The Inside Japan Podcast

Today it's me answering a question I received about what to do if your JTE hands you an extremely detailed lesson plan and expects you to follow it. While this CAN be a good thing, if you want to use your own lesson plans (or maybe even these), it's not ideal.  Thanks to "HDMI" for the question, and if you have one, let me know: [email protected]

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* Episode where I explain my internet situation

* ALT Insider Lesson Plans

* Time after Time

* The Bowling Game

* "Assistant" Language Teachers

* A1 Bold Sauce

Thing to do:

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Today it's me answering a question I received about how to make your English Club rock. As usual, fun is of the essence. Thanks to "Charo" for the question, and if you have one, let me know: [email protected]

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Expand to read Full Question

Hi James,

First, let me thank you for all the great articles on your website! They've been quite helpful to me in getting adjusted to being an ALT. However, there's still one place where I feel I'm drastically falling short, and I'd greatly appreciate any advice you might have on the matter.

As the title says, my problem is with the English club at one of my schools. I switch every other month between two junior high schools, and only one of them has an English club. That school has a good reputation for smart, well-behaved students and I really enjoy classes with them. However, the English club has two of the most misbehaved, bad-attitude kids I've met. They treat club like their study hall/living room and often do things like throwing balls (which wouldn't be a big problem if the classroom weren't a specially made language lab with lots of expensive equipment), refusing to clean up after themselves, breaking pencils given as rewards and throwing them at the girls, and refusing to participate in activities.

The JTE in charge of English club rarely comes to meetings, so running club is up to me. However, I have no power to discipline the kids when they misbehave. I have to go down and call the JTE, which usually results in the kids getting her on a tangent and leaving before she can give them any kinds of punishment. Pretty much the only thing I've found that works with them is letting them play cards or watch movies. The rest of the students usually enjoy participating in things, but with the two boys and their posse running the show, members have started to be absent from club.

The additional problem is that the boys are also badmouthing me to their friends at the other school I go to, saying I hate the town and I think the kids at the other school are delinquents. I do remember them asking me about what I thought of the other school, but I never said anything negative. I know I'm guilty of bad planning in the past in regards to English club, so activities were sometimes boring or poorly executed, but I don't know what I've done to earn this level of petty dislike. I'm not hoping to make them love me, but I'd really like to improve the relationship to where they'll at least listen to me.

I'm going to be trying out a new style this year wherein I give the monthly schedule for club to the kids so they can know what's going to happen each day, but I'm still worried about the boys causing trouble and ruining things for everyone else. I don't want to play my final card, which is going to the JTE with a spine and having them kick them out of club (or just refusing to go myself).

What can I do to improve this situation? I want club to be a place where the kids can enjoy themselves and do cool things with English. I don't want to be dreading it from the moment I get to school.

I'm sorry for the long, negative info dump, but I would greatly appreciate any advice on this matter. Even just general tips on how to run an English club would be invaluable!

Thank you for your time,

Charo

Hi James,

First, let me thank you for all the great articles on your website! They've been quite helpful to me in getting adjusted to being an ALT. However, there's still one place where I feel I'm drastically falling short,

Today it's me answering a question I received about how to make the best possible first impression on your JTEs on your very first day. Thanks to "Sharon" for the question, and if you have one, let me know. [email protected]

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* Episode where I explain my internet situation

* Introduction Lesson Webinar

* Being more than a Tape Recorder

* Guide to Legendary Lunchtimes

* Good

Thing to do:

* Send me a question for the next Quick Question Episode here: [email protected]

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This week, it's sort of a Facebook Group Post review that started by asking what would make you happy as an ALT. Pay increases, more vacation, more responsibilities were offered as things that would make the ALT experience better. I totally agree there. But what I go over in this episode is, sure the ALT job isn't perfect, but why are we expecting it to be? When did it morph from a few year experience to a being a position that we get disappointed with when it doesn't support us as a career choice for life? I also go into how the system could possibly change, and the answer isn't never, but it's not a happy answer either. Sorry it's a bit of a downer this week, but for ALTInsider.com to be what I want it to be, a place where the REAL talk about being an ALT happens, I need to cover this stuff too. Anyways enjoy and HAVE MORE FUN!

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* Japan Teaching Resources Group

* Yearly Lesson Plans

* Spike's Twitter

* Being more than a Tape Recorder

* Rethinking the jet Program (My GaijinPot article)

* Why I'm not an ALT anymore

* The Bowling Game

* 29.5 Hours Bullshit

* Disney World Podcast I listen to

* 2020 Changes Coming?

