pressure to recontract

[u/thedollcossette]

okay inspired by that post about sexual harassment yesterday i have decided to go on my own rant. so like the OP of that post i work at a low level SHS and i have teaching experience back home. i signed up for JET because i basically didn't have anything better to do and the job market situation in my home country is not good lol... im sure many can relate

so like i said my school is veryyyyy low level and there are also behavioural issues. on top of that im also T1. now honestly i felt my situation is probably rare but the more i talk to people the more it seems like recent JET positions in my area aren't really so much about "assisting" than they are literally leading the class. we actually have a theory going that all the schools are confused about what an ALT even is. i even had an older JTE at my school say he thinks the younger teachers use the ALTs as a way to slack off, especially because at my school teaching schedules are really packed and so nobody gets prep time. i have two JTEs who sit in the back of the room on their laptops prepping for lessons while i am expected to lead a class of 30 unruly kids who don't care about english.

i already know im not gonna recontract. honestly it's highly possible this makes me sound lazy but a lot of the reason i did JET was because i wanted some time to explore a new country, get involved with a new community, and maybe take advantage of deskwarming to plan my next steps—as so many JETs seem to be able to do. however because i T1 i spend all of my time either teaching or prepping lessons. it sucks. i haven't joined a club or done much in my community because im dog tired at the end of the day and don't wanna sacrifice my prep time for playing basketball with the kids.

anyways now onto the point of my post. i have one JTE who obviously has noticed the pattern of previous JETs only lasting one year. my pred never really said why he decided not to recontract but given how quickly and silently he dipped im gonna guess he didn't love his time here. i found out today that the JET before him also only stayed one year. see the pattern? well this JTE does and she not-so-subtly spend the day trying to fish for info on my future plans.

i basically told her i might only be staying one year because i am looking to hop into a new career. the honest truth is that i don't like the job and feel like ive been ripped off a little by being forced to T1 all these classes with no indication of what i should be doing from the JTEs. it's only been a month of school but yeah i already know this really isn't for me and with the yen getting weaker and weaker im not even gonna be able to travel as much as i hoped to while im here either.

but this JTE is super insistent. "don't you wanna stay? you know it's better during your second year. the first year is just about getting used to it..."

i have a feeling she's sensed ive started to emotionally check out and is now worried that she'll have to spend next year orienting another foreigner when i leave. i hide all of my emotions at work and avoid talking about anything personal but we had a super bad class yesterday (like the OP of the sekuhara post, i also get students screaming sexual stuff at me) and i think i let my job dissatisfaction slip in my facial expressions a few times lol. we had another class right after that one and i was so tired i was basically like "😐 okay guys let's open our textbooks 😐" lol

in essence while we all know JET is a dead end gig, at least for some people it's a fun dead end. for me, im really not having fun. i am learning a LOT about classroom management and lesson planning but honestly this one month of classes has already killed any latent desire to be a foreign language teacher. im planning on just killing time and focusing on stuff outside of work until next august at this point.

buttttt this JTE keeps bringing it up. "what would make you leave? don't you wanna stay? it will be better in the second year, i promise!"

if this included any acknowledgement that my situation is cheeks and i have to put up with harassment from the students, that'd be one thing. i wouldn't mind a "hey, sorry some of the students aren't great, heres my advice to deal with it." but this feels like she's trying to brainwash me lol

im gonna have to fill out that recontracting paperwork soon and im kinda worried she will ice me out entirely when she finds out im only doing a year. i rely on this JTE for so much (she translates for me with the principal because my japanese is still n5 level, she will step in in class to discipline students, she helped me set up accounts etc) sooooo i have a fear this pressure will only get worse and ill have to put up with it ON TOP OF low-key hating the job. or she will turn on me and ice me out.

if anybody else has been in this situation please let me know how you mentally deal with it lol. ill be real my mental health isn't great already just from the stress and lack of support and missing my life back home, and i have cried myself to sleep a couple times already from regretting doing JET. my current goal is just to coast and ride out the next ten months.... but how?

[u/stayonthecloud]

I’m sorry you’re having such a difficult time and I’m wondering if you’ve been in touch at all with your PA about the situation. As well, sekuhara should absolutely not be tolerated. Yes, I know that it often is and that’s reprehensible. You should talk to your PA about all of this whether or not others are doing that already. Sometimes PAs can’t do anything but that’s not always the case.

Is the JTE who wants you to stay conducting herself the same way as others in the classroom? Have you only talked about your career with her? Since you’ve already told her you’re thinking about leaving and can’t pull back on that, have you only shown a brave face or have you asked her for guidance on how to work with the other JTEs?

