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[jetsketcher]

Life Experiences Bingo! Great as a warm-up or review activity for Present Perfect! 

Get students to ask their classmates using “Have you ever…?” and have students respond using “Yes, I have!” or, “No, I haven’t.” If they get a YES, have them write down their classmate’s name. Try for as many Bingos as possible, depending on your class’ level.  Goes over well with my SHS 1st year students. Enjoy!

[sapporosenpai]

Your Japanese Introduction Speech

Hey, everyone! Since I just started at a new school this Monday, I spent Sunday night double-checking and memorizing the Japanese introduction speech that I use for the morning meeting. I know not all ALTs know Japanese (and even ones who do might want to see an example), so here’s what I usually say for my first morning meeting!

皆さん、はじめまして。 Mina-san, hajimemashite. Nice to meet you, everyone. (Hajimemashite is used the first time you meet someone.)

私はOOと申します。 Watashi wa _________ to moushimasu. I’m (NAME).

OOと呼んでいただけませんか。 _________ to yonde itadakemasenka. Why don’t you call me (NICKNAME)?

＃年前、OOからOOへ来ました。/OOから来ました。日本は初めてです。 # nen mae, _________ kara _________ e kimashita. / _________ kara kimashita. Nihon wa hajimete desu. (NUMBER) years ago, I came from (HOME COUNTRY) to (PART OF JAPAN YOU’RE IN). / I’m from (HOME COUNTRY). This is my first time in Japan.

OO中学校/高校に来られて嬉しいです。 _________ chugakkou/koukou ni korarete, ureshii desu. I’m happy that I could come to (NAME OF SCHOOL) junior high school/senior high school.

これからお世話になります。 Korekara, osewa ni narimasu. From this point on, I’m in your care.

もし私の日本のマナーが良くなかったら、許していただけませんか。 Moshi watashi no nihon no manaa ga yokunakkatara, yurushite itadakemasenka. If my Japanese manners are bad, could you forgive me? (This never fails to get a laugh!)

どうぞよろしくおねがいします。 Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Let’s work together from now on! (There’s not really a direct translation for this, but it’s the appropriate way to end your speech.)

Don’t sweat it out too much! Your coworkers are going to appreciate the effort you put in, even if your Japanese isn’t perfect. It’s also polite to keep your intro brief, as you’re taking up time during the morning meeting. Oh, and they won’t mind if you read off of a little note sheet. Good luck!

[sapporosenpai]

Your School Toolkit

Hi, everyone! Summer is in full bloom in Hokkaido, and boy is it busy! The Sapporo newbies have arrived (hi guys!) and I’ve begun work at my next school.  Since some junior high school ALTs haven’t started yet, I figured I’d offer some advice on what you should bring to school!

NECESSARY–

Your teachers might be hella messy (see below), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your shit together!  These are the things you should definitely be bringing for your first few days.

Hanko - you’ll need your stamp to “sign” your work calendar

Self intro materials - whether these are a few pictures and posters or a laptop and the appropriate connectors, make sure you’ve got them!

Basic Japanese intro - if you can’t ad-lib it or aren’t good at Japanese, try to pre-write your intro to the teachers (the senior ALTs or Lang8 can help you get it up to par!)

USB - if you use your personal computer/tablet at work, chances are it won’t be connected to the school’s server, so you’ll need to save activities and send them to another computer to print and make copies

Folders/binders - you’ll want a place to keep the copies of activities you’re using during the day, as well as collected student work and master copies of worksheets

Stamps/stickers - your kids’ll go nuts for ‘em, and it’s a great way to keep students motivated!

Timer - so your “five minutes to answer” doesn’t turn into twenty

Other basic office supplies - pens and pencils (highly recommend the erasable Frixion stuff!), whiteout tape, notepads, binder clips, paper clips, post-its, scissors, rulers, and all that good stuff

MY RECOMMENDATIONS–

These are things I’ve personally found useful in my time teaching at Sapporo.

iPad/tablet - carrying my heavy-ass laptop to and from work every day was a pain…literally. Can’t rave enough about the convenience of using my iPad!

