Day 2 in Tama: Visiting a Junior High School

After breakfast we visited the Tama City Education Center. It is here where we received an interview regarding the process of education in Tama City. This building is used for professional development and special education diagnosing and services. It was a good start, but the highlight of the day, and possibly the trip, was a visit to Tama City Higashiatago Junior High School. After we put our slippers on we had a short debriefing on the day. Then we were lead into the gymnasium to be formally welcomed by the entire school, including administrators, staff, and students. We felt like royalty during this entire process. The students sang us a song and then we introduced ourselves. I gave my speech and then they performed for us again, along with a speech from one of the students. We were lead out of the gymnasium and gathered back to meet. After the school assembly we were allowed to walk around the school and observe any classroom we liked. It was fascinating. I thought the students would all be quiet, sitting straight up at attention, and intently listening. This was definitely not the case. The students were just like students in the United States. Some were very interested, while others were trying to talk to there friends or staring off into space. The teachers each had a distinct style of teaching and none of them matched up with any of the stereotypes I have heard.

Here are the differences I observed throughout the day. Students have responsibilities beyond academics. For example, the teachers have a schedule set up for the students each trimester. The responsibilities include sweeping, mopping, wiping the sink, giving announcements, serving lunch, cleaning up after lunch, and more. Their custodians do not do the clean up as we are used to in U.S. schools. Lunch is wheeled into to each classroom and students run the show. They move the desks together, get their food, say a short speech, and eat. If students eat their food and are still hungry they play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets more. This is ingrained in them from day one in school. It is absolutely amazing. For teachers that have read Harry Wong's book: "The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher," this is the best example I have ever seen of it in actual action. The one thing that I really appreciated about this system is the students did not wait to be told to get to work, but instead they knew the expectations and just performed. This was also reflected in the after school activities. The students took out all of the equipment, set it up, began drills, and then started practice. All of them lined up, took care of each other, and appeared to be having fun. The teacher wasn't there until later and then was able to give them some help. We asked the teachers if the after school activities ever conflict with academics and it was answered with a clear no. I think all of the students were expected to be part of an after school activity. Basketball, sign language, tennis, and track were some of the options.

In between all of the activities we had another school assembly and listened to a professional opera singer. Wow! She was amazing. The interesting part of this was how the students set up their chairs in the gymnasium. They have three levels in the school. Each of the students took their chairs out of the room they were in and set them up in a very long train on both sides of the hallway. They released the students by level and the students had to stay in the line and take their chairs all the way to the gymnasium. Some of the students had to go down three levels. They then quickly lined up their chairs in the auditorium and were ready for the performance. I watched in awe.

We also had the opportunity to visit with the teachers from the school. This was very interesting and I am going to write about it in my next blog because it relates to our visit with the Superintendent of Tama Public Schools. Enjoy the pictures. Oh, this is a public school and they wear uniforms. Notice the colored stripes on their shoes, this represents their grade level.