Morning Meeting & Shiritori

Did you know that in Japan, all teachers share the same room?

Yup, when I'm not it class, I'm in the teacher's room. At 8:25 AM the bell rings and then the vice-principal bows while saying a very powerful "Good morning!". We teachers respond with the same bow and greeting and sit down as the vice-principal announces the general events of the day so that everyone is "on the same page". I'm sure that the morning meeting is one of the reasons for Japanese efficiency in the workplace. The below video shows how most teachers and workers start their day together... Enjoy!

Take a peek at the morning meeting at Sumita High School:



Later today in my sophomore elective English class our students played a very common Japanese game called "Shiritori" that has been successfully adapted for English classes and become a real "tried-and-true" activity for English teachers in Japan. Check it out...

Watch sophomores play "English Shiritori":