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Trip to Japan, 2003
Day 9, 2003/03/27
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A high school visit today, starting with a discussion about scheduling and compulsory education, at McCluer North High School. This is a large school with a lot of different electives and classes for students to take, and the result is a "hybrid" block schedule - some classes are 50 minutes long and meet daily while others are 105 minutes long and meet every other day. It sounds a bit confusing but the teachers seem to be able (and willing) to deal with it. |
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Our Japanese partners are interested in the concept of "compulsory education", with its requirement that schooling be continued in some organized form at least through age 16. A short discussion follows about the GED process and what kinds of things are done to encourage the students to complete high school. In Japan, elementary and middle school education are free and more or less compulsory, but high school attendance is determined by entrance examinations and ability to pay. |
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We take a tour of the McCluer North school building and get an opportunity to sit in on several classes, including an English literature class, an American Studies (history) class, and rehearsals of the orchestra and the jazz band. After we finish there, we make a short trip to the campus of Hazelwood Central, where we get an opportunity to tour a one-room schoolhouse and see old-style desks and a coal-burning stove. |
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Lunch is at the Golden Corral - another buffet; our Japanese guests are quickly learning the advantages of an "all-you-can-eat" meal. Then we head for one of our schools - St. Charles West - for a tour with Terry and the building principal. |
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Jefferson Middle School is our last stop of the day; Rita and I both teach here so we show the Japanese teachers a number of different classrooms. Rita's speciality is working with special needs students; she describes the process by which students gain the referrals needed to get extra help from her and other resource teachers. |
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At the end of the afternoon, Gerry has a surprise for us - a short informational video about the sights and sounds of St. Charles, dubbed in Japanese! It is created and sent out by our local tourism commission, and touches on such items as our history as both a French and a Spanish settlement, and the importance of our city as a starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Our guests will take this video back to share with students and teachers at their schools. |
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Tonight is another "open" evening; all of us Americans have shopping to do in preparation for a dinner planned for Friday evening, and everyone is very tired after two full days of classroom observations and building tours. We part at the hotel with a promise to meet tomorrow for planning sessions and other activities. |
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