Teaching in Japan - Elementary School - Part 1

[crimsonmai]

Tomorrow will be my first time teaching English at an elementary school here in Japan. I'm really nervous, but watching this video gave me a better idea of what to expect and helped calm me down.

[myargonauts]

@crimsonmai excellent - best of luck!

-J

[Spazzosity]

Santa!? I NEVER KNEW SANTA WAS U!

[iiTsumo15]

Hi I'm Rain, 13 years old. I will be moving tl Japan next year and I have a question, when I attend school, and I don't know how to speak Japanese. Will I fail? Or is there a certain class I will attend. I'm not sure what will happen?

[myargonauts]

@iiTsumo15 Hello. Well, it's hard for me to answer without knowing a little more info, but my guess is that you'll either go to a special "international" school with classes in English, or they will put you in separate classes to learn Japanese if your family is going to be there for more than a few years. Good luck!

[gd6585]

This is very informative. My wife is Japanese and we will be moving over to Japan in about 4 years. I am 35 now so I know where you are coming from. I am planning to become an English teacher but have no experience with teaching at all.

Were you an English teacher in America? How did you get started in Japan?

[myargonauts]

@gd6585 I had taught HS in America, but hadn't had much EFL experience. I came to Japan as part of the JET Programme - go to my main page for more info.

Make sure you have your BA/BS degree before you come over to live, since you'll need it to get a job, unless you'll get a spousal visa.

[DreamAcademyJapan]

You just seemed inexperienced. Based on your own remarks. I don't see jealousy involved. Although I understand the kneejerk reaction. If you are ever in the Tokyo area I would be happy to meet you and discuss it in more detail, but not on the net.  It's a waste of time. Cheers.

[DreamAcademyJapan]

OMG....You sound like such an inexperienced teacher. I feel sorry for your students as well as you co-teachers......

[myargonauts]

@DreamAcademyJapan Wow - that's such a loaded comment. Looking at your channel, I'm not sure what gives you the ability to criticize, and what you saw in this video that made you leave this comment. Other than basic jealousy, since this one video has more views than your entire channel. looking around the comments on my channel and over 300 videos I think you'll see that I'm actually a very experienced and well-liked teacher.

[Kiraina]

@DreamAcademyJapan Wow, even if those are your feelings, you chose probably THE most unprofessional way to express them.

[riztar]

i was wondering ever teach some young ones then a couple years later see them in middle school do they still act in a positive way to you or do they change completely to you?

[myargonauts]

I continuously teach my kids - so some were my students for a full 5 years.

Some do change toward me over time - usually if their attitude toward English takes a dive in JH, but often it's a reverse, where they might have been shy at first but gradually open up as they see me not going anywhere and always being genki and approachable.

[scarletoftrenton]

Thanks your info was very interesting, I think you have a very rewarding job. I am hoping that you can help me out; I am researching what goes on in the classroom the first day of Kindergarten in Japan but I am not finding any resources yet. Is there any way you can put me in touch with someone in Japan. I don't speak or write Japanese so hopefully there is someone who knows english. I appreciate any help you can offer.  Thanks so much.

Scarlet

[myargonauts]

scarlet - I would post on a gaijin message board - somewhere like Japanchannel, Ithinkimlost, or even the official JET forums at jetprogramme(dot)org - and see if you can find someone that has ALT experience at the kindergarten level.

[kako87100]

this is interesting!! I am also a shogakko ALT...

Thanks for the Video...

[myargonauts]

thanks! I need to make Part 2...

[cornelioushuxtable]

oh look, something useful on YouTube! y(*_*)y

[narusasu]

How well off do you think a person be teaching shougakou who's Japanese level is only roughly around 4kyuu? Do you think I'd stand much of a chance understanding the shougakusei?

Thanks for the upload! I'm currently ransacking all of your Jet vids. : D

[myargonauts]

little kids are difficult to understand at times to begin with, since they don't always speak "properly" etc, so it can be tough understanding your shogakusei at times. Plus they tend to ramble and speak quickly. Level 4 of the JLPT wouldn't be sufficient to really converse with them naturally, but I wouldn't worry too much. After all, they're supposed to be learning English from you, and after a year or so you'll start to get better at chatting with them.

[narusasu]

I see... thanks for the info! I still have 2 years left of college before I can even think of applying for Jet though. So I guess I have a lot of studying time. : )

Also, could you maybe suggest a few cities I could look into? I'd like to be in a rural community, but in a place that doesn't speak kansaiben! I'm not sure what parts of Japan do and don't. Are there any places where it tends to rain a lot?

[myargonauts]

cities I like include Kobe, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nara and of course, Taisha. :)

The weather is somewhat the same across most of Japan since it's not a big country, but you certainly get way more snow in the north (Hokkaido) and much warmer summers in the south (Kyushu and Okinawa).

[GacktandHydesmiles]

Thank-you so much for this vid! It was amazingly helpful, thank-you. : D

[myargonauts]

great - glad you liked it. :)

[BlanFan2O]

oh yeah and my high schools mascot is argonaut!

