West Tokyo (2/2)
The first school I went to and by far my favorite is Megurita Elementary School. That sounds like a Spanish word, but it's not. Generally the name means something like “Around the field”. But it's not by any fields. It's up on a hill. Actually, the school is one of the highest points in the city and you can see clear to Shinjuku from the upper floors. This school is old, out of the way, and is strangely still very progressive despite all that. All the kids study English from first grade on. For the past decade in Japan typically English study doesn't start until middle school. Even after the school board changed their recommendations and started requiring 5th and 6th graders to start basic English lessons, it still isn't that prevalent. These kids are getting a leg up. The English language learning and multicultural emphasis is apparent everywhere. There are English signs and translated text all over the school.
I mentioned it before, but Megurita is also the sister school to a Glendale Elementary in Independence, Missouri and they love that this is true. Independence and Higashi Murayama are sister cities and the school districts swap students for exploratory trips on a regular basis. Megurita was host to a group of high school students this year. Mostly girls. That's what my entry at the beginning of last month was about. The music teacher was planning on greeting the visitors with a song sung by the kids and couldn't decide which song would be appropriate because she doesn't know much English or many English songs/artists. I made a short list of pop songs, songs popular with kids, and classics in English, burned videos and mp3s on a DVD, and sat down with her. After a conversation about the kids' level and what Americans teens might know, she and I decided on “Sing” by The Carpenters. The virtue of this song is that it's simple, short, kid appropriate, easy to understand, and there's a Japanese version. Also, as it's a bit older, she was able to find a katakana-ized version of the English lyrics for the littlest ones and piano sheet music for herself pretty easily. I vaguely translated the literal meaning of the lyrics for her and transcribed the Japanese version that Karen Carpenter sang for the Live in Japan album the duo released in the 70's. I figured they could sing one version of the single lengthy verse in one language and then switch over for the repeat and dazzle their visitors. Wish I could have been there to see it. I was working at another school at the time.
At Megurita, like all the elementary schools, I wear a nametag to show I'm there legit. I sit at the conference table in the teachers' group office when I'm not in the classroom. I'm literally directly in front of the Vice Principal's desk. He looks over at his computer at me all day. At Megurita the VP's name is Fukutome and he is the most gentle and sweet older man ever. He's like the perfect grandfather figure. For the two or so weeks worth of days I ended up at Megurita this past quarter, he spoke to me everyday. He asked me about my family, where I'm from, where I live... The most patient, polite small talk. And, I was still getting back into the swing of using Japanese, but he didn't mind. He made sure to use a simple vocabulary and was kind when I struggled to string a sentence together or remember a word. I adore this man.
The structure of my days at the elementary schools is usually as follows: I sit in the teachers' room and wait. The two class representatives (students) are sent after the bell rings up to the office to collect me. There they have to greet me in English and identify themselves and escort me to their classroom. Some wimp out and can't speak. I don't blame a 7-year-old for flipping out having to greet a foreign girl in a business suit with only their single friend as backup. I quickly realized that I could put the super quiet and nervous ones at ease by smiling a mile wide smile and teasing them a little in Japanese that they knew English greetings, right? “Hello!” Using a little Japanese around the elementary kids is the secret to getting them to relax in general. They're so terrified that this person coming into their classroom will be so completely foreign that they're shocked when I'm just a friendly face who speaks very good English. I love the Megurita kids. They're confident and catch up quick. I found that as a class wore on I could sneak bits of English in that they didn't know and they could pick up the meaning. “Mou Ichido” or “Mou Ikkai” would be replaced with “One more time” and they'd not miss a beat. “Kore nandesuka?” would become “What is this?” and it wouldn't phase even the little ones. Stuff like that. This totally throws middle school kids, though.
Most of my lessons at this school consisted of learning groups of nouns and games. I taught “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes” more than once. There's a similar song about counting to 10 and then to 20 that is also popular. Also, to teach greetings there's a “Hello Song” that is apparently now a staple in Japanese schools. They also used it in the kindergarten I interviewed with. But, the kicker there is that there are two different versions with the same melody and I never know which kids know which ones. “Hello. Hello. Hello, and how are you? I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine and how are you?” is one. “Hello. Hello. Hello, and how are you? I'm fine. I'm fine. I hope that you are, too, ” is another. If the teacher uses a tape it's usually one, if it's on a CD it's usually another but it's not super consistent. Another popular lesson was “I like...” and also office supplies/stationary and food vocabulary building. One was color. We played fruits basket with colors and the 6th graders ate that up.
