation party was right.  Some people in Japan wouldn't prefer the way we communicate.   It hit me severely.  It also made me to determine, I will find her root in Japan when I visit Japan.  I will volunteer to be the communicator, like Sacajawea.  I hope my communication unites several branches in her identity, especially, who she is now and where her blood was coming from.  Compassion and appreciation will be developed by learning about ourselves, which will create a true "diverse" community.  It's time to celebrate!

 


Friday, June 15, 2012

Impacting Lives

"How many people impacted my life?" my 12 years old son questioned.  All of a sudden, I felt overwhelmed thinking one by one who impacted my life.  As I get older, the number of these tremendous people grows big accordingly.  Humbly, as a teacher, there are countless opportunities to feel appreciation.  The last day of school is the one of these moments.  At the every end of year, I wish their best when I dismiss class, and I reflect on myself at the same time.  "Did I impact their lives this year?"

Needless to say, family structure has dramatically changed a last few decades.  That fact impacts students' lives and teachers' as well.  Although teachers do their best to deliver their compassion and best advise at school, sadly, it is difficult for some kids to accept them as a positive opportunities.  At the same time, it is challenging to identify who are really impacted by what teachers say or do.   The best teaching practice often emphasizes "the impact on student's learning".  What we are doing must be intentional and kids have to show the evidence accordingly.  The data doesn't lie, that is true. It is also true that you can see the data you want to see when you have a trustful relationship with them.  The trust which students and I build really impact on "my" life.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure when I am building trust or what words or actions impacted them to make them want to connect with me. 

Thinking back, when I finally and truly realized that I couldn't change anyone's behavior unless they want to change (Read my previous blog, Accept Who They Are http://test-mathlessonplans.blogspot.com/2012/05/accept-who-they-are.html), my approach slightly shifted to the different direction.  In Love and Logic (loveandlogic.com), one of the suggested liners is "I respect you too much to argue."  Whenever I say, "I respect you no matter what you do or say, but I will respect you more if you choice is a wise one," I really feel that way.  Since then, the students' poor behavior didn't bother me as much as before.  Don't get me wrong, I am not a Saint.  I am still frustrated time to time.  But interestingly, the words from my heart through my mouth transform my brain work differently.  I feel calmer than before.  I feel my smiles more often.

I have never imagined that I could make a connection with this one student, who is a typical attention seeker (mostly in the negative way, of course) no matter how hard I worked even with my positive attitude.  Surprisingly, he was the very first one to give me a hug, a special tight and long one.   I scratched his back and said, "You made it this year.  You showed you could do it!"  He scratched back on mine and whispered, "I will miss you for this summer." 

Another student handed me the unexpected invitation.  After the show, he dashed directly to my seat, and gave me a strong hug.  I was thinking, "What did I do?"   Whether if I am impacting their lives or not, at least, I am so honored to be a part of these boys' lives, in the positive way.  They chose to make a connection with me.  That, importantly, impacts my life.



Thursday, June 14, 2012

Agony of Science

"Gallery Walk," my science teacher announced in the middle of an observation.  My head was turning right and left like a deer contemplating which way she will move next.  My group wouldn't want to stop what we were doing because it was pure joy just drawing pictures of magnified plankton.  No one at home has this coolest toy that's making things really large .  Take advantage of it!  Reluctantly, we walked away from our table.  "Which group did you think had the best observation?"  To my surprise, everybody mentioned our group.  It's organized, pictures were pretty and colorful, and everybody's report was written with neat handwriting.  I thought, "The girls rule science!"  with exchanging our thumbs-up across the group table.   I was not mature enough to notice at this time, but what I noticed several years later was that the peer comments didn't include anything about "science" comments.

