Just another day at the office...

I teach at four junior high schools. They range from country schools with the sweetest, most eager-to-learn students, to the city schools, where rebellion and obnoxious behavior run rampant. I have a rotating schedule where the longest stay I can have at one school is about three weeks; to the shortest stay, about 1-3 days. Whereas some others are more content to have only one school, I rather like having four. It gives me a chance to experience the differences between the city and country schools and, to tell you the truth, I can't decide which I like better. Both kinds of schools have their pros and cons and I'm only happy to be able to experience them both.

Last week I visited my most "badass" school. When I began teaching last year, I was told that this school is the second worst junior high in my city (Sean has the worst one of all!). And I began to know what they meant soon enough. According to one of my teachers, the students who attend this school come from an area where there is a long history of family problems. The students do as they please in this school: they walk right out in the middle of class, slam sliding doors, push over desks, and smoke in the bathrooms. Hardly anything that would be out of the ordinary in any schools involving adolescent youth, but when you’re teaching at nice inaka (country) schools where the kids stand up immediately and greet you when you walk into the room, this is a huge change.

But don’t get the wrong idea. I absolutely love this school. Sure, the kids may be rough, rude, and obnoxious, but they have so much energy that it’s invigorating to be there. I love it that they’re not shy to talk to me (even if it is to inquire about my sex life!) and that they rebel against the typical Japanese school girl/boy image—fashion-wise and demeanor alike.

Another reason why I love this school is because of the teachers. This is a large school, and with students as obnoxious they are, the teachers must band together to keep the kids in line. As a result of this, all of the teachers are close with one another and have a good working relationship. The atmosphere in the staff room is casual, fun, and relaxed. Everyone still finds time to chat and laugh even when they’re all stressed out of their minds. I’ve been really lucky; everyone has been open and friendly with me from the moment I stepped into that school. This school has also given me the most support in any major projects in which I have wanted to pursue. Is it any small wonder that I love going there?

Last spring there was a change in teachers and as a result, I have a new JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) who sits next to me. He teaches ichi-nensei (7th grade) and is the most interesting JTE I have had so far: thirty-something (but looks considerably older when he dons the most overwhelmingly large welder glasses I have ever seen), is consistently in a suit and tie even on the most sweltering of days, and consumes copious amounts of coffee (I have never seen or heard him not drinking coffee. His suit is always clean at the start of the day, but by the end of the day, there is an exceeding amount of white chalk dust all over his navy blue suit. Quiet and reserved, he sits next to me and never initiates any conversation until I do so first. He sits, hunched over at his desk, slurping his coffee loudly while glancing over at whatever I happen to be doing at my desk out of the corner of his eye. It’s always clear that he wants to ask me what I’m working on, but his shyness always overcomes him. So I’m always the one to talk first:

“N-sensei…”

At this point, his entire body swivels to the right as he answers in a remarkably loud “HAI!”
It’s almost as though I had startled him out of his mind.

Our conversations always consist of me asking how he’s doing and to which he always replies with a chuckle that he’s "not so good” on account of his bad back. He looks just plain miserable at times.

I have taught with him a few times and the kids love to tease him mercilessly. He always endures their insufferable teasing, but it’s clear that he's struggling to keep his anger from rising. The kids really don’t show him that much respect and mock him to no end.

Which brings us to last Friday.

I was sitting at my desk, reading, when two of the ichi-nensei teachers came into the staff room carrying a broken stereo. They placed it on the desk opposite of mine and were staring at it with grim faces.The machine was completely smashed. A “New Horizon” CD (English CD ) could be seen on the edge of what remained of the stereo. A crew of excited ichi-nensei students came trailing into the room. There was an naughty gleam in their eyes.

I went into the lounge to fix myself a coffee and to allow the teachers around my desk to settle whatever it was that had happened. Sitting on the couch calmly with his legs crossed, was N-sensei.

“How are you doing?” I asked, spooning sugar into my mug.

Chuckle. “Not so good”, he replied, the nerves in his face twitching.

“Is it your back?”

“No. It’s the students.”

“Yeah, I saw the stereo just now. What happened to it? Did the kids break it?”

“No. I threw it.”

A pause as I try to imagine this quiet and reserved teacher throwing the stereo across the room.

“What?!” I exclaim, incredulously.

“Yes. I asked them to follow my instructions once and they didn’t listen to me, so I asked them again and still they didn’t listen to me, so I threw the stereo to catch their attention.”

Like I said, all the kids at this school are pretty hard to manage. I, myself, have had to check my annoyance and anger at times during my lessons, and I don’t even teach that often. I couldn’t imagine having to teach those kids everyday. But still, all of the teachers at this school have never, ever lost it this badly. I began to see him in a different light. I wondered about the fuzzy ball of rage lurking underneath that quiet demeanor of his. He’s a ticking time bomb! Sort of like Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love.

But still, I can’t blame him for doing what he did. If you could see how those kids treat him day in and day out, you’d understand too.

I think I’ll bring popcorn to the next class I have with him. I’d like to see Shut the F@#K UP or I’ll Smash the Radio Part II in action.

I’m almost rubbing my hands in anticipation.