Comments on: The View From the Classroom #2 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/ Independent Podcasting from Tokyo. Featuring Seijigiri, a discussion of Japanese news and politics, as well as TPR News, our twice a week look at Japan's top stories. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:31:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Sam http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-400965 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:27:07 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-400965 There is certainly an implication as to the intelligence and skill of students depending on what track they take in my opinion. Let's take the base ball players for example. They only have 4 academic classes each day, and then after lunch have practice until dinnertime. The opinions of the two English teachers who've become close friends of mine are that a lot of them come to school to play baseball, not to learn. And from some of the baseball players who I'm friendly with, I've heard exactly the samething from them. Students who take the general studies rather than the track which emphasizes learning English, are not required to take English or expected to travel abroad usually. These kids generally are seen as being underachievers, slackers, or kids who just have little interest in school. I take two classes a week with students from this track. The classroom behavior is quite bad. Some of the kids seem capable of being more controling of the classroom atmosphere than the teacher. The teacher certainly at times seems fed up and at a loss in regards as to how she can exert any authority. My other classes are totally the opposite of this to my relief. The rest of my classes are taken with students are focusing on learning English. The performace and ability to concentrate when they have to in class is extradorinarily different that that of the class I described previously. I take mainly history, geography, writing courses, and tutor sessions with one of the Japanese teachers. Though I do also take a set of art and calligraphy classes on Mondays along with the two classes with the rather out of control students. As a high school gradute I am not given any exams. The purpose for me being at school is to hear as much Japanse as possible, and to learn Japanese in a Japanese setting. I've been happy to find that I'm able to participate in my social studies, history, and geography courses when I'm asked to voice my opinion as the resident foreigner. From things such as what is wallmart and why does it have the 3rd largest GDP in the world, to topics such as the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Thomas Hobbes,I've been happily please with that the teachers have tried to engage me rather than do nothing. Does this help? There is certainly an implication as to the intelligence and skill of students depending on what track they take in my opinion. Let’s take the base ball players for example. They only have 4 academic classes each day, and then after lunch have practice until dinnertime. The opinions of the two English teachers who’ve become close friends of mine are that a lot of them come to school to play baseball, not to learn. And from some of the baseball players who I’m friendly with, I’ve heard exactly the samething from them.

Students who take the general studies rather than the track which emphasizes learning English, are not required to take English or expected to travel abroad usually.

These kids generally are seen as being underachievers, slackers, or kids who just have little interest in school. I take two classes a week with students from this track. The classroom behavior is quite bad. Some of the kids seem capable of being more controling of the classroom atmosphere than the teacher. The teacher certainly at times seems fed up and at a loss in regards as to how she can exert any authority.

My other classes are totally the opposite of this to my relief. The rest of my classes are taken with students are focusing on learning English. The performace and ability to concentrate when they have to in class is extradorinarily different that that of the class I described previously.

I take mainly history, geography, writing courses, and tutor sessions with one of the Japanese teachers. Though I do also take a set of art and calligraphy classes on Mondays along with the two classes with the rather out of control students.

As a high school gradute I am not given any exams. The purpose for me being at school is to hear as much Japanse as possible, and to learn Japanese in a Japanese setting. I’ve been happy to find that I’m able to participate in my social studies, history, and geography courses when I’m asked to voice my opinion as the resident foreigner. From things such as what is wallmart and why does it have the 3rd largest GDP in the world, to topics such as the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Thomas Hobbes,I’ve been happily please with that the teachers have tried to engage me rather than do nothing.

Does this help?