Another time, we were about to see which candle would stay fired the longest among itself, covered by a small beaker, and a large beaker.  "Why don't you write your hypothesis?"  All fellow 5th graders started running their pencils.  Soon I got so involved with my best handwriting and pretty colors with 12 colored pencils.  ".....The air will support burning fire.  A larger beaker has more air than a small beaker.  Which makes a candle in the larger beaker survive for the longest time...."  With his stunning expression on his face, my science teacher commented, "Wow, it sounds logical.  You have a great thinking.  Let's find out what would happen."  We lit all the candles.  One was ready to cover with a large beaker.  Another was with a smaller.  "One, two, three!"  They covered the candles.  A candle in the small beaker was gone almost immediately.  I grinned. " I told you, so,"  I bragged.  My eyes were glued the large beaker.  "C'mon, I am rooting for you!  Keep it up!"  As the frame going to be thinner, I kept cheering, "You can do it!  Yes, you can!"  Soon this thin frame became shorter, and disappeared.   At the same time, I noticed the strong orange frame still swaying on the top of the candle.  Boy, was I panicked?  "It is impossible!" I screamed.  I totally forgot about the unlimited air supply without a beaker.  A science teacher visited me, "Think about the candles on your birthday cake?  Are they covered?  Why don't you cover them?"  The puzzle pieces were gradually formed as a whole picture when he added more specific questions.  Finally, every mystery was untangled and I summed up that I was stupid.  Right before my words, the science teacher cut in, "What a wonderful experiences!  Isn't it worth having the wrong prediction?  You are the true thinker!"  I smiled, but I wasn't sure I could totally agree with him.

More specific chemistry and physics in middle school made me crazy.  We separated water into oxygen and hydrogen in the lab with the gas burner, which was extremely cool.  Comparing the speed of different sizes of the mini cars from the ramp excited me.  These experiments are the just a tip of iceberg in the science labyrinth.   After each experiment, a ton of scientific formulas were introduced, in which I struggled.  It was algebra.  I could do it in math, but I just couldn't do well with science.  As a result, I agonized over my science score in term tests.  Mr. Turtle looked at me, "All four other subjects are over 80%, why is science 50%?  You just don't like me?"  I loved experiments.  I even kind of like this strict old fashioned teacher.  It almost seemed like "science didn't like me".

High School chemistry was the worst.  The teacher started teaching us in English because we had an exchange student from America.  He was overjoyed about this opportunity.  "Well, I want to learn English, so my lecture is going to my "broken" English."  If he knew it's "broken", why did he use it to his students?  We had no clue about chemistry anyway in Japanese.  He completely lost his main audience.  But sadly he didn't care.  He wanted to communicate with a blonde.  What a shame!  Biology was OK because it was just a memorizing subject.  My memorization skill was not as good as my creative thinking.  Also, memorization wouldn't promote fruitful conversation like comparing, reflecting, and just musing the elements of its subject.  The reality is that students had no time to complain about science.  The college exam required two areas of science.  Other subjects, such as Literacy, Classic Japanese with Chinese Poems, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, World History, World Philosophy, and English were overwhelming enough in order to prepare examinations.  I wished if science would have loved me. 

Fortunately, I have met some great science teachers, fantastic publications, and documentaries that inspired my curiosity later in my life.   In fact, I would like to learn more about science.  Though, as a teacher, I still wonder how I can motivate students in science by not just entertaining but also being meaningful.  Sharing my horrible stories about science?  I can do that, no problem.  But seriously, once a week of science is enough?  If not, what can we do?    The typical Japanese schedule includes 3 hours of science in a week.  How can we make it happen here in OUR schedule?  That's why common core standards chimed in.  That's why collaborative scheduling is essential.  If science keeps running away from me, I keep chasing after him.  That is the beauty of being a teacher.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Wrapping Up


The school is almost over.  Unlike other areas in the U.S, the area we live is not like June.  Although the calendar is cheerfully telling us it's almost summer, people call this month "June-iary".  Still, kids and teachers look forward to their upcoming summer break.  The temperature doesn't stop them from the excitement. Right before this, you must experience the extreme intensity for wrapping up the school year, though.  Let's call it the final torture, oops, the obstacle.  It almost seems like this intensive school business is the price to pay for the relaxation and freedom. 

