Sems that a lot of commentators in the Western media are really surprised that Japanese people aren't looting in the northern areas affected by the disaster. I've also heard many people say that they are very surprised at how orderly things are in areas suffering from food and water shortages. People wait in line for relief without fights or other conflict.
I'm not surprised. Here's my two cents about the situation in the form of a video blog on my "jlandkev" You Tube channel:
Showing posts with label problems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label problems. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
"Monster Moms" in Japan
The Japanese school year runs from April until the beginning of the following March. That means of course that this school year is coming to a close soon. Although I don’t teach at a Japanese school, I teach at a school that runs on the same calendar. That also means that my school year will soon be coming to a close. To be honest, I am very excited about that! I’m looking forward to spring vacation. I’m looking forward to having time to go hiking and running. I am also looking forward to more time with my wife and son and to be very truthful, I have aged about 3-5 years during the past school year.
There are definitely many reasons for this. Being an elementary school teacher is like juggling a thousand hats at once. Having your first child throws your entire life for a loop (a delightful, yet sleepless loop). At times, there can be friction within the workplace and of course, at times, parents can cause issues. All of these were factors during this year.
I want to focus a little on the problems of parental pressure. I’m of course not going to go into detail about my specific situation, but I will allude to it and reference to issues I have had in the past as a teacher in Korea, Canada and in Japan.
Many people in Japan (especially educators) talk about how things are changing with regards to parents. The same trends seem to be happening in many other places as well. One important role of kindergarten/elementary schoolteachers is to teach a child to become independent. We give them the confidence and the skills to do things by themselves. Depending on the age, that might be something as simple as dressing him or herself or dealing with complex problem solving issues. We want our students to learn how to deal with the world and handle things by themselves. As teachers attempt to instill independence, a growing number of parents seem to want to encourage dependence. As teachers we tell our students that you are responsible for organizing your books and carrying your bags. Many parents tell them, “It’s ok, I’ll do all of that for you and if anything goes wrong, it’s your teacher’s fault.”
Again, these are not just problems in Japan, but in America, Canada, the U.K etc. As teachers we tell parents that children need solid routines both in school and at home. They need set meal times, homework times and bed times. We encourage parents to take an active role in their child’s education. Read with them. Read to them. Guide them during homework time. Make sure they get the proper amount of sleep. Many parents ignore all of this advice and when their child doesn’t reach a high level of academic achievement, the parents very quickly point their fingers in the teachers’ direction. “It’s all the teacher’s fault.”
It can be a frustrating job. Being a teacher is more than 9-5. Often, it’s more than a job. It’s a vocation. Recently, here in Japan, one Japanese teacher decided to take legal action against a “monster mom.” She has also taken legal action against her former school for not supporting her while she was harassed on a daily basis by a crazed mother demanding more than any sane person should! The teacher had to take a stress leave and suffered from insomnia because of this one mother’s demands.
“Monster Moms” are a serious problem. They create unfriendly environments for teachers, students and other mothers. They set unrealistic expectations for teachers and their children and often take no responsibility for any outcomes. Education starts and ends in the home. Parents lay the groundwork for good students. Parents who fail to pull their weight at home often have to deal with the consequences later. Often the result is a child who struggles in school. Monster Moms are the sort of people who would never take any personal responsibility for their child’s situation. They just point their fingers at their child’s teacher and yell loudly.
I recently liked a story about a Florida State representative who wants to grade parents. This politician is proposing a bill where elementary teachers would have to grade parents as well as the students on report cards. Are you pulling your weight as a parent? If you are not, it will show on the report card as well! I like that.
Monster moms are in every country. The real problem is that there are more of them now than ever. If you teach in America, Canada, Japan or Korea as a public school teacher or as an English teacher you will probably run into some.
The past few months have been rough for me and I have asked myself a lot of serious questions. I have had serious doubts about carrying on in this field. At the end of the day though, I love teaching. I know I am good at it and have dedicated myself to it. I have also been very fortunate to have a principal and administration that are firmly on my side and supportive. Even with that, it can be difficult.
