Dealing with negative co-workers.

[Staticnz]

No one ever wants me to do anything that isn't exactly what the Board of Education says I'm for. It means this job is not a real job at the end of the day.

You only just found out that JET isnt a real job??? Sorry, but I have to laugh...

From you post, you sound pretty arrogant. And Im sure that doesnt go down well with your co-workers. I mean, why would students want to hear you sing some your self-composed songs? Really, if they cant be bothered to talk to you outside of class, then they probably dont give a shoot about your songs.

Also, your job is to be an ALT. Regardless of what you think about the education system, or the teaching style of your JTE, it`s not really for you to question. You are probably some 22 year old fresh out of college, with no teaching experience and no degree that`s related to the job. And you want people to take you seriously?

How do I sound arrogant? All I said was 'cultural exchange' is supposed to be the point of the job. If cultural exchange is not valued by the BOE or the school what is the point of the job?

Now I know you are a genius that already knows everything about me, so what's the point of talking to you about it, but you got my age and life situation totally wrong, dumbass.

People who start a sentence with 'you are probably' or 'I bet you are', are invariably douchebags.

[Staticnz]

My final conclusion is I have to talk to students myself. I'm going to prepare a presentation about the event and then force the teachers to let me do it for the students. Then after sugar coating things I'll bring the sign up sheet and get them to fill it out. If they don't I'll tell them to come to the staff room.

Sometimes we have to take a look at things one more time to see if it really is a good idea or not. I have an idea be shot down, but it deserved to be. If I had pushed the idea, I would have found that the JTE was right, and it also would have tainted our relationship. Doing the lesson in the staff room in front of all of the teachers after you were told not to do it is a huge slap in the face, and you should expect to deal with the consequences of that. Also, there could be some technical aspects of your lesson that the teacher simply can't deal with, such as eating in class (which usually is not allowed) and having an unclear lesson plan (what are the outcomes?). One idea isn't worth the trouble. Maybe try taking one of those ideas, make clear objectives for it (state what the kids will learn that they don't already know [in English language and culture]), and then go with that. What will they learn from listening to your music? What will they learn about eating some food? What will they learn from teaching you about Japan? I know it sucks to have an idea you are passionate about get shot down, but it might be a reality check that you need to go back to the drawing board.

I appreciate your feedback and your point of view. However I can't agree because I don't think you got the point of my post. It wasn't about whether my idea was good, or whether it was effective or what have you, it was about being allowed to put forth ideas and have a useful dialogue with the teachers. My concern is not the huge amount of constructive criticism they are giving me, it is that they don't care about my ideas from the get go. The idea could be anything. The teachers are not open to new ideas and not open to my 'rocking the boat'.

You just assume right away that I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't appreciate that. It it weird how people decide all these things about you without knowing the situation, like the guy who said I'm 22 and fresh out of college, it's like people are always such experts about everything. I'm sorry, I'm just peeved about things.

[Staticnz]

Adding some of my own input on this. I like to joke I `bully` my teachers into letting me do a lesson that I want, but most of the time, it`s me proposing something and having to make compromises.

For your cultural lesson, maybe you can break it up and ask to maybe be allowed to do a 5 minute listening exercise by giving a speech about your country. Depending on the level of English, you might be able to make a picture board for the classroom on your country and can have at the start of the class a speaking warm-up by answering 2-3 kids questions about your country based on pictures.

The only time I am allowed to fully `take-over` a lesson with something about my hometown/exchange/something else that`s fun but deviates away from the textbook, is when we are ahead in the text book.

As for food...at one of my schools I am always giving the kids candy. I probably shouldn`t be doing it as often as I do....but I usually use American candy as rewards for review games or let them exchange a complete review worksheet that they did outside of class for a piece. My school was a bit iffy on it, but said that it`d be okay if I gave it to them during school lunch, and only school lunch. I also let the school see the nutritional information for the food/candy I bring in, and alert them well in advance. You might be able to reach a compromise with your schools on cooking and bringing something in for the children if you can show them the ingrediant list, cook it yourself (probably at home, too) and it`s something small that can be served as a school lunch treat.

Another one of my schools, I alerted almost a month ago that I would like to bring girl scout cookies in as a treat for the last class of the year. They said that would be okay and the JTE and I have been moving through the text at a pace so we have time to explain the cookies, and not just jump into the review game.

So, uh, I would try to start as small as you can - speeches, maybe a warm-up game involving your country, or other small things that don`t take up too much time. Then you might be able to move on to more complex activities, even if you have to still make compromises.

