Mystery Man
I call all my students by their first name. People in Japan spend 95% of their lives being called by their last names, so using someone's first name has the same approximate effect as calling a native English speaker by their first, middle, and last name. They jump. But I like to think that over time it establishes a kind of friendly intimacy. And when you're trying to manage a room full of fifteen year olds, any bit of foreign novelty helps.
One day I found myself standing in an empty classroom, long after the third-period bell had rung. There had been a last-minute classroom change, so I was pretty forgiving when the students finally came rushing in.
All but one of them had arrived. I pointed to the empty desk.
"Where's Ryo? Is he absent today?"
A couple of kids laughed and said no, he was getting chewed out by the home economics teacher, so he'd be a little late. I laughed too: the home ec teacher in question was none other that my dear old Mother Hen.
Ryo came running into the room soon enough. "You're late Ryo!" I teased.
"Yeah Ryo! Late late!" called a few of the boys. He ducked his head, smiling embarrassedly and made for his desk.
"Ryo, We were just taking volunteers to give a two-minute speech in the next class, and I notice that you haven't given one yet!" The students were particularly reluctant to raise their hands that day, and when that happens I'll use any excuse to cajole someone into volunteering.
Ryo smiled again and made an uncomfortable shrug that could only be interpreted as a refusal. The students around him cackled sadistically. They saw that I'd already singled him out, and the "better him than me" mindset led them to gang up on him. "C'mon Ryo, she's asking you to do a speech!" they heckled. The boys that weren't teasing him were laughing their asses off.
I gave him a friendly smile. "How about it Ryo?"
The boys erupted in another wave of laughter. Man, this class sure is in a good mood!, I thought to myself, just as one of the boys gasped for breath long enough to shout, "Sensei! He is not Ryo!"
"Huh?"
"His name ... not Ryo!" he said, howling with laughter.
"... Your name's not Ryo?" I was confused. The class was in hysterics. My Japanese co-teacher, just starting to catch on, was livid.
I walked over to him and squatted next to his desk, looking up at him. "Your name's not Ryo? But on the first day of school, didn't you tell me that was your name when I asked you?"
Before he could answer, my Japanese co-teacher started yelling at him in Japanese. He froze, and fixed his eyes on his desk.
I've seen it before. It's a tactic common to Japanese students. When someone addresses you, just cast your eyes downward in a submissive way. Ignore ignore ignore. If they get pissed off and start yelling at you, just keep staring at your desk - they'll tire out eventually. As a teacher, it's quite disturbing to witness. The first time I saw it it reminded me of they way soldiers react to drill sergeants - at least the ones I've seen in movies. When someone starts screaming ARE YOU EYEBALLIN ME PRIVATE?! you learn to look away. Anywhere but at the person addressing you. Let it wash over you. It's the mark of an abuse survivor.
I softened my tone even more, like I was trying to charm a wild animal. "Isn't that what you told me on the first day of class?" The first day of class was four months ago.
"Yes," he whispered.
"So what's your name?" I asked. And then teasing again, "Or do you just want me to call you Ryo?"
He stared at his desk. "Whatever. Anything's fine."
I sighed frustratedly. I didn't have time for this. Dropping a speech form on his desk, I got back to running the class.
A few days later, "Ryo" came by my desk to have me check his speech. English was clearly not his best subject, but he wasn't bad at it. I went over it with him, pointing out the grammatical errors and coaxing the corrections out of him, just like I do with all my students.
When we reached the end, I told him that it was a very good speech. He smiled a little. I saw my chance, and leaned in conspiratorially.
"So... what's your name? Really."
He stared at the floor.
"Come on, you don't really want me to call you Ryo all year, do you?"
"Whatever. Anything's fine."
Oh my GOD RRRRGHH!
"Okay, you stay right here."
I went to the kitchen and poured two cups of cold barley tea. It's probably not appropriate to serve students in the staff room, but I'd done it before to calm down kids who were so nervous about talking to me that they'd nearly freaked out.
