Yamagata Trip Day Nine

 

We started the day by meeting up at Nihon University Yamagata Junior High for a cultural exchange with the students. At the school we were each put into a different class. Ranging from sixth to ninth grade a different Koshare was put into the classes. The following is how one Koshare spent their time at the school.

8:30 am:   Meet at Nihon University Yamagata Junior High School
We met up at the school and then were seperated into our individual classes. I was put into what would be the equivilent to the American sixth grade. The grade level was called one-one. After introduction of myself the students were very welcoming and delighted to see an American. The first period, lucky for me, was an English class.

8:50 am
Another American from Ohio was assisting in teaching the class. The man, Paul, was working with the local government and assisted with the English classes at the school. The class was just starting in learning English, so their lesson was based upon greetings. Since I was there and did not know any Japanese, the professor used me in teaching the students. We were to greet each other and this gave me a chance to actually formally meet each student. It was a fun practice for them and for me.

Somewhere around 9:00 am
The classes at the school were not set based upon the clock, but seemed to be based on how long it took to teach the lesson. After the English class there was a short period for the break and I got to talk with several of the students. It was amazing how many of the students knew a great deal of English. One of the students who knew a lot of English was actually the class clown and I had the change to joke with him a lot. One of the girls in the class informed me on what was going to take place next. I found that she was the one who knew the most English in the class.

Next period math
Again I got lucky and had another subject I could understand. The class started off with a greeting in English and the Math teacher again welcomed me to his class. This teacher was different than the last and throughout the course of the day a different teacher specialized in a certain subject. During the lesson I actually got my first assignment to complete. After thinking for a bit I remembered how to solve the equations. The teacher also asked for my help in reading the problems in English.

P.E.
In the next period two classes combined for P.E. Jay Manyik was in the other class and I got to talk with him while the students participated in P.E. During the class the students did their stretches and then attempted to jump rope. However, twenty students at a time were to jump together in the one rope. With each try they got closer to accomplishing the feat, but by the end of the class they did not get to their goal. However, they did have a great time trying to figure out how to get to their goal. I heard that another class later jumped the rope eight times - a school record. While I sat and wondered if they could accomplish it, I thought it was impossible.

Social Studies
Before the next class started I had time to talk with more of the students. Many were reading from their English books for phrases to ask me. This was actually the first class that I had that I did not completely understand. However, from what I got they were being taught about a portion in their history in which the Chinese influenced their culture. The students were to draw the facial difference between a Japanese man and Chinese man. I got as far as drawing the Chinese man and saw the facial differences.

Around Noon - Lunch
After social studies class the students brought out their lunch in the classroom. There we ate and visited with each other. I sat with a group that had a book with common English phrases and they read each one off to me in perfect English. When we finished our lunches we headed to the gym for a quick game of basketball. There was no need for a bell to signal the kids to return to class, they knew the exact time to be back in their seats. When we returned to the class there was no teacher in sight, but the students had what seemed to be a block of time where they ran the class themselves. There was no play, instead the students went through their assignment without supervision. When the teacher entered the class the next period began, but I had to leave for another seminar in the school.

Astronomy Seminar
Next all the Koshares joined in a seminar on Astronomy, but the entire seminar was in Japanese. Since we could not understand it at all we looked at the reaction of the students. We immediately found that boring is boring no matter what the country. Several students near us passed out and we were not the only ones who enjoyed a few laughs. When the seminar ended we had some free time and most of us enjoyed it by going off campus to the local convenient store.

Pep Assembly
We joined the students in the gym for a pep assembly to wish the sports teams well in their weekend tournaments. Some of the teams were just like in America, but there were many popular teams that we do not usually have in American schools. The familiar teams were the baseball, basketball, cross-country, soccer, volleyball and tennis teams. While the unfamiliar teams included the ping pong, kendo and judo teams.

Meet at Tohoku University
By five o'clock many of the Koshares left with their host families to meet at Tohoku University. Roger Roath and I were the last two at the school waiting for our host families to pick us up. However, the wait was not boring at all. We watched the baseball and soccer team practice. These kids were very skilled at both sports and it was interesting to watch the practice. By six o'clock all Koshares were counted for and watching the monkey show on the campus of Tohoku.

In the front of the main building at Tohoku a very entertaining show was put on. It would be too hard to explain in detail what an amusing event this was, so it would probably be best for a Koshare to tell you their story. This same show was also shown on the local news the next day.

Rehersal on the Noh stage
After the monkey show the Koshare ate a light dinner and then prepared for a full dress rehersal on the Noh stage. Much care and respect was given to the stage while the Koshares were to perform their first performance. A small crowd gathered just before the Koshares began to dance. With each dance the Koshares did the crowd began to grow. By the end it was a real show with a real audience and no longer just a rehersal. When the show was over we dressed and got ready to go with our host families.