Many if not most of the teachers at this school are relatively young. The one in charge of the English curriculum is Seki-sensei. Seki-sensei is 23, male, and cute as all hell. I did not notice until the second time we met because I'm oblivious, apparently, but he is also missing a finger on his right hand. Still cute as hell, mind you, and he is one of the few elementary teachers who even attempts to speak to me in English. But, he often flounders when he speaks to me. It didn't occur to me until the kids themselves started doting on my pale skin and large eyes, but I suspect he was actually nervous when he spoke to me... and not necessarily because he was using a foreign language with a native speaker. His class, one of the three 3rd grade classes, was learning greetings one day. We taught the kids how to introduce themselves and shake hands Western style. The kids insisted when we taught them that we demonstrate. When I shook his hand he was grinning sheepishly and blushing a little. It was adorable. The only trouble with this is that he seems to be trying really hard to use as much English as possible during English class. To impress me? To impress his bosses? To get the students used to it? I don't know. But they often don't understand him. Also, he likes to tell the kids to “Shup up!” in English. The first time he said it I was shocked into silence myself. All the kids knew the phrase. It would seem he uses is a lot. You might say, “Caitlin, shut up and date this boy.” But that's not very likely. Seki-sensei is also rather cliquish with his fellow 3rd grade teachers. For all other grades there are 2 classes and 2 teachers. For 3rd grade, they are a tight knit and impenetrable posse. They are always talking to each other and it's almost impossible to pry them apart. I did cave and leave my email address on his desk on what would be my last day there before summer break, but no dice.
Oh, and lunch. I always eat lunch with the kids at the elementary schools. There's a schedule for this, even. It's a different classroom everyday. I am required to eat the healthy school lunch to set an example. The kids come to the office, pick up my tray, and escort me back to their room where I sit at a desk with a group of them and attempt to chit chat. It varies how well this works out. Some kids think that because I have used Japanese around them that I must know as much Japanese as the average native speaking adult. I usually end up baffled by what these kids are asking or speaking about. Some kids get that I'm not 100% there and actually consider figuring out how to speak to me to be a fantastic challenge. Despite Seki-sensei's class being confused when he uses so much English in class, I will say it has given them serious confidence when communicating with foreigners. My favorite lunches were the ones where conversations really got going. I idly translated one little girl's shirt in a class towards the end of the meal and instantly all the other kids wearing t-shirts with novelty English on them wanted translations, too. Easily done. They were so delighted by that I can't even tell you. There was also a class with a very happy little girl who insisted that I eat the chunk of tomato on my plate that I'd been poking at since the start of the meal. I don't like raw tomatoes. She would tell me to eat it and I'd whine in Japanese “But moooooom! I don't wannna!” and the like. The whole table was in stitches after a few rounds of that.
The elementary school I go to the next most often is called Kumegawa. Kumegawa Elementary school. Oddly enough, it is not near Kumegawa Station. Anyway, Kumegawa is a super serious place. It has this serene fountain in the courtyard but inside it's all business. Many of the teachers here are older and ascribe to the more structured educational philosophies. Pronunciation practice in some of these classrooms resembles a something like a military drill. One of the 6th grade teachers had his class formally stand and introduce themselves (using basic English of course) one by one while the others sat in rigid silence. It's not a bad place. Not by far. But I can tell their English program is fledgling. The likely only added English to the curriculum recently when the new national guidelines came out. Many of the older students are using the same books and learning the same things as the little kids. But, I had fun here. Several of the teachers gave me general directions to go in and let me run with it. Often they'd explain the core concept (“Today we're learning about body parts.”) and give me the flashcards or poster or something and just let me go. I've gotten rather good at just running with a lesson like that. And, doing it mostly myself. At least at the elementary level. Middle school kids are naturally harder to crack.
Anyway, one of the 5th grade teachers, Boda-sensei, is single. How do I know this? Because his ENTIRE class is trying to get him a girlfriend or a wife. I knew something was up when the class reps came to escort me to class and their first reaction was that I was pretty. And female. And then the first question after realizing I knew Japanese was... “Are you single?” Honestly, I had not known what “single” was in Japanese before going to Japanese elementary schools and inviting little kids to ask me questions after my self introduction speech. It's “Dokushin desuka?”, by the way. These kids were sweet, giggling little devils. They kept asking me questions about things they knew their teacher liked. If I answered to reflect we had similar interests, they'd shout encouragement back to him. By the end they were begging him to ask me out and one kid flat out insisted that we be married by the fall. It was hilarious! I hadn't even originally intended to tell anyone I was single. I'd dodged around the class rep's question and intended to say it was a secret and avoid all that stuff during the class as well, but one kid made the far too clever observation that I used “Miss” in front of my name. He somehow knew that “Mrs.” meant married and “Miss” meant unmarried and shared this with the class. Power to you, little kid. Boda-sensei, who looks a bit like a taller and more muscular Satoshi Ohno, just took it in stride. I'm guessing this is a regular thing for his class. I wonder how it all came about.