The teachers are madly finishing their students' report cards and filing them in the individual envelopes and accumulated folders.  If you are in the school around this time, you WILL feel and fully comprehend what exactly restlessness, chaos, and even panic mode mean without a dictionary.  There are a millions of items in the to-do list.  It seems like items are growing as you mark one off from the list.  There is no time to complain, but sadly some people do anyway.  During this time, people make mistakes, get easily get frustrated, get exhausted, forget smiling. 

Early in the morning I was responding to the principal, "It's OK, we are here to support you," when she apologized for her mistakes.  Another teacher joined, "Yeah, I do that kind of mistakes all the time."  She seemed like feeling little bit released.  There is no perfect people anyway, even a principal.  Hats off for the American principal to admit the mistakes because it is an impossible scene if you are in Japan.  The principal must be perfect.  So teachers divide up several duties as committees.  Japanese teachers are like working "for" the principal instead of being told.  The principal's mistakes are unforgiven.  That's why they have so much distance between teachers and administrators.  It is almost like "awe" beyond respect, dignity, and loyalty.   Picture this; the Shogun sits on the comfy cushion on the higher stage listening to the report from the samurai lowering his head. Let's say, one samurai staff brings back to his boss (Shogun) the head of the opponent shogun.  Shogun heartlessly takes over that triumphant credit from this samurai as if he did all by himself.  Samurai staff is still happy because he will be promoted.  You could see that in the Japanese schools. 

Later in the day, the principal asked me, "What area do I have to improve?"  Yes, this year has been tough and obviously she has felt the same way, but that was not all her fault.  It was a brave question for her. (Hats off again! ) Although I appreciated her trust in me and willingness for her improvement, there was no point for me to criticize another individual.  (Technically, it is not about criticism, but really, she is asking for what she didn't do good, right?) Remember, you are the one who can only change yourself.  Self reflection will definitely help discovering yourself.  So, I said, "What do you think you have to improve?"  Her tone of voice calmed.  I listened.  It's almost like she wanted to tell someone for a long time about somethings that she could not control.  I wish I could have conversations like this with her long time ago. 

As she was about to march out the door, she quickly turned around.  "By the way, thank you for showing your support this morning."  I almost forgot about what happened in the morning during the crazy day.  The thoughtful word like this eases a stressful mind and helps create a positive atmosphere.  During the time of chaotic days in June, the intentional kindness should be wrapped up with a polka dots ribbon and delivered to as many people as possible.  That, I think, is a ticket for the summer break you deserve.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Seeing is Believing

Since I have never seen the formal job contract myself (did I just forget?) while working in Japan, I was curious about how many school days are in a year.  It seemed like the school days would never end because I was too grouchy?  I found the answer from the internet; it was 243 days.  That number is just for students.  Teachers work way more than that.  That is a lot of days compare to 180 days.  Even if only teacher work days are added, that is a significant difference between the U.S. and Japan.  Among 243 days, there are many different ceremonies, sports activities, plus practices for those school wide events.  So more days don't necessarily mean all academic lessons like we do here in our classrooms.  But still, 243 is an amazing number to compare.

As a teacher, I didn't pay much attention to the number of school days, though.  Instead, I was stressed about the hours of each subject I taught.  In the planning book, there is a section which you fill in the number of hours you plan for a week.  Some administrators check teachers (mostly young new ones) planning book weekly so these hours were well spent.  Luckily, I had only one of these for only one torturing year.  The Elementary School schedule is blocked as one 45 minutes session at a time.  Monday through Friday, usually there are 5 or 6 sessions a day  depending on the grade level.  Under the government guideline, throughout a school year, 1st grade must have; literacy 272 blocks, math 114 blocks, social studies/science 102 blocks, music 68 blocks, arts and craft 28 blocks, P.E. 90 blocks, moral education 34 blocks, special activities 34 blocks, and tallied 782 blocks in all.  What you have to do is simply divided these numbers by 49 weeks so you can see how many blocks you have to plan in each week.  Isn't it "WOW!"?  I see this system useful and I wish some administrator would be interested in.  One block = 45 minutes.  Make a schedule just like building a block tower.

