Hi! I recently got my placement which is Toyama-ken! Based on the email, it seems I’ll most likely work with high school or speciality schools. Is there any possibility I’ll be placed in an elementary school or is it 100% certain I will work with older kids?
Personally, based off my (minimal, still a recent graduate) experience in teaching, I feel I work best in an elementary setting! So, I’m hoping that there’s even a slimmer of hope that I can work with children but if not, this is still a really cool experience nonetheless! Thank you 🙂
6 comments
Unlikely.
Typically prefecture placements mean high school. Due to the fact that city BOEs take care of elementary and middle school alts separately usually
1. Prefectural placements are almost always high schools because most high schools are operated by the prefecture or private. Towns operate the elementary and middle schools.
2. The only experience teaching in Japan vs US felt quite different to me in many ways. Can’t say for other countries but I wouldn’t apply too much expectation of what it will be like based on your domestic experience. But others might have had a different take.
Welcome! Yes, we prefectural ALTs are always SHS. Hit me up if you have any questions! I’m a SHS ALT.
So its not entirely impossible but very very rarely you may teach junior high as in my case.
I am a prefectural JET but I am the only prefectural JET I’ve heard of who teaches junior high.
This may be the case if you have a school run by the prefecture that has an affiliated junior high or if the school is a combined junior+senior high secondary school. However, these kinds of schools are very very rare.
Also coming to Toyama-ken as a prefectural ALT! Let’s get a chat going maybe?