Thanks for reading.
p.s. Remember folks, teachers work harder than you can imagine....give them a break! Show them some respect. "Thank you" always works :)
There are definitely many reasons for this. Being an elementary school teacher is like juggling a thousand hats at once. Having your first child throws your entire life for a loop (a delightful, yet sleepless loop). At times, there can be friction within the workplace and of course, at times, parents can cause issues. All of these were factors during this year.
I want to focus a little on the problems of parental pressure. I’m of course not going to go into detail about my specific situation, but I will allude to it and reference to issues I have had in the past as a teacher in Korea, Canada and in Japan.
Many people in Japan (especially educators) talk about how things are changing with regards to parents. The same trends seem to be happening in many other places as well. One important role of kindergarten/elementary schoolteachers is to teach a child to become independent. We give them the confidence and the skills to do things by themselves. Depending on the age, that might be something as simple as dressing him or herself or dealing with complex problem solving issues. We want our students to learn how to deal with the world and handle things by themselves. As teachers attempt to instill independence, a growing number of parents seem to want to encourage dependence. As teachers we tell our students that you are responsible for organizing your books and carrying your bags. Many parents tell them, “It’s ok, I’ll do all of that for you and if anything goes wrong, it’s your teacher’s fault.”
Again, these are not just problems in Japan, but in America, Canada, the U.K etc. As teachers we tell parents that children need solid routines both in school and at home. They need set meal times, homework times and bed times. We encourage parents to take an active role in their child’s education. Read with them. Read to them. Guide them during homework time. Make sure they get the proper amount of sleep. Many parents ignore all of this advice and when their child doesn’t reach a high level of academic achievement, the parents very quickly point their fingers in the teachers’ direction. “It’s all the teacher’s fault.”
It can be a frustrating job. Being a teacher is more than 9-5. Often, it’s more than a job. It’s a vocation. Recently, here in Japan, one Japanese teacher decided to take legal action against a “monster mom.” She has also taken legal action against her former school for not supporting her while she was harassed on a daily basis by a crazed mother demanding more than any sane person should! The teacher had to take a stress leave and suffered from insomnia because of this one mother’s demands.
“Monster Moms” are a serious problem. They create unfriendly environments for teachers, students and other mothers. They set unrealistic expectations for teachers and their children and often take no responsibility for any outcomes. Education starts and ends in the home. Parents lay the groundwork for good students. Parents who fail to pull their weight at home often have to deal with the consequences later. Often the result is a child who struggles in school. Monster Moms are the sort of people who would never take any personal responsibility for their child’s situation. They just point their fingers at their child’s teacher and yell loudly.
I recently liked a story about a Florida State representative who wants to grade parents. This politician is proposing a bill where elementary teachers would have to grade parents as well as the students on report cards. Are you pulling your weight as a parent? If you are not, it will show on the report card as well! I like that.
Monster moms are in every country. The real problem is that there are more of them now than ever. If you teach in America, Canada, Japan or Korea as a public school teacher or as an English teacher you will probably run into some.
The past few months have been rough for me and I have asked myself a lot of serious questions. I have had serious doubts about carrying on in this field. At the end of the day though, I love teaching. I know I am good at it and have dedicated myself to it. I have also been very fortunate to have a principal and administration that are firmly on my side and supportive. Even with that, it can be difficult.
Thanks for reading.
p.s. Remember folks, teachers work harder than you can imagine....give them a break! Show them some respect. "Thank you" always works :)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Teaching in Asia: You Can't Move a Mountain
I have now been teaching in classrooms in Asia for more than eight years. I've taught in both South Korea and Japan and have worked in both language school and international school settings. I have also taught in classrooms in Canada (both public and Catholic school boards). I am a teacher and obviously I think about education and how cultural differences effect it constantly.
This week I plan to write about a few different aspects of teaching in Asia. In this post I want to give my two cents about the idea of "Moving a Mountain" as a teacher in South Korea and Japan. Most of my experience with this topic comes from my days in South Korea, but some is also from my experiences here in Japan.
