I had intended to make my next blog post about the intensely crazy yet wonderful weekend I just had a few days ago, but something just happened in the 6th grade classroom that's left me with the NEED to vent to a foreign audience.

Most things about life in Japan are easy enough to get used to. The foods you don't like, the way you must interact with your co-workers, the "cultural differences" that you expect. There is one thing I will never get used to though, and that is the punishment policies in the Japanese classroom.

Just a bit ago, I was sitting in with some of my 6th grade students. We'd spent the previous period working on posters with the theme of world friendship. Then in the break between classes, the teacher Mr. Y starts talking about what they'll do next period. Somehow, I missed what the girl in the front seat did that roused his anger, but she must have done something. Suddenly, the normally genial Mr. Y starts to yell at this girl. He bops her on the head, rough, twice. She cowers and lowers her head to the desk. Mr. Y then proceeds to grab the back of her shirt, drag her out of her chair, and then drop her to the floor by the door. Still not finished, he keeps yelling at her to get out, and literally uses his feet to push her the rest of the way out the door of the classroom.

While she cries in the hallway, he comes back and finishes talking to the class. No one besides me is disturbed. Once the class starts gathering up their things to head to the gym for the next period, Mr. Y goes out into the hall again and talks to her, though I can't hear what's being said over the other kids around me.

My gut reaction is of course shock and repulsion. If this man was a teacher in America, that would have been his job right there. Gone, no question. Yet this is a standard disciplinary action here. I have seen situations like this before...students struck hard, pulled by the collar, or dragged out of class. And these are not kids exhibiting violent behavior that requires restraint, at least not most of the time. It always seems like an extreme punishment for minor crimes.

Not only is it difficult to sit and watch this, but it's difficult to be unable to do anything about it. I'm the outsider here, and it is not my place to object. In fact, I would probably just make things worse by trying to do anything. I just have to sit and remember to the teachers AND to the kids, this is normal. But every fiber of my being wants to scream out against this behavior when it happens. I want to stand up for the kid. A grown 40 year old man vs. an 11 year old girl just seems unjustified, no matter her offense.

I try to console myself by remembering the opposite side of this spectrum. Here, the kids can have positive physical contact with their teachers. I've taught a lot of my kids how to give me a high five, but I can't lie and say I don't like it when the little guys take my hand or give me a hug. The kids have a bond with their teachers here that isn't really allowed in the States. The relationship is closer than the normal teacher-student one we know had with our teachers, even the good ones we think fondly of. Teachers are more like parents than strangers. There's a lot of responsibility placed upon teachers here for that reason, but the students do show a lot more affection towards them for it.

That said, I am not accustomed to seeing a child treated the way I just saw. And I hope that I never will be.