Job Discussion Forums

[kidkensei]

How do you plan activities if the JETs never discuss with you before class where the students are in the text book??
If you do plan activities、 what kind do you plan??


I:m rounding my second month ALTeaching at a JH and teachers are expecting a little more than recitation from me. Ive done some reading and prepared some versatile games like battleship, bingo etc. in case a teacher should ask me at short notice. So far ive had one of three JETs approach me indicating specifically what they want me to prepare from the book.

At a recent company meeting I was wowed by experienced ALTs who, armed to the teach with games, handouts and activities, are able to appease their JETs and quote �Kill Class Time�. Although ostensibly tried and true among these veteran ALTs, my JETs many of these games, handouts and activities seem to be missing the mark. Perhaps Ive poorly adapted them or perhaps the JETs are looking for something else. I haven�t really heard anything like, �yeah save that one for the next unit or I usually try to get the kids doing it this way�.

My new approach will be to look ahead in the book, find a game, activity or handout that suits then print it out for the JETs listing the page number and grammar point it emphasizes. This way the JET�s can decide themselves ahead of time what will work and what doesn�t.

My predicament is on the one hand not taking over the JET�s classes as I am completely inexperienced in the field of teaching these children through the Japanese education system. On the other hand I want to help reduce the workload for JET�s by finding activities that utilize my blessed �native English speaking� ability.

Finding it very difficult to get feed back on my performance. The kids definitely like me which is a plus. Always saying �kakoi� and my name when I walk by. Their excited when I show up to class. So charm I have but what�s the other 50% of being ichiban ALT.

Cheers
Kensei

[Ryu Hayabusa]

Kidkensei

I'm not trying to nitpick and I apologize for not adding anything to this thread, but it's JTE and not JET.

JET = ALT hired through the JET programme
JTE = Japanese English Teacher

No disrespect. But that's how it is around these parts...

[seklarwia]

Please don't think I'm being rude, but have you tried actually approaching your JTEs yourself, instead of waiting to see if they will come to you? I couldn't tell from your initial post.

It just seems that, unless they were the dreaded JTEs that we here about that see ALTs as a threat or nuisance, there should be no reason why they wouldn't at least tell you where they got to in the book, what grammar structure they're up to, or even what activities they have tried that ended up sinking Titantic style in the past.

If they are not the extremely difficult type of JTEs, maybe you actually asking them to sit down with you might show them just how much you really want these classes to work, then just maybe they'll feel be a bit more willing to plan with you properly. You may have to be a bit persistant, but if you can get them to do this just once, then have the class succeed, they'll realise that actually working together with is far more beneficial for the class and far less stressful for all.