The Japanese Shuffle:
People attempting to look busy, when they are not at all. This includes walking around the office/ staff room with pieces of paper, talking to colleagues, shuffling paper from one side of their desk to the other and then back again, wiping the same shelves down that they just did before, re-writing documents or just sitting at their desk staring at paper with no objective.
Shy = Incompetent:
When a student is too shy to complete a task, another student close by is able to complete the task for him/her - thus never putting someone out or slowing a process down. Of course, this also means that the shy person learns that they don't have to complete tasks - or worse, that they are unable.
Difficult = Unable To:
When a student who is difficult to include either due to behaviour or slow learning ability, is ignored, sent to the back of the room, and by-passed at every opportunity to contribute to the class. These are the ones that are 'too cool' for everyone because they have trouble with the subject matter, just don't want to be a part of the class or to learn and would prefer to sleep, or take too much time up in figuring out what to contribute. These students inabilities are not a recognition of lack of teaching skills, rather a lack of intelligence on behalf of the students and therefore pointless to teach.
Student Versus Teacher Space:
Or lack there of. Students remain in the same class for the whole day except for in Electives (such as cooking or P.E.). Teachers' base is in the Staffroom and move from class to class for each assigned lesson. Students enter the staff room at any time (upon announcing themselves) and in particular come before every lesson to their assigned teacher to help take notes for the class or other resources to their classroom. Students own the class room essentially, not teachers.
Students involvement/ownership of school:
Or lack there of. Students remain in the same class for the whole day except for in Electives (such as cooking or P.E.). Teachers' base is in the Staffroom and move from class to class for each assigned lesson. Students enter the staff room at any time (upon announcing themselves) and in particular come before every lesson to their assigned teacher to help take notes for the class or other resources to their classroom. Students own the class room essentially, not teachers.
Students involvement/ownership of school:
- One student said to me "School comes first, then me". Which is classic Japanese. This student won first place in the English Speech Contest and handed her trophy over to the teachers instead of taking it home - she didn't take anything home to show her mother that she had won.
- Every student is allocated a space within the school to clean every afternoon after lessons are finished.
- Every student belongs to at least one club and is involved in club activities every afternoon and most Saturdays.
- Students are so proud of their schools, they wear their uniform even on holidays and weekends.
General:
- Every one wakes early and sleeps early
- Every one takes off shoes when entering most buildings to put on other shoes
- Every one always says when they are leaving work; "Sorry to be leaving before you", which is responded by "good job/well done". Even if it's been a shit day and nothing but Japanese Shuffling has been achieved.
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