Every year, thousands of young and not so young people from English speaking countries around the world take the plunge and head to Asia to spend some time teaching English. There are also folks who are teachers in their native countries who move to Asia to teach in international schools. Some international schools have a predominantly international student body while others have student bodies mostly made up of indigenous students. For the most part though, these teachers from abroad are moving to a foreign country that of course has a very culture.
Moving to a new country and dealing with a new culture often leads to culture shock. Languages are different, customs are different and of course, systems of education are different. This couldn’t be any more so than between Asian countries and those in the “Western” world.
As a Canadian who is a product of the Canadian education system and then later became trained as a teacher within this system, I can tell you, the “Asian” approach to education is nothing like the one we have in our country. This is the main stumbling block many new teachers come across when walking into their first classroom in South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, etc. Many young, idealistic, energetic and creative young people walk into classrooms across Asia every year expecting to deliver an awe-inspiring, fun, creative and imaginative lesson, just like their favorite teachers did when they were young. Every year, many, if not most of these teachers, get a surprising kick in the pants!
That creative, fun and hands on learning experience that you appreciated or valued so much is not what the parents of your students and often administrators of your school are looking for! That is not what they want you to deliver to the students. You’re being told to do something that you never would have considered as a teacher and of course never stood for s a student. You are being asked to give your young students boat-loads of homework, daily tests, lists of vocabulary to memorize, grammar formulas and the kind of class that would score 1/100 in the fun factor scale. Now of course NOT EVERY school is like this. Many teachers will come abroad and have a fun time at their schools. I am only speaking from my personal experience and that of some of my friends.
You are now a teacher in Asia and the education system is very different. Both South Korea and Japan are test-taking cultures. They are results based cultures. The education system you find in 2011 in South Korea was based upon the Japanese system (they were colonial rulers of Korea during the early 1900’s), but now has been taken to an extreme level that, currently, far surpasses Japan.
These systems of education are based upon rote memorization and testing. I think folks moving to a country like Korea also have to realize that Confucianism is also very influential so rank/social placement is also paramount! The pressure on young students to be #1 and to succeed is nothing like any of us have faced in our own countries/education systems. Starting in kindergarten, students have immense pressure to read/write/speak English/play piano/violin, etc. They have pressure that most American/Canadian, English, etc., kids never have.
As a new teacher in Korea or Japan, you can easily get stressed or unhappy with the amount of pressure put on the shoulders of the little kids you teach. Sometimes you may complain to the managers of your school. You maybe even feel compelled t complain to the parents of the kids you teach, but just remember; you are coming from a different place. Cultural and education wise, it is difficult to get used to. The education systems of America and Korea for example are diametrically opposed. There are many arguments to be made (and I will in some future posts). Many in Asian, Korea China, etc., will defend their systems of education and say that kids there score higher in math, reading, science, etc.; than many in Western countries. Many would argue that students in Western countries are more creative, deal with less stress and are far more innovative.
However the cookie may crumble, it can be difficult coming from one culture and teaching in another. Sometimes, after years of teaching in another culture you may not understand the goal/thought process of your students/parents/clients/etc.
I would suggest keeping an open mind to the new and fascinating culture you have come to live in. It is very different from yours. You may not like some of the things you find, but there will be other aspects you do enjoy. Although you have your opinions, things are not always black and white. Your school administrators (hagwon/ekaiwa bosses) may ask you to teach in ways you dislike or disagree with, but that is the nature of the beast. Like it or not, that is what they have hired you to do.
If you are a new teacher in Asia and things are frustrating you at times, remember that the culture is different in more ways than you may ever understand. We aren’t products of the culture so it can be difficult to grasp. I’ll admit, that to this very day (8+ years of being in Asia) that I don’t understand the way most people here view education. That’s ok though. I’m a Canuck! I do however; have to try hard to keep an open mind.
