Japanese student teachers share culture with students

Sneakers squeak as the students dash across the gym floors.

“Darum-san ga koronda!”

The students stop. A few topple over and are out of the game.

Play begins again. The children run, hoping to get to the front before the Oni turns around and catches them.

The game is Daruma-san ga koronda, a Japanese playground game similar to Red Light, Green Light. Before Friday, none of the fourth graders at Lucas Elementary School knew the game existed. By afternoon, they were experts.

“It's fun,” Bella Runge, 9, said, catching her breath.

Nine Japanese student teachers visited Weber and Lucas elementary schools this week to share lessons of Japanese culture through games, toys and stories. Their visit was made possible through a partnership with the University of Iowa College of Education and the Joetsu University of Education.

Every two years, a group of Japanese students from Joetsu spend a week visiting local attractions and offering an exchange of cultures at local elementary and secondary schools in Eastern Iowa. The group also take part in events on the UI campus.

The 10-day Joetsu Exchange is facilitated by UI International Programs.

“We want (the student teachers) to be able to come to the United States and experience education, to practice their English through experience instead of just observing,” said Toko Igarashi, the program coordinator from Joetsu. “They have to find a way to communicate, a way to share their message.”

“It's a real eye opener, for the visiting students and the students they teach,” said Nicholas O'Brien, a graduate research assistant with UI International Programs. O'Brien organized the visit.

Standing before the fourth graders, Katsuya Sugiyama, Yukiko Yoshihara and Akie Miyata gave a presentation on Japanese games. The trio used video and cue cards to assist in the lesson. Their English was spoken slowly with a thick accent. As the presentation continued, they relaxed. Their nerves gave way to enjoyment, their smiles genuine as they watched the students play.

“I think it's great for them to be exposed to the language,” said fourth grade teacher Mindy Wieland. “They've really had to listen and respond to it.”

The Joetsu students will visit to Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School on Monday, where they will observe several morning Japanese classes and have lunch with Kennedy students.