elementary school visit...the best day yet!

Today we visited Kamisu City Fukashiba Elementary School (say that 5 times fast) which was an incredible experience!! As a high school teacher, I forget how much fun the little kids are, though it was an exhausting day, to say the least. We arrived in time to see the kids arrive at school. Everyone walks to school and the 6th graders lead the younger kids to school for safety reasons. There is little to no supervision by teachers during this time and for most of the time during the day, especially during recess. After changing into our slippers, the school had an assembly for us and the students sang a song, which almost brought a tear to my eye because it was so cute and so special for us. The school has open classrooms which seems a little distracting to me, but the students didn't seemed distracted at all and actually seemed very mature about everything that happened at school. Here are some of my observations:

1) students take pride in their school and are responsible for cleaning the school after eating lunch. The school does not employ custodians as the students (not even the teachers) clean everything!!! I was amazed that they didn't even need to be reminded to start cleaning, they just did it and seemed to have alot of fun doing so.

2) at recess the teachers did not go out with the students. We went out to play with them and were immediately bombarded with requests for autographs (sign, please). I felt like Paris Hilton for a day and would have lines of students waiting with their notebooks and markers.

3) there seems to be a mutual respect between teachers and students. At the end of each class the students thank the teacher and bow.

4) teachers are there to guide, not lead. Routines are followed without reminders.

5) peers correct one another and want the best for everyone

6) there is not a cafeteria on site at the school. Food is prepared at a central location within the district and then brought to the school. The students serve the food in their respective classrooms, so there is not the chaos of a cafeteria. I had a chance to eat with a 3rd grade class and they kept waiting for me to finish eating so I could begin signing autographs again...they were so cute!!

7) the school is very formal, yet the students are given a lot of freedom because they are so mature and responsible about everything!

8) the school does not require a uniform, but the students change into "school shoes", called uwabaki and they all have the same leather backpack, called a randoseru. All children in grades 1 through 6 in public elementary school use a randoseru to carry items back and forth from home to school each day. Very often the schoolbag is a gift to the student from his/her parents or grandparents. This gift carries an important meaning to the student--now you are of the age to study very hard.

9) Students and staff change from outdoor to indoor shoes when entering the school building

10) Paper, rock, scissors is an universal solution to any problem or challenge

10) The only complaint the teachers had was the classroom size: most classes have 35-40 students!!