See, Liawen, I really appreciate this. A post full of suggestions and advice that I can use and could be useful. You don't make assumptions about my situation or my teachers and it makes me think about the possibilities! If us JETs could all just provide each other with useful suggestions our jobs would be improved.

Thank you!

[Staticnz]

If I were a teacher, I would probably have the following concerns:
-If this takes up an entire class period, will my students fall behind schedule?
-If this takes place after school, what about their club activities? (Depending on your school, it might be possible to do it as a special event, but that would probably take a formal proposal written in Japanese that would have to be approved by the teachers and administrators.)
-What are the specific language-related goals of this lesson?
-What time of day would this take place? Would eating extra food prevent them from eating school lunch? If it is too late in the day, would it make them sick to eat and then practice sports without enough time to digest? What is the nutritional content of the foods? Would parents approve? What about allergies?

My point is that if teachers are being negative about something, it probably means they have concerns about it. If they are willing to discuss their concerns with you, then maybe you can work something out together. Another suggestion is to start out small- maybe just do some songs for part of a lesson, see how it goes, and build from there.

I appreciate what you said, but based on what actually happened when I talked to the teachers about my idea it seems very inaccurate. You assume right away that the teachers I talked to were simply in good faith voicing their concerns.

If you look at my post, for example, I said 'I will cook food' for the event. And the teacher replied 'it will be hard to make the food'. Honest criticism? No, an excuse, I'M the one to make the food. So I explained that, and he was just like 'hmmmmm' again. 'Hmmmm'? I asked for more detail...didn't get any. Useful criticism!

The original teacher I talked to just went hmmm, uhhhh, hmmmm, uhhhh the whole time.

Now I am aware there could be a language gap, or barrier here...but I can speak some Japanese and if the teachers would communicate with me with could fix problems. I am totally willing to listen to constructive and useful criticism, absolutely, but the problem is not currently with my ideas, but the lack of environment to work through said ideas...no matter who is to blame, me or them...that's the situation.

The impression I'm left with is that teachers are very reluctant to do anything outside of their regular duties, particularly with the ALT, probably due to their fear of the language gap. And I made a written proposal and gave it to the teacher. He glanced over it and then gave it back to me and said I could take it. Yeah, great valid concerns there.

Some people have given advice not based on what actually happened, based on a number of presumptions.

[Staticnz]

Staticnz, you have repeated that your JTEs are the negative ones and that they have misconceptions about you, but I'm struck by the fact that your post is essentially a long (negative) rant, and that in recounting how you advanced your ideas, you left out the part where you tried to understand your JTEs' point of view.

I won't say that that they weren't wrong in not trying to understand your point of view, just as I won't say that two wrongs make a right, but as the minority culture, you should probably make more of an effort to understand why they're shooting you down before you crucify them for their "negativity." There is no "institution-wide" conspiracy to steamroll all your ideas the moment you propose them.

The point of view was scarcely given, that's the problem. They told me a number of concerns, like them having to make the food, which I assured them they wouldn't, that students wouldn't be able to come, so I simply implemented a sign up sheet, and...well, yeah that's about it actually. Everything else was just like 'hmmm', 'ahhhh', 'mmmmm muzukashii' with no real substance or communication. Teachers barely glanced at my proposal. This all points to me that teachers are simply reluctant to do anything extra curricular with the ALT. That's about it. That is a negative point of view to me, but it could be the manner in which this job is integrated into the schools, which is not a lot.

I love how people just automatically assume it is my fault, and that I'm bad at my job. Others think it is super funny that JET has a lot of problems, but I guess were also JETs, so must be incredibly stupid and not understand irony. Really, the balls on some of you guys.

I said institution wide INDIFFERENCE, which is not the same word as conspiracy.

[Staticnz]

I'm going to prepare a presentation about the event and then force the teachers to let me do it for the students.

There's been some fair points made and good advice given already, but I'd just like to add that if you enjoy your job as an ALT, and it certainly seems that you do, forcing the teachers to do something is highly likely to affect whether you keep your job as an ALT.

Well, when I say force I mean within reason. I was feeling so discouraged I was right on the verge of cancelling, so that goes to show you how literal I was being. Not very.

People need to decide, is their job about just doing what is described. Clock in and out, take that Japan money, then bugger off back home. Or is it about connecting to people and sharing cultural ideas, while growing your own experiences and helping others learn and grow along the way.

There seems to be an alarming number of people advocating for giving up, or not trying very hard, or blaming yourself, and perhaps maybe they have convinced themselves they know all there is to know about JET and can thus recommend the perfect solution, which turns out to be a rather weak one, apparently.