[BlanFan2O]

cool. I plan on maybe being a teacher in japan or spain. I want to teach in japan though. I'm not a teacher yet but I want to be one when I get older.

[123jesse123]

you are really good at telling a story. good video!

[myargonauts]

cool - thanks for watching!

[kairosan]

thanks for the infomation

[42317]

Damn, I thought preschool and kindergarten was the same thing...

Santa Claus!? You were born for that role! :-)

It might just be that your laugh is a bit boyish and your beard a bit short.

Shôgakusei used to like me a lot, mistaking me for a playground scaffold of sorts... and that girl would laugh so hard it hurt her when I said that I had stubble on my face ("hige") because it looked manly ("otokorashii")... the kids were very weird but also very funny.

[rivetgunner]

Jason, you're a great storyteller. I seriously think you should write a book about your experiences in Japan.

[myargonauts]

thanks for the nice comment.

[jonkun702]

Good info. Definitely keep up the teaching in japan videos. They give good tips to new teachers like me who have never taught before and don't have any idea what there getting their self into. :/

[DeeDoubleYou81]

I love little kids, but I'm sure glad I'll be teaching at the SHS level. I like the idea of being able to have meaningful converstations with my students, in English.

[kasamy1]

Great video!

[eightwillwontcannot]

great vid very informative

[Ghostkri]

The learning period sounds intense =0

[misctube]

Wow completely different from my elementary schools. I teach mostly 3rd and 4th years, 1st and 2nd every other week, and 5th and 6th every other week...it sucks but at the same time makes it easy. ~misctube

[myargonauts]

thanks for watching... :D

[dagga18]

This was really interesting :)

[myargonauts]

thanks - glad you enjoyed it.

[kidzero22]

i'm wonder with jet. can you become an english teacher in a elementry school with only an English Associate in Arts?

[myargonauts]

nope - sorry.

[WhiteMatrix2006]

Thanks for the informational video. I knew there was a big difference between the elementary and middle schools, but I didn't know too much about the differences. I wouldn't mind teaching either one. I think it would be fun either way. Can't wait til I get to go and live there. =)

-Billy-

[audwocjf]

thanks! helpful and informative video as usual.

[ChemistInJapan]

I just don't know if I could teach anything but 高校生. Kids younger than that make me uncomfortable for some reason. Plus, there is just nothing to relate to.

I'd rather just be a CIR...

[myargonauts]

I'm sure I'll cover this later, but chugakusei are my favorite, since they are still young enough to have fun and not as serious as HS kids tend to be, but not so young like shogakusei that you can talk about more than just sports and insects... :)

[TkyoSam]

日本語 NIGGA!

Fuck dude, aw well, people need to learn their Japanese and shizzle to black black!

俺の日本語は変だけど，大丈夫！俺は日本人じゃない。アメリカ人­じゃない。俺は・・・地球人！

[Mattenlamb]

HEY YOU NEED TO BE MAKING VIDEOS, NOT COMMENTS LOL. nice new apt btw sam

[drhikarisan]

sorry about the comment spam below, yt seems to only accept my comments 25% of the time so I've learned to copy and paste them again if it doesnt work the first time and this is the first time its posted it twice.

In case my other other comment doesnt show up like the one below

I loved this vid Jason

Thanks a ton as always, you really made my day.

You know, your our senpai really

[myargonauts]

great - glad you liked it. :)

[drhikarisan]

hmm.............I was hoping for a shougakkou, but your point about the home room teachers not really meant to teach english is............troublesome.

I was hoping that after I was out of the JET program that I could stay and continue teach english.....but I agree completely with your opinion on wanting to be able to interact with the students on a higher level so perhaps teaching at a middle school will be better :)

Loved this vid Jason

Thanks a ton as always, you made my day

[Jmadiso1]

I believe you have to have a degree period but it's not required to be a Japanese or teaching degree. Just a degree.

[Hevszel]

So to be an ALT you don't have to have a degree in Japanese or Teaching?

[drhikarisan]

to be in the jet program you must have a bachelor degree. It does not need to be in japanese or teaching, it can actually be any degree.

However, you do need to be a native english speaker and have an interest in the japanese culture and language is very helpful in the application process,

One of the main jobs of an ALT is not just a teacher, you must become an international ambassador. Your actions will effect the people you interact with opinions.

hope that helps

[myargonauts]

other respondents are correct - you need a BA or BS but it can be in any subject.

[NinjasFlexablewang]

nice vlog what are you going to do after you leave?

[myargonauts]

going back to the States in August - maybe coming back to Japan in 2010 - stay tuned... :)

[jfayiii]

Hope returning works out for you. I've been reliving some past memories of living there through your vids.

[Jmadiso1]

its so sad to think of you going =[ your videos were pretty awesome! In a way they have silenced some of my apprehension about success in finding a job. I'll be studying in Tokyo Fall 2010. thanks for all of the tips. Whether I join JET or something else, your Vlogs will help immensely in my preparations.

[myargonauts]

awesome - thanks for the nice comment.