* The Zebra Story

Thing to do:

* Join the Japan Teaching Resources Group here.

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On episode #049 of the podcast I talk to Brian about his work as an Asst. Professor in the Forensic Department at Fukuoka University, the Jet Programme and even how he built his own house in Japan! Lot of ground covered, a lot of good info revealed.

Enjoy!

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* Brian's Twitter

* Brian's Building a Home Website

* Nagoya

* The Jet Programme

* Jet Programme Interview Process

* Rethinking the Jet Program (My GaijinPot Article)

* Prince Edward Island

* Dealing with your JTEs

* Fruits Basket

* CIR Position

* CSI

* Fukuoka University

* Thomas Noguchi

Thing to do:

* Check out Brian on Twitter.

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This episode it's just me talking into a microphone without a script. It's goal was to be a message to New ALTs, but it sort of morphed into an episode about all sorts of things. If you enjoyed this type of spontaneous episode let me know in the comments or in an email! ([email protected])

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* My Experience as an Eikaiwa Teacher

* Your Ideal First Day

* Staying Out of the Teacher's Room

* Cat

* Being More than a Tape Recorder

* Gaijin Power

* Intro Lesson Explained

* Fruits Basket

* Making an English Board

* Cat

* Leaving Early

* The Jet Programme

* 29.5 Hours Explained

* Ducks in a Row

* Triforce

* Get Your Mind Right

* Yearly Lesson Plans

* Cat

Thing to do:

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This episode I talk with a 4-year ALT living in Nagasaki. He shares his experiences so far, his teaching style, and a lot more. Also he has an owl on his head in the picture above.

Enjoy!

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* Sean's Website

* Sean's Facebook

* Sean's Twitter

* The Mastermind Group

* The JET Programme

* Okinawa

* Guy Healey

* Nagasaki

* The Tape Recorder Role

* Fruits Basket

* Karuta

* Frodo

* My Worst Class Ever

* Mario Coin (bit too loud)

* Castles

* Bowling

* Crispen Freeman

* Yakiniku

* Onsens

Thing to do:

* Check out Sean's Website and listen to one of his Voice Overs!

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This episode the series on Making Money in Japan not as a Teacher continues with Tom from Japantravel.com! We get into his role, his beginnings as a JET, and how he made the transition so hopefully you can as well if that's what you want to do! Bonus info about being on Japanese TV included free! Enjoy!

(WARNING: My Mic gets a little hot in a few places, but I tried to edit it so as not to RIP your ears as much as I could. It won't happen again.)

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* JapanTravel.com

* Tom's Twitter

* Tom's Profile

* Roppongi

* Hiroshima

* The JET Programme

* Steve Jobs Quote

* Utilizing your Free Time Effectively

* Japany Clickbait

* Owl Cafes

* Fox Island

* Sugi-Chan

Thing to do:

* Check out JapanTravel.com, obviously.

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On episode #045 I tell all about my experience as an Eikaiwa. The classes, the work load, the sales expectations and more. If you're interested in becoming an Eikaiwa Teacher/ or are currently an ALT that just wants a closer look at the other side, this episode is for you.

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* GEOS

* NOVA

* JET Programme

* Fixing ALT Meetings

* Vancouver

* Shopping Arcade

* Eikaiwa vs. ALT

* Friendly, Not Friends

* Still a Baby

Thing to do:

* If you're have experience as an Eikaiwa teacher, share something you wish you knew before you started!

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On episode #044 I catch up with student, speedrunner, and cosplayer Andrew and get his thoughts on his short time in Japan, his goals for his future in the country, and dig a little deeper into a few of his interesting hobbies.

Enjoy!

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Things Mentioned in This Episode:

* Andrew's Cosplaying Site

* Andrew's Twitch Channel

* Andrew's Twitter

* Andrew's Youtube

* Forbidden Siren Game

* The Grudge

* Comic Market 89

* Rock Lee from Naruto

* Chris from Until Dawn

* Mettaton from Undertale

* Andrew's run of Duke Nukem 2

* VGMaps

* DOSbox

* Duke Nukem 3d, Forever

* Andrew's Jax and Daxter's Run

* Ocarina of Time Speedrun

* Normie

* Mr. K's Sim City Speedrun

* Andrew's Luigi's Mansion Speedrun

Thing to do:

* Follow Andrew on Twitter if you want to see his future cosplay stuff

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