Japanese English Teacher

Hey Megan, this is Jeff. Gee, I didn't know things came across so negatively in our convo! Well, just to clarify on a few points, teaching in Japan is probably the greatest experience I've ever had. I just wanted to point out that it's not for everybody. The JET mantra is: ESID (Every situation is different). It's the mantra for a reason: some teachers have free reign of the class and get to create lessons from scratch, while others might be human tape recorders. Some teachers barely have any classes, while other teachers go to 10 different schools a month. I was/am very fortunate to be placed in a good community with good assistant teachers and students. Others are not so lucky. You can check: www.bigdaikon.com to see an example of people not happy with their lives in Japan. I figured you were hyped about coming and only heard great things about the JET program (and so I was trying to paint a more balanced picture). So let me swing things back around the other direction and tell you more about the great things about my job and classes. The 9th graders are the highest level I teach, and their lessons are rooted in using language creatively. To this end, classes are designed to create works that they'll use to create a scrap book by the end of the school year. Lessons range from interviewing each other on what they did during summer vacation, to creating their own anime characters, to making a survey filled with questions like: "Who has the nicest smile?" that they will vote on. We're going to compile all that stuff and create a book of their final year in jr. high school with pictures I took from back when they were 7th graders. (Well, when I say book, it'll all be scanned and I'll hand out CDs since making 50+ copies of a 30 page color book would be too expensive). Worksheets are usually up-to-date. I used to dabble a bit in graphic design at my previous job and so now, I create printouts featuring the latest movies, music stars, current events, etc. "Who is this?" worksheets featuring their teachers as well as baseball stars, etc. "Have you seen/heard _____?" worksheets with new movies and music (that I have to update every year). "Who is more/most" comparing sumo wrestlers to classmates. On my desk, there is a English CD library, where I lend out music CDs to any student wanting to listen to Boyz II Men and other singers I like =). I have my old yearbooks from jr. high and high school for students to browse. I have comics, some American, some Japanese with English subtitles. In one lesson, I created what I call "Battle Cards" which are cards with various characters that have 4 stats (strength, speed, cuteness and popularity). Each student walks around with their cards and using the comparative form, makes a question such as "Who is the strongest?" They compare their cards and the person that draws the card with the highest strength score wins. It was interesting to see a "Who is cuter?" battle between Darth Vader, Colonel Sanders and Donkey Kong. I also created 'rare' teacher cards with super stats. (Of course the teachers have max cuteness, etc.!) So yeh. At my school, I have been given the chance to do many interesting things. It's just that not all people get that chance. And of course, not every lesson can be fun and games. Activities are usually the 'dessert.' First the students learn the grammar point, read it in a dialogue to understand it in context, build vocabulary based around it, do some basic grammar exercises, do a listening to check their passive understanding and finally, they do an activity which makes them use the language in an active and personalized manner. While the students are studying the grammar points, I have more of a 'tape recorder' role. But as students are more familiar with the grammar point on hand, we expand the activities. And occasionally, to break up the regular pace, we also use music, TPR, etc. Outside of school, there are many fun things to do as well. While here, the Nara JETs organized a Habitat for Humanity trip to India. I organized an English speaking fundraising night which had close to 100 participants, with the proceeds (about $250) going to a home for hearing and sight impaired children. In Nara, the JETs organize Halloween parties, rugby tournaments, nature hikes, beach parties, etc. This depends on the group of people around you, and also how much you are willing to participate and go out. The JET program experience will vary greatly depending on where you are, and how much you are willing to put in. A good attitude and participation will open the doors to teacher parties, good class experiences etc. But sometimes no matter how interesting your class is, there might be some students who don't want to learn English. There are times that when you want to participate and hang out with natives, but you won't understand what they're saying and what's going on around you. Everyone here has their good days and bad days. And as for JET vs. cram school, I'd pick JET. The salary is generally higher, you are contracted, you have a network of other JETs, and a support system such as a supervisor who will help you with problems in or out of school, you get health insurance, and many days of paid vacation. You also get to experience school, as opposed to private lessons. This means you can see your school sports, help students clean the school during break, possibly go on school trips, etc. So yeh, hope this clears things up a bit. I'd definitely encourage you to come out, even if you're only out here for a year! There aren't many times in life when you can just pick up and go to a foreign country for a year. (Or maybe for you there are, I dunno). Let me know if you have any other questions about coming out!