inqk.net

Well I’ve been teaching for two weeks now and I feel like it’s time I gave you all a bit of an update on how that’s going. I will begin by saying that I teach at the Sakai Municipal Technical High School, or in Japanese さかいしりつ こうぎょう こうとうがっこう (hereafter ‘Ichiko’). This is my first time teaching students in a classroom setting as well as the first time I have ever taught English. Yes, this is the calibre of individual the Japanese Government deems suitable to teach its future generations English. Or at least how to correctly pronounce the letter L.

Having been two weeks into the job now I feel like I have a little perspective on how it’s all going. Unlike a number of other JETs, I am located in a technical high school. This is distinct from a junior high or academic senior high school. The way that the Japanese higher education system is structured all students study in junior high schools until the age of 15 or 16. For their final three years they either progress through to an academic high school, move to a technical or vocational high school or leave school entirely. My students fit into that middle bracket.

The students at Ichiko are there to study either machinery, materials, interior design or architecture. I’m still a little unsure what ‘materials’ involves but these students are the least academically capable so I’m assuming it’s not designing the exterior of the new space shuttle. Having said that, though, none of the students are incredibly bright. I don’t mean that in a cruel way. The students are almost entirely kind and friendly. It’s just that they’re not at Ichiko because they passed on the opportunity to go to a more prestigious academic high school.

As my allusions suggest, the material that I have been teaching has not been of an especially high level. Although all of the students are proficient in writing and have a command of a number of words they lack the confidence or ability to make or understand complex sentences. My lessons so far have been delivered at a simple level while an almost simultaneous translation is provided by the Japanese teacher. For those not familiar with the JET Programme (ie. essentially all of you), all of my classes are taught in conjunction with the students’ Japanese English teacher. Although in theory both of us are supposed to engage in a teaching practice known as ‘Team Teaching’ what tends to happen more often is that I teach and the Japanese teacher translates. To be honest, though, this doesn’t bother me.

Most of the material so far has been introductory information about Australia and myself. This week just coming will be the first time I have taught the students ‘proper English lessons’. Having said that, I have tried to give the students practice in speaking English so far. Most classes show a distinct lack of enthusiasm in participating unless directly called upon. However, once called on students can be guaranteed to at least make a response which, frankly, is more than I expected. My experience with the Australian education system had me expecting worse. Students have responded well to games and especially well when prizes (ie. food) is involved. However, I’m reluctant to use rewards to stimulate interest for fear that it will instill in the students a Pavlovian response. Also, it costs money and I’m nothing if not cheap.

Although I think there’s suppose to be a curriculum the English staff have suggested I develop my own lessons. To be honest, this suits me fine. Although it’s more work I actually prefer being in control of content and presentation. I’d much prefer to be doing it this way than simply following some English text as I understand some of my fellow JETs are doing. Of course, by the time Lesson 10 rolls around and I’m fresh out of ideas I might have a completely different opinion on that.

The students themselves are generally polite outside of class. Inside class they routinely talk to each other, use their phones, straighten their hair, apply makeup, do work for other classes – basically, anything else except for learn English. Almost all classes have a handful of students who are interested and I’ve been tossing up between devoting attention just to those students or trying to make the material more general so that everyone can have a go. I have also suggested to the English staff that I’m happy to develop different lesson plans for different classes (they’ve suggested I just teach one to everyone) but to be honest while the mind may be willing the body is weak. In other words, I haven’t really got around to it.

So all in all, things are going well. I’m enjoying being at the school and the challenge of motivating students. It’s nice to be at one place and not to have to go somewhere new each day. The staff are supportive and friendly and everything’s going well on that front. I’ll be back with more after Week 3.