As the months go by, I find myself slowly becoming less fascinated and more bothered by the things that are going on around me. It's been over 6 months and the enjoyment of riding the train to work, riding my bike around town, teaching English, working in a Japanese school has started to fade.
Work is becoming less exciting and more and more bizarre. The students, especially 2nd year students, have really been coming out of their shell. The behavior is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I'm not going to say that it's only something you'd see in Japan, but it's not something I ever saw back home (THANK GOD, or I would have quit a long time ago).
About a month ago, a 2nd year boy (who just the day before I was taking straws away from and blocking his path to the straw container) decided it'd be a good idea to try and hit his homeroom teacher. During lunch, the boy had piled food up on his plate. The teacher then told him to put it back so the rest of the class could eat and the boy then tried to swing...which wasn't smart, because his homeroom teacher is probably the strongest teacher at the school. However, the rest of the boys started calling this boy a hero. From that point, it seems as though everyone is on edge. I've seen teachers grabbing kids by the neck and shaking them because they aren't sitting straight up in their chairs. I've seen teachers screaming in the faces of students, backing them into the hallway, and then into an empty classroom followed by the sound of chairs and tables being knocked over. I've seen male students shoving and slapping at a female teacher (who wasn't too smart herself as she kept trying to grab him by the arm while screaming at him).
But nothing beats watching a male student spend 10 minutes throwing soap at a window and sliding it up and down the hall while laughing to himself. Not a single teacher went to see what was going on. When I went out to see if everything was all right I see one of the crazier students (this is the same boy who got backed into a classroom by another teacher). As I entered the hallway, he started dancing around me and laughing and asking me if I saw the soap. I ignored him, picked the soap up and went to put it back by the sink. When I looked back at him he was just standing there grinning. I asked him if he was alright and he just stopped and starred at me. I asked him again and he just walked back into the classroom. 5 minutes later he was back out in the hallway throwing soap at the windows again. As soon as he saw me he went back to class. I picked up the soap and went to hand it to him, but he slammed the door in my face, so I went to the other door and handed it to the teacher and told the teacher it was the student's. I've seen students strangling other students, students strangling themselves (a kid was turning blue in class), a student spend all of class sitting on another student and not a single teacher stop anything. I'm not sure what I was expecting the teacher to do with the soap. I asked the English teacher about it and she said that some of the students are so crazy that there is nothing any of the teachers will do because they're afraid.
You've got to be kidding. These aren't juvenile deliquents we're dealing with. These are normal kids who need guidance, understanding, and someone to talk to. The other day, another one of the "crazy" students just up and left in the middle of class (the teacher said he couldn't stand around and talk to his friend). I followed him out and just stood and watched him as he tried to poke things through the door of another classroom. He saw me and said to go back. I ignored him of course and just walked closer. The teacher in that classroom was just standing at the front of the room. About 3 boys were standing at the back trying to take what was being shoved through the door. I looked at the boys and just starred. I have to admit that sometimes it's good that we can't communicate. I can just stare and the kids don't know what to say, so they usually stop. The boys grumbled and I just asked, "Why?" The boy started walking back to class and said something about being free. I joked that he had too much free time because he wasn't studying. He walked back into class and as soon as everyone saw me behind him the kids were shocked. It turns out this is the same thing the other female teacher was trying to do when he walked out of her class. He didn't comment but just went and sat down. I walked over and helped him with his worksheet. At first he didn't write anything and just kept saying, I'll remember. YEAH RIGHT. Finally, he got out his pencil and wrote a few sentences. It wasn't much and I'm sure he doesn't remember any of it, but I'll bet he remembers what I did to get him back in class.
On top of a rather odd week of classes, a teacher at our school suddenly passed away last night. This was announced during our morning meeting. After 30 or so seconds of silence, everyone went on business as usual. There was no mention of a counselor for anyone to talk to and no one has even mentioned what happened. I didn't really know him, but knowing that someone I saw everyday just suddenly died has left me in shock. He was a very kind man who taught the special needs students. He always tried talking to me, even though he knew my Japanese was limited. The teacher next to me is the only other special education teacher, who is now left to do the work of two people. All day today he has been walking around looking dazed (probably the same way I look). I asked if he was ok and he just gave me a thumbs up and a really weak smile and went to go teach. I don't understand how they do it. How do people survive like this? I barely knew the man, but gosh what I wouldn't give just to be able to talk to someone about it. Sitting here keeping these feelings inside is killing me. Back home, the school would have called in a counselor, the principal would have set aside time to talk to people, people would look as though someone just passed away...I don't understand.
Never in my life have I felt so overwhelmed. Watching students being verbally and sometimes physically abused by the people who are supposed to help and nurture them is dreadful. I know that this happens in America, and probably almost all other countries, but I have been lucky enough to never have seen it. Teaching, in most Western countries, is about touching the lives of children. Helping them not only learn, but to grow into good people. What is teaching in Japan? Why do people become teachers? None of the teachers seem like "bad" people (aside from being overly critical and hot-tempered). So why can't they recognize that these kids need help? Homeroom teachers spend countless hours meeting with students about their future, calling home, and even being the first ones called if a student gets in trouble outside of school. So, why are there still kids slipping through the cracks? Is it that they feel like they can't do anything? From what I've heard from other people it's because there is a resistance to change here. But at what cost? What will happen to these kids who spend most of their time bullying other students or wandering the hallways? Again, I know this happens in America, it's common for teachers to lose hope for students or to ignore bad behavior (as that is the easier route). But in America I felt like I was still able to push on, even when other teachers stopped. This is truly the first time, that I have felt absolutely helpless.