It is easier for teachers to be accountable for teaching time.  Students, too, would appreciate it because they know what exact time each class ends besides lunch time and recesses.   Someone argued about its difficulties because of lunch schedule, specialist's time, and other factors.  But I really wish I could try in my school for a month.  I am also frustrated that I cannot explain this system well enough to my staff because it is a kind of a thing that you would have to  fully understand when you experience it.  Changing is a challenge even if you already know what it is.  If it is something you haven't done, it is hard to jump in.  But here is one thing I would like to mention.  Adopting the schedule is not as hard as adopting the whole curriculum from the different country because it doesn't have too much connection to the culture or the life styles.  Thus, its tweaking is minor and adoptable.  If you are the administrator and interested in the block schedule, I would love to help you scheduling in your school.  I would not want to go to school for 243 days, but I would love to try unique schedule that might impact students' learning.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Literacy Thoughts


My sister has been an avid reader since she was little.  She loved to visit the school library while my parents were never interested in local public library which was too far away from our house any way.  They didn't like "borrowing" the books from someone.  I don't remember enjoying books in the library.  I didn't dislike reading, however, the library was the last place I would visit.  When I saw her book the Little House on the Prairie, I grouched, "Why do I have to read it while its show is on TV at 6 p.m.?"   I was busy dissecting a frog in the outdoor lab with fellow assistants (neighbor kids) until the show began.  I don't know how my sister learned the joy of books that I have never felt it as pleasant as she did.  Only time I read the book was during the National Book Review Contest time. I was very motivated towards the prize I could get.  I wouldn't get any prize from the reading, but writing the review.  I won the contest in the regional level every year.  My question is here.  Why did I win the writing contest while I didn't prefer reading?

Japanese teachers don't praise their students for reading.  Reading is acknowledged as a natural subject in which nobody doubt about its difficulty.  Hard work and patience are believed in as successful tools.  Although it seems like Japanese language is complicated because of three different characters such as Hirakana, Katakana, and Chinese characters, versus, English has only 28 characters, once you master 48 Hirakana, you could read 80% of first grade reading materials.  Adding 48 Katakana, it will raise up to 95%, the last 5% is covered by 80 Chinese characters for that grade level.  How do the Japanese six-year-older master these many characters in order to read the text?  There is no trick.  They drill hard every day at school and home.  Read same words over and over.  Write same words over and over.  Unlike American kids, Japanese students don't have to learn how to sound out every year.  Once you get the characters, you can read pretty much everything.  From second grade to sixth grade, averaged 180 Chinese characters are introduced and expected to be mastered in each year.  Most kids and parents wouldn't argue about this expectation.

My sister's writing has been full of rich vocabulary that most often I don't even understand although she doesn't show off her writing like me.   Looking at my students and their reading data, the greatest reader has a bright potential to become  good writers as long as they receive the quality of writing instructions.  The explicit writing lessons are essential in the U.S.  Once they develop and apply decent writing strategies, their language experiences from reading help them take a huge leap upon their craft.  Writing entries I have composed in the elementary school won without rich reading experiences and  strategic writing lessons.  One thing I could tell is that I had a passion to express.  I was one strongly opinionated individual.  I wanted to speak up and to be recognized, in which not very many people would try around my school life.  People don't prefer being different and try to remain quiet and same.  My strong personality made me write something passionate which happened to be strong enough to cover the literal experiences.  The passionate writing is important but has a limit as you get older and the theme becomes complicated.   In fact, I haven't yet been a professional writer as I wished in sixth grade.  I urge to catch up my reading time that was lost from the past, while dissecting a frog. 

