Various Sh*# at Work
Sigh. This is probably going to be a long story. Names haven’t been used to protect the anonymity of those involved. My problems at my Wednesday school started long ago. Years ago. This is my 4th year at this school. I’ve been working at this school longer than the school director has. And she would be where my headaches started.
“Um,” I said one day a couple of years ago as I was prepping for my kids’ classes. “We’re missing some flash cards. I’ve checked in the other room and they’re not there either. I need _______.” I told her the missing cards.
“Oh, OK,” she said taking the piece of paper I had written the number of the cards I needed.
I went back to the classroom and continued to get ready. When I had everything in order I went back to the office and asked if we had the cards yet.
No.
“Oh, well, I don’t need them for the 1st class.” Thank goodness because at that point the 1st class would have been starting in a few minutes. “I need them by ________,” I gave her the time of my 3rd kid’s class.
“OK”
So I go off and teach the really little ones. They’re always so cute. Then in between the 1st and 2nd class I went back to see if we got the needed flash cards.
“Do you really need them?” the school director asked.
Wha-?????!!!!!!??????
“Ah, yes,” I replied.
“We don’t have them?”
“That’s what I said a couple of hours ago.” Was she not listening? “Please call Katsura School and get them to fax a copy of these cards.” That’s what the previous school director had done the year before.
“Right,” the school director said, turning back to the computer.
“I need these for the next class,” I said, hopping she really would call.
Thankfully she did.
I wish I could say that this was a one shot problem. Sadly no. By the 3rd time when I was asked if I really needed the cards I was half tempted to say, “No, I don’t, but then I don’t teach the class.” But I didn’t. I just stopped being polite and started telling her what was missing and telling what to do and made sure she called to get what was needed. After that I started coming in more than half an hour before my shift (which already had half an hour prep time).
The problems with missing supplies didn’t end with flash cards, activity kids, baskets, crayons, tape, glue, books, and timers were all at one point or an other, missing or broken. Getting replacements? Nope didn’t happen. It didn’t help that a couple of the teachers on other days weren’t cleaning up and putting supplies/flash cards back where they belong. One day it took me 40 mins to just clean up before I could start prepping. Argh.
That was when I started sending e-mails and calling whenever there were problems. Eventually enough teachers complained again and again that the Japanese big bosses got involved and did an inventory of both kids’ class rooms and made the school buy everything they were missing. Yay.
It didn’t last. As things like crayons and activity kit materials got used they didn’t get replaced for next year. Or that they had 2 or 3 classes of the same level but only craft/activity kit materials for 1 class. Sigh.
It got a little better at the start of this year. You may ask why I am working at this school again when I have a say in what schools I teach at? Well… the only ONLY reason I asked to go back was that I love the kids at that school. They are really good. I also had a bunch of parents asking if I was going to back and that they wanted me back, if I wasn’t could I tell them what schools I would be working at so they could still have me as I teacher. Nice. Plus I was kind of hopping that the school director would be transferred to a different school and I might end up with someone more… more organized and aware of what is needed to teach good kid classes. No luck.
Mostly things had been going fairly well. Only a few problems with material supplies, hey I’ve got my own supplies that I take to all my school with, pencil crayons, a timer, copies of the CDs, sticker, and a few other things. My biggest problem was with my 3rd kid’s class. I wasn’t their teacher last year. The teacher they had last year is good with adults, but has no idea how to interact with kids or any sense of discipline. Argh.
I’m strict. Very strict. For most preschoolers it's a shock for them. It seems like many parents in Japan feel that the school system will be very strict so they don’t have to be. My 3rd kid’s class this year they are 6 years old and all of them are in school. Two weeks ago… wait I think there’s a little more I want to tell you.
Last year. When they weren’t my students in between my classes I could see what the kids were doing. They would play in the classroom before and after their classes. I shooed them and the older kids out a couple of times. Why? They weren’t my students and it wasn’t my classroom. They were ripping flash cards, drawing on the poster, drawing on the whiteboards and even getting marker on the walls, they dropped books, crumpling the pages, and even broke a plastic ball. This wasn’t done all in one day, but were things that I scowled at them and yelled at the older kids (8&9 yrs.-old) about.
No wonder we were having problems with supplies. And what were the school director and staff doing? Nothing. I also had to interrupt a couple of my adult lessons when the kids in the room across the hall were so loud my students couldn’t hear me. Couldn’t hear me. Me whose teacher voice can project to be heard on the far side of an ice rink. I could understand what my students were saying because I can kind of read lips, but they couldn’t hear me and I was sitting next to them at a small table. The noise from the kids could be heard in the office. What did the school director and staff do? Nothing. When I’m not teaching I make the kids be quiet. There are other classes going on. My other schools the staff hushes the kids. Not at my Wednesday school.
