Guide to Working in a BoE

Note: while some information is applicable to most BOEs, a majority was written specifically with Yamagata city’s BOE in mind. Please consult with your supervisors and coworkers about procedures. For any problems at school, please read up on the RA & PA support systems.

These are rules applicable to all ALTs working in school settings. It is important to remember ethics as educators. Breaking these ethical standards could result in punishment from your CO.

 * Don't take the book with student names and pictures outside of the teachers room. You can only do so during the spring holiday when you are taking it to the paper shredder. Every school year you must dispose of the old booklet. Don't produce copies of this book (taking photos or making paper copies).
 * Don't add students on social media (LINE, Facebook, etc.) until they graduate from high school.


 * Don’t take pictures of students without approval of the staff, administration, and parents.


 * Don't upload photographs or videos of students to social media sites. Don't show student work on social media sites, even if you have removed their names.
 * When discussing your job outside of work to other ALTs, don't repeat student names as this is a violation of their privacy.

Advice

 * Try to learn the school song. During some important school events, everyone stands up and sings it.


 * Greet your students and teachers in the morning enthusiastically. It sets the tone for the day.
 * Say “osaki ni shitsurei shimasu” when you leave for the day.
 * Stay for club activities. The best times to join in the activities are when there are only five classes. Then you don’t have to leave late, and you still get to spend time with your students. Make sure to ask the teachers in charge of the clubs before you join in.


 * At the end of a school year, you may suddenly be reassigned to new schools. Because of this, you should clean out your desk on the last day of school (regardless of whether you think you'll be staying or not). Even if you don't change schools, your teachers might move your desk for you. So cleaning your desk out so it's light and easy-to-move is best.

What to have in your locker and/or desk

 * handkerchiefs (especially in the summer when you will sweat a lot)


 * tissues
 * lap blanket/extra jacket (for assemblies in the fall and winter)


 * a formal outfit (in the case of surprise ceremonies/wardrobe malfunction)


 * running shoes (outdoor/indoor) and a P.E. outfit
 * sports clothes (if you want to join in some club activities)
 * masks (in flu season especially)
 * bring two pairs of chopsticks on your first day of school and leave them in your desk for lunch. You can rinse them at the sinks and occasionally take them home for a deeper cleaning, but always have one pair at school.

Specific Procedural Information
While the following information is applicable to most BOEs, this was written specifically with Yamagata city’s BOE in mind. BOEs throughout the prefecture may have slightly different events and procedures.

Lesson Reports
Every week on Friday you will be asked to turn in a lesson report. You can fax your lesson report or e-mail it. Instead of scanning a handwritten lesson report, a template can be emailed to you.

Attendance Sheet
Make sure to stamp your attendance sheet with your hanko. You will have to give the sheet to your supervisor at the end of each month (unless instructed otherwise). This sheet is important because it’s how the BOE keeps track of your nenkyuu.

Being Late to Work
If you are late, be sure to call your school and contact the BOE. In the wintertime, it is difficult to arrive on time with the icy roads and walkways. Make sure to let your school know when you are going to be late, especially if you have a class first period. In the winter, walking to school will sometimes get you to school sooner than waiting for the bus.

Sports Day
Leading up to sports day are many rehearsals and days spent out in the heat. Be sure to have spare exercise/outdoor clothing. It is also recommended to bring a hat and a large water bottle. Everyone here has thermoses so if you want to get that instead of a typical water bottle, it could be great. In the winter, bringing hot tea in a thermos is a great investment. Also, be prepared to be a spotter for the male students during one of the traditional Japanese games. It's called Kibasen. It's where a student wears a headband with a paper sticking out as he is carried on the shoulders of two of his teammates. The goal is to get the head bands off of opposing team members.

City Wide Sports Tournaments
There are two city wide sports tournaments in a JET year. They are called the Chutairen and the Shinjinsen. In the Chutairen, students from all grade levels participate. This is likely the last tournament that third year students participate in. The Shinjinsen is for only second and first year students. Before these days your school will likely give you a piece of paper with all the different events throughout the city and the places where events are held. Make sure to keep this paper and bring it with you on this day. You do not have to report to your school, but you should be present at as many games as you can be. Being seen by your students and by other teachers is important for building connections with your schools.

Choir Contest
The choir contest is school-wide where each classroom and each grade has a song that they practice for weeks and then finally perform. The teachers have a singing performance at some schools, so please ask your supervising teacher if you will be expected to sing. You may be expected to sing with the teachers, so make sure to ask if you can practice with them ahead of time. During the contest you go with all of the students, sit in a section and support them. You will have to bring your lunch on the day of the performance.

School Anniversary
On this day you can order a bento or bring your own lunch (it depends on the school). Be sure to wear formal business attire. It is also recommended to bring a spare sweater or jacket to put over your lap if your school anniversary is in late fall because the assembly is long, and the gym can get very cold.

Drama Day/Music Day
This will happen sometime in the fall. The entire school will go on a field trip to see a play or a musical performance. At some schools, you will go in the morning and take the bus with all the students and teachers; in other schools, you will be expected to find your own way to the theatre. Every other year the performance changes from a play to a musical performance. For example, in 2017 it was a musical performance, so in 2018 it was a play.

Closing/Opening Ceremonies
These ceremonies will happen when lessons end for the term. They happen for the New Years break, for the summer break, and at the end of the school year in March. The ceremony that happens at the beginning of the new school year is a bit more formal than the previous closing and opening ceremonies.

Graduation
In March there is the graduation ceremony. The third years will move on to high school. Ask a teacher in your school of the same gender about what to wear. Make sure you don't wear all black, but also try to avoid bright colors. For women, it is encouraged to wear a flower corsage. The third year teachers will wear kimono. At the end of the ceremony teachers will wait at the entrance of the school as third year students leave with their parents. You may be asked to take pictures with the students by their parents.

Spring Break
After graduation you still have to come to school unless you use all your nenkyuu. It is a good time to take a vacation because you get three days of spring vacation plus however many nenkyuu days you have left. If you do go to your school during this time, try to participate in club activities, revamp your English Board if you have one, or to make new activities for the next year. Some schools will clean the staff room at this time. You will also learn what teachers will be staying for the next school year.

Teacher’s Farewell Ceremony
In late March, your school will change some of its staff members. You may even get new JTEs. In the morning, teachers and students all gather at the gym and there is a ceremony to send off all the teachers to their new placements. On that day, there is a party or two after work. If you plan on drinking, try to request the day after the ceremony off when you receive the vacation worksheet from the BOE.