A Day at School

Today was a busy day at Calum and Alistair's school. Saturday is not usually a school day but the boys headed off at their usual time this morning. It was a special time for parents to come and visit the school and observe a couple of classes. In the afternoon everyone stayed on for the school festival. In the morning we divided our time between the 1st grade class and the 4th grade class. It was fascinating to observe the way the class is taught, how the children participate and just the general atmosphere. The first period for both classes was what you might translate as 'social values' or 'moral education'. Each class was considering different scenarios and the children were to suggest what should be done and how the other person would be feeling. It was interesting to see the class working together on this. When a child had something to share, he or she would stand up behind their chair and give their answer in a clear voice. The next class was maths. The 1st grade class was considering how to work out the answer to 13-9; the older class was on fractions. In the 45 minute period each class managed to do one problem only - it was all done with involvement of everyone and each step worked through slowly and clearly. Everyone could follow. Watching the interaction and how the process works itself out provides a fascinating cultural study of the interplay between teacher and pupils on the one hand and between the group and the individual on the other. Having had all of our boys at Japanese elementary school has been a great blessing for them as well as a rich insight into the culture for us as parents.