Journal - getting to know your kids and making awesome activities is easier if you keep a daily log of students you’ve interacted with and what you talked about, which classes went poorly and why, and changes you want to implement

Personal hotspot/pocket WiFi - it’s a pain to make activities without Internet access, and usually the computers available for use are slow as fuck, so using my personal hotspot makes my life a lot easier

Mug/water bottle - it’s easy to forget to drink when you’re running around all day, but try to stay hydrated!

Decorative trinkets - your school is sort of like your second home, so why not decorate? Putting up pictures or things you like can help your teachers get to know you and encourage conversations (and sometimes they might add to your collections~~!)

I’ve gotten a Sailor Moon keychain, more wands, and some Sailor Moon candies from kind teachers because I keep these on my desk! Don’t judge. #sailorsenshiorbust

Anyway, I hope that helped! Enjoy your first lessons, newbies!

[sapporosenpai]

Questions to Ask on Your First Day at School

Hi, all! Spring break is quickly approaching – for my junior high school, it begins on March 25th! Now, that can mean a lot of different things, but for Sapporo BoE ALTs, it means that it’s time to change schools, since most of us are on six-month placements rather than year-long ones. I’ll be heading off to another junior high school in the beginning of April, and then to the high school that I requested in August! Since I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m going to do differently at my new school, I figured I’d offer some advice for any ALTs beginning at a new school: namely, what questions you should ask your JTEs shortly after you arrive!

1. What’s my schedule going to look like?

This question is number one because it’s the most important! You can’t do your job well if you don’t know when your classes will be! Luckily for me, my head JTE provides a schedule listing all of my classes for each week, but while your class schedule is definitely vital, it’s not all you need to know! If you’re not automatically given it, you should ask for the school schedule – the one that lists which classes are on which days, the holidays, half-days, etc. – and the time schedule. I spent my first few months running around like a chicken with my head cut off because I never knew when the chime was going to ring for the next class! (Be warned: it changes!) Not recommended at all. You should also make a point to ask about events at least once a week. With graduation coming up, I keep missing special practices and small ceremonies because my JTEs forget that I can’t read the kanji on the board! I’m also rarely given the time breakdowns for these special events, so don’t forget to ask for those, too!

And don’t be afraid to bother your teachers too much about it. They might be busy, but you’ll be a much more involved and effective teacher if you know where to be and when to be there!

2. How do I use —–?

Fill in the blank with whatever you need to know about! You’ll want to think about the printer, the copy machine, the internet, the coffee machine or hot water boiler, the computer connecters, the paper cutter, the laminator, etc. It might seem like a strange question to be asking on your first days, but trust me, you’ll have trouble if you don’t! Once classes start up, you’ll be expected to make activities and bring enough copies of them to class on your own. My school didn’t provide me with a computer and wouldn’t let me connect my laptop to the internet or school network, so I’d have to save my activity to a flash drive, walk over to the desktop computers, change the connections so that the desktop was attached to the printer, print, and then use the copy machine and hole punch to make enough activities for class! I also had to buy my own connectors and HDMI cords to use the TVs for my presentations. Always check your tech!

You also want to be physically comfortable at your desk, so figuring out whether or not you can use the refrigerator and the coffee machine is helpful, and you might want to ask how to adjust the heater. A comfortable, happy teacher is better than a grumpy, hot, and thirsty one!

3. Can I have seating charts?

I wasn’t provided with a seating chart on my first day, and I honestly couldn’t understand most of what the teachers were saying when they introduced themselves (too fast!), so the seating chart for the staff office helped immensely. Similarly, class seating charts will help you learn your kid’s names! Most of the charts will have small hiragana or katana written above the kanji names, but if you can’t read those, ask a JTE to write it out phonetically in English. If you don’t want to be that ALT who doesn’t know any of their coworkers’ or students’ names, this is definitely a useful thing to ask. Trust me, everyone will like you a lot more if you remember their names. You might also want to establish a system with your JTE before class – decide whether you’re going to call your students by their names the English way (first name, no honorifics) or the Japanese way (last name, plus –san for girls and –kun for boys). I regret not doing that at my schools, because it made for a lot of confusion.

