Haiku in Education - Sonia Coman

WHF2002 - Haiku in Education

SONIA CRISTINA COMAN
Constantza, Romania

Should Haiku be Introduced to Elementary School Education in Romania?

Parts I and II of this series of essay-reports by Sonia Christina Coman have been previously published in the World Haiku Review feature column, "Haiku in Education", on the projects of introducing haiku to Romanian schools and the establishment of the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre in Constantza, Romania. Part III is Sonia's exciting report of the beginning results, the fruit of her work.
As WHC's World Haiku Ambassador, Sonia has taken her commitment seriously and actively. Throughout 2002, she has been fulfilling her vision. She has organized many activities for the introduction of haiku to children, appeared on national radio and television shows and collaborated with WHC to help develop a curriculum. In answer to Sonia's request for help, WHC Director of Schools, Ms. Ferris Gilli, has written a series of haiku lessons which are now being implemented through the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre and presented by teachers to Romania's schoolchildren. The lessons were translated by Sonia under the supervision and editing of Professor Laura Vaceanu, President of the Society of Haiku in Constantza, Romania. In addition to WHC, Sonia has enlisted help from various individuals, groups and journals of various world haiku communities in support of her work, among them, the Haiku Society of Constantza, Meguro International Friendship Association's (MIFA) Haiku Circle, The Heron's Nest and the World Haiku Review.

Part III: Haiku in Romanian Education:
The Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre of Constantza, Romania

by Sonia Cristina Coman
Constantza, Romania

This autumn, the National Conference of the Haiku Society of Constantza was held. This Conference was a very special one for me, as I had the opportunity to speak about this project to teachers and haiku poets throughout the country. The most important materials that I used and distributed at the Conference and afterwards, by mail, are the haiku lessons written by Mrs. Ferris Gilli, as part of an educational project coordinated by WHC through the efforts of WHC Director of Schools, Mrs. Ferris Gilli, WHC Chairman, Mr. Susumu Takiguchi, WHC Development Advisor, Ms. Debi Bender, honourable members of the Centre and myself.

Mrs. Gilli's haiku lessons will be introduced in the Romanian Educational System in order to lead students in the understanding of nature and all the things happening around us; in this way, they will begin to attempt the writing of haiku poems.

I have requested that teachers keep records of the poems which they and their students have written in their spare time, during a class or at a ginko. Some members of the Haiku Society of Constantza and myself plan to attend the haiku workshops organized during the haiku classes, twice a month or monthly. Afterward, I will write reports containing all haiku poems and a short biography of their authors, together with the special mention that they are members of the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre. The reports will be signed by the leading teachers of the classes. Through these, I will announce the results of our efforts, sending the haiku for consideration toward publication to some of the foreign haiku reviews with which I am collaborating with: World Haiku Review (WHChaikujunior Column), Heron's Nest, Evergreen and the Meguro International Haiku Circle. The haiku poems written by students outside Constantza will be sent directly to World Haiku Review.

Ms. Gilli's haiku lessons are highly appreciated by poets and teachers throughout the country. They are currently in use by the following haiku poets and teachers:

Ms. Maria Coman, teacher of history and philosophy, "Dimitrie Leonida" High School - Constantza;

Ms. Diana Vasiliu, teacher of Latin and Ancient Greek, "Constantin Bratescu" High School - Constantza;

Ms. Laura Vaceanu, haiku poet, President of the Haiku Society of Constantza, teacher of Romanian and English, Middle School no.12 - Constantza;

Ms. Alexandra Munteanu, haiku poet, translator, teacher of English, Middle School no.39 - Constantza;

Ms. Olga Dutu, haiku poet, professor, rector of "Ovidius" University - Constantza;

Ms. Stela Moise, haiku poet, teacher - Navodari;

Ms. Manuela Miga, haiku poet, professor, University of Bucharest - Bucharest;

Ms. Emilia Dumitrescu, haiku poet, physician - Bucharest;

Mr. Dan Doman, haiku poet, geologist - Bucharest;

Mr. Ioan Gabudean, haiku poet, teacher, Editor-in-Chief, "Orfeu" Haiku Magazine - Targu Mures;

Ms. Doina Gabudean, haiku poet, teacher - Targu Mures;

Mr. Serban Codrin, haiku poet, writer, Editor-in-Chief,"Orion" Haiku Magazine, Chairman, "Ionel Perlea" National Library - Slobozia;

