The first three days of the third week were mostly spent helping Class 201 with their Science presentations that they have to present right after their exams. Time was tight and we could tell that the students were stressed hence we tried our best to work with them to improve their presentations that were entirely in English.
After wishing the students good luck for their exams, we headed to Sakura Dai High School and spent the next 5 days there while the students in Koyo High School take their exams.
We were warmly welcomed by the staff and the students of Sakura Dai High. However, we were not expecting to do a presentation about Singapore on the first day so it came as a shock to us when the homeroom teacher of Class 3F asked us if we were ready to present. But, we took up the challenge and finished the presentation successfully though there were definitely room for improvement.
The last day of the week (and second day at Sakura Dai), we had the opportunity to watch Sakura Dai High's Sports Festival. This event was something that I was looking forward to as I know school festivals are a big thing in the Japan High School culture. And boy was I not disappointed! The students were all heavily involved in the sports events and even when there were not, they were cheering loudly for their classmates. We really enjoyed watching the students do their best during the sports events. A lot of students fell down when doing the relay race but they all silently got up and continued running despite the pain. Their perseverance and teamwork left me in admiration.
We also made friends with 11 other student teachers who were having their practicum at Sakura Dai. It was interesting to learn about the educational system and the teaching education in Japan from them. They also helped us a lot especially the English student teachers in being our unofficial translators. Thanks to them, we avoided situations where there could have been miscommunication. The student teachers were really keen to befriend us and even though there may be language barriers, we had a lot of fun and built a sense of camaraderie as a group of student teachers going through practicum together.
~Our Thoughts~
After wishing the students good luck for their exams, we headed to Sakura Dai High School and spent the next 5 days there while the students in Koyo High School take their exams.
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| The entrance of Sakura Dai High School |
We were warmly welcomed by the staff and the students of Sakura Dai High. However, we were not expecting to do a presentation about Singapore on the first day so it came as a shock to us when the homeroom teacher of Class 3F asked us if we were ready to present. But, we took up the challenge and finished the presentation successfully though there were definitely room for improvement.
 |
| Students doing a cheer before the start of the Sports Festival |
We also made friends with 11 other student teachers who were having their practicum at Sakura Dai. It was interesting to learn about the educational system and the teaching education in Japan from them. They also helped us a lot especially the English student teachers in being our unofficial translators. Thanks to them, we avoided situations where there could have been miscommunication. The student teachers were really keen to befriend us and even though there may be language barriers, we had a lot of fun and built a sense of camaraderie as a group of student teachers going through practicum together.
~Our Thoughts~
Throughout our stay in Japan, we found out that the students in Japan dedicate a lot of time to their club activities. They could attend their club activities as often as up to three to even four days a week. This comes as a surprise to most of us as we only attend our CCAs for at most two days per week... I can see that the students in Japan are really passionate about their club activities. They are so close to their club members, even closer than their classmates. On this note, I am happy that the students are able to find their passion and interest in school, creating fond school memories which not only consists of the academics, but also the non-academic areas. Seeing students' synergy and teamwork with their club members, I am so happy and glad to see them grow as a team, developing holistically.
Also, the teachers are very hospitable and showered us with opportunities to work with the students! Though sometimes it came as a sudden surprise and panic attack to most us, throughout the experience, we really learn a lot. There were a lot of invitations for us to attend classes and the teachers tried hard to include us! From participating in Science experiments, reading texts in Chinese and English all the way to taking charge of the entire Mathematics class. The confidence and trust which the teachers had in us, the encouraging students who would listen attentively to our lessons even though it is taught in a foreign language, motivated us to overcome our fears and try to teach them to our best ability. We are so grateful and appreciate every effort of inclusion they made, to accommodate us, while creating a positive and welcome experience for us.
Finally, the friendly student-teachers which we got to interact with also left a deep impression for me. They had really long working hours as they always reach the school early in the morning and leave towards the evening. Whenever they have free periods, I would always see them working hard, preparing for the lesson material. Many of them seem really stressed out by the workload. Though most of them seems to be around my age, they are already trying to cope with around four classes and preparing for lessons almost every week. Yet behind all this stress and workload, there lies their passion and motivation to work hard for the sake of the students. I really salute each and every student teachers and I believe that though some of them might not be teachers at the end of their teaching assistantship, they will still carry away precious lessons and experience from teaching and interacting with students in the class.
By Florence & Hui Li (:
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