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Visiting Teachers Feel At Home

Visiting Teachers Feel At Home image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
October
Year
1969
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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[Photograph] A Tough Question. “What is Japan like?” The Japanese guest at Forsythe Junior High School, Kasuo Otsuka, says that is a difficult question to answer. It is like asking a person from the U.S. “What is American like?” The tables have been turned as the teacher here responds to questions put to him by members of one of the Forsythe classes.

They’re Guests At Forsythe
Kazuo Otsuka and Tamotsu Yano said they feel right at home here although this is the first trip to Ann Arbor, and to the U.S., for both of them. The two men are from Michigan's Japanese sister-state Shiga Prefecture. They came here through the efforts of Musical Youth International band and Choir. Their visit is being coordinated with the state Board of Education by the Ann Arbor Board of Education. William Rude, principal at Forsythe High School and school host for the two visitors, said these 12 weeks will be like a crash course in comparative education for the Japanese guests. Otsuka and Yano are both teachers in Shiga. Otsuka now teaches English at Seta Junior High School in Otsu, the capital of Shiga. He also taught mathematics and was a swimming coach. Yano was a fencing and baseball coach and is now teaching English at Nagahamakita Senior High School in Nagahama City. While they are studying the Ann Arbor school system, the two teachers will sit in various classes. Currently Otsuka is at Forsythe and Yano at Pioneer. Their aim is to get an overall view of the system. Being in the classroom may account for the two teachers feeling right at home, although Yano noted there is more informality on the part of the teacher. Otsuka said he is not used to seeing teachers sit on the desk and conduct class. He also said his students would be reprimanded if they rested or combed their hair in class. Yano said he especially enjoyed the drama class he sat in on. He said he was impressed by the way students so freely expressed themselves. He said in his high school students must be called on before they contribute to a discussion. Classes are now in session at both of their schools. But the school year starts in April rather than September. They explained that although the vacation periods are different, the school year is approximately the same length – eight and a half months in Japan. Yano said it was difficult to learn English in the Japanese schools. He said instruction begins when the student is 13 years old. "Too late," he added. He is making sure his family has a head start on the language. Both his two-year-old daughter and six-year-old son already know some phrases in English. Both Otsuka and Yano lightly agreed that Japanese should be taught in all U.S. schools. The guests have made a whistle stop tour of the city and have been introduced to city officials. Wednesday evening they were recognized at the Board of Education meeting. Although the U.S, tour is set for three months, it was not decided how long the teachers would stay in Ann Arbor.