The first shock came when as soon as I came out of the airport, I was warned about it, but I definitely underestimated Japanese summers! It was at least 35ºC with 100% humidity everyday for the first two weeks. That was very surprising!
After our first day at the school, we quickly realized that this school was very different from traditional Japanese schools. I feel like we often have the image of a very strict and organized environment, so I was surprised to see classes that felt weirdly similar to Canadian classes with teachers employing strategies that we are being taught at the University of Calgary.
My schedule at the school is comprised of PE, Health, and Moral Education classes for grades 7, 11 and 12. I learned that I am the first TAB participant to be placed in PE and Health classes, which are fully in Japanese. While it does make my contributions limited, it is still very interesting to see the teaching strategies of the teachers I observe. Both of the teachers that I am placed with are in their first year of teaching, which I would have never guessed from seeing them teach, as they both are very organized and able to create a great learning environment in their classroom.
I got to see PE activities that are not as common in Canada, such as softball, kendo, table tennis, and swimming. I also learned that the maximum temperature for having PE outside is 38ºC!
I was very interested in the extracurriculars and the after-school clubs. The clubs at Suito are mostly student led. I will be going to the volleyball club 1-2 times every week. During the first session I was amazed by how organized it was. Students come into the gym and all work together to set up the volleyball net. The president of the club then leads warm-up and stretches. It is then followed by drills, also led by students. At the end, they all form a circle, thank the professor who supervised and everyone who participated. They then take the equipment down, put it away, and mop the floor. It was a shock to see a club being so organized, especially being student-led.
For future TAB participants or people traveling to Japan, here is a phrase that I have been hearing and saying every day:
Atsuidesune = it’s hot isn’t it?
It can be used as a conversation starter, and you will quickly find yourself saying it very often! You can also use samuidesune when it is cold.