One weird facet of this school's seriousness is that the lunch hours are like state visits. The first lunch I shared with kids in a classroom at this school was horrendously awkward. At Megurita they'd bring me and my food to a table, set it down, say “Itadakimasu!” and we'd eat. That's it. Delightfully simple. Not at Kumegawa. I was placed in a row of honor at the front of the classroom. The kids ate in relative silence until the teacher instructed them to stand and introduce themselves in turn. Then, after eating was finished, my tray was cleared. A student read a speech about the class's hard work and then half of them got out recorders while the other half got out music books and they sang me a song. I know I was just an excuse for the teacher to get the kids motivated about a big project but hell was that surreal.
The last of my three elementary schools is called Kitayama. Kitayama Elementary School. North Mountain Elementary. It's about as far out as you can get, this school. Well, you know. And still be in the same area. Kitayama is in a rural area near the Seibu park, gardens, and theme park that cover a wide area of land at the end of the Seibu train line. You can see some of the rides from the school itself. I found myself watching the ferris wheel slowly turn several times. This school has taken the new guidelines at their literal word and has only just instituted English programs at the 5th and 6th grade levels and at those levels only. My days here will only be half days, it seems. Nice in theory but it denies me some $40/day whenever I have a half day instead of a full one.
I cannot say enough about how beautiful it is there. There is a small forest growing to one side of the school and a field of flowers on another. Old and gorgeous houses dot another side and where the creek runs past the school they've planted trees and colorful flowers so that it seems like a shaded river instead of a drainage creek. I was losing my voice when I went here for the one and only day I've had a chance to work at this school thus far. I feel bad I denied them the good visit from an ALT that they deserved. The teachers were soooo relieved when they found out I spoke Japanese conversationally. By the time I got to this school most of my habitual first day nervousness was gone and I didn't even flinch when introducing myself to the entire room of teachers. My self intro lesson went over very well. Even having lunch with these kids was relaxed and easy. I guess everything's more chill in the countryside.
That brings to me to the bulk of my work... the middle schools. I work at two middle schools in the Higashi Murayama school district: Higashi Murayama 1st Middle School and Higashi Murayama 7th Middle school. Dai Ichi and Dai Nana. Or, Ichi Chu and Nana Chu.
I ended up at #7 first and I'm glad it turned out that way despite the issue with the first week. The Higashi Murayama school district, you see, isn't super serious about it's English teaching assistant program. Oh, they're emphatic enough about English, but this position equates to basically a part time job in the end. I'm not paid for breaks or any days that the elementary schools don't want me so my salary comes out at about $15,000 a year. This is why I'm looking for a second job. This is also why I got the job in the first place. It's difficult to find people for this district with the erratic schedule and the low pay. I was nearby and willing and knew some Japanese... perfect. But my visa took time to process so they sent a sub for my first week to #7. The kids didn't really care about the change, but the teachers really liked that girl. She was almost the exact same age as me (born the same week!) but from Florida and apparently a tennis player and strong drinker recently unemployed when GEOS went bust. The teachers were so enamored with her they invited her out for drinks at the end of that week. Only 2/3 of the English teachers went. Those two have never quite warmed to me. But the other? I adore her.
I should probably mention the school itself. #7 is a moderately sized school a good 15-20 minute walk from Higashi Murayama station. It's the only one of my 5 schools that has a uniform. Girls have a dark blue knife pleated skirt that is mandatory year round and matching dark knee socks. Boys wear dark blue trousers and a belt. Both sexes have to wear a white button up shirt of some kind, but it's up to each kid's discretion whether the sleeves are long or short. Gray, blue, black, and tan sleeveless sweaters/sweater vests are encouraged. I was shocked and a little sad when I noticed that many of the girls had chosen sweater vests and socks with the Playboy Bunny logo embroidered into it somewhere. They know it's Playboy, too. They think it's sexy and cool. I wonder how many of their parents have even the slightest clue. It makes the entire ensemble that much more fetishistic when the girls leave school and immediately roll the waistbands of their skirts as high as possible to show off all that leg. I've only seen the winter uniform jackets on the dress dummies they have in the conference room. Haven't seen them in person on a person yet.
