ALT e-Guide

ALT’s (JET) Survival Guide at Junior High School

Just to be clear from the outset, this guide will not give you an in-depth description into what school life is like in Japan, nor provide images or Japanese phrases in relation to Japanese School life. Whatever is not included in this guide has been purposely excluded in order for you to experience such delights and unknowns first-hand. Based on my own experience as an ALT, I thought that I would share with you some advice if you allow, into surviving as an ALT or JET in Japan.

For an introduction guide to living in Japan, please read my e-guide ‘In Japan – An Introduction’. http://gurugurujapan.wordpress.com/in-japan-guidebook/

For a more in-depth read relating to various sections of this short guide, please read my ‘A Term in School, Self Assessment’. http://gurugurujapan.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/a-term-in-school/

 

 

 

First Introductions

 

So, you have landed the job of being an ALT, you have met with the local board of education and they like you enough to give the go ahead for your placement in one of their schools. You meet with the head teacher or deputy teacher and perhaps one of the English teachers to introduce yourself prior to the big formal introduction. Naturally, as a newbie to Japan, you are not expected to speak Japanese, but if you learn a few basic phrases (refer to my online guide), it will be like gold dust glossed finely over your image.

On your first day at work you will have to introduce yourself to all the teachers in the teacher’s room, and this will be followed by the start of term school assembly (provided you are joining at the start of the school year in April), which you will then introduce yourself along with the other new teachers to the whole school. Not such a nerve-racking experience now is it?!

You can’t talk to everybody

Trying to do so is futile. Naturally, say hello to everyone you pass. Just like other corners across the globe. You will find that some people are slightly shy and others are just plain damn-right rude. However, you should focus on building good communication and understanding with the Japanese teachers of English first and then work your way around the teacher’s room. People will be delighted to speak to you but may not necessarily initiate conversation because they lack English ability, they know you may lack in Japanese ability or simply they don’t know how to begin a conversation with a foreigner.

English Room / English Board

Some schools may have an English room or an English board space (or perhaps both). If this is the case, then use them! Making posters, advertisements or simply doing work outside of the teacher’s office will both hold a good impression on your behalf as well as prevent you from going insane when staying in the teacher’s room when you have nothing to do.

In one of my previous schools, we had an English room that was both untidy and neglected. In my free time, I would make posters for the room carrying different themes; cinema listings, Basic English words and phrases, about the environment and eco-friendliness, child poverty, and a space to host student’s work when they do group activities in class. The room became such a pleasant place that the teachers and I decided to take English lessons in the English room as much as possible, as well as having English related meetings during each term. The English room even served to improve student’s motivation in a challenged school.

The Teacher’s Room

This is the room where often or not the principal and vice principals will be staring at you for no apparent reason – so try not to be alarmed. You will be seated with either the first, second or third grade teachers, so make an effort to remember their names and speak to them when necessary.

I personally would advise being “you” in the teacher’s room, but naturally be respectful of the noise levels and other people’s emotions. Each school is different (you may change schools every year or every two years) and therefore, different behavioural standards will be implemented. You will easily pick up what behaviour is expected from you by observing others.

So you heard the previous ALT was so wonderful? This may or may not be the case, but either way don’t try to live up to previous teachers nor try to better them. Simply be “you” and measure your own performance and progression with your own ruler.

If your Japanese ability is low, you will sometimes feel lost when meetings take place, during at which point it is best to take a note of words that stand out (which you don’t understand) so that you can check them in a dictionary later.  The quicker you become comfortable and socialise with people in the teacher’s room, the better your experience and attitude will be to being there.

It’s your home from home with a pot of emotions and laughter, as well as snacks sitting on your desk from the unknown. And no, you don’t have to say good morning and goodbye directly to the principal/vice principals everyday.

Opposite Sex Interaction

There is no secret remedy into how to interact with the opposite sex because every local area is different, every school is different, and every teacher is different. Observing each teacher’s personality and behaviour, and how other teacher’s interact with them will help you to understand the best form of communication. In addition, I would strongly recommend not touching the opposite sex in anyway, regardless if it is a social tap, nudge or what-not.

Usually, people in Japan don’t touch each other when greeting, socialising or talking. It may be the norm where you come from, but a teacher might get the wrong idea (whether good or bad). Compliments are always nice, but don’t over do it.