I handed him his cup. He took a perfunctory sip, but still refused to meet my eyes. This wasn't going to be easy.
I turned my chair to face his and bowed from my seated position. Dragging the words out, I introduced myself in polite Japanese: "Hajimemashite. Monika to moushimasu. Sochira wa?"
I looked into his face, clearly waiting for an answer.
His reply was barely a whisper.
"S-s-s-s-seiya desu."
I smiled big. "Seiya! It's nice to meet you!" I reached out and shook his hand - another foreign novelty. Hopefully it was enough to disguise the relief in my voice.
It was clearly the end of our interview, but instead of leaving, he held onto my hand and pulled me in closer.
"You're not angry at me?"
I was floored. Angry? It just didn't occur to me. Perplexed, yes. Agonizing over how to gain this kid's trust, definitely. But angry?
I managed a laugh. "Angry? No way. I just thought you were a weird kid, that's all." He laughed nervously and left.
One week later it was time for Seiya's speech.
Usually my class consists of 20 students at a time: half of each homeroom class. But due to a scheduling conflict, that week's class would be conducted with all 40 students. By that time - four months into the school year - the students knew their classmates fairly well, but few of them knew each other's first names.
"Good morning!" I called out.
"Good mofhsdfh" droned half the class.
"Today we will begin class with two-minute speeches. The first speech will be from Masumi."
One kid stood up, and another kid jerked like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Oh sorry, I didn't realize there were two Masumi's in class 4. Today's speech will be from Masumi K."
Masumi gave his speech, to a smattering of applause.
"Thank you, Masumi. The next speech will be from Mario."
The class erupted into laughter.
"Dude, your name is Mario?!"
"Shut up, it's my English nickname."
"Well excuuuuuse me!"
Mario gave his speech, looking irritated and defensive.
"Thank you Mario. Our final speech will be from Seiya."
Waves of whispers washed over the room. Seiya? Who's Seiya?
Two boys sitting in the front row chattered excitedly.
"Do you know who Seiya is?"
"Beats me."
"Man, Seiya. Sure has a nice ring to it. That's the name of a man who Japanese people can look up to. Seiya. Why wasn't I named Seiya? I'm telling you man... hey... Monica, what's up with that face you're making?"
One day I found myself standing in an empty classroom, long after the third-period bell had rung. There had been a last-minute classroom change, so I was pretty forgiving when the students finally came rushing in.
All but one of them had arrived. I pointed to the empty desk.
"Where's Ryo? Is he absent today?"
A couple of kids laughed and said no, he was getting chewed out by the home economics teacher, so he'd be a little late. I laughed too: the home ec teacher in question was none other that my dear old Mother Hen.
Ryo came running into the room soon enough. "You're late Ryo!" I teased.
"Yeah Ryo! Late late!" called a few of the boys. He ducked his head, smiling embarrassedly and made for his desk.
"Ryo, We were just taking volunteers to give a two-minute speech in the next class, and I notice that you haven't given one yet!" The students were particularly reluctant to raise their hands that day, and when that happens I'll use any excuse to cajole someone into volunteering.
Ryo smiled again and made an uncomfortable shrug that could only be interpreted as a refusal. The students around him cackled sadistically. They saw that I'd already singled him out, and the "better him than me" mindset led them to gang up on him. "C'mon Ryo, she's asking you to do a speech!" they heckled. The boys that weren't teasing him were laughing their asses off.
I gave him a friendly smile. "How about it Ryo?"
The boys erupted in another wave of laughter. Man, this class sure is in a good mood!, I thought to myself, just as one of the boys gasped for breath long enough to shout, "Sensei! He is not Ryo!"
"Huh?"
"His name ... not Ryo!" he said, howling with laughter.
"... Your name's not Ryo?" I was confused. The class was in hysterics. My Japanese co-teacher, just starting to catch on, was livid.
I walked over to him and squatted next to his desk, looking up at him. "Your name's not Ryo? But on the first day of school, didn't you tell me that was your name when I asked you?"
Before he could answer, my Japanese co-teacher started yelling at him in Japanese. He froze, and fixed his eyes on his desk.
