[jasonbvr]

I will　probably continue to add personal experiences in working as an ALT to this thread fairly often so keep coming back for more if you like. Today's installment, the run down of a normal work day:

The students and some of your teachers come to school around 7:40 or so in the morning. Not all of the students, just primarily those in club activities like baseball or tennis club. The practice or run laps until around ten after eight or so. ALT's are required to be in by 8:30 and expected to work an eight hour day. I get in around 8:10 to be at least present for the daily morning staff meeting at 8:20. The staff meeting is run by one of the teachers making announcements and giving the floor to any other teachers with an announcement. The principal (kocho-sensei) or the vice principal (kyoto-sensei) give a small announcement or simply stand up and say, "I have no announcement today." Then the meeting turns from the entire staff's meeting to the separate grades. Our desks are sectioned off into groups of teachers responsible for each of the three grades in the school. The separate sections discuss among themselves issues about their students.

Around 8:40/45 the homeroom teachers for each grade visit the student's homeroom classroom to make some short announcement and do a quick five minute cleaning of the school before classes start at 8:50. The entire time the teachers are in the meeting and for most of the day, the students really govern themselves. This is also true of the after school club activities. They get little supervision from the teachers.

There are four fifty minute periods before lunch and two afterwards on a regular day. Special forty-five minute schedules happen when there is a staff or school meeting at the end of the day. Lunch is...well, its okay most of the time. Sometimes you get some things that not even the teachers or the students want to eat for lunch (kyushoku), but it is probably the cheapest meal you will have in Japan. Sometimes you will, should, eat with the students. Other times just hang out in the teacher's room when you want the peace and quiet. After lunch the students mill around outside and in the hallways, look at books in the library and their class representatives come briefly to the office to ask what to expect the next day from their teachers. The teachers tell them what classes they have and what to bring to class.

After classes are over, the students and teachers clean the school. You will be expected to help out on this one, morning cleaning they never mention anything to me. It is something like ten or fifteen minutes before the teachers retire to the staff room for the majority of the remainder of the day. By this time, unless there is a meeting, you have thirty minutes left before you leave. The students are in and out of the office talking to the teachers about different things before starting their club activities just before you leave. Some schools encourage their ALT's to join in the club activities too, but I once did an interview with a private school that thought that was quite an odd thing to ask an ALT to do. I'd like to learn kendo but the gear is a bit expensive. Currently it is winter as well so all my funds are committed to seeking out snow on the weekends.

There you go, the normal 9 to 5 of an ALT.