Black Tokyo Monogatari: Teaching English in Japan with Ato

Anyone else with knowledge of this subect feel free to share your thoughts!

It’s been six months now since I’ve made the change from the relatively controlled environment of the eikaiwa to Japanese public schools. It’s been a really eye-opening experience. Kids misbehave in every classroom, but never have I seen such blatant disrespect for teachers while they are conducting a class. Even in the much talked about US innercity schools, the students can refuse to follow the teachers’ instructions, but the teacher then reserves the right to have that student leave the class so as not to hamper the other students’ learning.

In Japanese classrooms the teachers seem almost afraid to quiet a disruptive student; allowing students to conduct their own conversations during the lesson, often with the most minimal of correction. In the US, pupils know that a line is drawn at physical contact, and that inappropriate touching, comtact of any kind can result in law enforcement intervention. In Japan it seems that there is no such boundary!

I feel that there is a definate lack of fear of consequence that borders on being spoiled/pampered that explains a lot about some other things I observe in Japanese society with respect to certain adult behavior.

What do you think?

This post is the first of a series on Teaching English in Japan by the BT member, Ato.

Black Tokyo Monogatari: Teaching English in Japan

• Part 1    Teaching English in Japan
• Part 2    F You!
• Part 3    The PTA
• Part 4    Oi! Shut the Hell up!
• Part 5    I’m Ghost
• Part 6    Some Feedback
• Part 7    No Pain, No Gain
• Part 8    Yakuza Light
• Part 9    More of Generic
• Part 10  The Ghetto
• Part 11  The Ass Grab
• Part 12  Some Feedback
• Part 13  Sexual Chocolate
• Part 14  Pimped
• Part 15  Question Everything!

Support Black Tokyo via Kimono Girl