OCR Text |
Show Donna Ash Writes Of Experiences Teaching in Japan In a letter recently received by Superintendent Dan W. Peterson, Peter-son, Donna O. Ash describes educational ed-ucational methods and problems in Japan. Mrs. Ash, former principal prin-cipal of Grovecrest School, is now on a one-year leave of absence. The letter reads in part: Teaching remedial reading to 49 boys and girls who have traveled travel-ed practically all over the world is a real challenge. However, this is but a part of my work in Japan. Extra-curricular activities include teaching English to Japanese Jap-anese teachers, dentists, policemen, police-men, university students and others oth-ers from all walks of life. There is a great desire among the Japanese Jap-anese people to learn the English language. In contrast to being a teacher, I am also a pupil. Two nights each week I have attended a Japanese language class. It is a fascinating study tout I find it difficult. Saturdays have been been spent visiting Japanese schools with some of the teachers who have attended my classes. On two of these occasions I have been the only American to visit these particular schools and talk with the students. The buildings are very old and poorly equipped. Pot-belly stoves with coal buckets are about the only visible equipment. Yet, there is a great -desire for learning. I have never encountered more enthusiasm en-thusiasm than is shown in these schools. During the Christmas holidays I traveled through Hong Kong and Thailand and spent ten days in India. Experiences we encountered encoun-tered on this trip would make Zane Gray's stories dull. We were held by the Indian government for insufficient funds. Twenty-three American teachers from Japan and the Phillippine Islands were stranded in India. Had it not been for the American Embassy in Calcutta, Cal-cutta, we would still toe there. I am not sure what happened to our money but someone from the travel agency was a bit careless. |