This week I plan to write about a few different aspects of teaching in Asia. In this post I want to give my two cents about the idea of "Moving a Mountain" as a teacher in South Korea and Japan. Most of my experience with this topic comes from my days in South Korea, but some is also from my experiences here in Japan.
Every year, thousands of young and not so young people from English speaking countries around the world take the plunge and head to Asia to spend some time teaching English. There are also folks who are teachers in their native countries who move to Asia to teach in international schools. Some international schools have a predominantly international student body while others have student bodies mostly made up of indigenous students. For the most part though, these teachers from abroad are moving to a foreign country that of course has a very culture.
Moving to a new country and dealing with a new culture often leads to culture shock. Languages are different, customs are different and of course, systems of education are different. This couldn’t be any more so than between Asian countries and those in the “Western” world.
As a Canadian who is a product of the Canadian education system and then later became trained as a teacher within this system, I can tell you, the “Asian” approach to education is nothing like the one we have in our country. This is the main stumbling block many new teachers come across when walking into their first classroom in South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, etc. Many young, idealistic, energetic and creative young people walk into classrooms across Asia every year expecting to deliver an awe-inspiring, fun, creative and imaginative lesson, just like their favorite teachers did when they were young. Every year, many, if not most of these teachers, get a surprising kick in the pants!
That creative, fun and hands on learning experience that you appreciated or valued so much is not what the parents of your students and often administrators of your school are looking for! That is not what they want you to deliver to the students. You’re being told to do something that you never would have considered as a teacher and of course never stood for s a student. You are being asked to give your young students boat-loads of homework, daily tests, lists of vocabulary to memorize, grammar formulas and the kind of class that would score 1/100 in the fun factor scale. Now of course NOT EVERY school is like this. Many teachers will come abroad and have a fun time at their schools. I am only speaking from my personal experience and that of some of my friends.
You are now a teacher in Asia and the education system is very different. Both South Korea and Japan are test-taking cultures. They are results based cultures. The education system you find in 2011 in South Korea was based upon the Japanese system (they were colonial rulers of Korea during the early 1900’s), but now has been taken to an extreme level that, currently, far surpasses Japan.
These systems of education are based upon rote memorization and testing. I think folks moving to a country like Korea also have to realize that Confucianism is also very influential so rank/social placement is also paramount! The pressure on young students to be #1 and to succeed is nothing like any of us have faced in our own countries/education systems. Starting in kindergarten, students have immense pressure to read/write/speak English/play piano/violin, etc. They have pressure that most American/Canadian, English, etc., kids never have.
As a new teacher in Korea or Japan, you can easily get stressed or unhappy with the amount of pressure put on the shoulders of the little kids you teach. Sometimes you may complain to the managers of your school. You maybe even feel compelled t complain to the parents of the kids you teach, but just remember; you are coming from a different place. Cultural and education wise, it is difficult to get used to. The education systems of America and Korea for example are diametrically opposed. There are many arguments to be made (and I will in some future posts). Many in Asian, Korea China, etc., will defend their systems of education and say that kids there score higher in math, reading, science, etc.; than many in Western countries. Many would argue that students in Western countries are more creative, deal with less stress and are far more innovative.
However the cookie may crumble, it can be difficult coming from one culture and teaching in another. Sometimes, after years of teaching in another culture you may not understand the goal/thought process of your students/parents/clients/etc.
I would suggest keeping an open mind to the new and fascinating culture you have come to live in. It is very different from yours. You may not like some of the things you find, but there will be other aspects you do enjoy. Although you have your opinions, things are not always black and white. Your school administrators (hagwon/ekaiwa bosses) may ask you to teach in ways you dislike or disagree with, but that is the nature of the beast. Like it or not, that is what they have hired you to do.
If you are a new teacher in Asia and things are frustrating you at times, remember that the culture is different in more ways than you may ever understand. We aren’t products of the culture so it can be difficult to grasp. I’ll admit, that to this very day (8+ years of being in Asia) that I don’t understand the way most people here view education. That’s ok though. I’m a Canuck! I do however; have to try hard to keep an open mind.
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