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2012 J-LEAP REPORTFEBRUARY, 2013: BREEZE ISSUE #64
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESECHIEKO YAMADA
Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School
Waterbury, CT
Hello. My name is Chieko Yamada and I’m working at
Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School (Maloney) in
Connecticut as a Japanese language teaching assistant.
Maloney is a magnet school so the students come toschool from not only one district, but from many different
areas. Our students range from Pre-kindergartens (3, 4years old) to 5 graders (10 years old) and everyone
studies Japanese for 25 minutes a day, 3 times a week.
“We want students to love studying a foreign language” and “We create units that are age-appropriate andfun!” describe the goals of the Japanese Language and Culture Program at Maloney. Therefore we don’t
use particular text books, and we try to create classes where the students can have fun with activitiesaligned with the curriculum such as singing Japanese songs.
The students love Japanese songs, so they sing the songs even when they are not in Japanese class.
When I meet students in the hallway, they always give me a greeting like “Konnichiwa” or “Sayonara.” It’s
not only late elementary students, but also Pre–kindergarten students that do this. How do teachers getstudents attention and concentration in a short 25 minute class? I don’t have much experience as aJapanese language teacher so my supervisor’s classes really help me learn how to manage and createclasses every day.
I assist with different grades every other week; the first week I help out with students in kindergarten
through 2nd grade, the second week I help out with students in 3rd grade through to 5th grade, and thenthe cycle repeats and I help out with students in kindergarten to 2nd grade again. Each grade has adifferent atmosphere so I really enjoy the variety of classes.
During the class, I am in charge of routine activities, demonstrating how to write Japanese words(Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji) and helping the students who were absent during the last class. Students
think I can’t speak English because we try to speak only in Japanese to the students and sometimes it is aPrivacy - Terms

challenge for me to relate to students in Japanese. But now, the students have settled into a routine, andthey work hard to understand what I say (sometimes relying on the hint sheet on the wall in Japaneseclass room).
It has already been 5 months since I came to America and during that time, I learned a lot as a Japanese
language teacher, but I also learned a lot about American culture through my host family and at school. In
the school, teachers wear some crazy costumes on Halloween and pajamas on Pajama day, but this issomething you would never see if you teach in Japan. I have also had some wonderful memories during
my free time when I went on vacation with my host family, when they threw a birthday party for me, andduring Thanksgiving. I feel like I have experienced a lot of American culture; however, there were also
some painful events like when I heard about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, which is in the nearby
town of Newtown. I thought about a lot of things, especially how I should I behave as a teacher and also
school safety. Unfortunately I haven’t found all the answers yet so I hope to answers these questions
during my remaining time in the United States.
Over the next 17 months, I have many challenges as a Japanese teacher and I have settled on following 3
goals:
1. Be a reliable assistant
2. Bring back a lot of knowledge and experience to Japan
3. Enjoy my life in America
I will try to do my best to achieve these goals.
And finally, I really appreciate all the people who provided me with the opportunity to come to the UnitedStates, and help me adjust to my new life here.

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Breeze #64

2012 JET-MIP Report 7/8

2012 J-LEAP Report: Chieko Yamada

2012 J-LEAP Report: Minako Kadoi

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Maylin Chong2012 JET-MIP Essay: Rebecca Lee

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Ruby Cabuya

2012 JET-MIP Essay: Sam Gamble

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