Hi! Incoming JET for this summer. I’m jumping into JET with absolutely… zero experience. I have never been a teacher, I’ve never worked with kids, I’ve never lived abroad, I’ve never been to Japan. I don’t speak a lick of Japanese. I’m studying as we speak, but finding it very hard. I’ve previously worked in design/creative fields, so I have no experience in formal office environments either. I don’t even own business clothes!
I’ve been oscillating between being extremely excited and absolutely terrified. I’m adventurous and an extrovert, I thrive on putting myself out of the box into challenging situations, but I’m also anxious lol. I’m worried about missing my family/friends and worried that I will struggle to learn how to be a teacher in a few months.
Anyone else who went on JET with no experience starting off? How did you find it? Does anyone have any easy resources for beginner teaching I can make use of?
23 comments
You’ll be fine.
Check out altopedia for exercises and such!
Hey there! 4th year going on 5th year JET here.
First off, I was in a very similar situation. Heck even my major was in a creative field (graphic design). Had never been abroad before. And while I did study Japanese in college as a minor, I didn’t leave on JET till a few years after I had graduated. By that point I had pretty much forgotten most of my Japanese. XD
I also had zero experience with kids and teaching. Did have office work experience tho.
So I was extremely anxious and terrified when I came. And also feeling like I didn’t quite belong as most ppl I met had been abroad and had either majored in Japanese or were conversational in it.
That being said, I stayed around and intend to stick around after JET. I fell in love with my placement and my local community is very kind and welcoming even towards ppl who aren’t fluent in Japanese.
Going out a lot my first year helped a lot with making friends and dealing with homesickness. Corona did put a damper on things for a while.
But now that stuff is picking up again I’ve been able to go out to more community events.
Basically, get involved in the community somehow. Even just one activity can help a lot.
As for teaching, I learned a lot of things just as time went on from Japanese coworkers or other ALT suggestions. It was overwhelming at first, but eventually I got the hang of things.
Keep in mind, you’re new. They don’t expect you to know everything right off the bat.
My first year I rarely led the class and just assisted, but second year and onwards I was doing more to help the teachers.
Even now I don’t actually solo lead any of my classes, usually just co-teaching with another teacher. But it really is different for everyone.
I know plenty of ALTs who do everything by themselves (usually elementary school level). And then I know ALTs who rarely do anything and spend days sitting at their desks (usually JHS and HS level).
All of the anxiety you’re having right now is normal! But as someone who dealt with the same anxieties their first year, I can tell you things will turn out better than you think they will! There are ups and downs, but the ups will make it worth the experience!
Just want to send encouragement your way! Kobe is a really great place to land, especially for one with no experience. There’s a great ALT community and lots of support from the BOE. Not to mention general ease of living with lots of public transit and the offerings of a big city.
There are many sites like this out there, but Kobe JETs have put together their own database of lessons you might be able to refer to as well: https://www.kobejet.com/en
For Japanese, besides the JET language course, I think KICC (int’l ctr) has lots of programs and activities. https://www.kicc.jp/en
You got this!
Edit: I guess my flair thing doesn’t specify, but I lived in Kobe.
Being adventerous and extroverted already puts you head and shoulders above as a JET. Those are like the secret sauce to being received well by your coworkers, students and potential friends in Japan. For JETs who are introverted, they’ve got to fake it like I did.
In the same boat as you. Didn’t speak any Japanese until just before I applied for JET. I’ve never been a teacher and have never been to Japan.
Welcome to the vast majority of JETs. Don’t worry lol.
I went on JET with absolutely zero experience in teaching and the only words I could utter in Japanese were konnichiwa and arigatou. Planned to only stay for 1 year and ended up doing 3 years, had the time of my life, made a lot of friends. Within 1 year I could understand most of what was being said to me and could speak conversationally. Being an ALT was my first “real” job and the longest I’ve ever stayed on a job lol. You’ll do fine!
I have experience as a teacher’s aide and I’m scared too. You aren’t alone. Where is your placement?
Take it one day at a time. You’re not going to become fluent overnight and you’re not going to master teaching overnight. You will have days where you try your best to speak Japanese to someone but they don’t understand a word you say. There will be days where your lessons totally flop. There will be days where you’re at your wit’s end because you can’t find something seemingly very basic at the store.
Those moments will happen and they will suck. But know that you’re not alone. We have *all* been there. Know that what you’re experiencing is normal and things will get better. Make sure you have people you can call to vent. Don’t hesitate to sign up for online therapy if you need it.
From a practical pov, if you feel you’re struggling with self studying Japanese, consider signing up for lessons with a tutor through something like italki. If you’re not confident in your teaching, consider signing up for a tefl course. It won’t turn you into a super teacher overnight, but it’ll teach you some of the basics. If you take an online program after you arrive in Japan, the JET will reimburse you for the cost of the program
It’s natural to be a bit worried but you aren’t the main teacher. You will have guidance (most likely) and you will have many resources at your disposal from previous Jets to even ones from other prefectures. It’s a learning curve, you will learn as you go. Expect the first month to be a bit hectic and chaotic as you get used to school life. You don’t need to know Japanese, though of course it helps. You can check Altopedia for activity ideas for all levels, as well as your local Ajet chapter. Of course google is your friend and if you’re in a pinch, u played around in ChatGPT recently to see what kind of AI generated activities come out and it’s not bad, but don’t use it as a main tool.
It’s best to try and draw experience from any type of leadership roles you’ve undertaken in the past or with your previous job. Skills are transferable, try to see which ones transfer over into the classroom.
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If you want, you can join the art club at school. Schools are so rigid that it’s nice for the students to embrace their creative side. Sometimes they will hold exhibits in the city, definitely go to support your students! I always go and it doesn’t cost me anything.