So I did my event today...it went ok. Students seemed to enjoy the food and were interested in learning about New Zealand. My songs went ok but I definitely need to practice more. It was still difficult as I was left to myself essentially but we had a pleasant enough time. I would like to do something more involved and detailed, a better exchange, but it is so challenging to break through afore mentioned veil of indifference. All I know is beating myself up more is not going to help, so I like the suggestions that are actually useful about how to rethink your event, not the crappy ones about how shoot I must be at life.

[Gizmotech]

The point of view was scarcely given, that's the problem. They told me a number of concerns, like them having to make the food, which I assured them they wouldn't, that students wouldn't be able to come, so I simply implemented a sign up sheet, and...well, yeah that's about it actually. Everything else was just like 'hmmm', 'ahhhh', 'mmmmm muzukashii' with no real substance or communication. Teachers barely glanced at my proposal. This all points to me that teachers are simply reluctant to do anything extra curricular with the ALT. That's about it. That is a negative point of view to me, but it could be the manner in which this job is integrated into the schools, which is not a lot.

I love how people just automatically assume it is my fault, and that I'm bad at my job. Others think it is super funny that JET has a lot of problems, but I guess were also JETs, so must be incredibly stupid and not understand irony. Really, the balls on some of you guys.

I said institution wide INDIFFERENCE, which is not the same word as conspiracy.

Here's my positive, go forward, carebear tip: I would suggest that, in the future, you attempt to integrate ideas more progressively into the environment rather than trying to accomplish so much at once. I understand your desire to accomplish more than just being the token gaijin ALT english speaker in the room, however we have to be flexible within a system which has limited time and resources available to the ulterior motives of the JET Programme. Keep in mind (in response to the "what's the point of the job statement" earlier) that though our programme contracts us for a specific purpose, that purpose is not reflected within the mission statement of the education system. There is a requirement for an ALT of some form to be there to improve the English education, not to be cultural ambassadors. Small token integration generally goes over well, and ideally this type of thing should be started from within an exterior system such as a local cultural centre, or as an element of your English club at the school. Think small steps....

Here's my not so positive go forward, and relatively anti-carebear stuff. People on the forums have good reason to make these assumptions about your position. They have analyzed a relatively negative rant, which has within it a series of overly ambitious objectives which you are attempting to foist on to your bosses. Furthermore your attitude in the previous messages indicates a sense of entitlement, that you are there for a greater purpose than being an ALT in the classroom. We are not Japanese Teachers, nor should we expect to be treated as Japanese teachers with similar status and ability. They have no reason to express their lack of desire in doing your overly ambitious plan as they do not need to be constructive with you at all. Yes it can be difficult to work in that environment, but that's when we analyze the situation and come up with new plans that fit within their expectations.

Furthermore, you complain about a general tone here on the forums in regards to assumptions made about your situation. Notice that many of the people replying to this have likely been doing this longer than you have and have a more sensitive view of the Japanese work culture and JTE expectations/capabilities. They analyzed and replied to your situation filling in variables which are generally constant. "Young unobservant headstrong individual" "Overly ambitious" "Attempting Change" "Asking teachers for input" They provided feedback based on your content and these variables which creates a pretty good impression of the situation they have seen multiple times. They weren't just dismissing you at all.

People need to decide, is their job about just doing what is described. Clock in and out, take that Japan money, then bugger off back home. Or is it about connecting to people and sharing cultural ideas, while growing your own experiences and helping others learn and grow along the way.

There seems to be an alarming number of people advocating for giving up, or not trying very hard, or blaming yourself, and perhaps maybe they have convinced themselves they know all there is to know about JET and can thus recommend the perfect solution, which turns out to be a rather weak one, apparently.

People have decided and that is fine. Some people are quite content to do their job and go home, there is NOTHING wrong with this. You will learn later in life that you work to live, not live to work. Others, like myself, have learned to work within the system and accomplish things above and beyond the job in a productive and non-controversy creating way. You may see this as dismissive and not being a cultural ambassador, but reality often trumps imagination and we have to work within the systems we are presented. There is nothing contradictory about doing BOTH of things you've mentioned above at the same time, however it appears based on your replies and original post you are placing far too much emphasis on a component of our job which isn't in the job description (check the contract). If you feel soo strongly about this element of the job I suggest you attempt to accomplish it outside of school rather than within it, as the people are generally going to be far more responsive to that anyways.