Oh, and be aware: seating charts change often! I bugged my teachers for weeks about the seating charts, and when I finally got them, they were only useful for two weeks until the seats changed again! Try to stay on top of it and ask your JTEs to provide you with the latest copies.

4. When and where are the clubs?

Getting involved in the extracurriculars at your school will transform you from “token foreigner” into “actual member of school community,” and it’ll give both your kids and your teachers a chance to get to know you outside of class. So, you should find out what clubs there are, which teachers head them, and when/where they meet! A lot of my fellow ALTs rotate between clubs and poke their heads into a different ones each day, so all of the kids get a chance to show them what they’re up to. You can also choose to join a specific one, if you’d like! However, I’ve heard that if you show up at a certain club often, the teachers may expect you to become officially involved. If you’re not planning on going to events on weekends and attending every meeting, try to make this clear to the head teacher from the start.

I’d also recommend asking about things like the eiken (an English test some of your students may choose to take) and extra study days before tests, if you’re willing to stay after school to help your students out in a more English-related way. You can also consider starting your own English club, though that might be a lot of work if you’re only staying at that specific school for a short time. Similarly, ask about any after-school or weekend events! You might be able to watch a sports game or go along to a competition.

These are just the basics I recommend. At my first school, I was told many of these things upfront, but at my current one, only a few of these topics were mentioned, and I was too shy to ask at first. I really, really regret that, because it led to a lot of difficulties (both minor and major), so even if you’re feeling shy or worried about bothering your busy JTEs, do it. Your life (and by extension, their lives!) will be a lot easier if you know the details in the beginning. Have no fear, my friends, and ask away!

[okinawa-girl]

So you got a Tokyo placement? My advice to incoming Tokyo (private) JETs

This post is basically my advice to anyone with a Tokyo placement, mainly for private schoolers since that’s where I’m coming from but its applicable to general Tokyo JETs as well. 

In short, I wanted to write a post because I see a lot of misinformation out there or just a lack of info at all because Tokyo placements are some what new and unique. I also sometimes see other JETs bashing on Tokyo placements or I see incoming JETs apprehensive and/or disappointed about being placed here. But like any other placement, there are good points and bad points. And as the old (annoying) saying goes, every situation is different. Just like in other places in Japan, your experience is going to vary greatly depending on the school(s) you work at- almost every other private school JET has a slightly different situation than myself. 

HOWEVER that being said, there are some general points, both positive and negative, that I would like to discuss in this post; in order to give a realistic look into what Tokyo placements can be like.

So let’s start off with…

 THE BAD

-The Apartment Situation  

Ah yes the dreaded apartment situation. Tokyo JETs do really get the short end of the stick when it comes to accommodation. There is no teacher housing or any type of housing already set up for ALTs, and we are not allowed to pass down apartments to our successors (as far as I know). We are pretty much on our own. Although we are put in contact with real estate agents and are provided a temp apartment for two weeks at first, other than that our schools have little to do with our housing. I was lucky enough to snag a place before I arrived in Tokyo and all I had to do was sign for it when I arrived, so I cannot stress enough that you need to be proactive- start looking at apartments now. Even if you don’t know where your school is exactly yet, start researching what kind of apartments are out there, get familiar with Japanese housing lingo, figure out what your (reasonable) deal breakers are, get an idea of your budget, get familiar with the layout of Tokyo itself. When you do know your school- start looking up main train lines, what stations will allow you easy access to school and/or other places in the city, figure out how long of a commute you’re willing to take (which is a whole other can of worms but I’ll save that for another time), think about if you want to live in a livelier area or more laid back- Tokyo literally has it all so you need to narrow down your options. I was very prepared for the apartment search and even with my preparedness, it was still a stressful situation- the market moves quickly, the options for foreigners are somewhat limited, and on to my next point…