Furthermore, beware of the smiling illusion. One of the science teachers I knew always smiled and got very shy when speaking with her. Now, you can take this in three ways. 1) She is shy and likes you, 2) she is shy to communicate with foreigners, or 3) that’s just simply her character. I prefer to think of such an example as a combination of 2 and 3. It’s easy to do if you put your ego aside. Unless the opposite sex is inviting you out for a private dinner or drink for two, or brushes your arm gently while giving you a seductive wink please do assume that all communication no matter how out of the norm it may be is simply natural and friendly.

Teacher’s Parties

You will be invited to teacher’s parties (dinner with drinks) throughout the school year including start of term, after the sports festival, end of term, Christmas, end of school year, and so on. I only go to the first and last because they can be pretty expensive, 5,000 – 10,000 Yen (about 25-50 pounds) each.

Never feel that you have to attend any of these parties in order to fit in, make a good impression or simply because everyone else is going.  Just say “no, thank you” as opposed to “I have other plans”, or vary between the both.

If you attend one of these teacher’s parties, then be very aware that some teacher’s will become shockingly drunk and you may be asked to participate in games and karaoke (which would be the second party after the first party). I will leave the rest to your imagination and coming experiences.

 

Teacher’s Trips

Let’s not confuse this with school trips because ALT’s never get invited on school trips because it would be arranged for you to teach another grade during these times. Though I have always thought that it would be nice to go to Kyoto, Mother Farm, Kamakura and other places with students and teachers, it’s a no-go! Well, at least I have yet to hear of an ALT going on a school trip.

You may, if you’re lucky get invited to a teacher’s trip perhaps at the end of the school year. These will be either an all-teacher trip or separated to only grade-teacher trips. I’ve only ever been to one, which was an excellent experience, but being a family man I’d rather save money and go on trips with the family because these school trips are very expensive.

 

Personal Life

From time-to-time we may have some personal issues that affect our performance as a teacher. Most definitely, one should leave their personal problems at the school gates and their work problems at the front door. That being said, it can be hard, especially being so far from home.

However, I would strongly urge one to not share their problems with others in the school. Your listener may feel you’re being too personal; it could create uncomfortable situations, and even worse – be used against you (end-of-term reporting) as an excuse for why the school may feel your underperforming even though you may not be.

The best thing to do is leave everything private and personal out of work. If you have problems you should go and talk with someone at the company of your employment.

Learning Japanese

Got some free time? Finished class preparations and decorated the English room/board? Then why not learn Japanese! If you have a computer on your desk, then browse the Internet for online Japanese learning (not Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Mixi and personal e-mails) or keep a book or two on your desk. Naturally, feel free to ask your surrounding teachers for some advice or help if needed. The Japanese are always more than willing to help you in anyway possible.

Home Time

You will never be asked to work beyond your working hours as an ALT, if you are, then it will be voluntary on your part unless you have informed your company and they have agreed to it. As an ALT, you are not employed by the school or the local Board of Education, but by your employer.

Never expect to be able to go home early! The Japanese are very hard-working and they expect you to be also. Some teacher’s may naturally resent you because you leave earlier and have a lesser workload than them, but this isn’t your fault. Water off a dove’s back.

When it is time to go home simply say goodbye aloud in the teacher’s room, smile and leave.

Laptop is your Best Friend

If you don’t have a computer at your desktop (which is often the case in schools with less expenditure), then investing in your own personal laptop is imperative. Why? You can prepare lesson activities with greater ease. There are many other beneficial reasons, but these will be different depending on who you are and what you like to do. Wink wink!

ALT-Student Relationship

It is imperative that you set the standard in your first introduction lesson. I’ve always tended to think of the relationship with the students as friendly, casual (outside of the class), and just the all round friendly buddy. You don’t have powers as an ALT to discipline students, so don’t try to and don’t take negative student attitudes personally. Their negative attitudes, if any, are seldom ever directed at the ALT.

Student’s like to ask you all sorts of funny and personal questions both inside and outside of the class and it is ok for you to answer them just as long as they are not too personal. Once you open that personal question floodgate it can’t be closed (not at least until you change to another school).

Do not allow student’s to touch you inappropriately either. If you’re a guy, then you will find out what I mean when you meet male students. It’s a cultural and psychological thing I’m guessing (that’s an essay in another field, so let’s leave that for now). In turn it’s ok to ‘high-five’ a student; shake their hands and so on, but common sense can easily distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate touching.