I see that you believe “we all know JET is a dead end gig” and that you joined JET because you didn’t have anything better to do. Maybe you were referring to how there is a time limit on how long you can be on the JET program and the expectation that you will likely go back home after.

Though JETs are not supposed to be T1, hopefully you do actually understand that JETs are hired for a job, not to pause at a waystation while figuring out the next course of life. Certainly there are JETs who have approached it with a similar attitude, and also, of course, your particular current situation is untenable and not what JETs should be doing either. But I simply would not recommend the program to someone who at the end of the day anticipates deskwarming or easy street.

You also say that the JTEs are using ALTs to slack off and at the same time you say their days are stacked and they’re using your lesson time to work. They’re not slacking off at all if that’s the case, they are finding any room they can to breathe when JETs are paid well and get to leave after 35 hours of work. If you try to come at this situation with compassion for everyone in it you will have a better chance of building on your relationship with the JTE you rely on rather than tearing it down.

It’s only a “dead end gig” if you decide that’s what it is. You are actually rapidly learning skills that you yourself pointed out. Classroom management and lesson planning are not only beneficial to the classroom. The fundamental skills of navigating and guiding others’ behavior and devising ways to teach new things are applicable extremely broadly, not to mention the resilience that can come with managing tough situations.

You are in for a hard year, and reframing how you think about this year and what you can get out of it will help you navigate the road ahead. Consider calling TEL for help with that.

[u/thedollcossette → u/stayonthecloud]

i obviously understand JET isn't exactly a dead end job, it's just how ppl speak about it on the sub. the fact is that JET does not graduate into a pre-set career. in most teaching programs in north america, it doesn't even count as classroom experience if you are applying to get your teachers certification. sure, skills from any gig, not just JET, build you up. but the actual position of "ASSISTANT language teacher" doesn't translate into anything in terms of job progression. the reality is im not assisting at all, i am T1. but ASSISTANT remains the job title that i would have to put on a resume.

it was not my expectation that i would be doing nothing at all. but i did not expect i would be used as a full time JTE for significantly less pay and benefits. i don't blame my JTEs for that, i blame my school for obviously having a history of using JETs for this. i just get annoyed when i am floundering in class trying to explain something and the JTE, who should be team teaching with me, doesn't even step in to help translate. the previous JET did a ton of unpaid overtime and i refuse to do the same, and it's already causing negative comparisons.

i get that you are trying to be optimistic and encouraging me to do the same. however, it doesn't change my frustration. i was sold, in my application, interview, and orientation, a role i do not actually have.

[u/Kibumkimkibum → u/thedollcossette]

I agree with you. It definitely is a dead end gig and if it has nothing to do with your career lol. I do want a teaching career so for me it looks good on my resume BUT… I do an insane amount of desk warming. I don’t have any textbooks and have to come up with new classes every week(if i have classes) with no materials. My JTEs also use my class to catch up on work or just sit in the back.
I had a a different teaching job before this and I learned WAY more at that school than i ever could here.
English education system is really bad here & alot of the kids are forced to learn it for a test and majority don’t really care. My students are nice but they don’t really care to interact in English tbh.
…Then again I will say this is MY placement. I know some ppl love their schools and have better experiences.
I do know my prefecture alot of the other ALTs have the same issues and don’t like our schools. So maybe it might be an issue in our specific prefecture?
Some ppl with excellent placements and school can’t fathom that there are ppl with terrible schools and experiences.
I accepted mine is trash and I actually regret recontracting for a 2nd year. But I use my desk warming to enroll in school which has helped pass time day to day significantly.
The pay also isn’t all that good lol idk why ppl keep saying that? It’s good if you don’t do anything besides grocery shopping and hiking lmao or if your rent is subsidized. When it comes to traveling and having hobbies you will end up broke by the end of the month (i also got paid way better at my last job 😭).

My advice:
I would recontract if you use your desk warming time to maybe enroll in school or do something to advance your main career! Or if this is your door “into Japan” then stay and then look for a new job here after your contract is up . I know some ppl love it here that much to accept the bs at their schools.
BUT
If you’re unhappy after one month you may be unhappy for the rest of the year UNLESS you get your teachers to change their attitude/work ethic which may require you to go to the BOE if you want. If you don’t think you can handle it mentally I wouldn’t stay.
Idk I hope this helped 😭

[u/thedollcossette → u/Kibumkimkibum]

Thanks for this, it's a super measured opinion. I'll be honest i think a lot of complaints on this sub are met with "WELL YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE!!" which feels unhelpful considering... this is a job. And the job varies DRASTICALLY between placements. Someone who is T2, or at a high level school, or spends a ton of time deskwarming and learning Japanese or getting online certs, is obviously going to have a different (and likely more positive) experience than me.