The second year teacher at this school looks like the worm from the Labyrinth. That's the best way I can think to describe her. She's a nice person and I don't mean it at all as an insult, but her mouth is shaped just that way and she has a round face and her hair has some volume... I need a photo of this woman. Really. I like her sort of, but man is her English atrocious. She has no idea how to use articles so she just throws random ones out there or forgets them altogether when speaking in English to the class. Thankfully, she has opted when I am there to have me check her worksheets for errors before she prints them off. Let's just say there are a lot of them. She also doesn't take my corrections personally, thank goodness. The first year teacher is much better than her when it comes to speaking English fluently. That woman has the most beautiful sing song voice. She should read books on tape. Neither have utilized me in the classroom very much. We're just not... super friendly, you know?
Oh, but the 3rd year teacher! Genou-sensei. She's a dream. The empty desk for visitors is right next to hers and that's where I sit. We chit chat all the time. In my empty hours I'm usually helping her grade tests or vocab quizzes or the like. Teachers at both schools are dazzled by the speed at which I can grade a vocab test. And, there are a lot of these. Each class has an average of 39 students. The only issue I have with Genou-sensei is that, well, her students are huge cowards! They never want to speak and when they do have to speak they mumble. One of her classes I swear is the class from hell. During my self introduction I use simple sentences and ask periodically for responses from the class. Simple things that confirm their understanding of what the hell I'm going on about. Class 3-2 was not having it. They didn't say a single word. They just stared at me like demonic dolls. Your loss, kids.
This school's 1st years, though, have spirit. And, their 2nd years are actually fun kids. I went with the 2nd year teacher, Okada-sensei, to her class for lunch one day. Just, on the fly. I'm usually expected to eat alone in the teachers' room at this school. They ate in silence for 20 minutes which was bizarre. Then, after the eating was done, they picked up. A team of girls crowded over to me. One had giant pigtails teased to anime volume. I caught her eye when she was showing her latest sketch to Okada-sensei. It was of the main dolls in Rozen Maiden. I couldn't remember the character's name, but I commented on the girl's artistic ability and asked if the picture character was indeed from the Rozen Maiden anime and you should have seen the reaction her and her friends gave. Well, Okada-sensei left soon after that, having something to do, and the nerd girl and her posse pinned me in the room with questions. I conceded some of my favorite anime and admitted to having cosplayed in my day. Well, I owned up to Halloween costumes of an anime nature, anyway. I didn't touch the extent of what I've done. But they were hella curious so I promised to show them sometime. Well, a month later I was back at the same school. I'd printed off 4 small pictures of me as Hinata: Two Gennin, Two Chunin. In the break after their class when they were gathered in the corner around pigtailed girl's latest artwork, I tapped one on the shoulder and mentioned our previous conversation. Then I turned over the photos. I swear to gawd it almost started a riot. One girl asked if they could keep them. I shrugged and agreed. Then, it was a fight over who got which one. Holy shit! I mean I knew even a teaching assistant showing such involvement in their passion would provoke a reaction but I had no idea how crazy enthusiastic they'd be!
One thing I like about this school: the teachers all know what they want out of me. Monday is almost always free of classes and it's just “tell Caitlin what she's supposed to do this week” time. This isn't the case at the other school At #1, they never seem to know what they want.
Ichichu or Dai Ichi or #1 is more in Kokubunji than Higashi Murayama. It's really close to where Shouhei went to school, actually. Well, I'm told. But it's in a weird place. The train station is tiny and shabby but for some reason there are always dozens of students hanging out there and waiting around for their friends in the mornings and afternoons. I'm not sure how many schools there are in the immediate area but I'm guessing a good 5 at least. There's a university across from the station, a high school up the road and to the left, a private elementary school in the opposite direction, and I think another middle school somewhere around.
