Dai Ni Junior High

Maybe you saw these on my Flowers page, or maybe not--but these are the two bouquets I got from the Dai Ni crew.  The one on the left was from the whole school, during my 'farewell assembly'.  The one on the right was from the 1-1 class--they all chipped in for it. (:

After I had left Dai Ni, I got a package one day, and in it was this----> board.  A bunch of the kids had written me messages and sent them to me!  It's so sweet. (:  Most of the messages are in Japanese, but it's not too hard for me to decycher. (:  There's a detail on the far right.

The Teachers' Room

For those who aren't familiar with how Japanese schools are run, as you may guess, they are quite different from Amerian schools. One BIG difference is the "teachers' room".  Teachers don't have their 'own' classrooms like American teachers do.  Indstead, they all have their own desk in one large room (usually on the first floor, I think).  The Vice Principal's desk is at the head of this room, and the Principal has a small desk next to the VP (which he uses rarely, since he typically has a nice, posh office next door).  The teachers are here when they aren't in class.  All their materials are kept in this room, and they are brought to each class when it's time to teach.

My desk, at Dai Ni JHS (one with the chair turned a bit to the camera)

Another difference is the kids are always in the same group, and in the same classroom.  So the kids in my 1-1 picture are always in class together--Math, English, Art... they all have the same schedule.  And with the exception of a few 'special' classes (computers, science, art) they are always in that classroom we took the picture in. Instead of students moving, the teachers do.  Before class begins, two or three students rush down to the teachers' room to 'pick up' their teacher,  and help carry the materials their teacher will need for class.  This can be very tiring... Japan has little space, so its schools are often 3 or more stories high.  Sometimes we had 3 classes in one day, on the third floor.  So we go up for class, come down after, go up 5 minutes later for the next, and back down after... then back up......

Looking towards the VP's desk

Looking away from the VP's desk

There were a few things about this system that I really liked, and a few I didn't care for so much.  First off, I hated having to trot up all those stairs every day.  It seemed kinda silly... why lug the radio up the stairs 3 times a day..?  I think I would much prefer having my 'own' classroom. However, having all the teachers in the same room really was nice.  Schedules were easily rearranged if there was a problem, and everyone seemed to know each other well.  The teachers' room was always a nice place to hang out and work. (:

NEXT or   HOME?