So I did my event today...it went ok. Students seemed to enjoy the food and were interested in learning about New Zealand. My songs went ok but I definitely need to practice more. It was still difficult as I was left to myself essentially but we had a pleasant enough time. I would like to do something more involved and detailed, a better exchange, but it is so challenging to break through afore mentioned veil of indifference. All I know is beating myself up more is not going to help, so I like the suggestions that are actually useful about how to rethink your event, not the crappy ones about how shoot I must be at life.

First, being left to yourself should have been the default expectation from the beginning. Anything you suggest should likely be accomplished on your own, as it doesn't relate to your contractual job, nor the responsibilities of the JTE's around you.

Second, veil of indifference is a judgement on Japanese society which is undeserved. They are hardly indifferent at all, and i would suggest you consider your JTEs position, responsibilities, and how much work they do relative to your own job before making this statement. At no point would I consider even my most uncommunicative asholish JTE indifferent, just bloody well busy and has no reason to want to help me beyond class related content.

Lastly, NOONE said you were shoot at life. Even mountainboy, though being a bit harsh in his approach, only indicated a relative lack of experience in negotiating large scale projects based on an assumption that you are a fresh uni graduate with limited "professional" working experience. That's not being shoot at all, because if everyone without experience in something were shoot at life, then we're all shoot at life (I would love to play the guitar... absolutely no experience at it therefore must be shoot at life).

Gizmo,
Signing a post like it's 1993

[pnksweater]

This stood out to me.

If you look at my post, for example, I said 'I will cook food' for the event. And the teacher replied 'it will be hard to make the food'. Honest criticism? No, an excuse, I'M the one to make the food. So I explained that, and he was just like 'hmmmmm' again. 'Hmmmm'? I asked for more detail...didn't get any. Useful criticism!

The original teacher I talked to just went hmmm, uhhhh, hmmmm, uhhhh the whole time.

I don’t want to make any assumptions about your knowledge of Japanese language/culture (and if you know this already, apologies for stating the obvious), but that right there is a Japanese no. By pushing the point you’re making your JTE uncomfortable. S/he probably wasn’t prepared to providing a reason for why thus the useless feedback. S/he wasn’t looking for you to improve the lesson. S/he was expecting you to accept the no and give up.

That’s pretty crappy as far as job satisfaction goes. Some people compensate for unsatisfying classroom time by increasing interactions outside of class- clubs, English boards, supporting a school team. You don’t have to rely on the JTE for your internationalization efforts, either. Try getting in good with the home ec. teacher or the art teacher, anyone who’s open to your participation. Use these teachers as a springboard to connect with your students. Hopefully these teachers will be more open (down the road) to a foreign cooking class or other internationalization activities.

For me, I sat down with my JTEs at the start of the school year and asked them if they could do anything in their English class what that would be. A lot of the time there’s something they want to improve but they have no idea how, or simply lack the time to add to or change the curriculum. One teacher told me she wanted to increase students’ communication in English, but she didn’t feel she could divert classroom time away from the textbook. I made up a list of journal topics, she selected the ones she liked, and I did all the correcting and feedback. At another school my JTE told me he wanted to better prepare students for high school English. He felt they needed more exposure to lectures. So I created some power point presentations on some topics in the textbook and made some corresponding listening activities to build the skill sets needed to listen to short lectures in English.

These ideas might not be what you’re looking for. They don’t really look like the internationalization a lot of us were expecting when entering the program. Personally I feel that as an Assistant Teacher it is my job to assist the JTE in the ways s/he thinks is best. By doing my best to help the JTE achieve his/her goals, I’ve found that over time I’ve been given more leeway with my lessons. When those lessons do really well my JTE becomes even more open to trying new things. It can be a really gradual process, depending on the teachers. And it has to be said, you aren’t going to be able to win everyone over.

HTH

[trout501]

Staticnz, you have repeated that your JTEs are the negative ones and that they have misconceptions about you, but I'm struck by the fact that your post is essentially a long (negative) rant, and that in recounting how you advanced your ideas, you left out the part where you tried to understand your JTEs' point of view.

I won't say that that they weren't wrong in not trying to understand your point of view, just as I won't say that two wrongs make a right, but as the minority culture, you should probably make more of an effort to understand why they're shooting you down before you crucify them for their "negativity." There is no "institution-wide" conspiracy to steamroll all your ideas the moment you propose them.

The point of view was scarcely given, that's the problem.

No.... That's not the problem. The problem lies in your assumption that they are under an obligation to give their point of view to you in an easily understandable manner, which they are not. This is why JET interviewers are so adamant about looking for people with "Japan experience" or "adaptability." Whatever the actual work environment in any country is like, it's not your employer's or coworker's responsibility to spoonfeed cultural mores to the new guy. There is an argument to be made that the new guy has a responsibility to adapt to the new job and new culture, though.

