Typical of a Japanese classroom is that the students face the blackboard (actually in Japan often the green-board) and that the teacher stands in front of the class. Also, notice in this photo: no uniform!
Most commonly students sit in single file.
This arrangement is acceptable only during lunch, but as soon as the gong goes, all desks are put in line again. Lots of smiley faces! Boys on the right, girls on the left. (That is more because of teenage ‘angst’, rather than a rule). The girls have their hands together, because they are waiting to say ‘いただきます。‘ itadakimasu, which means ‘for what we are about to receive…’ The boys on the right are totally distracted by the camera. The teacher seems to be waiting too.
Hey! Wait a minute… no uniform!
Uh, oh, a “wandering desk”.
Watch that good old chalk!
(The little bright green box in the front on the
left-hand side is a little dust vacuum cleaner!)
This is what it looks like:
Watch that good old chalk!
(The little bright green box in the front on the
left-hand side is a little dust vacuum cleaner!)
This is what it looks like:
It took Panasonic to think of it.
Green board, but no single file… Modern. Air-conditioning. Wow!
Thank goodness! Single file again!
You bring your bag to class. Periods are 50 minutes long.
International students “integrate” in a different way.
And back to single file again…
Materials are reasonably up to date, although everything is “set” by the Ministry of Education.
International teachers are brought into many schools. However, they tend to work more as talking tape-recorders. Many schools are trying to vary this approach, but the Ministry prefers to be cautious. Of course, it can be a problem, if you don’t speak enough Japanese to explain English…
Aaahh, back to green-board and single file.
The two biggest shocks in a Japanese classroom for international students are that there can be up to 45 students in one class, so personal contact is absolutely minimal, and that the students sit in the hiragana-order (like alphabetically). Only a medical reason will get you shifted to the front. No personal whingeing about wanting to sit next to your friend!
As a postscript:
There is one thing that needs to be said though: Japanese students have to work very hard. Yes, some students opt out, but the vast(est?) majority works very hard. Add to that an uncomfortable uniform, no air-conditioning in summer and lots of home work, travelling time, cram school for many; it sure is no fun.
And this is the interesting thing we observed: there were so many kids who were so happy! Yes, they were serious when they worked, but they also had fun and their personality shone through! Maybe the difference comes from the fact that they have to work and they accept that fate, whereas our students feel too often that the world owes them a living. Maybe that is too harsh. Have we been lowering the resilience threshold? Maybe. Japanese students have to work very hard and they do it very well. You be the judge.
Lami Japan 