I've seen it before. It's a tactic common to Japanese students. When someone addresses you, just cast your eyes downward in a submissive way. Ignore ignore ignore. If they get pissed off and start yelling at you, just keep staring at your desk - they'll tire out eventually. As a teacher, it's quite disturbing to witness. The first time I saw it it reminded me of they way soldiers react to drill sergeants - at least the ones I've seen in movies. When someone starts screaming ARE YOU EYEBALLIN ME PRIVATE?! you learn to look away. Anywhere but at the person addressing you. Let it wash over you. It's the mark of an abuse survivor.
I softened my tone even more, like I was trying to charm a wild animal. "Isn't that what you told me on the first day of class?" The first day of class was four months ago.
"Yes," he whispered.
"So what's your name?" I asked. And then teasing again, "Or do you just want me to call you Ryo?"
He stared at his desk. "Whatever. Anything's fine."
I sighed frustratedly. I didn't have time for this. Dropping a speech form on his desk, I got back to running the class.
A few days later, "Ryo" came by my desk to have me check his speech. English was clearly not his best subject, but he wasn't bad at it. I went over it with him, pointing out the grammatical errors and coaxing the corrections out of him, just like I do with all my students.
When we reached the end, I told him that it was a very good speech. He smiled a little. I saw my chance, and leaned in conspiratorially.
"So... what's your name? Really."
He stared at the floor.
"Come on, you don't really want me to call you Ryo all year, do you?"
"Whatever. Anything's fine."
Oh my GOD RRRRGHH!
"Okay, you stay right here."
I went to the kitchen and poured two cups of cold barley tea. It's probably not appropriate to serve students in the staff room, but I'd done it before to calm down kids who were so nervous about talking to me that they'd nearly freaked out.
I handed him his cup. He took a perfunctory sip, but still refused to meet my eyes. This wasn't going to be easy.
I turned my chair to face his and bowed from my seated position. Dragging the words out, I introduced myself in polite Japanese: "Hajimemashite. Monika to moushimasu. Sochira wa?"
I looked into his face, clearly waiting for an answer.
His reply was barely a whisper.
"S-s-s-s-seiya desu."
I smiled big. "Seiya! It's nice to meet you!" I reached out and shook his hand - another foreign novelty. Hopefully it was enough to disguise the relief in my voice.
It was clearly the end of our interview, but instead of leaving, he held onto my hand and pulled me in closer.
"You're not angry at me?"
I was floored. Angry? It just didn't occur to me. Perplexed, yes. Agonizing over how to gain this kid's trust, definitely. But angry?
I managed a laugh. "Angry? No way. I just thought you were a weird kid, that's all." He laughed nervously and left.
One week later it was time for Seiya's speech.
Usually my class consists of 20 students at a time: half of each homeroom class. But due to a scheduling conflict, that week's class would be conducted with all 40 students. By that time - four months into the school year - the students knew their classmates fairly well, but few of them knew each other's first names.
"Good morning!" I called out.
"Good mofhsdfh" droned half the class.
"Today we will begin class with two-minute speeches. The first speech will be from Masumi."
One kid stood up, and another kid jerked like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Oh sorry, I didn't realize there were two Masumi's in class 4. Today's speech will be from Masumi K."
Masumi gave his speech, to a smattering of applause.
"Thank you, Masumi. The next speech will be from Mario."
The class erupted into laughter.
"Dude, your name is Mario?!"
"Shut up, it's my English nickname."
"Well excuuuuuse me!"
Mario gave his speech, looking irritated and defensive.
"Thank you Mario. Our final speech will be from Seiya."
Waves of whispers washed over the room. Seiya? Who's Seiya?
Two boys sitting in the front row chattered excitedly.
"Do you know who Seiya is?"
"Beats me."
"Man, Seiya. Sure has a nice ring to it. That's the name of a man who Japanese people can look up to. Seiya. Why wasn't I named Seiya? I'm telling you man... hey... Monica, what's up with that face you're making?"