They told me a number of concerns, like them having to make the food, which I assured them they wouldn't, that students wouldn't be able to come, so I simply implemented a sign up sheet, and...well, yeah that's about it actually. Everything else was just like 'hmmm', 'ahhhh', 'mmmmm muzukashii' with no real substance or communication.

Time to start learning about Japanese culture, my friend. You just described the standard way Japanese people go about disagreeing and saying "no." Nobody's going to hold your hand while you are frustrated at something you can't understand, and nobody is going to have sympathy for someone who doesn't try a little harder than it sounds like you are. Time to start figuring out the culture of your host country and maybe realizing that getting mad is the wrong reaction to it.

Teachers barely glanced at my proposal. This all points to me that teachers are simply reluctant to do anything extra curricular with the ALT. That's about it. That is a negative point of view to me, but it could be the manner in which this job is integrated into the schools, which is not a lot.

I love how people just automatically assume it is my fault, and that I'm bad at my job. Others think it is super funny that JET has a lot of problems, but I guess were also JETs, so must be incredibly stupid and not understand irony. Really, the balls on some of you guys.

I said institution wide INDIFFERENCE, which is not the same word as conspiracy.

First you say they are negative, then you say they are indifferent (the title of your thread, incidentally, uses the word "negative"). I don't think you really understand how they feel toward you.

I never said I thought you were bad at your job. However, I did, and still do say that it sounds like it's your fault for not understanding your JTEs. I didn't just automatically assume that. It was pretty clear from what you wrote in your original post, and very evident from what you wrote in follow-up posts, one of which I outlined above. There's no room in the Japanese workplace for a maverick, which it sounds like you want to be. I'm trying to tell you that.

[trout501]

People need to decide, is their job about just doing what is described. Clock in and out, take that Japan money, then bugger off back home. Or is it about connecting to people and sharing cultural ideas, while growing your own experiences and helping others learn and grow along the way.

There seems to be an alarming number of people advocating for giving up, or not trying very hard, or blaming yourself, and perhaps maybe they have convinced themselves they know all there is to know about JET and can thus recommend the perfect solution, which turns out to be a rather weak one, apparently.

So either we can do the bare minimum, or else we can burn bridges, rock the boat, and insist that we're right and the world is wrong? Well there's a false choice if I've ever seen one!

I'm starting to wonder if you went to the same Tokyo Orientation as the rest of us, or did you just read the JET Programme marketing materials and then not go to the actual orientations and seminars? Honest question here, because if you were a late-arrival, that would explain a lot, and I would seriously re-consider my tone. As it stands...

Look, whoever told you that cultural outreach came before working in harmony with your coworkers was pulling your leg. There is a way to share cultural ideas, grow your own ideas, and promote internationalization while working as an ALT. But working as an ALT comes first!!! You've got to understand that. If you're not assisting another teacher to teach language, you're not working as an ALT. The other stuff fits in afterwards, or maybe even outside of working hours, or outside of school.

Schools are just schools, after all. They have international centers in every city outside of school hours for a reason. I think you're really expecting too much, too magical of an experience, from your schools.

I don't know if you noticed it yet, but your paychecks don't come from the JET Programme. They come from your employer, who makes the rules of your job. JET recruiters may have told you certain things about what you can expect while working in Japan, but they are not who you have to answer to for your actions.

[Staticnz]

Here's my positive, go forward, carebear tip: I would suggest that, in the future, you attempt to integrate ideas more progressively into the environment rather than trying to accomplish so much at once. I understand your desire to accomplish more than just being the token gaijin ALT english speaker in the room, however we have to be flexible within a system which has limited time and resources available to the ulterior motives of the JET Programme. Keep in mind (in response to the "what's the point of the job statement" earlier) that though our programme contracts us for a specific purpose, that purpose is not reflected within the mission statement of the education system. There is a requirement for an ALT of some form to be there to improve the English education, not to be cultural ambassadors. Small token integration generally goes over well, and ideally this type of thing should be started from within an exterior system such as a local cultural centre, or as an element of your English club at the school. Think small steps....

Well thank you, I appreciate your 'carebear' (!?!?!) (I like how if you are forced to say something positive it's such a bad thing for you) tip.

It is actually useful so I appreciate it.

However, yes, my entire orientation in my home country was based around cultural exchange. English teaching itself was scarcely mentioned at all. That's just how it was.

