Elementary School ALT Survival Guide

Having been in Japan for almost four years and working as an ALT, I think it's safe to say that I have an idea of what I'm doing by this point. It wasn't easy when I first started (both originally as an junior high ALT and then 6 months later as an elementary school ALT)... but, now... I feel as if I'm at the prime of my game when it comes to teaching English to elementary schools.

So, seeing that March is quickly approaching, and a bunch of fresh new meat will soon be arriving and placed throughout Japan as ALTs, I figured I'd write up some hints and advice to help you settle in to your new work life.

This list will mostly be beneficial for elementary school ALTs since that's what I've been doing for over 3 years and what I have the most experience in... but, some of these hints can be used and beneficial for JH and HS ALTs as well.

I remember those first couple of months when I started and wish I could've had something like this available... so, I hope that this benefits some of you newcomers (and oldcomers as well... after all, it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks).

1 - Stickers

Learn the magic of stickers from the start! Students (especially the younger elementary kids) go crazy for them. You'll be surprised how much more participation you'll get when you award students with stickers. An easy way to hand out stickers is to create some sort of English passport where they can stick the stickers they earn throughout the year. For further encouragement... I tell the students that they'll get a special reward if they fill out their passport. This is usually just some sort of award acknowledging their good work and participation throughout the year and I also provide my signature and *Pokemon stamps that they can choose from for me to put on the awards. Sometimes teachers/schools have issues with rewards (candy, prizes, erasers, 100 yen shop items), but, they almost never have an issue with stickers. Most actually use them themselves... so, yeah...

2 - Pokemon

I put a little * on Pokemon up there because... well... Pokemon (anything related to it) works for almost anything. Rewards, drawings, pictures, conversations... I'm telling you. I happen to like Pokemon, so that's how I broke the ice with these young'n's... it still works cause let's face it... Pokemon is a never-ending phenomenon here in Japan. Every year or two... a new game and a whole new generation is introduced... so, it keeps the kids entertained.

3 - Singing and/or Dancing

It really doesn't matter what you do... when you incorporate some sort of rhythm and movement, the kids are that much more likely to respond and participate. Obviously for the younger students... singing and dancing are always fun and they're always down for anything. My company luckily provided me with music CDs which I use all the time. I even come up with my own dances to these songs and it is always met with delight. For the older students... I tone down the singing and tend to replace it more with simple chants. Anything you teach can be taught with a chant. I kind of have a fall back chant that somehow tends to work for anything I teach. It's mostly just a rhythmic pattern I use when introducing communication expressions... and the students tend to pick it up better and more easily if you use these rhythms. I'm wondering if I should actually upload videos of the different dances I've created for different songs on Youtube... but, I'll wait to see if people would actually be interested in that first before embarrassing myself... cause, yeah... for the kids... I have no qualms about actin' a fool!

4 - Find something that will be your "thang"!

Without fail... whether your predecessor was male/female, amazing/horrible, memorable/forgettable, fun/boring, tall/short, skinny/chubby, Black/Hispanic/Caucasian/Asian, whatever... you will be referred to as "Predecessor's Name" Sensei. It will happen... I guarantee it. In my four years working as an ALT, I have had a total of 6 school. When I first started in each of these schools, I have always at least at one point, been called my predecessor's name. Dude.. I've been called my predecessor's predecessor's name. So, over the years... instead of Bikutaa-sensei... I've also been called Patricia-sensei (female predecessor), Nick-sensei (older, taller, skinnier predecessor), David-sensei (same frame for the most part... but, Nick's predecessor and had a significantly different accent), Kuan-sensei (American-Taiwanese predecessor), Gerald-sensei (Kuan's predecessor). So, yeah... I guarantee that it will happen.

The best way to get yourself known as yourself (and probably make it more difficult for your successor... heh heh...) is to figure out something you can do for the kids that it's something only you do. One of my predecessors played the guitar and did magic. The kids would always ask me to do magic since the predecessor did that... and I was like... uh... I don't know magic...