Mr. Dumitru Radu, haiku poet, professor, University of Bacau - Bacau;

Mr. Florin Grigoriu, haiku poet, teacher, Editor-in-Chief, "Amurg Sentimental" Literary Magazine - Lehliu, Bucharest;

Mr. Marc Orheianu, poet, teacher - Resita;

Mr. Mircea Petean, haiku poet, writer, teacher - Cluj;

These poets have each established branches of the Japanese Centre in their cities. They are enthusiastic because almost all of them are teachers who have waited for years and years such an opportunity. Most started writing haiku about 10 years ago, when almost all Romanian haiku societies were established. At the Conference of the Haiku Society of Constantza held on September 27-29, we were celebrating 10 years of haiku in Romania.

Thus, they were very eager to learn more about this international haiku project, which will bring haiku into Romanian schools. At the Conference, we discussed the possibility of teaching haiku in their cities, read haiku written by beginners of all ages and debated the essential aspects of haiku that children must understand.

On the same line of thought, Ms. Diana Vasiliu, teacher of Latin and ancient Greek, haiku poet and member of our Centre, was the first one who succeeded in teaching haiku as a regular school subject to her students. My mother, Mrs. Maria Coman, and I spoke with Ms. Vasilu about the importance of haiku in education, encouraging her to teach haiku to her students. The headmaster of the high school where she teaches, Mr. Constantin Vitanos, approved her haiku classes of 7th through 12th grades (middle and high school levels), introducing the lessons into the school curriculum; that is, the students will receive marks for their haiku, as they receive marks for any other school subject.

Ms. Vasilu's haiku class takes place at "Constantin Bratescu", a high school affiliated with the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre. At the school, there is always a lecture room available for meetings and conferences of the Haiku Society of Constantza. A most wonderful result is that both students and teachers have accepted haiku as a school subject with great pleasure.

Through these efforts, haiku is now taught in Romanian public schools and highly appreciated by students. Yet, the most important aspect of our project is to encourage children to write haiku and make it a part of their daily lives. Until now, Romanian students wrote a number of poems in haiku style. A selection of the best first efforts of these students has been published in this issue of the World Haiku Review's WHChaikujunior Column.

To date, one of the most successful meetings of the Centre has been a ginko (haiku walk) at the Black Sea Coast. This meeting was in honour of WHC's World Haiku Festival 2002, which took place at Yuwa-machi, Akita, Japan, in September 2002.

I invited students from various high schools in Constantza to take part in the ginko, telling them about haiku and our efforts to introduce haiku poetry and lessons to Romanian schools. I was very happy to see that they were so interested in haiku, Japanese culture and Japanese language. They immediately wanted to be part of our Centre and to attend the haiku meetings organized in Constantza. When I told them about a ginko trip to the Black Sea Coast where we should write haiku and take pictures, everybody wanted to come!

The ginko was a total success. First, each student was introduced to the others. Some of the participants were singers with a touring church chorus, which visits different monasteries all over the country. My own classmates enjoy painting and drawing, as we are from the Art School. Other students were piano players, or attending sport competitions.

After a brief explanation of what a haiku is, and how can they write one, I told them of the advantages of writing haiku, giving some famous examples. Mrs. Ferris Gilli's lessons were of great help. At first no one tried to write haiku. They were all taking pictures and asking questions, when suddenly, a boy started to explain what a beautiful image he saw. Asked if he took a picture of it and he said he couldn't. He felt very sorry. I told him that he could write a haiku about it instead, and still preserve his beautiful moment. The students then began to understood the importance of haiku, and started their attempts. Of course, they were not yet actually writing haiku, but with a little help they wrote beautiful poems for a beginner.

When not writing or discussing haiku, we were taking pictures, speaking about Japan and of interesting web sites. I enjoyed teaching some Japanese greetings and a few other words. We all had a wonderful time, and one of my classmates told me that she has never before felt so connected with nature, literature, other people and another culture. I am sure we all felt the same, and this, because of haiku. It is exciting that we could get together from various schools and had such a great time admiring nature and writing haiku, and we all wrote a several poems. Now, some of the students who participated in the ginko are attending the conferences of the Haiku Society of Constantza

