ALT vs. Wakakusa Teacher

Different Roles

There are two different positions available for teachers joining the program, ALT or Wakakusa English School Teacher. Most teachers are able to teach at least one class per week at Mr. Maki’s private English School, “Wakakusa.”  Some teachers work for the Wakakusa English School almost exclusively and do most of their own lesson planning.  Other teachers spend the majority of their time as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) at a public junior high school, working under a trained Japanese Teacher of English (JTE).  Many teachers are also able to teach in local public elementary schools at least one day per week.

Regardless of the job, the goal as English teachers is to nurture students’ conversational English.  Teachers do this by trying to understand the needs of their students and adapting their lessons to follow suit. Ideally, teachers are aware of their own teaching style and methods and are constantly challenged to improve them.