Summertime in Aomori - School Break

Trips to the beach, BBQs with friends, bike rides, parties, and loads of fun festivals--here in Aomori, summer is in full swing. There's all kinds of things going on and I'd like to share some of my summer experiences here. Although the summer solstice (夏至, or geshi) occurred on June 21 this year, it didn't feel like summer until a full month later. And indeed, I tend to think this feeling is shared every year by many people living up here in northern Japan; it isn't until late July when the weather starts to finally warm up, school gets out, and the big festivals begin. And I think it's especially true that as a teacher, summer doesn't seem to start until the school summer vacation does.

The term wrapped up on July 19 with a closing ceremony (終業式, or shuugyoushiki). The ceremony was similar to others and included some speeches, bowing, and a lecture to students about behaving during the break. A few days later, summer break officially kicked off, also falling on the same day as the national holiday Umi No Hi (海の日; or Marine Day, to celebrate the seas and oceans).

My School's Closing Ceremony before summer break

Summer vacation is very different for students in Japan compared to where I'm from in the U.S. and perhaps quite different than Western countries in general. It's relatively short in Japan, spanning just about one month (July 22 to August 26th at my school). Whereas in the U.S. a small number of students must attend summer school as a result of poor grades or bad behavior, many Japanese students must come every day for the club activities or studying. 

Baseball team on the field

Club activities (部活動, or bukatsudou) refer to the school's sports teams as well as other clubs like drama club or chorus. Students' commitment to these activities, even if motivated by the expectations placed on them, is very impressive. Most students come to school early in the morning and practice all day until the early afternoon. For example, the tennis team has practice every day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with one lunch break. That's 5 hours of practice, every day, during summer vacation. This doesn't include the piles of homework they are required to complete during the break. Not only students, but teachers also have to work hard during the vacation. Nearly all teachers are required to also coach/manage the various club activities, without any extra salary given to them. 

Student practicing hurdles

Yet the break is still nice for everyone, of course. The school atmosphere is much more free and relaxing. Students aren't sitting at their desks trying to stay awake, teachers can come to school later and leave a little earlier, teachers don't have to wear typical work clothes and students don't have to wear their school uniforms. And for me, it gives me a chance to watch the clubs practice and chat with students more casually. In particular though, my work focuses on helping students practice for the upcoming English Speech Contest.

The English Speech Contest is a yearly event that takes place in early September. Each school can select up to one student from each grade to participate in the recitation section, and one student from any grade to compete in the original speech section (for a maximum of four total students per school).  I've been meeting with my students very often this summer because not only do I want them to have confidence and perform well, but it's also pretty fun for me too! After selecting the participants and speeches, I made sure they understood the broad meaning and individual sentences in their particular readings/speech. Now I'm focusing on pronunciation and building their confidence. The next step will be working on rhythm, fluency, and intonation. Finally, I'll work with them on their stage presence, volume, etc. It's a lot of work but I enjoy it!