Preparing for the JET Program Prior to Departure

[JPNLKatie]

It's so cute watching them grow up, isn't it?

What? New ALTs or the children?

By the way, your signature is strange. Seems like the result of someone using google translate to translate something from Japanese to English. I've read it about 10 times now and still can't figure out what they were trying to say. lol

[5100]

What? New ALTs or the children?

You. The slow awakening that the "youth exchange programme" you're embarking on is a lie.

It IS pretty fun to watch, especially in real life.

[Jiggit]

What? New ALTs or the children?

By the way, your signature is strange. Seems like the result of someone using google translate to translate something from Japanese to English. I've read it about 10 times now and still can't figure out what they were trying to say. lol

Click on it.

[JPNLKatie]

You. The slow awakening that the "youth exchange programme" you're embarking on is a lie.

It IS pretty fun to watch, especially in real life.

Ah. I figured that was what jiggit was referring to. Well, I suppose it won't be too much of a shock to me as many JETs on this forum have stated that they think the JET Program is a joke. I'm still hanging onto the hope that I'll still enjoy it though. But to be honest, I never really expected much for my first full-time job right out of college, especially since this is just a temporary position. I really just hope I'll be able to survive with the least amount of stress possible, and to make the most out of my time in Japan.

[JPNLKatie]

Click on it.

oh I had already.

[Jiggit]

Well, I suppose it won't be too much of a shock to me as many JETs on this forum have stated that they think the JET Program is a joke.

It's not a joke, necessarily, it's just that some contracting organisations give little to no thought as to how they want to use an ALT, some outright don't want one at all, and some think that the ALT is a qualified teacher come to teach lessons practically by themselves. It's all a bit of a toss up basically. Sometimes the stars align and you get a decent ALT matched with a decent school, but I've seen a lot of lazy asses at good schools and hardworking idealists at shit schools. It's a system desperately in need of better management but CLAIR has only taken steps to distance themselves even further from COs in the past few years. So a lot of people are understandably bitter.

[Ini]

Its good that you are thinking about this stuff now but I would worry about it after you arrive and have anything from 3-6 weeks before your first class. It'll be easier to work out where you stand once you have arrived and know if you are based in one school or visiting several, if you are doing elementary or not, if your area has an english program in place at elementary or not, if your JHS JTEs are super pro ALT or if they are dried up old husks of pure evil waiting for retirement, if the JHS is expecting you to run lunchtime conversation classes/maintain an English noticeboard/service the principal with sexual favours etc etc. Use your remaining time in your home country to spend time with friends and family, eat food you wont be able to get, take lots of photos of your town/city/house/family/pets blah blah blah.

[5100]

service the principal with sexual favours etc etc.

I do wish my pred had mentioned that bit.

[JPNLKatie]

service the principal with sexual favours

What?

[fryfry]

You. The slow awakening that the "youth exchange programme" you're embarking on is a lie.

It IS pretty fun to watch, especially in real life.

I feel like I should be stepping back while making some kind of knowing gesture and saying, "yeah, you got me".

[5100]

What?

Just bring your riding crop and it'll all be okay.

[JPNLKatie]

Just bring your riding crop and it'll all be okay.

[ambrosse]

I had teaching experience before I came, but only with adults.
I teach JHS and ES here. They each are their own beast.
Just show up and try your best. You can prepare all you want, but being an ALT is a learn-on-the-job position unless your pred gives you lesson plans ahead of time and actually explains them in detail (I'm still wondering what "Bulldog Clips" are on my pred's old lesson plans).
Don't waste luggage space for stupid teaching stuff. My kids could give two shits about stickers (even the little ones). I could have brought more shoes...

[Fantasylife]

I was thrown into the pit and have 0 teaching experience. I didn't get any guidance from my pred and the JTEs rely on me to do everything, so no help there either. Between Google, a free lesson planning book from a JET summer conference, and my own imagination, I somehow fumbled through it. As Ambrosse said, it really is a learn-on-the-job position.

[moonbeam]

I was taken to all of my schools the day after I arrived in my town but didn't see three of them (ES) until over a month later. I was thrown into lessons right off the bat. I had my pred's old lesson plans to help me out but if you don't have a pred then I'd talk to the other teachers to figure out what they've been learning and what they want from you. The lack of communication wasn't ideal but the teachers helped me out for the first few lessons. After that I was on my own.

I actually spent my first month at the JHSs doing speech contest practice. I used my free time to look through the textbooks and look through my pred's old materials so I could get an idea of what to except. Again, you don't have a pred, so I'd talk to your JTEs as much as possible.

I also quickly found out that I can't connect to any of my school's internet because of 'security' reasons. Instead I use my phone for tethering. If I want to print something, I save it to a USB and print it from the school's public PC (which I can use, but it's ancient, so). That might be the case for you, it might not, but you won't find out until you arrive. Just ask the other teachers if you need help. My JTEs were pretty understanding that I hadn't had any teaching experience and didn't ask too much of me at first.

I also brought a few teaching materials but I haven't used them at all and haven't needed to. I usually go on Englipedia for ideas and tailor them to fit my classes. The HRTs might also have a few activities (at least for ES) that they know work with the students so ask about those as well. Overall, I think you'll be okay. It might seem daunting at first but once you find your groove it'll be fine.

[weepinbell]

My kids could give two shits about stickers (even the little ones). I could have brought more shoes...

Damn my JHS kids go nuts for them. I'm gonna have to restock at Walmart when I go home next month lol. They're so expensive here... How many did you bring that it took up the space of a pair of shoes?!!

[Frap]

They're so expensive here...

?!

[ambrosse]

Damn my JHS kids go nuts for them. I'm gonna have to restock at Walmart when I go home next month lol. They're so expensive here... How many did you bring that it took up the space of a pair of shoes?!!

My JHS kids are wild and prefer to break windows and punch each other than collect stickers, haha!
Sticker books and packs can weigh a lot after a certain amount.

You can get a ton of stickers from Daiso for cheap.

[Fantasylife]

I recently bought 250 stickers on eBay for $10 for a sticker bombing project. Shipping was free and because it shipped from China it arrived pretty quickly. They are some nice stickers too, and featuring characters from random series like marvel comics, pooh bear, Totoro, super Mario, sponge bob, the Simpsons, and many others.