So I think you now have an idea of the mayhem that the other teacher let the kids do and what I have to try to train out of them.
Three weeks ago two of the kids went in the room before class. Nope, not allowed with me. I gently (because I hadn’t explicitly said in the rules that they weren’t allowed in until I let them in) shooed them out and tried to explain that they have to wait until I let them in. I used simple English and lots of gesture and facial expressions. The damage they caused. They messed up the order of the flash cards I had arranged (there were about 34 cards) and crumpled some of the brand new flash cards and books. Great. All my hard work of getting organized for naught. So I was searching for flash cards as I was trying to teach. Grrrrrr.
Then two weeks ago, again, two of the kids were in the class before hand. The boy was the same one as the week before and this is my 3rd year teaching him (I just didn’t have him last year) so I know he knows my rules. The girl (taught her two years ago and she is a cry baby. Her English is good so it’s not a problem that she couldn’t answer which I have had kids burst into tears for. Japan is very hard on students to excel.
Obviously they didn’t get the message from the week before. Well, I am dealing with a 6-year-old boy. You really have to get their attention to get things to sink in. I had closed the door to the classroom because of what happened and they still went in. I opened the door and told them “Out,” while pointing out of the classroom. They stopped jumping around at looked at me. I repeated the order standing tall.
They went out. I stood in the doorway with my hands on my hips. Then I went into a master fuss. This is my strategy to communicate with the language barrier. I do over the top facial expression of anger. It is so extreme and absurd that I do this with the really little guys too (1.5&2yrs-old). They realize that because I am putting the effort into the fuss that they did something wrong and I want them to pay attention, but aren’t upset because it’s so silly.
That’s what I did. I scrunched up my face. “You,” I said, pointing at the boy. I’m trying not to look at the girl because she’s sooooo sensitive and will cry at anything. “Don’t” I crossed my arms in front of me. “Go in” I indicated to the room behind me with my thumb. “Until” I held my hands in a ‘wait’ kind of motion. “I” pointing at me. “Let you.” I did the ‘come in’ wave.
The look on the boys face was exactly what I wanted. “Oh, she means it. I can’t get away with the stuff like last year.” He was a little quiet as I took attendance and checked homework, but then as I acted normally he had another light bulb moment “Oh, she really isn’t upset, but expects me to behave.” And after that he was well behaved and hard working just like how he was 2 years ago. Excellent.
But the girl. She cried. She didn’t want to come into class. Mom was upset that her daughter was upset. There wasn’t much I could do about that, I had a class to teach. And it was a good class even though for most of it we had to listen to the girl crying. Nothing new for me, she was like that 2 years ago, too.
Well apparently she was so traumatized by me yelling at her, (Ah, I was quieter than when I teach and I tried not to even look at her) that she never wants to see me again. Strange, when I was in my adult class she stopped, smiled and waved at me through the window. My student even remarked that it was cute. ‘Well, she’ll be fine’ I thought.
The school director isn’t very eloquent in English but she tried to tell me that the mom was really upset and there is concern that the girl will not want to continue because I was so mean. Ah, sure. I’m confused ‘cause she looked fine when she left and it’s not like it’s the first time she’s seen me do that fuss. Smile nod, okay you want me to talk to Education at HQ.
So I told them what I did. It’s always nice to hear that I told them exactly the same story as what the school director told them. At least I have an accurate impression of what happened. That and they’ve seen me do this during an observation so they know exactly what I’m talking about.
Could I have done things differently? Sure. And I wholly admit it is 100% my fault I could have prevented this. I should have stayed in my classroom guarding my materials and then this wouldn’t have been a problem. But in our spring training they tried to encourage us to be in the lobby to greet students and well, the staff doesn’t remind the kids that it’s time to go start class. I shouldn’t have trusted that these kids would honour a closed door.
Since the girl had smiled and waved at me when she left I figured that was the end of it and things would be fine for next week. Ah, no. I got a call from Personnel on Tuesday while at work. Mom is still pissed. She had a meeting with the school director. Mom wants a different teacher. I was told that the school director very politely in a way that only the Japanese can said ‘no way’ I’ve got 2 other kids classes. Wow. I was impressed that the school director stood up for me. But to give the mom some sense of accommodation they would have a different teacher for the next day. Ah, I don’t like that, but hey, got to take my lumps from time to time. Then I was told that because there was only 15 mins between my 2nd class and the 3rd that I couldn’t teach the 2nd either just to make sure that the girl doesn’t see me. WHAT????? I really don’t like that. Why should those kids be punished (not having their regular teacher) because some rich mom wants to get her own way?
I did get to teach my 1st kids class and then get to choose what to do with the rest of my workday. I went to JR Takatsuki school and helped the teacher there prepare and even took one of his adult classes, I was also able to prepare for my classes later on in the week and even do some work on my computer.
