I found myself frantically searching for an open 100 Yen or stationery shop last Tuesday. It was almost 8 pm and in a few minutes the shops will be closed. Before they close, I have to buy a very important thing. I can't go to work the following day without it. I'd lose my credibility. It can cost me my job, my visa and my great life here in Japan. I really have to get the cute little random things which have a sticky back that you can stick on anything. I have to buy some "shils" spelled as s-e-a-l-s. For better understanding, "shils" spelled as s-e-a-l-s is the same as stickers.
I can't have classes without those golden cute sticky things. My teaching career in Japan depend on it. Students find me awesome because I have stickers. Stickers are my charms, my amulets, my secret weapon. Students are more eager to do the activities and participate more when stickers are dangled on their noses. Students suddenly speak in English to say "May I have stickers?" "Stickers, please." "Can I have this one?" "I want stickers." and "Faye Sensei, you are cute. Give me stickers."
Before I plunged in the Japanese school system, a trainer in the company I work for told us how magical stickers are for students- in elementary, junior high school and even high school. I didn't believe him at that time because I never had students go crazy over stickers before. And I've been teaching for almost 10 years. Until I started teaching in Japan. The magic of stickers is revealed to me. It's like a life source. Students raise their hands, blurt English words, get competitive and find me an angel. Thank God for stickers!
In a culture where cuteness must prevail at all times, I shouldn't be surprised that stickers as a reward works. Japanese love cute things from their Hello Kitty pens to their Pikachu bags, from their monstrous pink shiny ribbons to their character-filled clothes. Young and old, men and women, students or not, the Japanese people embrace cuteness in every color, size and form. Companies, stores and even the police have cute mascots to represent them. Office and school supplies offer a rich variety of cuteness with their designs. Tools and simple things used at home are also designed cutely.
It's only in Japan where I got to have an umbrella with rabbit ears, Hello Kitty watch and scarf, a lacy light yellow Pikachu stockings and a Mickey Mouse spoon and fork. I could go on and describe every cute thing I have in Japan. I can't help it. I just have to have them, they're so "kawaii" (cute). You know just like how my students can't help but fight to death for my stickers. So yeah, I should really be buying more stickers. Running out of stickers is detrimental to my teaching career.
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| photo credit: http://blog.modes4u.com/tag/sticker |
I can't have classes without those golden cute sticky things. My teaching career in Japan depend on it. Students find me awesome because I have stickers. Stickers are my charms, my amulets, my secret weapon. Students are more eager to do the activities and participate more when stickers are dangled on their noses. Students suddenly speak in English to say "May I have stickers?" "Stickers, please." "Can I have this one?" "I want stickers." and "Faye Sensei, you are cute. Give me stickers."
Before I plunged in the Japanese school system, a trainer in the company I work for told us how magical stickers are for students- in elementary, junior high school and even high school. I didn't believe him at that time because I never had students go crazy over stickers before. And I've been teaching for almost 10 years. Until I started teaching in Japan. The magic of stickers is revealed to me. It's like a life source. Students raise their hands, blurt English words, get competitive and find me an angel. Thank God for stickers!
In a culture where cuteness must prevail at all times, I shouldn't be surprised that stickers as a reward works. Japanese love cute things from their Hello Kitty pens to their Pikachu bags, from their monstrous pink shiny ribbons to their character-filled clothes. Young and old, men and women, students or not, the Japanese people embrace cuteness in every color, size and form. Companies, stores and even the police have cute mascots to represent them. Office and school supplies offer a rich variety of cuteness with their designs. Tools and simple things used at home are also designed cutely.
It's only in Japan where I got to have an umbrella with rabbit ears, Hello Kitty watch and scarf, a lacy light yellow Pikachu stockings and a Mickey Mouse spoon and fork. I could go on and describe every cute thing I have in Japan. I can't help it. I just have to have them, they're so "kawaii" (cute). You know just like how my students can't help but fight to death for my stickers. So yeah, I should really be buying more stickers. Running out of stickers is detrimental to my teaching career.
