So the day began with a school assembly. I was amazed to see the students walking two by two down the hall, hardly making a sound at all. The Principal asked me to wait before I entered the Gymnasium...and when I did, it was a little strange to say the least!
In Canada, I've Substitute taught at many schools in my hometown and so I think I know what a Calgary/Canadian assembly looks like. You try to keep the students from talking, they students don't always sit properly, the students talk before the assembly is about to begin (which is fair, as long as they are listening when the people at the front are talking). NOPE. Not at this Junior High School.
All of the students are sitting in STRAIGHT rows with an EQUAL amount of students per row. They were all sitting SILENTLY even though the assembly had not begun. Even the teachers all stood around quietly, not talking to one another. I felt bad to interrupt the silence, but I turned to one of the Vice Principals and asked if we were going to begin. She pointed to the clock and said that we would begin at 8:35am. It was 8:33am. So we sat there. In sheer, uncomfortable silence. Anytime a student looked at me and I looked back, they immediately looked straight ahead. Wow. Just, wow. I wasn't sure if I should have been impressed or afraid...it was a bit unsettling for me to have the students that disciplined knowing that I was going to be asked to go up to the front to introduce myself (I mentally eliminated the "Go Flames Go!" part of my speech. After all, I don't want to get the students riled up!!)
FINALLY, what seemed like the longest two minutes ever, the bell rang. A teacher went to the microphone and gave a command. On cue, all of the Japanese students stood up together in time...again, without a word. (I need to stress that this is a JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. There wasn't a whisper, or a peep, or anything!) They were given another command, in which they bowed. And then the music teacher conducted them in their National Anthem in which they all sang proudly!! Boy, isn't that nice! They had a student play the piano for the music. Wow! (I need to also mention that nobody came in late the entire time I was there. Unbelievable!!)
Suddenly the Vice Principal rushed me out of the Gymnasium and into his car and drove me to the other Junior High I will be at. This school is much smaller, and I've heard there are more country citizens in this school. I could see that they were slightly less disciplined; their lines were not quite as straight and I had a student smile at me when I smiled at her. *GASP* She didn't look away!!!!
Suddenly, one of the English teachers rushed me to the centre stage in which I introduced myself and she translated. I tried to make it as easy as possible for the students to try and understand me. I spoke slow and clear and wished them a good school year. I used any Japanese I could think of. I bowed at the end and at the Japanese flag. They applauded and I was whisked away to the school I was originally at.
When I arrived in the Gymnasium (keeping in mind it's raining and I'm slightly soaked because of the Typhoon outside), the teacher on the microphone said my name and all of the students turned around to face me. They actually started whispering! I guess they had waited a minute or so for my arrival so that I may introduce myself in the same fashion. Except I was told that the Principal was going to introduce me in detail and then I was supposed to introduce myself (again), but in English. (The Principal stressed that my introduction was to be short). But I guess they just wanted me to go up on the stage myself...no initial introduction from the Principal. Fine by me! I get to the podium...and all of my papers are wet and disorganized. So I wing it the best I can, and I think it went fine...even if I did keep the students waiting and there was confusion on my end at first because I thought the Principal was supposed to talk first.
After the assembly and my introduction, the students went back to extended homeroom and I went to my desk which is in the Main Office. Now I have one final observation before I end today's blog and that is the office.
My desk is in the Main Office in front of the Secretaries' desk. They do NOT have a lot of room. Just a small desk. Here is a picture of them:
These lovely ladies sit across from me and they are sitting at ONE desk. In Calgary, the desks in the office are huge...and that's because the Clerk Typists and Secretaries run the entire school! I don't know how they do it here with so little space! And on top of that, the main office is filled with teachers' desks, side by side. After the students left that morning, the teachers didn't stay in their homeroom. They all came down to the Main Office because that is where their home base is: the office!! In Calgary, all of the teachers have their own room with their own desk. In this case, the teachers have their own desk, but it's with everybody else! It was great! I really sensed that the teachers were working together as a team. It was really neat to see! No one was locking themselves up in their own room, they were all working in an office together! Sure, it got loud at times, but even when it did get a bit loud, people would automatically speak softer. And on top of it, the Vice Principals were working in the same Office Space with the same amount of desk space as the teachers and the secretaries. The only difference is that their desks were directly facing our desks. The only person who had his own room was the Principal...and what a room! Couches, comfy chairs! Nice! Here is a picture of the office with everyone working:
The angle of the picture is from the Vice Principal's desk - I asked permission if I could take a picture before whipping out my camera in middle of work!
We had our staff meeting here, in which people stood up and stated what they needed to state, and everyone was very quiet and respectful. The only noisy distraction was the phone ringing. The Secretary would quietly answer it and write down the message.
Suddenly during the Staff Meeting I was asked to introduce myself. My thought was, "Didn't they hear my introduction at the assembly?" So I awkwardly stood up and said I was honoured to be there and I was looking forward to my year working at Fuwa Junior High and I hope to meet all of them in person one day even if they aren't teaching English. I sat down uncomfortably as they all applauded me...The students applauded me, too, but I really don't feel I deserve it because I'm really enjoying my time here and I think that I have a much easier job than the teachers here. I should be applauding them. It was a strange feeling to leave right after school, for instance. Other teachers were busily photocopying their worksheets or at their desks working on their lessons and at 3:30 I punched out and rode my bike home. I actually felt a bit of guilt for leaving knowing how hard these teachers work, but once I was riding home I was feeling better.
Finally, I saved the best part for last: the Bento Box Lunch. The Vice Principal asked if I wanted to have lunch with everyone or if I wanted to bring my lunch from home. She warned me that the Bento Box might have meat in it. I told her that I didn't mind and that I'd eat around the meat. So here was my lunch:
And for dessert, somebody brought in a treat:
Japanese Pudding. Oshi!! I think I will end on that note and get dinner going;-)
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