As I spend time in Japanese schools I often find myself taking note of the differences between Japanese public schools and American public schools. Some examples that come to mind;
1) A formal greeting by students to teachers at the beginning of each class period.
2) The teacher’s room where every staff member has a desk and meets daily, plans and takes a tea break throughout the day.
3) Every student eating the same school lunch, a homemade balanced meal including milk, protein, carb, fruit and/or vegetable. The lunch is served and cleaned up by the students.
4) Then students and teachers all brush their teeth.
5) There is no supervision during recess where students peacefully play soccer or mill around the dirt field appreciating a time to play.
6) Teachers don’t meet students, students meet teachers without lining up. Students are just in the classroom. It is the student’s space.
7) Each day there is a cleaning time where students clean the whole school (mop, windows, classrooms, bathrooms, etc.)
This is not an extensive list of the differences between Japanese and American schools. Instead it is a list of things that I have appreciated that makes it different to go to school in Japan.
It makes me wonder if we would have a more independent, responsible American child if we gave them more control over themselves, their choices and their environments. How would they view themselves as apart of a community? What contribution would they have to make?