As far as Japanese goes, just make a plan and stick to it. You won’t be terrible at Japanese forever I assure you. I found watching variety shows (not anime) is excellent for observing pronunciation and speaking rhythm. Try to find one with subtitles.
Join a local Japanese language class. With your needs, if possible, you’ll want to skip apps or textbooks alone.
If you have the funds, go on a quick trip to Japan.
Business clothes are easy enough. They don’t need to be super cool.
Forgot to add – in regards to teaching, the schools will know what level of teaching and Japanese they have.
This means you are most likely going to be assigned to a school where there is a teacher who has decent English abilities (but Deepl and Google Translate should be carried anytime you can) and who has experience in leading an inexperienced ALT.
You really don’t need to worry! You’ll meet JETs that may like to portray that they are oh so sophisticated. People squabbling about the application process and what the magic formula is to get in. But they chose you. So it’s up to you to make thr experience your own now.
In reality the only thing you need to do this job and survive in Japan is soft skills and being a nice person! I have barely any Japanese and I’m fine. Just be smiley to those around you and friendly… that is all the staff and the students need. And download Google translate and Google lens lol.
Be open, be receptive, learn from those around you and enjoy the ride. It is a very character building experience. It won’t all go smooth. But that’s part of the adventure. Try and keep a positive mindset while all those around you are loosing their minds and bringing you down. I wish I hadn’t let all the miserable ALTs I live near dampen my experience.
It is normal to be anxious. It will be weird if you weren’t. People in Tokyo orientation and on the plane here and online will portray that they are all this and that but they are also quaking in their boots.
You really will be fine 🙂
I came in also with pretty well no experience. I had worked before but never as a teacher. I had been to Japan a few times but never lived here. I didn’t even know enough Japanese to pass the N5. When my pred was allowed to contact me, I discovered I was going to be T1 (the lead teacher rather than an assistant) in my classes. My anxiety was awful after learning that!
Here’s the thing, though: LOTS of ALTs come to Japan with zero teaching experience. Unless your JTEs are fresh out of school, they will likely have encountered other ALTs just like you. They’re used to this.
When you start to discuss lessons, be honest with your JTEs about your inexperience. For my first lesson (after my self-intro lesson), I had a small meeting with one of the most experienced JTEs in my school. He said, “You have never taught before or created a lesson, so we will give you a lot of time to think about it.” He wasn’t kidding – they gave me a full month to figure it out! When it came to actually doing the lesson, I was so nervous but my JTEs supported me throughout and gave me useful advice after each lesson. By the time I gave that lesson to the last class, I had it down pat.
Now, I can create a lesson in about a day and I’m usually given about a week to develop one. My JTEs don’t even really ask to see what I’m doing beforehand anymore because they trust me enough to go with whatever I come up with (I still provide them copies of the lesson plan, PowerPoint slides, and worksheets, though).
Just think of the thousands of JETs who have been exactly where you are and still managed to figure it out. We all find our footing eventually 🙂 As long as you try your best and stay positive, you will be well received by your schools!
It’s kind of the point. Just go with it
You’re in the same boat as nearly all incoming JETs.
But don’t worry about missing your friends back home – you won’t. Just as no one does while at university. And they’ll still be there when you go back home.
It’s when you leave JET it’ll hit you – your apartment, the school, the friends, your favourite places, your entire lifestyle, all gone in a day, and there’s no way back. You’ll hear about reverse culture shock, and it hits a lot of ex-JETs quite hard. But that’s only if you enjoyed the experience, so worth it!
Omygosh. You are so literally me that I feel like I accidentally wrote your post in my sleep and don’t remember it lol. I’m telling myself it will be an adventure and to make the most of it while I can, travel, see as much as possible, make friends with other ALTs, etc. Hopefully that will help mitigate the shock of finding ourselves suddenly alone overseas?
Just go with the flow, expect to make mistakes, and have fun! Keep your expectations low, but be positive and you’ll have a great time!
You’ll fit right in.
Second what a lot of other ALT’s are saying on here. Also a new teacher who came in with 0 Japanese, although I have lived abroad and worked with kids before this.
Some resources that have saved my ass thus far:
Obvs google translate. Get the app that allows you and others to speak into it, as well as translate photos. I carry my phone with me at all times because of it. I cannot tell you how much it has saved me.
[https://www.hiraganaquiz.com/](https://www.hiraganaquiz.com/) is a flashcard-esque website that helps you review your hiragana and katakana. I do it often when I’m deskwarming at work.
[wanikani.com](https://wanikani.com) is a mnemonic website that helps you learn kanji. Wildly popular, although past level 3 you need to pay for a subscription.
[altopedia.net](https://altopedia.net) This has been my single greatest helper in the classroom. It is sharing platform that has activities for you to utilize in your classroom and on your English boards, although it sounds like the board will be a breeze for you with your design background.
[Canva.com](https://Canva.com) for design stuff and powerpoints, but again if you’re a designer, you may already have sites that work for you.
[https://miyagijets.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/101-last-minute-activities.pdf](https://miyagijets.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/101-last-minute-activities.pdf) I use this for last-minute warmup game ideas. Whatever prefecture you’re going to should have a site with resources like this as well.
[https://www.english-4kids.com/](https://www.english-4kids.com/) I use some of these worksheets and ideas for my 1st and 2nd grade classes at ES (I teach at ES and JHS)
And the greatest resource will be your sempai ALT’s if you have them. Mine have been incredibly helpful this last year with activity suggestions, and offering feedback.
Good luck! You’ve got this, we’ve all been in your shoes!