My sister wrote me back to reply to my email.  Sure enough, she pointed out something I forgot about for a long time.  Her physical activities were limited in her childhood due to her frequent knee injuries.  The long indoor time gave her a lot of time for reading.  It became a habit, then, a hobby.  As you can see disability sometimes unexpectedly would trigger the amazing opportunities that the formal education cannot.  For example, it created a great reader like my sister who enjoys literal beauty and amazing facts.  I have to step back and see the world from the different point of view.  Variety of experiences, emotions, and quality of reading help develop individual studedents' literacy foundation.  And of course, each child would comprehend and apply these elements in the different times and different ways.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Japanese Style Teaching Exam



The subway train is keenly air-conditioned during the months of summer in Japan.  Although still the same large number of business men and women ares pushed into the cart by the conductor (who is called a “Pusher”), it is at least 10 degrees lower temperature than my dorm room.  So let’s not focus on a bunch of no-facial-expression-exhausted-not-so-young people squishing into each other.  Enjoy the limited moments of no sweat on my neck or forehead.  I am thinking if there is “Heaven” somewhere, it must be this subway train, where that dry cool air consistently blows my hair.   Like in my dorm room, my term papers shouldn’t be blown away mercilessly from the electric fan any more.  

In this heavenly comfortable subway train, Hiroko is nervously sitting side by side with me rolling her eyeballs up and down.  “Hiroko, calm down.  You should be ok,” I try to calm her down without any guarantee why she is ok.  Giving some quiz to each other is a last minute cramming for us for Tokyo Teachers’ Examination.  Besides Japanese National Elementary School Curriculum in math, literacy, social studies, science, music, PE, arts, and home economies, you have to memorize Educational Japanese and World’s History, Famous Educators and psychologists’ work, Teaching Pedagogy, and current events, if you want to become a teacher in Japan.  This is only the screening stage.  You don’t have to worry about the interview for a while.  Hiroko seems so panicked and overwhelmed now.  “It’s too late to worry, Hiroko,” I tell myself in my head.  At least I am as relaxed as I am able to focus on the lines in the book and give some questions to her.  Since there were so much of memorization, I decided to rely on exclusively the Teaching Exam Monthly Study Journal.  Hiroko has been subscribing it for a year, so she should be feeling fine. 

 My only subscriptions are the June and July issues.  I knew these issues right before the exam would provide more meaningful information.  So instead of overwhelm myself, I have intensively crammed every item in these two issues from cover to cover, over and over until the magazines looked filthy.  A paragraph I am giving Hiroko quizzes is a final memorization.  I was perfect last night.  I am today, too.  Grin.  To prepare for the current events, I started subscribing newspapers in my dorm room two months ago.  I feel pretty confident what’s going on in the nation, even little bit about the world.  In addition to a couple of subscriptions, I was preparing “swimming test” in the second level of exam, just in case, I would pass the first stage.  I rounded up some of my friends, including Hiroko, for the college swimming pool every day.  We are supposed to have stamina from hours of swimming practices.  A study group was held following the swimming and wrapped up with lunch at the popular café in front of the train station. 

“Hiroko, this is the only paragraph I memorized.  Don’t be silly, you should not think I know everything,” I tell her.  “You are right.  I think I have studied longer than you did.  What you have done is fetch swimming companies,” Hiroko replies.  I am not totally pleased about her comment, but I let go.  If I ever concern about her is that Hiroko is appeared to be a little bit spacy compare to the other girls, even though, she looks absolutely normal.  “Good luck to you.  See you after the exam,” I wave good bye to her.  “You, too,” she doesn’t make her eye contact with me.  

Following the sign, looking right and left, my eyes reach to my exam ID number on the sign outside of the room.  “That’s it.”  I have nothing to lose whatever happens in this exam.  I manage to fill out my name and exam ID number in quite a few blanks of the front page, then, finally open the booklet.  I cannot close my mouth for 20 seconds.  I am seeing the exact same paragraph that Hiroko and I reviewed in the subway train!  I cannot believe my luck.  The rest will be a history, I guess.  Feeling my heart pumping actively, I take a deep breath, “Well, all of my cleanest oxygen contains good blood cells which directly shoot to my brain!  I will be passing this exam.”

