mistifications part I

Sometimes my experiences in Japan come without the "pessi" and are just plain "mistifying"! The students had mid-term tests yesterday and got their results back today. Watching the students take back their test papers is one of the funnier things I have seen here! They will go to huge and humorous lengths to make sure noone else sees their score in the bottom right-hand corner of the paper.

Usually, the teacher takes a seat behind the desk at the front of the class and puts all the papers inside the desk. Then each student is called individually, usually in alphabetical or (student-) numerical order. The teacher folds the paper in half and hands it to the student once they come near the desk, and most students then dog-ear the bottom corner of the paper to cover the score, then race back to their desk where they hunch over and take a peak. Today some students even went up the back of the class for extra privacy! The whole time students are squealing and screaming and swearing - it's so great! My robotic little English-haters came to life!

One of the classes was extra amusing today, because students brought folders or textbooks up to the teacher's desk to snap the paper out of her hands and conceal it! Another girl was really funny because she thought she had been underscored so I was helping her add up her points, and when we found that one question hadn't been marked and she deserved an extra couple of points we both yelled out in joy and she gave me a double high-five!! It was 'cute'.

I caused a sensation a few weeks ago after a smaller test when some students claimed I was flashing their scores when I gave their papers back! They were yelling out, "Ahhh!! You're showing the scores! People can see them!!"

I remember when I was in high school, our scores and class ranking for maths were posted on the wall!