So, the way I made a name for myself was drawing Pokemon for the kids. The kids went crazy for this and would line up requesting Pokemon (or other things for me to draw for them) and it helped establish who I was.

Another thing I do is Mario impersonations... the kids get a kick out of that as well and it's easier to do... "It'sa me, Mario... woo-hoo... here we go!" as opposed to taking an hour or two or three to draw them a picture.

A fair warning though... you might be stuck doing this. I always have students requesting for me to draw for them... and sometimes I just don't have the time nor will. So, you have to figure out ways to ease your way out of it. So, make sure it'll be something that you'll be willing to do for the most part.

So, yeah... drawing Pokemon and Mario impersonations are my thang! My predecessor was and still is (since he still works in my town) stuck playing guitar and doing magic. Other people sing, or dance... or have some sort of special bond with the kids. Figure it out... use it... then be prepared to do it incessantly!

5 - Always smile and laugh!

For elementary ALTs, I cannot stress this enough. It's more important than communicating at times... to be honest. I've been told by many Japanese people that I have a great smile and the feedback I always get is that I'm always smiling and laughing! Sometimes that's all I hear... not so much feedback on my actual performance as a teacher... just that I have a nice smile. "The students love Victor... he has such a nice smile! He's always happy!"... end.

It's not the easiest thing to do ALL THE TIME... I mean... I get sick, I'm feeling tired... I'm having a bad day... but, in the presence of the students at least, try to crack one smile.

6 - Always have a back-up game... preferably a game that can be adapted and revised to any situation.

This is one that will take a while for you to figure out. It took me a couple of months... maybe even a year or two to come up with various back-up games. Dude... I still occasionally come up with a completely new back-up game that is so simple and I beat myself up thinking... "why have I never thought of this?!?" In elementary schools, you mostly teach through games and activities. This is why it's important to have back-up games... you're always going to need about 2/3 activities per lesson. Depending on the amount of classes you'll be teaching... that's a bunch of activities you'll be needing. Once you figure out some key back-up games, you'll start being able to prepare for classes much more quickly and easily... and that'll be less time you'll need explaining the rules and directions of a game/activity since the kids already know how to do it. I'm not saying to just have one back-up game you recycle over and over again... you need to still keep it fresh. That's why it's important that it's a game that can be adapted and revised to different situations.

But, the most important reason to have a back-up activity... sometimes you just go through your lesson quicker than you could've expected. Look at the clock... hey, there's still 10 minutes left of class. If it were five minutes... maybe you can get away with slowly preparing to end class. For 10 minutes though... that time is going to drag by so slow if you have nothing prepared. So, out of nowhere... hey, let's do this quick activity. The kids already know it... you spend like 20 seconds explaining it, do it for about 5 minutes, stop the kids and settle them down, make them return to their seats... holy, it's actually one minute past the end of class.

Going over time is okay... ending before time is up is a problem.

7 - Janken... you're savior... if you don't know it... learn it... preferably the English version, though Japanese and your own versions work too (hey... and this could be your "thang")

You'll be surprised and soon come to learn how janken (rock, scissors, paper) is used for just about any decision making... whether you're a kid or adult.

Need to figure out who goes first... janken!
Need to figure out who won... janken!
Need to stop a disagreement... janken!
Need to determine leaders... janken!
Need to break a tie... janken!
Need to quiet the kids down and bring focus to you... janken!
Need to determine who gets stuck doing a task nobody wants to do... janken!
Need to decide where to eat... janken!
Need to figure out who gets shotgun... janken!
Need to figure out who gets dibs to the toilet... shower... the last piece of meat... who plays Smash Brothers next... janken!

I'm telling you... not just in the classroom setting... janken is accepted throughout Japan as a legit decision maker. Nobody questions... people complain... but they accept their fate. People even joke around that janken is the way Japan chooses the next prime minister.