After having some time to think about the situation I realized a couple of things. My teaching philosophy is school oriented. I will cram as much English into their brains as I can and to do that there must be order and discipline. Sure we have lots of fun, too. Whereas, being a foreign language school, they are more business oriented.
I was very confused about mom’s reactions. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve taught the girl and I’ve had lots of opportunities to chat with mom. While her daughter was having class I had a short break between my classes so I would talk with her. She witnessed me kicking kids out one day when they were wreaking havoc on the room. She remarked that I have a very different teaching style than the other teacher. And that my students are learning a lot. She even said that she hoped I would be able to teach her daughter. Well you knew what kind of teacher I was before she was my student.
Then I started to put together a few key pieces of info about mom. She’s rich. Filthy rich. I’ve never seen her wear jeans. Her clothes always look brand new. I’ve never been able to ID clothes that she wore more than once. Not like me. In the winter it’s very obvious that I have 5 sweaters and I wear them everyday. Her daughter’s clothes are the same way. And it’s not my observational skills. I can recognize some of my other students’ and moms’ favourite clothes. Filthy rich. So rich, she’s used to getting her own way. What I first thought was sweetness in personality of the mom and daughter I’m now interpreting as spoiled and always getting their own way.
When I got another call on Tuesday at work from Personnel I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be good. Nope things are still not resolved. They didn’t have long to talk, but I had an e-mail waiting for me.
The e-mail
- things are still not resolved
- the mom had support from the other moms in the class
- another meeting was going to be held with moms, school director, area director, and one of the Personnel big bosses
- I might be involved in that meeting
- Please call in the morning
Sigh.
I found it hard to believe that all the moms were aiming to have me removed. One of them of course I’ve taught both her kids for many years. She was one of the moms who asked if I was coming back. The other moms didn’t witness what had happened.
So I called in the morning. The meeting would happen during the time of the kids’ class. Not sure if I was to be part of it or not. They sent the same sub just incase.
So I went to work, prepped my classes (all of them just like what I had done last week) and taught my first class. Then I had a meeting with the Personnel big boss. That went as well as can be expected. It is a hard situation trying to keep mom happy when for some reason she’s unhappy with “one of the best kid teacher we have” (his words). They reassured me that they know I’m a great teacher and realize that because I am so dedicated to my students that this is hard on me.
It was nice to hear. It really was.
Was I willing to apologies? Yes. I am sorry that the girl got upset. It was never my intention to upset my students. I’m sorry for all the chaos and confusion this is causing the class, the school, and personnel. I’m sorry that my teaching philosophy is a little at odds with the business approach.
The Japanese Personnel big boss was impressed that I was willing to apologies. He commented that many westerners don’t like apologizing. I made sure to clarify what I was willing to apologies for. I’m sorry for what has happened. I do not take back that I will discipline my students.
I got a smirk when I went through the list of what I would apologies for.
I basically had to stay hidden upstairs until we figured out what mom wanted. Didn’t want to upset her or girl with my presence.
The Personnel big boss and the area leader who I have worked with for a few years came up later and talked to me.
- mom was adamant that she and girl never wanted to see me again
- the other moms didn’t want me to leave but didn’t want to cause more of a scene in the class by fighting the other mom
- the school still wants me to stay
- they have no real idea what is going to happen to my Wednesday shift
- there will have to be a new teacher for the 3rd class at least but they won’t have any new teachers until the middle of July
- the sub who has been here for last couple of lessons leave on July 4 (she and her husband are the only subs they have available on Wednesdays)
- not many teachers left because of the earthquake and nuclear problems, but there was at least one training group that didn’t come over because of it.
I have to admit that I cried when they told me that I was losing the class. End of year is always emotional for me. I love my students. To suddenly have it come to an end is painful. And I’m very worried about my 2 other classes. In my 1st class one girl is just now starting to talk to me. If she gets a new teacher she’ll probably be quiet again for many weeks until she gets used to her new teacher.
One of the father’s from my 2nd class was wondering what was happening because he saw me around the school and yet I wasn’t teaching. He said he had signed up again because they knew I was going to be the teacher and I would be strict enough to make their son work hard. That made me smile. At least some Japanese parents appreciate me.
I have no idea what is going to come of this. They might try to reschedule the 2nd class so I can teach them and then I’d go to another school. Or I might become a sub. But what happens if I’m the only sub and I get sent to that school again?
Part of me shaking my head. This wasn’t the way I was brought up. You don’t always get what you want in life. My parents would have told me to suck it up and get in there and work hard. My parents, especially my mom, have interceded with some of my teacher but usually they wanted more discipline. I got away with too much at times.
Again I sigh.