Here's my not so positive go forward, and relatively anti-carebear stuff. People on the forums have good reason to make these assumptions about your position. They have analyzed a relatively negative rant, which has within it a series of overly ambitious objectives which you are attempting to foist on to your bosses. Furthermore your attitude in the previous messages indicates a sense of entitlement, that you are there for a greater purpose than being an ALT in the classroom. We are not Japanese Teachers, nor should we expect to be treated as Japanese teachers with similar status and ability. They have no reason to express their lack of desire in doing your overly ambitious plan as they do not need to be constructive with you at all. Yes it can be difficult to work in that environment, but that's when we analyze the situation and come up with new plans that fit within their expectations.

Well your 'anti-carebear' advice is indeed rather awful.

I'm not of the belief that intention is irrelevant, as folks often say. If I give my genuine point of view, it being perceived as 'negative' actually has nothing to do with the substance of what I'm saying. A negative point of view to me is one given in a state of base negativity, which I did not do. In fact, so called 'negativity' can be positive if it is used to shed light on problems and create discussion to fix things.

Therefore, you are merely besmirching my motives, which I think is not cool or at all useful.

I criticised the teachers I talked to as the 'negativity' they provided actually had no positive use. It was just hum harr for it's own sake.

Furthermore, you complain about a general tone here on the forums in regards to assumptions made about your situation. Notice that many of the people replying to this have likely been doing this longer than you have and have a more sensitive view of the Japanese work culture and JTE expectations/capabilities. They analyzed and replied to your situation filling in variables which are generally constant. "Young unobservant headstrong individual" "Overly ambitious" "Attempting Change" "Asking teachers for input" They provided feedback based on your content and these variables which creates a pretty good impression of the situation they have seen multiple times. They weren't just dismissing you at all.

But it is dismissive to assume things about someone and then go from there to give criticism. It just is!

Those so called forum posts you quoted (most of which you actually just made up) would have it seem I'm running around the school bothering everyone I can about my idea, and going to the kyoto and kouchou senseis and bashing them over the head with all these ridiculous over the top ideas, and expecting everyone to bend over backwards and do what I say...so on...that the idea I have is extremely unreasonable and really terrible and crappy and has no use whatsoever...

All of which is total, unmitigated bullcrap. So what can I do with it.

People have decided and that is fine. Some people are quite content to do their job and go home, there is NOTHING wrong with this. You will learn later in life that you work to live, not live to work. Others, like myself, have learned to work within the system and accomplish things above and beyond the job in a productive and non-controversy creating way. You may see this as dismissive and not being a cultural ambassador, but reality often trumps imagination and we have to work within the systems we are presented. There is nothing contradictory about doing BOTH of things you've mentioned above at the same time, however it appears based on your replies and original post you are placing far too much emphasis on a component of our job which isn't in the job description (check the contract). If you feel soo strongly about this element of the job I suggest you attempt to accomplish it outside of school rather than within it, as the people are generally going to be far more responsive to that anyways.

Well I want to live to work...that's just the way I'm wired. I did a lot of contracting and temp work back home and I was always irked then about not being a full team member, so I feel like I have to make my own way in life. So I will be doing this job for a few years but then I think I have to follow my own ambitions and gamble with failure.

First, being left to yourself should have been the default expectation from the beginning. Anything you suggest should likely be accomplished on your own, as it doesn't relate to your contractual job, nor the responsibilities of the JTE's around you.

Second, veil of indifference is a judgement on Japanese society which is undeserved. They are hardly indifferent at all, and i would suggest you consider your JTEs position, responsibilities, and how much work they do relative to your own job before making this statement. At no point would I consider even my most uncommunicative asholish JTE indifferent, just bloody well busy and has no reason to want to help me beyond class related content.

Lastly, NOONE said you were shoot at life. Even mountainboy, though being a bit harsh in his approach, only indicated a relative lack of experience in negotiating large scale projects based on an assumption that you are a fresh uni graduate with limited "professional" working experience. That's not being shoot at all, because if everyone without experience in something were shoot at life, then we're all shoot at life (I would love to play the guitar... absolutely no experience at it therefore must be shoot at life).

You need to know what I actually mean by 'veil of indifference'. I'm clearly not saying they are indifferent about their jobs, their schools, their lives, their students, doing things...

I'm talking solely in relation to the ALT role. Now you reply it isn't their job to give a crap. EXACTLY. The role is not integrated into the schools! It is essentially a temp role in nature. If there were actual responsibilities, not to mention a true guideline or process to the job, how would that not be better?

Instead you keep characterising that I'm just saying oh all the teachers are terrible people who don't care about living and they all hate me. I'm not saying any of those things. Where do you think 'every situation is different' really came from? Besides some situational things, really the lack of clarity to the ALT job.

