Interviews and Understandings

Today starts my students’ Interview Test preparation. I’m completely in charge of it in how I make the questions, I create the grading system, I hold the interview test, then I grade the worksheets I make for them. It’s a nice little break from thinking of something to do for team teaching. Even after that, there’s another break since this test is followed by the final exam, so summer break is coming up. Well, next month anyway, but I see school in terms of two weeks so summer break is right around the corner. Why two weeks you ask? Well, since I have so many classes, I do one lesson plan for two weeks. So, I do a class once every two weeks in a rotation. Any given week, I’ll visit about 11 classes, so I’d have about 22 classes every two weeks. It’s quite the good set up.


Working with the teachers for the Interview Test tends to be a smooth venture. They know that they have to do a lot of explanation in Japanese alongside my English, so it’s almost always an easy class. The new guy, however, decides that he doesn’t want to do the Interview Test the same way I’ve been doing it since last year, with other teachers. Well, I mean, even in general, the guy doesn’t do anything; he just walks to the back, sits down (or lays back), and barely even gives Japanese translation. When he first got here, he said “In the class, I’m going to be student, too.” No. I’m sure some people are used to that, but it was a completely new experience to me. A teacher who doesn’t know what team teaching is about? Clearly he knows about it and has does it before because he’s an English teacher in Japan. I’ve been told from other teachers that it’s quite common for Academic School teachers to be lazy and not want to do much work and when they’re transferred to a new school where they HAVE to do work (mine, for instance). They don’t really like it and would rather sit in the back until class is over. Okay.


That’s quite stupid. You would think those that come from an academic school would be one of the best teachers, but if the kids are smart, you don’t have to do much work to begin with. In any case, I got that kind of guy this year. He did only a little bit of translation for the class… I hope he used enough for the kids because if they don’t do well, it’s his fault. The Interview Test works great with EVERY OTHER TEACHER because they understand the kids and how they need Japanese, unlike his other school, I’m sure. It’s just mind-boggling how he doesn't want to do work…which honestly for the classes, it is only translation because I’m the teacher and the teachers become the assistants. At first I didn't like that, but I know that the other teachers have my back so if it’s hard to explain something, they can take care of it, and I’m comfortable enough with the kids to do most of the talking, since most of it is about western culture anyway.


So, it all came to a head yesterday where he didn't do translation again, so I was like screw it, I taught in all Japanese. I know it’s a cop out, but if the kids don’t know what I’m saying, despite trying to explain in a bunch of different ways, and the degree-carrying JTE doesn’t want to do his job, I have to do his job for him. It worked out alright; I would honestly just rather use English, since that’s what I’m getting paid for.


Later in the day, he wanted to talk to me about the lesson. He said that he wants me to just go right into doing the activity and not explain anything because he will explain in Japanese. That’s great…that’ll make my life easier… why the hell didn’t he do that when I asked him before? Then I explain that I would like less of just “me” time and more “us” time. I meant I want him to stop going to the back of the classroom and just watching the class like some spectator. He’s a teacher. I explained that students could tell if the JTE and ALT are meshing well together. If they see that they are, I think they’ll be more inclined to listen, ESPECIALLY when the JTE can get off his ass and be kind enough to repeatedly ask questions to constantly check for understanding. It keeps them on their toes. If they get bombarded with English and no breaks in between, they’ll give up because there’s no way they can understand.


In any case, he also explains that he doesn't want to team teach; he wants me to just follow along with his plans when we go into the classroom. Fine by me. It takes a bit of load off of my shoulders that way, but it’s clear that was what he wanted from the beginning and he was being a jerk by passive aggressively sitting in the back and not giving translation. Then he had the nerve to apologize for not being able to do much (?) in the class. Um….how can you apologize to me for how you sat down and did nothing? Why didn’t you do anything? Well, whatever, it’s not a big deal anymore. At least he decided to finally be an adult about it so could we were able to clear some things up.


So we came to a pacifying agreement; he’ll teach and I’ll be the assistant. Hey! That doesn't sound too bad….lol