Summer at Ichihasama Chugakko
Summer at Ichihasama Chugakko (Middle School) means no classes, but the kids and teachers have to report to school as usual on a daily basis. The teachers must be at school regular hours if they aren’t doing some other type of school related activity, like coaching, listening to a lecture or attending a workshop. The students all come to school anywhere from 4 to nine hours, it seems, practicing with their sports team, or preparing for sports day, which is coming up in September. This is quite different than America, where both students and teachers get 2-3 months off completely. Personally, I like that Japan has a more year round style, but still feel that they have to report to school too much. And I think the break for kids in America is too long and they either get bored, or forget what they were taught since the break is so long. SO, I think a mix of the two would be fantastic… like one month of school off in the summer, three weeks off in the spring, and three weeks in the winter, and a couple weeks in the fall sometime. This seems like it would be a good balance for the year, and there would be regular times to recharge.

Summer is a more relaxing time at school than it is at other time of the year here in Japan. Kids usually come for ½ day for sports practice then can go home or go fishing, or hang out at 7-11, like kids back home. It’s amazing because sports teams do a great job of managing and monitoring themselves here. Often the sempais (older kids) are in charge of the practice routine and are in charge of the kohais (the youngers). Sometimes the teacher will make a practice plan that the sempais use, or the teacher will get them started on a drill or concept for that day and then will head back to the teachers room while the sempais are in charge of practicing that drill or concept for the rest of the day. Almost ALL the kids in Japan are in excellent shape! They are required to do a club, which is all sports unless they do brass band. The sports clubs vary from school to school. At Ichihasama there are: boys and girls hockey, girls soft tennis, basketball, baseball, judo, girls volleyball, and boys and girls table tennis (ping pong), then of course, brass band.
(Above: Studying... slaving away with the books at my desk!)
Many ALT’s either love or hate the summer time. They, too, are required to report to school as usual, but since they don’t coach or attend any teacher activities, you can imagine that they could get rather bored at times. Jae, my predecessor forewarned me about the summer lull, and gave me some tips. So here is what I’ve been doing:

1. Study! Summer is a great time to study, and since I am taking a class in Sapporo, I’ve been studying a lot to be as ready as I can for that class. Some ALT’s don’t make an effort to study, and to me that’s a shame. I think it is important to at least try to learn some Japanese so that you can communicate a bit with the students and staff. The community really likes it too when they see you studying. It is a good gesture that you’re interested in Japan.
2. Blog or e-mail. This is what I’m doing today! There’s no better time than the summer to get your peeps at home caught up with what is going on in your life.
3. Write letters. I love giving and receiving hand-written letters. To me, letters are an extremely valuable gift from a friend… just the effort itself says, “I care about you a lot.”
4. Join a club! I’ve been joining the basketball club periodically and the kids love it. It’s a great time for them to practice their English, and also just a good time for you to develop some relationships and bond with the kids. Swimming, although not an organized sport at my school, is an activity option during the summer. I’ve been hopping in the pool in the afternoon and the kids seem to really like it when I’m there. The pool is a big 25 meter, 8 lane pool and only about 3-3.5 feet deep, but it works fine. It’s funny how the there’s a couple lane lines in the middle and the boys and girls are divided into separate sides. The girls usually hit a big beach ball around, while the boys play a standing water polo type sport and are a bit more rough and tumble. The weather has been beautiful, so it has been great to be outside in the pool… brings back memories from my polo days at Davis…. ahhh college!
4. Help out around the school. Ask some teachers if they need help with anything. Again, this is a great gesture that is a sign of good will.
5. Develop a rapport with the staff. Talk to some teachers you usually don’t talk to. Chill with Kocho or Kyoto sensei (Principal, Vice Principal).
6. Make an English bulletin board or some teaching posters for the classrooms. Or, put up some pics of your family, friends, house back home. Find ways to help the staff to get to know you better.
7. Write a newsletter for the staff. Tell about you, what you’re learning in Japan, what you want to learn, what has been fun, tough, or difficult to understand. Have a section to teach some basic English! Interview a student or teacher and include it in the newsletter. The possibilities are endess. (Above: students practicing their taiko drumming routine for sports day)
8. Relax and play an instrument. Jae, my predecessor, said she would often just sit somewhere outside or around the music room and would play guitar and talk to the kids as they came to listen. This is another wonderful way to get the kids speaking English, and to make some bonds with them.
9. Read a book or journal write. For me, summer has always been a time for reflection and rejuvenation. Journal writing and reading books are always rejuvenating activities that I look forward to in the summer. Get your mind off of the here and now with a good book, set some goals for your next year in a journal… start the fall feeling refreshed!