-The Cost

Unfortunately rent in Tokyo is more expensive and on top of that we do not receive any type of subsidy either like some JETs in other places do. Depending on the location, age, and size of the place, a 1R apartment not including utilities, can range from around 70000yen to 100000yen (but of course there are exceptions that can be higher or lower). Then there’s the actual set up costs which can run as high as 3-4months rent due upfront (usually consists of first month’s rent, a deposit, nonrefundable “key” money, fire insurance, sometimes a cleaning fee, agent fee, and a guarantor fee). My personal start-up cost for my apartment was about 3,000 US dollars. And then we have to dive into furnishing the apartment. Most apartments come with almost nothing- when I moved in, I had a ceiling light and a stove-top. That’s literally it. I highly recommend going to recycle/2nd hand shops for appliances like fridges and washing machines- they are so much cheaper, most are still in great condition, and the stores will usually deliver it to your place so no need to worry about a car. Nitori, IKEA, 3coins, 100yen shops are all great places to look for other cheap basic items you’ll need- maybe someday I’ll write a whole other post about how to furnish a bare apartment for cheap.

In general, the cost of living in Tokyo is higher than other more rural places. This isn’t to say that Tokyo is soooo sooooo incredibly expensive though, it’s still definitely doable on the JET salary- we just may not be able to save as much or have as much disposable income. Our wages are still livable and I can still afford to travel (both locally and internationally) and the occasional big “treat yo’ self” purchase. 

-Harder to connect with the “local” community

Because we don’t live in a small town, you don’t get as many opportunities to connect with people outside of your school. I will admit, I don’t know any of my neighbors, and besides the connections I had made prior to my time on JET, I have not met any new Japanese people outside of my school community. Everyone is not going to know your name, you’re probably not going to be featured in the newspaper, and you definitely will not be the only foreigner. And it can be easier to fall into the “gaijin bubble” too. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to connect with a local community. I know lots of JETs that have gotten really involved in specific communities within Tokyo- whether that be through hobbies, religious groups, classes, and/or clubs. Just because you’re not in a small town doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to connect with local communities- it may just take some more effort to find them.

-Maybe not as much support

Now this point is mainly coming from my own perspective and the impression that I have, but I feel that Tokyo JETs get a less amount of support for our COs. My school at least, has taken a fairly hands off approach (however I’m sure that someone at my school would be more than willing to help me with something if I asked). From what I know, a lot of us had to set up our phone, banking, internet, etc. on our own. Some schools I know didn’t even help with going to the city hall to register your address. And as I stated before they don’t really assist us with housing as well*. I think the reason for this lack of initial support, is that for most of the private schools in Tokyo this is the only first or second JET they’ve ever had. There is no precedent of how things are supposed to be handled or they aren’t completely aware of what they could be doing to help. So, I would say if you’re worried about something, ask about it because chances are your school isn’t aware of the situation or don’t know you need help. If no one at your school is willing to help, ask other Tokyo JETs because we’ve all literally been there before so we can help you out. Again you have to be proactive in your situation.

*also noted we are on our own for setting up utilities like gas, water, and electric in the apartment- although if you use the agent provided by the school they will help you with this.

But don’t worry! Because after all of that there’s also….

 THE GOOD

+ The city itself

Tokyo is a massive city; there is always something going on, something to do, people to meet. I’ve lived in this city for about 2 years now and there is still so much that I haven’t done or seen yet. Every area has a different feeling and vibe, it’s like having a bunch of smaller cities jam-packed into one. It may seem daunting at first but it really is an amazing place to live. Everything is at your fingertips and it’s easy to find something to do, something to see- it’s hard to be bored in a city like Tokyo. Also, you may think Tokyo is only urban, but that isn’t true- there are great outdoor areas just a short trip from downtown and even within the urban sprawl there are so many beautiful parks to relax in. It’s also easy to travel to other places in and outside of Japan from Tokyo since it’s the country’s main transportation hub. Overall I think it’s an amazing experience to live in a city like Tokyo. We may not get the small town experience that many other JETs do, but life in Tokyo is no small feat either. Don’t let others who say Tokyo “isn’t real Japan” get you down! Sure, it may be different from other places, but it doesn’t mean its any less “authentic” (whatever that means- I have so many issues with this line of thinking that I will probably detail it in another post) and you can have an absolutely amazing time here.