During one of my mother's Japanese Culture and Civilisation classes, I organized the most recent meeting with speakers for the Centre. Last week, the "Dimitrie Leonida" High School celebrated its Patron Saint, Dimitrie. My mother, who is a history teacher in the high school, and manager of the Centre, decided to organize a haiku meeting during her class. Two Romanian haiku poets, Mr. Radu Patrichi and Ms. Laura Vaceanu, were invited to present their understanding of haiku to students from high schools in Constantza, who are learning to write haiku. Mr. Radu Patrichi, Vice-President of the Haiku Society of Constantza, presented his own haiku books and encouraged the students to understand haiku as a way of sharing their discoveries with the world. Ms. Laura Vaceanu, the President of the Haiku Society of Constantza, presented the history of the haiku poem and its worldwide development. Ms. Vaceanu gives a haiku class in her school, as she is a teacher of Romanian language and literature. One of her fellow teachers is director of a kindergarten which will teach haiku to the children.

At the meeting, students read poems they wrote during the Black Sea Coast ginko. The poems received comments and suggestions, and were translated in English. The students were especially interested by some aspects of haiku. For example, we had a discussion through the questions, "Is haiku a genre of poetry based on philosophy? Which are the basic aspects of haiku?" Afterwards, we enjoyed a small reception and met new people. The students have been invited to attend the activities of the Haiku Society of Constantza. This meeting has been broadcast on a TV channel and reports appeared in some newspapers.

Also, a permanent photography exhibition programme has been recently organized in a classroom of the "Dimitrie Leonida" High School. The photographs will be changed periodically, depending on season, accompanied by haiku poems written by students.

I am very happy that people hear about haiku in this way. This seems to be a promising beginning for haiku writing among students of all ages.

The Dimitrie Leonida High School in Romania, where students are learning about writing haiku

The Romanian Board of Directors of the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre (left to right, above):
Ms. Veronica Oprea, Deputy Headmistress of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Founder of the "Dimitrie Leonida" Foundation, Constantza.

Ms. Maria Coman, General Manager of the Centre, and Teacher of history and philosophy at "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Constantza.

Miss Sonia Cristina Coman, WHC's World Haiku Ambassador (awarded by Mr. Susumu Takiguchi at the Reception of the Japanese Embassy, August 2000 London, UK), and Founder of The Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre and The Interdisciplinary Experimental Class of Haiku, English, French and computers in Conatantza, Romania.

Mr. Gabriel Coordonescu, Headmaster of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Chairman of the "Dimitrie Leonida" Foundation and Chairman of "Amis sans frontiere", Constantza, Romania.

The committee of teachers and other members of the Centre (l-r):
Mr. Radu Gheorghe, Educational Headmaster of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Constantza.

Ms. Pavel Daduica, Secretary of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Constantza.

Mr. Doina Buta, Engineer of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Constantza.

Miss Sonia Cristina Coman

Ms. Doina Pop, Secretary of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Constantza.

Ms. Veronica Oprea, Deputy Headmistress of "Dimitrie Leonida High School", Founder of the "Dimitrie Leonida" Foundation, Constantza.

With Sonia, at the building of the radio company, "The Voice of Hope", some members of the JCCC who work at the station (l-r):
Mr. Dan Cucu, Radio Technician.

Ms. Elena Costea, Radio Editor of the broadcast, "Our Generation", which presented me; Associate Member of The Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre and The Interdisciplinary Experimental Class of Haiku, English, French and computers in Conatantza, Romania.

Miss Sonia Cristina Coman, WHC's World Haiku Ambassador

Ms. Alexandra Flora Munteanu, Teacher at the "Nicolae Tonitza High School"; Associate Member of The Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre and The Interdisciplinary Experimental Class of Haiku, English, French and computers in Conatantza, Romania.

Mr. Roland Paraschiv, Executive Director of the Radio company "The Voice of Hope".

At the meeting of the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre organized during the celebration of Saint Dimitrie, the Patron Saint of "Dimitrie Leonida" High School.
(l-r)

Mr. Radu Patrichi, Vice-President of the Haiku Society of Constantza

Ms. Laura Vaceanu, President of the Haiku Society of Constantza

Miss Sonia Cristina Coman, WHC's World Haiku Ambassador

Miss Stefanian Maria, a Student Member of the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre

Ms. Maria Coman, General Manager of the Japanese Culture and Civilisation Centre

A class of high school students listening attentively to Ms. Laura Vaceanu teach the introductory lesson of haiku writing. Exhibited are students' photo-haiku and sign for the Centre.

Read the Romanian students' first poem selections from the ginko at the Black Sea Coast

| Back | Next |

| BookMart | e-Cards | Search |