I suppose I crave some structure, and some OFFICIAL responsibilities. However I think many folks think differently and thus will defend to death the idea of coming up things on your own instead of being an actual full time member. And am I overpaid for what I do? Hell yes I am. In fact it makes me think the Japanese government needs to shake things up a bit. I guess they started by cutting JET pay next year, so that's something, but patching up the programme would be preferable.

I just love that when I notice issues with the role it has to be from some great, insane paranoid fantasy of mine, and entertaining the notion that there are any problems shows I'm just a huge problem and so egotistical and out of control. So stupid!

Would that I was being overly sensitive (which I guess is true from the mere act of replying to things right), but saying someone is fresh out of college, or lived with their parents, or lacks experience, is such a blatant put down you're asking me to believe things that are obviously not true. So, shrug. I guess, if you think you're right, well, that's nice. Creating ideas about other people based on nothing is the same as saying they suck at life and you know everything. It's kind of amusing to me that you think that isn't insulting.

But I think that guy was just a troll so...you know what they say about feeding the trolls.

[Staticnz]

People need to decide, is their job about just doing what is described. Clock in and out, take that Japan money, then bugger off back home. Or is it about connecting to people and sharing cultural ideas, while growing your own experiences and helping others learn and grow along the way.

There seems to be an alarming number of people advocating for giving up, or not trying very hard, or blaming yourself, and perhaps maybe they have convinced themselves they know all there is to know about JET and can thus recommend the perfect solution, which turns out to be a rather weak one, apparently.

So either we can do the bare minimum, or else we can burn bridges, rock the boat, and insist that we're right and the world is wrong? Well there's a false choice if I've ever seen one!

I'm starting to wonder if you went to the same Tokyo Orientation as the rest of us, or did you just read the JET Programme marketing materials and then not go to the actual orientations and seminars? Honest question here, because if you were a late-arrival, that would explain a lot, and I would seriously re-consider my tone. As it stands...

I mean, I know you are the tone police and everything, but your opinion seems to be about something totally irrelevant, because I'm not talking about rocking the boat, unless actually doing some fun and useful events with students is called rocking the boat, in which case you've made JET look like a totally useless role. Do you believe it is?

People are assuming I'm talking about doing something extremely radical. It's dumb.

[Staticnz]

This stood out to me.

If you look at my post, for example, I said 'I will cook food' for the event. And the teacher replied 'it will be hard to make the food'. Honest criticism? No, an excuse, I'M the one to make the food. So I explained that, and he was just like 'hmmmmm' again. 'Hmmmm'? I asked for more detail...didn't get any. Useful criticism!

The original teacher I talked to just went hmmm, uhhhh, hmmmm, uhhhh the whole time.

I don’t want to make any assumptions about your knowledge of Japanese language/culture (and if you know this already, apologies for stating the obvious), but that right there is a Japanese no. By pushing the point you’re making your JTE uncomfortable. S/he probably wasn’t prepared to providing a reason for why thus the useless feedback. S/he wasn’t looking for you to improve the lesson. S/he was expecting you to accept the no and give up.

That’s pretty crappy as far as job satisfaction goes. Some people compensate for unsatisfying classroom time by increasing interactions outside of class- clubs, English boards, supporting a school team. You don’t have to rely on the JTE for your internationalization efforts, either. Try getting in good with the home ec. teacher or the art teacher, anyone who’s open to your participation. Use these teachers as a springboard to connect with your students. Hopefully these teachers will be more open (down the road) to a foreign cooking class or other internationalization activities.

For me, I sat down with my JTEs at the start of the school year and asked them if they could do anything in their English class what that would be. A lot of the time there’s something they want to improve but they have no idea how, or simply lack the time to add to or change the curriculum. One teacher told me she wanted to increase students’ communication in English, but she didn’t feel she could divert classroom time away from the textbook. I made up a list of journal topics, she selected the ones she liked, and I did all the correcting and feedback. At another school my JTE told me he wanted to better prepare students for high school English. He felt they needed more exposure to lectures. So I created some power point presentations on some topics in the textbook and made some corresponding listening activities to build the skill sets needed to listen to short lectures in English.

These ideas might not be what you’re looking for. They don’t really look like the internationalization a lot of us were expecting when entering the program. Personally I feel that as an Assistant Teacher it is my job to assist the JTE in the ways s/he thinks is best. By doing my best to help the JTE achieve his/her goals, I’ve found that over time I’ve been given more leeway with my lessons. When those lessons do really well my JTE becomes even more open to trying new things. It can be a really gradual process, depending on the teachers. And it has to be said, you aren’t going to be able to win everyone over.