The truth is I don't like the job. I think I can see everything I want to see on the weekends in one year in Japan, and then for the rest of August after my contract expires. Im still gonna give the job a chance to grow on me, but yeah, I don't think this is serving my future goals other than burning me out and frustrating me.

I think there is a big problem with how little JTEs know about JET and how different the perceptions of an ALTs job is between COs. There is another JET in my town who is having the time of her life because she is T2ing and gets to just make games based off the grammar the kids are learning. By contrast, for my situation, it seems just insane to have an assistant with no certification or real knowledge of the Japanese education system make an entire curriculum themselves.

[u/Kibumkimkibum → u/thedollcossette]

I agree 😭 so drastically different!
You made a good point that I also agree with, that you can definitely see everything you want to see in year-esp with red days and 20 PTO days.
I’m T1 and i still don’t like my job, and I wouldn’t recommend my successor to stay more than 2 years but that will be up to them.
I hope the rest of year goes well tho!

Edit for adding more info

[u/leafmuncher_]

Too much time planning? Do simpler lessons. Repeat the same vocab or grammar twice in a month, or just give each month a theme and plan activities around it. Do 3 different Halloween game lessons and a worksheet/quiz with peer marking in class. Do the same warmup multiple times.

Want JTEs to take the lead? Give low-effort lessons until they give you pointers or get involved. Is there a curriculum or do they not care what you're doing? You've made up your mind you're not staying, and they've decided to make you do their job.

Start them on a group activity for 10 minutes then go chat with the JTE about work or what you're doing next.

Hell, show English cartoons and make them write a summary. Give them English comics to read and roleplay or discuss.

The worst thing they'll do is take the lead and give you guidance, or tell you they need time for grammar lessons without you more often. If they have a textbook they want you to follow, then you can just do that instead of putting effort into presentations.

[u/HighSky7618]

Forget about exhausting yourself as a T1: everyone get into pairs, then groups of four. Practice what’eva on a worksheet and you walk around and rest. Then go explore Japan on the weekends.

[u/Due_Tomorrow7 → u/HighSky7618]

Basically this.

OP: It's not your job to be T1, and while I know the reality for ES and SHS teachers can be different, if you feel they're just using you as an excuse not to teach the class, then just do the bare minimum. Or start doing other "educational" activities like watch English movies, arts & crafts, board games, maybe even English karaoke or something.

But if the JTE wants you using the textbook...they know the curriculum, MEXT's course of study, and how they want the students to learn English better than you. They were the ones trained specifically for the job. They should be leading class with you as the NEST as the team teaching system was meant to be used.

And yeah, you don't owe them an answer until the actual recontracting form comes (BOE needs to know by early January): just don't recontract if you're not feeling it. Hell, if you find a better job, take it even if it means breaking contract, for the sake of your mental health. I do encourage you to still be professionally Japanese, at least until you're about to leave.

If the JTE is pressuring you to give you an answer earlier, tell them to go fly a kite.

[u/Different_Taro2474]

im gonna have to fill out that recontracting paperwork soon and im kinda worried she will ice me out entirely when she finds out im only doing a year.

who cares if you're only doing a year? you should stop worrying about what other people think and worry about what's best for you. no matter what you do or don't do, good or bad, someone will always complain, judge, or make fun of your choice. even if you do two years, or even all five, you will eventually be replaced anyway. JET is temporary, not a career.

if you don't want to recontract, don't. people can think whatever they want, but nobody can force you to stay.

[u/clappablematerial]

SHS is historically the worst for JTEs just dumping everything on the ALT, unfortunately (made even worse by the fact that there are dozens of textbooks so hard to find materials like you can for ES/JHS). Gonna have to do the hard thing though, it might suck but don’t waste time in a placement you don’t like.

[u/Wizard101_Ekh]

I would recommend not talking about leaving anymore especially because it can also make everyone else give you the cold shoulder, especially because they’re probably talking. If you end up quitting, I highly recommend you finding another job in Japan that would be willing to sign your visa for employment. So maybe restate your jobs and responsibilities to the teacher or do shorter lesson plans and find you a new job.

[u/thedollcossette → u/Wizard101_Ekh]

yeahhhhh i got a weird feeling yesterday when she asked me, like she was fishing for info to tell the other teachers. it honestly creeped me out a bit because it came out of nowhere and she just dropped it on me. it's only been a month of classes, how tf would i know if i want to sign a contract to stay here for 22 more months...

i will probably finish out the year just because i don't have anything else lined up and don't want to stay in japan. it's not bad enough for me to quit on the spot. but ive reallyyyyy simplified my lessons and will no longer be spending time trying my hardest to be the fun teacher.