What is a JET?

Winter break in one week! I can’t wait!!

I still work full time, haha. Only the schools have holiday time (teachers do not), but I get to spend my workdays at the Yakuba (~office) where I have internet access, a printer, fax, and everything else necessary to feel like I am actually being productive.

This subject of Yakuba time actually became the center of a rather heated debate between me and some of my JT’s recently. Without going into detail (but believe me, it isn’t for my lack of wanting to share – if I was allowed to vent freely I could probably fill pages…), I had my first major speed-bump in my job as a JET; one which made me want to go home for the first time in the six months I’ve been here and had me thinking long and hard about what, exactly, a JET’s duties are.

The issue was resolved, for the most part. I’m not going home…yet….and my teachers have nothing to hold against me, other than their own personal feelings on the matter. However, it took an hour long conversation with my climbing bud, and fellow JET, to calm me down and I have to admit that I’m not all gung-ho about recontracting – as I was before. I love this country as a whole. I love the people that I’ve met. I love my dojos. I adore my senseis. I love the food, my students, and the adventure of living so far from my “norm”. That said: I abhore the system. I hate how everything is sacrificed, not for harmony (as they claim), but for the appearance of it. It’s difficult to explain abstractly, so I guess I’ll just leave it up to Skype if you’d like to hear more. Just trust me: it sucks.

So, as I said before, I started really thinking about what a “JET” is or, more specifically, what “ALTs” are, and what my duties really were. Sure, my job description seems simple: “Assistant Language Teacher”. Anyone in this program will tell you, though, that signing onto the JET program lines you up for a lot more than an assistant teaching position. As an ALT especially – but as a JET in general – your full-time job is really only a fraction of the duties the JET Program hires for. You’re true “purpose”, if you’d like to call it that, is to be an international barrier-breaker. You are set up with plenty of support systems (supervisors, regional advisors, prefectural advisors, list serves, and hotlines) to back you as you try to balance “being yourself” with “embracing other cultures”.

If you really want to simplify it, you can think of us as intentional disrupters: we are paid to be different and to take the heat for when we are. It’s part of the job. While we do our best to be respectful and courteous (at least, most of us do), we are not supposed to become Japanese. In my opinion, if an ALT integrates fully into the Japanese system and - almost assuredly - pleases their employers, they are not fulfilling their duties no matter how productive they are. We are not here to be teachers. If they needed more, they could hire from the backwash of countless Japanese that could not find teaching positions (I know of many). We are here to rock the boat, which - in Japan - is a very daring thing to do.

I know of at least three other JETs who will read this and say, “I told you so!” Yeah, yeah. Everyone tried to explain it, but even with a few miscommunications early on, I didn’t appreciate the full extent of the culture difference until now. It also greatly varies from region to region, school to school, and JT to JT.

Ah well. It’s part of the process. I think it’s just especially difficult for me because even at home, with fellow Americans, I had a hard time dismissing others’ opinions of me. I’ve gotten better over the years, but my skin isn’t as thick as it should be even now. The conflicts here are good for me, then. Even if they're tough to handle.
This post is now long enough, I think *wink*. I’ve taken some new photos and they should be up soon. Cheers for now!!