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Indirect Communication

Although custodians' duties are slightly different between the U.S. and Japan, their expectation on teachers is clearly same.  In addition, they too, have a tremendous impact in children's lives in their schools directly and indirectly.

For example, the custodian Louis in the Wayside School (Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar) is one of the odd characters in the story as you know.  The way I see him, though, is that not only he is unique, but also he is an important figure whom all the other students and teachers depend on.  It reminds me of Auntie Ohkura, the custodian in my grade school.  I often visited her office during recess to chat with her.  She taught a second grade girl how to pour iced tea from the large kettle to the small glass and how to sweep on the floor.  She made a phone call to my mother when I forgot my abacus for math.  No matter how busy she was, she opened her arms very wide whenever I visited her.  As you can see, this special relationship between Auntie Ohkura and me was beyond one custodian and one student.  Maybe I was an odd student who unusually found a comfort in a custodian, however, I might have been a student who was simply looking for a bond with someone.  Activity times in the classrooms are often isolated from custodian's duty shift.  Their active working times differ.  Therefore, obviously it seems difficult that students/teachers and custodians get to know themselves each other in most of the schools.  Like me, students in Wayside School often end up getting advice from Louis.  The literature describes Louis as one silly, but reliable, adult among students in such a comical way. 

Unfortunately, the special human relationship is essential and important, but it is a very challenging task for most cases with custodians.  While Japanese students are cleaning their classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, courtyard, and everywhere on campus during their afternoon cleaning time, custodians usually clean where kids cannot clean like a staff room where some confidential papers are available. In one afternoon after school at the custodian's lounge, uniformed men and women at my parents age were having green tea during their break time.  They invited a newly hired young female 6th grade teacher.  "Sensei, you are very good for greeting us," a short curly haired started.  Even though they called me a respectful term, Sensei, they treated me like their daughter and tried to lecture me.  I chose to listen to them instead of argue.  Younger ones need to respect older ones.   "Yeah, we like teachers like you.  Keep up with your good work," a gray haired guy agreed and continued,  "Don't be like Suzuki Sensei."  Then, terrible stories about Ms. Suzuki started and continued after another.  It was not only a greeting, but this horrible episode about Ms. Suzuki certainly ignited from the lack of her respectful communication.  Since there was not direct contact between teachers and the custodian, the custodians judged teachers based on the human communication towards them as simple as a greeting bow.   Like everywhere else, the gossip often becomes a negative snowball.  I quickly learned that I should not be in the custodians' lounge.  Also I had to continue greeting with them in order to get away from their gossip topic. 

American students don't clean their school.  Custodians do.  I was struck with awe of their duties immediately.  While all staff and students in school clean the campus for 20 minutes every day in Japan, a couple of custodians vacuum the floor, polish the sink, take the garbage out, and more in EVERY classroom.  That is a huge difference in two countries.  Also, most American custodians are skilled handymen, too.  The fixing job is done quickly after the work order.  Yes, that is their job and that is how they are paid, and my appreciation became genuine by learning their duties and efficient jobs in my classroom and beyond. Yet, it seemed to be impossible to find any time to build the positive relationship with any of them because of our work shift.

One late afternoon, someone stormed in my classroom while I was grading papers.  One of night custodians marched toward my desk and started, "Claire!"  Did I do something wrong?  My heart raced.  She continued, "Thank you for taking care of your classroom.  Your classroom items are always picked up.  It makes a big difference."  Noticing my confused face, she continued, "Most teachers do as good as a job as you do, but some of the teachers don't care what custodians have to do in their classrooms. So I just wanted to say thank you for your thoughtfulness."  This unexpected appreciation made my day.  American custodians look at teachers based on how their classroom are treated during school.  I felt like a young teacher again, and so I decided to continue promoting my students to show respect to their classroom.  The indirect communication exists, and it can make a positive relationship as long as your intention is genuine and respectful.