Respect Doesn’t Always Go Both Ways
So, after hashing out issues with a visit school, I thought things were resolved, that on my final visit, they’d give a bit more effort to rectify the issues I brought up. I had really high hopes -and still, to some degree- that things would be smoothed out and that a lot of the problems on their end wouldn’t have a hint of being passed on to the next ALT for that school.
However, they aren’t.
I received a handwritten note on Monday: not an email, but a note, folded up and smudged. It’s a slap in the face because it’s part of the same issues I’ve had with this school. My words, my supervisor’s words, and the VP’s words have been ineffective, it seems. It goes against exactly what my superiors told the school they needed to do: email me since I’m an ALT for many schools.
To be honest, it’s really unprofessional: being passed a folded note on computer paper felt like being handed an afterthought, especially since I really need to have emails because I’m gone from my base school half the week. It felt like, after all the troubles I’ve had and all the things I’ve had to report, that this school just… doesn’t care.
That I’m not respected in the least.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask “Please email me so I can receive notice in a timely manner” just like I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say “Don’t put me alone in classes” and “Please give me my schedule in advance since I travel to other schools” or even “Please just communicate with me”.
That doesn’t feel unreasonable in the least: it just feels like I’m doing my job. I want to do my job too: I want to do good work.
But I won’t be doing it at this visit school any longer.
I’ll do my best to make this final visit good, but after that, I don’t think I’ll really be in touch with anyone from there. I don’t think I was able to even make more than acquaintances, which is a bit disappointing, but... well, that’s reality.
(At least I got my schedule in advance instead of the day of, so small victories.)
100% special needs and disability schools in Japan deserve just as many ALTs, but the ALTs also deserve to be treated with respect. I love my students at any school, and I loved seeing them at this school.
But I didn’t love being laughed at my teachers and encouraged to be passive about comments about my body, or even being touched. I didn’t like that the other teachers felt I had to just “go with things” when they were inappropriate or just flat out wrong.
Maybe having a male ALT will be a better solution: maybe it won’t. It probably won’t, since they had a male ALT before me.
Honestly, I think this is just a case where schools we try to have an impact on just don’t change when we have problems. And I’m not gonna try and force any change, either.
I wrote this because it’s important that other ALTs coming in understand that sometimes, this is just the case. You’ll do your job and try your best, and things won’t change. At that point, you’ll be at a crossroads, and have to do what’s best for you.
My best was telling my supervisor I no longer felt comfortable at that school, did not want to be requested, and telling her about everything that had happened knowing I’d still have a final visit. I think that was for the best, ultimately. Now, I’m dealing with so much less stress, and don’t dread visits to this particular school.
I don’t feel like everything that happened was my fault anymore either.
Regardless, this won’t be a concern after next week. Like any visit, I’ll go and do my best, and leave it at that. Ah, and see Black Panther because I’m worth it. Here I come, L-size popcorn: you better watch out!
