Life as a Prefectural (JHS) ALT
Welcome to Fantastic Fukuoka! If your welcome letter includes “Fukuoka-ken” without any city (-shi) designation nor a high school reference, then you are in luck! You are a group of 18 other JETs who all work based out of six different regional offices. You will be sitting at your desk in August with sempai JET ALTs who will show you the ropes. They can tell you general ideas about teaching and tricks to get around the neighborhood. They will be good resources for you and chances are you will live in the same apartment building as them also. It is a good idea to bring them some chocolate or snacks from your country- they are suckers for sweets!
Your life as a Prefectural Compulsory Education Division (refered to as JHS) ALT is pretty sweet. You are based out of an office and have a desk near other ALTs. However, the majority of your time will be spent at junior high and elementary schools in your region. You are sometimes called a “one-shot” because you may only visit a school one time. Though perhaps you will be at a school on a regular basis. It all depends on how many ALTs your office has and how many schools your office is asked to cover. One thing is for sure: August will be hot and stuff and you will be at your desk at the office—be prepared to make teaching materials, study Japanese or keep yourself otherwise preocupied.
During the year, you will be busy with lessons… sometimes you will have an active role and othertimes you may be more of an assistant. As you meet each teacher, you will have a different role in his or her class. Not to mention, each class is different, so you may have to change your technique based on their level. All in all, you will probably be overwhelmed with all of the faces you see in your first four months here. Furthermore, you may be speaking about yourself a lot… each students wants to hear about you so August will be a good time to work on your self-introduction. Your sempai can give you some pointers. Through the fall, you will find your stride in the intro lessons and as the weather cools down, so will the lessons that are focused on YOU!
Through the winter, you should focus on staying warm. The schools are concrete and cold! Think about having a lap blanket when you are at our desk and wear extra layers under your work clothes. No joke. As the Japanese school year ends in March, those last cold months will be for cramming in the material that must be finished by the end (TEST TIME.) Your role will again change as teachers drive through the curriculum at speeds unfair to the English language.
Some JHS ALTs teach at one or two schools. Some are exclusively at elementary schools while others frequent junior highs. In my first seven months, I visited two junior high schools and 13 elementary schools. After my placements were changed in April (with the coming of Spring and the new Japanese school year) I found myself at the same two junior highs but only two elementary schools. My two Jr. Highs were 10 and 25 minutes away from home by bike. The farthest elementary school was nearly a two-hour commute: 15-minute bike ride, 48-min train, 2-min walk, 15-min wait, 25-min bus and 10-min walk up a big hill! But the “inaka” (countryside) is beautiful and the students were precious gems! Well worth the trek (paid for by the office) and the long adventure (both ways!) using Japanese public transportation.
I could go on and on… but you will live your own experience! Ask questions. Do your best. And stay after school with the kids… even after a long day, participating in their club activities can give you some energy!
Have a great time as a JET!