Yamauchi Jr. High

Students cleaning the school before the start of the day

We finally got to experience a full day at a Japanese school! We visited a local junior high school, which includes grades 7, 8, and 9, where we were first welcomed by an all-school assembly. I had to give a speech on behalf of the American teachers, which went fine except that I completely messed up on saying my name in Japanese. Oh well, it certainly broke the ice. There were some traditional dances and a karate performances, but unfortunately, my videos are too long to load on here.


I forgot to bring my slippers and so had to wear the official visitor slippers provided by the school

I mostly visited math classes, and had a couple of observations as to how they compared with American classes. They were much larger to begin with: 35-40 students, and the teacher was certainly the focus of the class. Most problems were done as a whole class, and even when students were asked to work on a problem individually, many waited until it was gone over before writing anything down in their notebooks. In one class, no students talked for the entire period. In another, students spoke to answer questions, while in a third class, students raised their hands and stood up when acknowledged by the teacher. The work that teachers put on the board was meticulous - it had clearly been planned out in advance and was neat, color-coded, and represented the lesson in its entirety. Virtually nothing was erased from the board. Again, videos are not loading, so unfortunately, you'll just have to wait for my return.



More cleaning of the school - happens every day before school, after lunch, and after school


Students playing traditional instruments