HTH

Thank you, your ideas are useful...

In regards to the 'Japanese no', that may well be true. In fact I've heard about such things from a number of sources. I think the thing that frustrated me was not necessarily the 'no' per se, but the lack of justification for it. I would put it down to a mere language barrier were it not for the fact that the actual reasons some teachers gave me actually had nothing to do with the event, such as their perception I was asking them to cook all the food. This pointed to me to a general lack of willingness to do something together with the ALT.

Now I say ALT as opposed to just personally me as I've been here only a few months, I get on well enough with everybody and have had a good time, so I don't just re-actively blame myself. I haven't particularly done anything that would make people not want to work with me. Against this thread's narrative, I am actually a good teacher. Also, unlike how others have characterized, I don't just blame the teachers. I do indeed blame the system but that sounds too lofty I suppose.

It would be really nice if I could start the new year with a different point of view, and try what you describe. Sit down with some teachers and really explore some ideas. Perhaps I should start doing some brainstorming. Thank you for your constructive message.

[Staticnz]

No.... That's not the problem. The problem lies in your assumption that they are under an obligation to give their point of view to you in an easily understandable manner, which they are not. This is why JET interviewers are so adamant about looking for people with "Japan experience" or "adaptability." Whatever the actual work environment in any country is like, it's not your employer's or coworker's responsibility to spoonfeed cultural mores to the new guy. There is an argument to be made that the new guy has a responsibility to adapt to the new job and new culture, though.

And yet you think none of this reflects on the ALT role itself? How it is possible it doesn't make you think about it?

Time to start learning about Japanese culture, my friend. You just described the standard way Japanese people go about disagreeing and saying "no." Nobody's going to hold your hand while you are frustrated at something you can't understand, and nobody is going to have sympathy for someone who doesn't try a little harder than it sounds like you are. Time to start figuring out the culture of your host country and maybe realizing that getting mad is the wrong reaction to it.

Well actually what you say is useful and positive, learn about Japanese culture, get to know the ins and outs of these things. Sure, totally, that makes sense.

But you frame it in such a snooty, douchey way, like you know everything, and I think that sucks.

I study Japanese and Japanese culture obsessively, I try to immerse myself in it, but it is extremely difficult for me. Do I need to know more? OF COUUUURRRRRRSSSEEEEEEEEEE I do.

First you say they are negative, then you say they are indifferent (the title of your thread, incidentally, uses the word "negative"). I don't think you really understand how they feel toward you.

I never said I thought you were bad at your job. However, I did, and still do say that it sounds like it's your fault for not understanding your JTEs. I didn't just automatically assume that. It was pretty clear from what you wrote in your original post, and very evident from what you wrote in follow-up posts, one of which I outlined above. There's no room in the Japanese workplace for a maverick, which it sounds like you want to be. I'm trying to tell you that.

I said they are negative about my ideas, and generally indifferent TO MY ROLE. Which they are. But folks seem to think there is some magic Japanese pixie dust floating around and all that means they are actually being super constructive and positive, and I'm super unreasonable for expecting a useful dialogue about things, and also I'm just a moron because all my ideas actually all suck and teachers, and other ALTs, can magically see that automatically (without even discussing them). Well I apologise if I don't see that as useful feedback.

I'm a maverick? Really, it is silly how people make this stuff up. You really know nothing about me, do you?

Being frustrated is not the same as being the tremendous douchebag folks like yourself are painting me as. It's just dork.

[Antonath]

I just love that when I notice issues with the role it has to be from some great, insane paranoid fantasy of mine, and entertaining the notion that there are any problems shows I'm just a huge problem and so egotistical and out of control. So stupid!

We're not saying these issues are from a paranoid fantasy; we're saying that you're just facing the same problems every other ALT has faced for the last 20(?) years of the JET programme. No one else has been able to change the system's attitude to ALTs, and neither will you. Certainly not by "forcing" them to let you be super-energetic-international-miracle-ALT. If you want to try and change your school's attitude, good luck to you! But there's reasons no one else has changed attitudes in all these years... Also remember the saying "the nail that stands out gets hammered down"; if it wasn't originally Japanese, it should have been.

As for there being no justification behind the "no"... First, do they have to give you one? They're your bosses, you're the employee. If boss says "no", then ultimately the answer is no. Second, how's your Japanese? Depending on the abilities of the JTEs, they may not know how to justify their "no" in English. If your Japanese is good, try (politely) asking why in their language.