An East Asian Winter: Part 2

“Welcome to Japan” — The Strokes

Hey y’all! Welcome back to my blog! Today we’re going to continue where we left off. In my last post, I dived into an experience in Taiwan, one that was difficult, rewarding, and memorable for me. Today, I will be telling a series of different stories. This was my experience being a short term TA at Technos College, a Carleton partner school located in Tokyo, Japan. 

Tokyo is overwhelming. People are like ants in a colony, with places to be and things to do- they are everywhere! Not many people speak English either. You’re surrounded by foreign scripts and words you have never heard. It is a lot. But through it all, my coworkers- Zane, Sophie, Jina, and Lucas- helped me navigate and set me up for success. I learned, I grew, I experienced, and most importantly, I felt. This is only a glimpse into the life I lived there. There is much more to tell. 

Technos College 

I taught at Technos College, a vocational school of higher learning. There, I worked with the airline, train, hotel management, bridal, and tourism students on their English skills. I also taught classes on Spanish and Chinese. When I’m not working as a teaching assistant, I’m in the Technos Global space, which is my office. There, I am offering tutoring sessions or talking with students for fun. One time, a student came in and wanted to play “The Game of Life”. But it wasn’t just the student and I playing, the short- and long-term TA’s joined the fun!

Meet the TA’s

Lucas Schattanmann is another short-term TA from Carleton, like me. There are two long-term TAs: Zane Phillips from McKendree College and Sophie Ledden from SUNY Purchase. Additionally, two recent graduates are also TA’s, teaching for an entire year! Lastly, my boss was Jina McCullough, Bates class of 2020. She was the best boss I could ask for. I can speak on and on about how amazing all of these teachers and students were, but I thought I’d tell you about some short moments here and there!

Day In My Life

The entire school is a huge concrete complex. Despite it looking Orwellian and 1984-esque, the dining hall was sleek and modern. It was lined with wooden chairs and served cheap Japanese eats. Every day for lunch the TA’s would eat in the dining hall with the students. Most days I would sit with the other TA’s and my boss. Those meals contained exuberant belly laughs, often met with smiles or jealous stares. Other times, a couple of our students would join us! Our communication with the students was simplified, but despite that, after a joke they would look at me, I would look at them, and our language barrier would disappear in a cacophony of laughter. Lunch times were frequently the highlight of my day because it was a time of inter-cultural exchange, human connection, and full of pure joy. 

Weekly Presentations 

Every week, I would give presentations to a group of 40 first-year college students. The first week, I talked about music and jammed out to songs like “Bombs Over Baghdad” by Outkast and “Umbrella” by Rihanna with a class full of Japanese students, hearing it for the first time. Jina was also there, breaking it down with her dance moves!

The next week, I taught them about national parks. They laughed at images of manatees, puzzled over the formation of canyons, and gasped at geyser explosions. Finally, last week, I decided to give some advice- talk about my life and what I’ve learned. Being the same age as the students, I understood the irony of giving advice to a group with just as much experience living on this floating rock as I had. Then again, I had a very different upbringing than any of the students: I lived across the world, spoke a different language, and interacting with different cultures than they had. So, I had lots to tell. 

Teaching

Teaching itself was a struggle, and I quickly learned how hard it is to be a good teacher. Keeping students engages while ensuring they are learning is no easy task. I assisted with English lessons, teaching about democracy and dictatorship, an ever relevant topic. I also made holiday themed presentations and taught a Chinese class to Japanese students, in English. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done- but I loved the struggle. I didn’t expect how challenging it would be to find the right words: ones that were clear, concise, and simple enough to truly convey my point. Yet I found myself loving the process, especially deciphering my students’ personal opinions expressed in broken English. It was incredible. Through every moment of difficulty, there was a light that kept me going- the moment when understanding finally clicked! Watching that spark appear as students pieced together something they hadn’t understood before was unforgettable. That feeling, witnessing learning happen in real time, is one of the best in the world. With the support of my amazing coworkers and students, I fell in love with teaching.

Thank you

A huge thank you to the Carleton Fellowships Office, and Marynel Ryan Van Zee for helping set this up. I have the utmost respect and gratefulness for my coworkers. Without them I would not have been able to have these amazing experiences and grow into the 19-year old I am today. So much growth is ahead of me at this school, and I am optimistic with my future opportunities. That’s it for now. Thanks for tuning in, and I will see you next week with another installment of my adventures in East Asia. Sending love and good vibes in this difficult time.

From, LW 

Leo Wang (he/him/his) is a prospective Political Science (International Relations) and Geology Major from Newton, Massachusetts. You can typically find him in the Carleton College Climbing Gym, where he works as a staff member, setter, and class TA. When he’s not climbing, he typically plays one of his instruments: guitar, Violin, Viola, or Erhu (a traditional Chinese instrument). Speaking of the Erhu, Leo is also involved with Carleton’s Chinese Ensemble. There, he is a musician and also works in a staff role, transcribing scores. Another hobby of his is the outdoors. He loves running in the Arb and disconnecting from technology by going on long walks. Lastly, Leo loves being social. He can often be found waving to others from across the bald spot, talking to strangers at various events, and trashbagging with his friends down the Bell Field Hill. He’s always open to chatting and feel free to contact him for any questions about anything.