+Public transport is amazing

I love Tokyo’s public transport system. Granted I come from a place in the US that has about zero public transport, but Tokyo is really something else. You can get just about anywhere by train, subway, bus, etc. And it’s really easy to understand as well- after a few weeks you’ll pick it up in no time. Passmo/Suica makes it easy to get around too- just put some money on your card and your set to go, no worrying about buying location specific tickets. I love the freedom that a great public transport system in a city designed for pedestrians and not cars, gives you to go out and explore. Also, you don’t have to worry about buying a car, car insurance, or getting a driver license, so in that aspect we do save some cash compared to our more rural counterparts.

+English services when needed

This mainly goes for things like doctors. The first year I came to Japan, I had two incidents where I had to go to specialized doctors and it was so nice to be able to find English speaking services. I speak conversational level Japanese, but for things like medical services, I felt more assured and comfortable talking in my native language. Tokyo has no shortage of English services if you need them, especially with the influx of foreign travelers its seen in recent years. Besides medical services, I know certain bank branches, phone service shops, some ward offices, provide either service in English or provide translated info in English. HOWEVER, this does not mean that the majority of people you encounter will be able to speak English- this is one misconception I see a lot from JETs/people who have not lived (emphasis on the lived not just visited) in Tokyo before. We may have more English services than other areas in Japan, but it’s still not that many- you specifically have to seek them out, they are not the norm. Also I do not use English on a daily basis for most of my interactions (outside of school and friends)- most retail workers, waiters/waitresses, station attendants, ie. the general population, do NOT speak English.

+Closer relationship with your school

In comparison to other JETs who have multiple schools, most if not all Tokyo JETs work for one specific school. For private JETs that means we don’t even have a BOE, everything goes on at your specific school. This makes it easy to integrate into your school’s community- you get the chance to see the same students every day, the same coworkers and JTEs. Because of this, you are in a position to be able to easily develop relationships with them, compared to if you worked at multiple schools and/or were based at a BOE. I’m like a (semi)normal staff member at my school, which is nice because it makes up for the fact that I don’t have that “local” community which comes with living in a smaller area. My school is my community. I can’t speak on behalf of other JETs because I don’t fully know their experiences or situations, but the fact that I teach at one school is one of my favorite things about my job. Of course I can still feel like an outsider at times, but because I’m like regular staff here it really feels like I’m truly a part of the school.

 +Possibly more time off (private school only)

Now let me preface this by stressing the “possibly”, everyone’s school is different but for the most part I believe us private school JETs get more time off than the average JET (I cannot say anything on behalf of public school Tokyo JETs because I’m not 100% sure of the situation for them but I believe it’s a bit more than average as well). Basically, because we don’t have a BOE we are not required to do (some of) the desk warming that comes with that. For example, once the kids are off from school, I am not required to come into work. So I get like 2 ½ weeks off during the holidays in Dec/Jan, another week and a half in early spring, and also a considerable amount of time in August. But that’s on the lower side, I know other JETs that get even more time off than that- they are only required to come in when regular classes are in schedule (so no work during testing periods, supplementary classes, etc.). But to balance this, I know most Tokyo private school JETs only have 10 days paid leave and no sick leave.

 +Can choose where you want to live

The silver lining of the apartment situation is that we have the freedom to choose where we want to live. Wanna save some yen and live a bit father from school? You can do that! Wanna live 2 minutes from school? You can do that! Wanna live in a more urban area in the middle of the city? You can do that! Wanna live in a rural area? You can do that! Wanna live in sharehouse? You can do that! You can do whatever you want- you are in charge. You make your budget, your list of wants- you decide what will work the best for you! You also don’t have to worry about moving into an old dirty apartment that 20+ JETs have lived in before you. Your school doesn’t have a say in where you live but they will reimburse you commuting costs, so really the choice is all yours!

