We're going Back In Time!
Kind of getting into the groove of this whole “junior high assistant language teacher” thing, but I am starting to realize a lot of things about myself. For instance the deal about the under classmen and the upper classmen in Japan seems to be very different from back home, at least in my point of view. Let’s all go back to intermediate school shall we?
Here I am, dorky, hidden, shy, quiet, and overlooked Chris. He has his usual group of friends that are also dorky, hidden, shy, quiet, and overlooked. At the most there are about 5 in this group. What to do, what to do for elective classes? Band? No, band has always been something I wanted to be in but a jackass of a teacher in 6th grade has forever kept me away from a musical instrument. In intermediate school what is left? ROTC and art. Honestly, if I can’t survive the halls a student what make me think that I would be alright in ROTC? So art is the path that I have chosen. In art we have the school rejects, too shy and quiet for band, no musical talent, and students with actually artistic talent. And I’m in the middle of all this.
Upper classman to me has always been the “older” guys. Yeah hahahaha I know obviously, but I mean they were the ones that people looked up too whether their persona was positive or negative. These “older” guys were the ones that would copy my homework, ask me for answers and occasionally make me the butt of their jokes. And then you have the upper classmen girls. Some were nice and took on an older sister act for anyone but others were slutty, smokers, going out with the jocks, and etc.
In Japan I feel like the system is totally different. Having some extra time after lessons this past week, I went around and explored my school. The students are all pretty good no one has really stepped out of line, at least not towards me. I went into the gym where the table tennis, girls’ volleyball, and the boys’ volleyball teams were practicing. I’ve never seen a group of people that were so polite and respectful as I did in the gym. First of all the gym wasn’t as big as ones I’ve been to in elementary school. Yet you have three sports playing and practicing. I was watching the 3rd graders (9th grade) tutor and help the younger classmen. Not a foul word, negative comment, or ridiculing statement was made. The girls were practicing returning spiked volleyballs and when a ball was miss-hit or skewed, the girls are immediately bowing and apologizing, “sumimasen, sumimasen, sumimasen deshita”. I thought this was pretty cool since with a team of 20 girls and 20 boys and about 50-60 volleyballs flying everywhere does look chaotic. So if you think about it, the clubs meet everyday after school for about 2 hours for the 3 years they are there. Who wouldn’t get attached? I’m assuming this is why when the third years graduate most of them are in tears, even the boys. In some cases some of the students probably spend more time with the club than they do with their parents.
So why did I bring all this up? I guess I feel kind of jealous because the way the upper classmen treat the under classmen was something I never got to experience. They have a group to “belong to” when they most need it during adolescence. Not to say that I turned out to be a bad seed or anything but I bet there are people out there that have. Yeah, you might get bullied by the third years but mostly out of fun and nothing too harmful. But make no mistake that when they need help the upperclassman are always there to support people in their group.
Peer teaching seems to be an effective way to learn and through the hierarchy system in the clubs, it seems to be working. Kind of like a symbiotic relationship where the underclassmen need a group to belong to, someone to look up to, safety in numbers, and the upperclassmen need leadership skills, to be a role model, and a sense of leaving something behind at the school.
I only wish that I had something like this when I was in intermediate and even high school. I guess that’s what happens when you join a sport, band, or community groups. I guess I do have to give some credit to college and CK, since it did give me a place where I felt I belonged. It gave me friendships, enemies, leadership skills, political skills, and even taught me about myself. I was able to fulfill my role as an underclassman under Joy, Linda, and She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and my role as an upperclassman over Joel, sponsored youth, Cliff, and Daniel. I was even able to work together with peers like Jake, Krystal, Lisa (even though they are older than me), and others. Most of these people become my friends and I know that it was a positive experience.
Ok sorry for such an essay-esque blog, I promise the next one to be more of a college raunch movie.
Here I am, dorky, hidden, shy, quiet, and overlooked Chris. He has his usual group of friends that are also dorky, hidden, shy, quiet, and overlooked. At the most there are about 5 in this group. What to do, what to do for elective classes? Band? No, band has always been something I wanted to be in but a jackass of a teacher in 6th grade has forever kept me away from a musical instrument. In intermediate school what is left? ROTC and art. Honestly, if I can’t survive the halls a student what make me think that I would be alright in ROTC? So art is the path that I have chosen. In art we have the school rejects, too shy and quiet for band, no musical talent, and students with actually artistic talent. And I’m in the middle of all this.
Upper classman to me has always been the “older” guys. Yeah hahahaha I know obviously, but I mean they were the ones that people looked up too whether their persona was positive or negative. These “older” guys were the ones that would copy my homework, ask me for answers and occasionally make me the butt of their jokes. And then you have the upper classmen girls. Some were nice and took on an older sister act for anyone but others were slutty, smokers, going out with the jocks, and etc.
In Japan I feel like the system is totally different. Having some extra time after lessons this past week, I went around and explored my school. The students are all pretty good no one has really stepped out of line, at least not towards me. I went into the gym where the table tennis, girls’ volleyball, and the boys’ volleyball teams were practicing. I’ve never seen a group of people that were so polite and respectful as I did in the gym. First of all the gym wasn’t as big as ones I’ve been to in elementary school. Yet you have three sports playing and practicing. I was watching the 3rd graders (9th grade) tutor and help the younger classmen. Not a foul word, negative comment, or ridiculing statement was made. The girls were practicing returning spiked volleyballs and when a ball was miss-hit or skewed, the girls are immediately bowing and apologizing, “sumimasen, sumimasen, sumimasen deshita”. I thought this was pretty cool since with a team of 20 girls and 20 boys and about 50-60 volleyballs flying everywhere does look chaotic. So if you think about it, the clubs meet everyday after school for about 2 hours for the 3 years they are there. Who wouldn’t get attached? I’m assuming this is why when the third years graduate most of them are in tears, even the boys. In some cases some of the students probably spend more time with the club than they do with their parents.
So why did I bring all this up? I guess I feel kind of jealous because the way the upper classmen treat the under classmen was something I never got to experience. They have a group to “belong to” when they most need it during adolescence. Not to say that I turned out to be a bad seed or anything but I bet there are people out there that have. Yeah, you might get bullied by the third years but mostly out of fun and nothing too harmful. But make no mistake that when they need help the upperclassman are always there to support people in their group.
Peer teaching seems to be an effective way to learn and through the hierarchy system in the clubs, it seems to be working. Kind of like a symbiotic relationship where the underclassmen need a group to belong to, someone to look up to, safety in numbers, and the upperclassmen need leadership skills, to be a role model, and a sense of leaving something behind at the school.
I only wish that I had something like this when I was in intermediate and even high school. I guess that’s what happens when you join a sport, band, or community groups. I guess I do have to give some credit to college and CK, since it did give me a place where I felt I belonged. It gave me friendships, enemies, leadership skills, political skills, and even taught me about myself. I was able to fulfill my role as an underclassman under Joy, Linda, and She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and my role as an upperclassman over Joel, sponsored youth, Cliff, and Daniel. I was even able to work together with peers like Jake, Krystal, Lisa (even though they are older than me), and others. Most of these people become my friends and I know that it was a positive experience.
Ok sorry for such an essay-esque blog, I promise the next one to be more of a college raunch movie.
posted by Chris at 10:32 PM
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