Having been here for 3 months, being an assistant to 14 teachers in 4 schools and spending most of my day in the teacher's room, I find the simple definition of 'teacher' not quite so easy to define..
Teaching, for the teachers at my schools, is probably about 50% of their job. I've seen a sensei (teacher) give this student a haircut cos apparently his hair was a little too long. I've seen teachers yell the living daylight out of a group of kids who secretly brought chocolate to school. I've also seen a teacher spank the living daylight out of a student. On top of all the disciplining, they have to organise school events, students' workplace experience days, after-school and weekend activities (which are actually compulsory for all students, and happen almost everyday), supervise the students cleaning the school everyday, supervise inter-school matches on weekends,...
Another occasion - a student didn't show up for school one day. He didn't call, and the teachers couldn't reach him. So two teachers got up, left school, and went to look for him at his house.
Once I saw a teacher mend the hems of a student's trousers. "Why doesn't his mum do it?" I asked my fellow senior ALT. "Maybe 'cause he probably doesn't have a mum..."
I don't think all teachers in Japan have quite the same role as those that I see here...I think its to do with the area. Kids at my school aren't as well off; many come from broken families, poor upbringing, parents who are always out working...one of my students was described as "better off raised by a pack of wolves".
I have a lot of admiration for the teachers here. They may not be the best at actually teaching, but they have a lot of responsibilities, a lot of patience, and a big heart, no matter how harsh their bark may seem....
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