 

 

 

ALT-English Teacher relationship

To get off on the right foot, let’s remember that an ALT is there to assist the Japanese teacher of English and not the other way round. So, you will be expected to contribute a lot of ideas and activities, as well as supporting teachers during lesson time.

There are some cases where teachers can be rude to the ALT, but you can simply ask (nicely) what the problem is or just ignore them, but don’t build up a fountain of dislike towards them for it does nobody any good. Keep the communication simple and professional. The best way to get the teachers to like you is to simply create great activities and contribute good ideas when asked.

As with any relationship, this will come down to compatibility, motivation, acceptance, understanding and commitment to the higher cause (in your case it’s being the students’ learning).

Lesson Time

You will normally have four to six classes per day with lesson times alternating between forty-five and fifty minute lessons. A typical lesson would consist of the standard teaching format (greetings, warm-up, previous lesson review, introduction of new target language, practice and drilling, activities and presentation, warm-down on checking the target language has been learned, and the goodbyes). Depending on who you are team-teaching with, you will have plenty to do in a lesson or almost nothing to do at all.

Naturally, you should aim to introduce creative aspects to your lesson by use of music, DVDs, dance, drama, cultural information (about where you come from), typical holiday traditions in your country, and initiatives for studying a foreign language, point system with certificates and so on).

A good thing to do is to keep a notebook with you. Ideas for future lessons might suddenly pop into you head or you might pick up some Japanese words and phrases for your own language learning.

School Clubs

You will usually work from 8:00am – 16:00pm (you will be very lucky if you’re let off earlier). So, you’re lessons have finished for the day, preparation is done for the next and now you have absolutely nothing to do. If you’re a family man like me, then you probably won’t get that much free time (if any) to attend a local gym or the park for a good jog. The solution is to join in with the after-school club activities voluntarily (of course return home when your official time is up), as this will allow you to get some exercise, but at the same present a perfect opportunity to build an excellent and precious rapport with students. An experience that not even the Japanese teachers often get.

In the spring, summer and autumn, I would recommend doing outdoor sports like track and field, soft tennis, baseball, soccer or basketball. In the winter, I would recommend an indoor club activity such as table tennis, volleyball, art, basketball or Judo (the kendo equipment is way too expensive). Be sure to rotate yourself around each club activity, but at the same time it is more than fine to have your favourites that which you attend on a regular basis.

You will know by common intuition when to give students same space, ideas and effective competition.

School Events

The school events that stick out on the calendar are the sports festival, bazaar and singing contest. You won’t be expected to take up any official role in these events, but you will be asked to attend and enjoy them as part of your working day.  How far you are willing to enjoy, participate and help is totally up to you, but considering you’re not doing anything else except for browsing around, why not give a helping hand with a great big lovely smile.

These are truly wonderful events and I recommend getting out your camera and then sharing the photos on the school computer afterwards for all teachers to view.

Cleaning Time

There will be an allotted cleaning time everyday at school, which lasts for 15-25 minutes and on special occasions up to 1-2 hours. You will not be expected to clean, but you can either stick with your favourite teacher (not that you should have favourites and preferably of the same sex) and help them or simply walk around the whole school checking on students and discovering the unknown.

I like to clean outside, even during the stifling humid summer heat because the fresh air does wonders for the brain stimulation. You can park yourself in the shade under a tree and perhaps most stimulating and beautiful of all is watching the changing colours of the leaves.

In Closing

It is said that the nail that sticks out gets hammered back down. I say stick out as much as possible, be who you are. Adapt to the Japanese behaviour and mannerism, but don’t turn Japanese and change that what makes you different. There is nothing worse than being an unnecessary obedient conformist to and with others. You’re not meant to be Japanese, think like Japanese do, or act like they do.  I suppose the best response I got amongst, being cool, weird, funny, idiot, and all the common words when the students are lost for words… is… “Unique”. I like that, and that is actually what you should be to the students. I don’t see myself as a teacher of English only, but a teacher of a different way of thinking, acting, and living (cross-cultural communication). Being an ALT is a wonderful adventure in life with abundance in surprises. Cherish and embrace each one.

Barry Crisp
For some useful information and links, please read the ‘Jet Orientation Programme 2008’ (Life as a Non-Single-Jet). http://ajet.net/2008TOhandouts/WORKSHOPnon.pdf