To sum up: I guess my main advice to incoming Tokyo JETs is to BE PROACTIVE. Be proactive with the housing situation, with getting involved in local communities, and with seeking support because often these things will not just fall into your lap nicely on their own. If you do that, Tokyo can be an amazing placement. It’s understandable to be disappointed at first about being placed in Tokyo if you were expecting something else, but don’t judge it too harshly before you get here. Even if you’ve been to Tokyo before, visiting here and living here are two very different things. And as I’ve said before, the city is full of endless possibilities- it’s definitely not all like the bright lights and busy streets of Shinjuku. It may be a bit tough at times, but living in Tokyo is an experience like nothing else- embrace it, run with it, and have fun!

[mentallyrecovering]

Getting a job is important but what Is more important is the quality and environment of that job. You want to LIKE your job. You want to ENJOY it. You want to LIKE THE CULTURE. So it is important that you also INTERVIEW THE INTERVIEWER. So here are some questions you can ask that will be good for an interview. Please feel free to add to this list.

1. What is the culture of this job like and how does the company try to be inclusive or is inclusivity important to the company?

2. Tell me about what you like and least like about the company you work for. (yes this is appropriate to ask because if they hate the company you dont want to work for them)

3. What is the work life balance of this job/company? (you dont want to work 90 hours a week and be texted/emailed after hours. Please ask this question)

4. Is this position new or why did the position open up? (if someone quit or left it might be a red flag but if they got promoted or went to a new position thats a good sign that you can move up)

5. What is a reason why you stayed with the company as long as you have? (great benefits? Great culture? things to think about)

6. Will there be opportunities to be on projects with others? (not sure about this one but at the company I work for currently there are group projects to improve tools and aspects of the company so I will ask this at my interview)

7. What re the goals of the company/team I am interviewing for in the long term? (you want to know how active the job is what the company is striving for and if there will be any big changes coming up in the company. If restructuring then your job isn’t safe in the long run)

Thats all I could come up with for now but I will add on later! Again please feel free to add on!

[blingring-bratzdoll]

I am financially stable

I release my limited beliefs about money

I release generational curses about money

Money is an energy that I can easily attract

I make money not the other way around

I can afford my lifestyle and so much more

I am constantly attracting an optimal luxurious and stable lifestyle

[distantvoices]

Daberechi Ukoha-Kalu By Nina Raasch For Puss Puss Magazine January 2020

[sadsknnybtch]

that's it i'm moving to paris to live in a parisian apartment and will drink nothing but delicious coffee and have berries for breakfast lunch and dinner and constantly walk everywhere and wear expensive clothes and perfumes and be a skinny parisian chic model I'VE HAD ENOUGH

[ncrmani]

[twitblr]

We need February to start going well.

[6thlovelanguage-deactivated2020]

Keith Haring Journals, January 3 1988

[blackfemininity]

Hey loves! ❤️ I am back and excited to announce the launch of my new blog NOIRÉE Magazine. I will still be present on this blog but now my ask box will serve as prompts for my blog, so if you have a personal issue or concern please private message me. Otherwise, send me topics that you’d like me to write about on my blog. My blog features a lot of talented writers as well who are just as passionate as me about writing about black womanhood in abundance. I’m happy to be back, creating and curating positive content for you all. I hope to make this platform even more inspirational and inclusive to all black women. Please support by following the platform on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and/or Pinterest at @noireemagazine & viewing the official website at noireemagazine.com ✨

[unbotheredmuse]

justine skye

[nsaint1]

People can block your blessings but the most important and powerful person who can block your blessings is yourself. You need to recognize and destroy the spirit of self-doubt, destruction, disorganization, messiness, and lack of self-control! You can not and will not move forward without improving these things within you. Do not let you block your blessing.

[nsaint1]

🗣 We’re not letting people, including ourselves, block OUR blessings in 2020.

[thoughts-in-shower]

Anxiety is like experiencing failure in advance.