Craig-089 New Thoughts About Time Management In Japan That Will Turn Your World Upside Down

Craig note– I was a successful ALT-CIR for five years. (I`m still here 11 plus years later.) But, over the years, I met many, many, many ALTs who struggled in Japan to do even the most basic things.

Time management was at the top, or, at least, near the very top of that list for many new ALTs. (Enjoy!)

Get Up For Work

It was difficult for many new ALTs to simply roll out of bed in the morning. This was understandable to a degree. Teaching in Japan is the first real job after college graduation for many young foreigners who come to Japan. They have a tough time making the adjustment from student to salaried employee.

In stark contrast, my first day of work in Japan came after several years of working like a dog in America. You don`t go into work, and you don`t get paid. I never missed a day of work in five years as an ALT, and I was never late. But, I had a secret.

The clocks in my ALT apartment were set 15 minutes ahead of the school clocks. This was an easy way to run on time in the morning. It was also a way to make sure I was always on time for other events in my time as an ALT. Later, many foreign English teacher friends I had at the time adopted the same idea.

Go in early to school

My morning productivity is extremely high. I get up at 4:30 seven days a week. I am not suggesting you do that. But, in my old ALT days I, specifically, went to school by 6:20 a.m. The teachers` room was devoid of teachers, save for the gym teacher who opened the school each morning.

The gym teacher lived next door to me, and I followed him into school on my bicycle. When I heard his little scooter start-up in the morning, I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door. It worked like a charm for me. And, I got into a smooth morning routine early in my ALT life.

Again, I am not suggesting that you go into school that early, In fact, some ALT contracts do not allow for such overwork. But, if you can, it is an excellent opportunity to use the school`s office equipment at your leisure.

There is a chance for you to make materials on the school computer. And, nobody is standing in line in front of you at the copy machine. Too, it is a fantastic impression to make at school to always be early and prepared for your job, especially early on in your time as an ALT.

It frees up your school day. You can focus on teaching classes and creating more opportunities for ALT-student interaction.

(Hopefully, you are interested in such things.)

Once my materials were prepared for the day, I went out to the front gate of the school. I greeted and met more than 600 student each morning. This allowed me to learn every student`s name. It was also a good chance to meet other school staff members.

Daily, I engaged other teachers in small talk as they stood with me at the gate. Teachers rotated front gate duty. I was always there, so I talked to all of them. While it is wonderful to talk to students, it is good to be able to have conversations with adults.

(And, it is free Japanese practice!)

Find the Japanese English teacher first

Sometimes, the Japanese English teacher is overwhelmed by other school duties. This means that lesson planning with the ALT is often neglected. It is important for the new ALT to push to set aside time to talk about what is expected of the ALT in the classroom.

I am not telling you to take up hours of the Japanese English teacher`s time. They might give it to you, but they are going to hate you for it. But, it is a reasonable expectation to spend 15-30 minutes once a week talking about the English classes.

And, if it is not possible (see: Your Japanese English teacher avoids you like the plague.), a clever ALT can still find ways to get this meeting.

I made it a point every Monday morning to talk to the Japanese English teacher. It was an opportunity to congratulate the Japanese English teacher on the progress of her girls` tennis team. This pleased her as she was the coach.

While the Japanese English teacher was never eager to talk about our English classes, she was all too happy to talk about forehand and slices. The developed a rapport with the Japanese English teacher that I was able to use to freely discuss my ideas and concerns about the upcoming English classes.

The students, the Japanese English teacher, and I benefitted from that bit of effort It was important show interest in the Japanese English teacher beyond the English classes. It was well worth the time and effort.

I found my experience as ALT rewarding because of my great time management skills. It made life far, far, far less stressful for me. Too, I had more time to enjoy my free time. And, that was a beautiful thing.

Grey, Grizzled, and Gaijin

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“Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.”- John C. Maxwell