]]> by: DeOrio http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-399908 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:28:12 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-399908 Glad to hear it. What are the criteria used to choose a family? Kids roughly your age, things like that? Luckily, I now have an enviably short commute, but ti wasn't always that way. The two things I can say for long commutes are that they put some space between work or school and home, which is nice - that time alone helps make a mental separation between the two - and that you can get a lot of reading done. On a separate note, what are the interactions like between the different tracks at Moriyama Gakuen? Is there any kind of hierarchy or implication of intelligence or ability involved in the different tracks? Is the track a student enters up to him or up to the school? And where do you and Jons fit in, seeing as you're exchange students? I guess an emphasis on English wouldn't do either of you much good, nor would a year overseas. Likewise, it seems that many high school students spend a big part of their last year preparing for university entrance exams. Is this affecting your course of study at all? Finally, considering that you're technically already a high school graduate (and have college lined up, right?), how strong is your incentive to study, do homework, etc. beyond improving your Japanese? Glad to hear it. What are the criteria used to choose a family? Kids roughly your age, things like that?

Luckily, I now have an enviably short commute, but ti wasn’t always that way. The two things I can say for long commutes are that they put some space between work or school and home, which is nice - that time alone helps make a mental separation between the two - and that you can get a lot of reading done.

On a separate note, what are the interactions like between the different tracks at Moriyama Gakuen? Is there any kind of hierarchy or implication of intelligence or ability involved in the different tracks? Is the track a student enters up to him or up to the school? And where do you and Jons fit in, seeing as you’re exchange students? I guess an emphasis on English wouldn’t do either of you much good, nor would a year overseas.

Likewise, it seems that many high school students spend a big part of their last year preparing for university entrance exams. Is this affecting your course of study at all?

Finally, considering that you’re technically already a high school graduate (and have college lined up, right?), how strong is your incentive to study, do homework, etc. beyond improving your Japanese?

]]> by: Sam http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-399550 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:44:29 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-399550 I never was told why exactly I was placed so far away. The only information I have to go on is that my program spends about 6 months trying to find the best matching family. And if they happen to be well, far away, then it seems that's just a fate one's got to put up. It's given me some grief having to commute so far, but my host family is certainly one of a kind. I could not have asked for a more agreeable family. So for this I'm very thankful. But when it comes to seeing friends, it costs a pretty penny. All of my friends live much closer to school by chance. Any meeting is an excursion in itself. There have been a lot of "accidents" on the JR line recently, which have all seemed to have happened on days when I have plans. Going to school in the countryside means every trip is a long trip. But when I look out around me and see the beautiful landscape I realized this for me is much more prefferable than a drab urban setting. So no matter the problems, in the end it's best for me. I never was told why exactly I was placed so far away. The only information I have to go on is that my program spends about 6 months trying to find the best matching family. And if they happen to be well, far away, then it seems that’s just a fate one’s got to put up. It’s given me some grief having to commute so far, but my host family is certainly one of a kind. I could not have asked for a more agreeable family. So for this I’m very thankful. But when it comes to seeing friends, it costs a pretty penny. All of my friends live much closer to school by chance. Any meeting is an excursion in itself. There have been a lot of “accidents” on the JR line recently, which have all seemed to have happened on days when I have plans. Going to school in the countryside means every trip is a long trip. But when I look out around me and see the beautiful landscape I realized this for me is much more prefferable than a drab urban setting. So no matter the problems, in the end it’s best for me.

]]> by: DeOrio http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-398875 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:38:34 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2007/10/15/the-view-from-the-classroom-2/#comment-398875 Interesting, Sam. It\'s not often that even those of who\'ve taught in Japanese high schools get it from a student\'s perspective. I am wondering one thing, though: I can see how a student would wind up going to a school well outside of his own hometown, but, considering you were placed in a homestay and placed at a school as an exchange student, why did they put your accomodation so far from your school? Is this just part of giving you the real deal or was there no consideration given to it? I\'ve turned down otherwise good jobs because of commutes like yours. Interesting, Sam. It\’s not often that even those of who\’ve taught in Japanese high schools get it from a student\’s perspective.

I am wondering one thing, though: I can see how a student would wind up going to a school well outside of his own hometown, but, considering you were placed in a homestay and placed at a school as an exchange student, why did they put your accomodation so far from your school? Is this just part of giving you the real deal or was there no consideration given to it? I\’ve turned down otherwise good jobs because of commutes like yours.

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