I just realized that I haven't really described what a junior high school day is like.
I get to the school at around 8:05 or so, take off my shoes at the entrance, and switch into my indoor shoes. I have a locker with my name on it to store my regular shoes. The teachers and staff use one entrance, and the students use a different entrance. After that, I go to the teachers room, say good morning very loudly, then head to my desk. The morning meeting begins at 8:15. When the bell rings, we all stand up and say "Good morning" (in Japanese) while bowing to each other. Then we sit down, and teachers take turns making announcements. Then, the teachers split up by what grade they teach and make more announcements. This happens every day.
The homeroom teachers then go to their homerooms. I have no clue what they do there, because I don't go. The first class starts at 8:50. Depending on the day, I could have anywhere from 0 to 5 classes. If I'm not in class, I usually just study Japanese, and sometimes make some worksheets or go over students papers, but the last two don't really take up too much time.
In Japan, the students do not move from their classroom, except for gym, music and subjects like that, and during the 10 minute breaks in between classes. Instead, the teachers move from classroom to classroom. Even lunch, for instance, is served in the classroom: there is no cafeteria.
There are four classes in the morning, usually 50 minutes long, but sometimes 45 (for reasons I can't figure out). Then there is lunch, followed by a small break and then 2 more classes in the afternoon. There is also a cleaning time, during which the students clean their classrooms (sweeping and scrubbing the floor, cleaning the blackboard, and cleaning the hallways in between classes as well). The students even clean the teachers room. When they do this, they line up in front of the vice principal, make a pre-written speech about how they're going to begin cleaning and how hard they'll try, and then they clean. Afterwards, they line up again and make another speech. This also happens every day.
In fact, whenever, a student enters the teachers room, they knock on the door, say "Sorry for intruding," state their grade, name, and purpose for being in the teachers room, then wait for someone to answer them. This is usually done with such seriousness that it make you want to laugh out loud. Especially funny is when the vice principal will chide a student for speaking too quietly.
At the end of my day, most of the students have already left, or are participating in one of their clubs or sports teams. I get my timesheet stamped by the vice principal or principal, then I grab my stuff and say "I'm being rude by leaving before you" loudly to the vice principal/senior teacher (This is one of the most polite farewells in Japanese: o-saki-ni shitsureishimasu.), say quieter slightly less polite/formal good byes to a few teachers, then leave.
Hope that was interesting.