#1 doesn't do uniforms and that laizze faire attitude extends to a lot of other aspects of the school. In my mind sometimes I call this the gay school because I often find myself witnessing or seeing things that make me think, “Wow. That's gay.” You know. In that 'I'd never say it out loud but here or in my brain giggles and raised eyebrows are ok' kind of way. For instance, the 3rd year teacher, while she seems to have a crush on the male teacher sitting next to her, has this fantastic lesbian look. It's very Rachel Maddow, Japanese school teacher edition. She's got the short hair, the glasses, the practical but stylish outfits. I thought one of her students even made a gay joke at her once. Not sure there. Also, the kids are somehow more chummy with each other here. I see same sex friends holding hands often. My second week there two girls from the school saw me walking to the station and were brave enough to say hello. I asked what they were up to and the more bold of the two declared that they were on a date. I made a comment about the sweetness of young love while the more shy of the two turned bright red and tried to hid behind her friend. Or, you know, her “friend”. I said I was going home, headed to the train station. I told them to have fun on their date and gave a wink. The shy one was bright red. The bold one told me she would have a great time.
Also, this week, the 2nd years were learning the expression “How much is it?” And were writing dialogues between fictitious clerks and customers. I'd brought some clothes and books and things for the kids to use as props. Two boys paired off and picked the copy of “Interview with the Vampire” that I'd randomly brought along as it was a recent read and was on the top of my stack. The smaller of the two boys then proceeded to sit in the bigger boy's lap while the bigger boy held him delicately around the waist. They quietly sat there and worked out their dialogue for most of the remainder of the class period. The teacher didn't say a thing. I couldn't stop staring. These are 8th graders. Thirteen year olds! Snuggling and whispering in each others ears!
This school also has the district's able bodies special educational needs kids. Kids with physical disabilities have to be home schooled or go to a special school as virtually no Japanese public school can accommodate them. Too many staircases and not a ramp or elevator in sight, you know. Anyway. I don't know why but they have me in the special education classes once a week. These are autistic and downs syndrome kids, mostly. I'm not sure what benefit they'll ever really get from seeing me every now and again, but ok. Funny thing is they're a cheerful bunch that are actually more participatory than many. Oh, and we totally bonded over our love of Arashi.
Actually, that's a universal thing. Smap is dead. Arashi is king. For the non weeaboos out there, Arashi is a boy band. Smap is their predecessor boyband in the same company. Smap used to rule basically everything. The airwaves... The hearts of young girls... The cinema and TV dramas... They were ad spokesmen and TV hosts and unavoidably prevalent. And everyone loved them. Now, Arashi has pretty much usurped them. And, I know my Arashi. During my self intro speeches when it was revealed that I knew who Arashi was, could sing a few lines of their songs, had been to a concert, and had a favorite member? OMG, that was it. Half the teenage girls in the room would instantly decide I was one of them. But I really need to catch up. I'd only by chance seen Kaibutsu-kun, one of the latest TV dramas starring a member of Arashi, and I am woefully behind on everything else. It's going to be cultural catch up come summer break.
I can't talk about #1 without bitching about Kosuda-sensei. She's a joyless, freakishly serious and often offended woman. She seems to hate me, generally. My first week there I was sick. I had a bottle of water to drink from during my self intro speech so I didn't completely lose my voice or cough all over the kids. Apparently that's a no-no with her. And, rather than tell me this she just sat and fumed and resented me for a few days. It's a Japanese thing. Telling someone they're being rude or have offended you is just as offensive and rude. So if someone makes a mistake you can't actually tell them or say anything. You have to suffer in silence and just hope they figure it out and change. She broke down on the 3rd day and mentioned it. I apologized and the resentment just BURNED in her eyes. I was annoyed that she'd been resenting me over something so small for so long. I asked why she didn't tell me before and she explicitly mentioned the above and that it was the Japanese way. That frustrated me. I told her that while that was true, I am not Japanese. I never will be. And, in matters like this I'm still a child. I need to be taught. “Teach me, teacher.” Well, that got her. She hasn't been hostile since, but we'll never be friends, let me tell you.
But the thing is here none of these teachers at #1 make plans beforehand. They always wait until I've gotten there and just sort of make it up when I ask about it. I'm so sick of “I don't know. What should we do?” Holy shit, women. You're 3 professional English teachers with years of experience under your belts. What do YOU think we should do? I'm your ASSISTANT! I'm here because I'm savvy with my native language. You have a freaking degree in education. Use it! The first year teacher I swear always wants to play Bingo. But, she calls it “Bing”. I don't even know. The first year teacher is a sweet lady but sometimes she's a little out there.
Anyway, summer vacation starts this weekend and I'm going to spend it brushing up on my pop culture, kanji, and looking for a second job. I have a visa now so it shouldn't be AS hard but I also live on the far side of town and am not available 24/7. We'll see how it goes. I'm looking forward to getting paid in two weeks. I need a haircut and, um, furniture.