Work is becoming less exciting and more and more bizarre. The students, especially 2nd year students, have really been coming out of their shell. The behavior is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I'm not going to say that it's only something you'd see in Japan, but it's not something I ever saw back home (THANK GOD, or I would have quit a long time ago).
About a month ago, a 2nd year boy (who just the day before I was taking straws away from and blocking his path to the straw container) decided it'd be a good idea to try and hit his homeroom teacher. During lunch, the boy had piled food up on his plate. The teacher then told him to put it back so the rest of the class could eat and the boy then tried to swing...which wasn't smart, because his homeroom teacher is probably the strongest teacher at the school. However, the rest of the boys started calling this boy a hero. From that point, it seems as though everyone is on edge. I've seen teachers grabbing kids by the neck and shaking them because they aren't sitting straight up in their chairs. I've seen teachers screaming in the faces of students, backing them into the hallway, and then into an empty classroom followed by the sound of chairs and tables being knocked over. I've seen male students shoving and slapping at a female teacher (who wasn't too smart herself as she kept trying to grab him by the arm while screaming at him).
But nothing beats watching a male student spend 10 minutes throwing soap at a window and sliding it up and down the hall while laughing to himself. Not a single teacher went to see what was going on. When I went out to see if everything was all right I see one of the crazier students (this is the same boy who got backed into a classroom by another teacher). As I entered the hallway, he started dancing around me and laughing and asking me if I saw the soap. I ignored him, picked the soap up and went to put it back by the sink. When I looked back at him he was just standing there grinning. I asked him if he was alright and he just stopped and starred at me. I asked him again and he just walked back into the classroom. 5 minutes later he was back out in the hallway throwing soap at the windows again. As soon as he saw me he went back to class. I picked up the soap and went to hand it to him, but he slammed the door in my face, so I went to the other door and handed it to the teacher and told the teacher it was the student's. I've seen students strangling other students, students strangling themselves (a kid was turning blue in class), a student spend all of class sitting on another student and not a single teacher stop anything. I'm not sure what I was expecting the teacher to do with the soap. I asked the English teacher about it and she said that some of the students are so crazy that there is nothing any of the teachers will do because they're afraid.
You've got to be kidding. These aren't juvenile deliquents we're dealing with. These are normal kids who need guidance, understanding, and someone to talk to. The other day, another one of the "crazy" students just up and left in the middle of class (the teacher said he couldn't stand around and talk to his friend). I followed him out and just stood and watched him as he tried to poke things through the door of another classroom. He saw me and said to go back. I ignored him of course and just walked closer. The teacher in that classroom was just standing at the front of the room. About 3 boys were standing at the back trying to take what was being shoved through the door. I looked at the boys and just starred. I have to admit that sometimes it's good that we can't communicate. I can just stare and the kids don't know what to say, so they usually stop. The boys grumbled and I just asked, "Why?" The boy started walking back to class and said something about being free. I joked that he had too much free time because he wasn't studying. He walked back into class and as soon as everyone saw me behind him the kids were shocked. It turns out this is the same thing the other female teacher was trying to do when he walked out of her class. He didn't comment but just went and sat down. I walked over and helped him with his worksheet. At first he didn't write anything and just kept saying, I'll remember. YEAH RIGHT. Finally, he got out his pencil and wrote a few sentences. It wasn't much and I'm sure he doesn't remember any of it, but I'll bet he remembers what I did to get him back in class.
On top of a rather odd week of classes, a teacher at our school suddenly passed away last night. This was announced during our morning meeting. After 30 or so seconds of silence, everyone went on business as usual. There was no mention of a counselor for anyone to talk to and no one has even mentioned what happened. I didn't really know him, but knowing that someone I saw everyday just suddenly died has left me in shock. He was a very kind man who taught the special needs students. He always tried talking to me, even though he knew my Japanese was limited. The teacher next to me is the only other special education teacher, who is now left to do the work of two people. All day today he has been walking around looking dazed (probably the same way I look). I asked if he was ok and he just gave me a thumbs up and a really weak smile and went to go teach. I don't understand how they do it. How do people survive like this? I barely knew the man, but gosh what I wouldn't give just to be able to talk to someone about it. Sitting here keeping these feelings inside is killing me. Back home, the school would have called in a counselor, the principal would have set aside time to talk to people, people would look as though someone just passed away...I don't understand.
Never in my life have I felt so overwhelmed. Watching students being verbally and sometimes physically abused by the people who are supposed to help and nurture them is dreadful. I know that this happens in America, and probably almost all other countries, but I have been lucky enough to never have seen it. Teaching, in most Western countries, is about touching the lives of children. Helping them not only learn, but to grow into good people. What is teaching in Japan? Why do people become teachers? None of the teachers seem like "bad" people (aside from being overly critical and hot-tempered). So why can't they recognize that these kids need help? Homeroom teachers spend countless hours meeting with students about their future, calling home, and even being the first ones called if a student gets in trouble outside of school. So, why are there still kids slipping through the cracks? Is it that they feel like they can't do anything? From what I've heard from other people it's because there is a resistance to change here. But at what cost? What will happen to these kids who spend most of their time bullying other students or wandering the hallways? Again, I know this happens in America, it's common for teachers to lose hope for students or to ignore bad behavior (as that is the easier route). But in America I felt like I was still able to push on, even when other teachers stopped. This is truly the first time, that I have felt absolutely helpless.
OMG! you are like Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds. Except even more bizarre! :)
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