So, yup... "rock, scissors, paper... 1, 2, 3"... "saisho gu, janken poi"... "1, 2, 3, shoot!"... whatever your preference... USE IT DO IT!

8 - Play/socialize with the kids... whether in English/Japanese/your own communication and usage of gestures... whatev.

Pretty straight forward... just interact with the students. Not just in class... but, during recess, when walking down the halls, when they enter the office... anytime you see them... make your presence known. It'll help so much when you're teaching if you have formed bonds. The smallest things make a kid happy... so, really interact with these kids.

But, on top of interacting with the kids...

9 - Learn their names!

They will respond better and bonds form quicker when you refer to them by name. I don't know about you... but, I have some teachers that don't initiate conversations by names and that annoys me since they'll just be talking and expect me to know they're talking to me. But, that's my own issue... heh heh... I'm sure the kids don't feel that same way.

I am lucky to be good with names for the most part... but, try to make an effort to learn students' names. There have been many times that a quiet student who never participated or interacted with me, did a complete 180 once I learned their name. They were like... whoa, you know my name... you remember me... you notice me in class! And in a way... they also can't hide in class anymore and feel obligated to participate because it keeps them on their toes... they never know when you might call on them.

10 - Reach out to the quiet ones.

This is something I still need to do more of myself, but, like I mentioned before... quiet kids do a complete 180 once you begin interacting with them. I guess in a way they do feel like they're no longer 'invisible' and begin to open up to you more.

There are the shy kids that are shy no matter what... but, that doesn't mean they don't want to interact with you too. They're more work to break in... but you might be surprised by them once you break through their walls.

11 - Grow a thick skin.

Kids can be mean and cruel and say some jacked up shit... they almost 100% of the time don't mean it... they just joke around and think it's a way to bond with you. But, still... they say some mean things at times. I shave my head... so, I'm called bald. I mean... I am going bald... but, that's not a reason to necessarily call me "Hagemaldo-Sensei" (my last name is Grimaldo... 'hage' is the Japanese word for bald... so, yeah... there you go). I have a big frame... and am a bit chubby... so, I'm called "Gri-macho-Sensei" at times... or 'debu' which I believe it's a mean word to call obese people. The kids pat my stomach, tell me I should lose weight... then these same kids tell me to flex my muscles and are surprised at how strong I am.

So, yeah... get prepared.

I've never had a kid call me names in a mean-spirited way... they're always laughing and happy when they say it. It sounds bad... but, it doesn't bother me because I know it's not mean-spirited. So, look at yourself in the mirror and realize your flaws... start trying to accept them cause the kids will call you on them.

They tend to actually mean what they say only when they don't like you... so, for the most part... you should not take what they say to heart.

12 - Daily gestures and expressions help.

You'll be surprised how quick and easily students pick up on gestures and expressions and it feels incredible when you catch them actually using it on their own and outside of the classroom setting. The students actually love using English... for the most part... and are happy to use any English in any situation. Sometimes it makes sense... sometimes it doesn't. But, if you teach them helpful daily expressions that they could use in everyday situations... they become more excited about using it and by using it correctly... are more excited about learning more English. Plus, doing daily gestures and expressions in the beginning serves as a good warm-up activity!

13 - Be yourself!

Plain and simple... stay true to yourself. These are different things that I suggested that can help with your ALT life... but, these are things that have worked for me. It's always important to not do something that makes you uncomfortable. If you're too shy to sing and dance... then don't worry about it. Do something else that you feel fine with doing. I wouldn't recommend doing something that is going to put you out of your element... the students will pick up on that... and it just won't work out. So, always do you. Be yourself... the students will appreciate you for that.



Let me restate that not all of these will necessarily work for everybody. Everybody is bound to have their own experiences and discover what works for who and what is better left for others. You can't assume that all situations will be the same... there are different students and teachers with varying personalities and confidences and so on and so forth. So, just as long as you remember the last one.. "Be yourself" and you stick to what's most comfortable for you... then you shall be just fine!

Good luck!

January 23, 2013 Edit:

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