Akita Orientation 2019
2019 Akita Orientation was a two day conference for new JETs that was held on August 19th & 20th at the Prefectural Education Center in Tenno, slightly north of Akita City.
Details
- Check in time: 11:00 AM
- Where: The Prefectural Education Center, just outside of Akita City.
- When: August 19th & 20th
All presentations will be given by the PAs, Block Leaders, and other JETs from Akita.
What to expect
Akita Orientation is designed to give new JETs all the information they need to thrive in Akita. There will be almost no instruction on culture shock or other topics that were covered at Tokyo Orientation. If there is overlap with Tokyo Orientation, it is because we believe our presentations will be of more use. New JETs should leave the conference with a solid idea of what to expect throughout the upcoming year and the particulars of their specific area of Akita.
What to bring
Akita Orientation is considered part of your normal work activities and you are expected to dress professionally throughout the conference. Because the August heat in Akita is rather harsh, short sleeved collared shirts without suit coats or ties are appropriate for men (known in Japan as Cool Biz). Dress for women is business casual.
With the exception of a very few people, new JETs will be staying overnight at the Education Center during orientation. Assume you will be staying over unless you have been told otherwise directly from your CO. Showers and public baths for males and females are available. See Onsen Etiquette for using the public bath. Soap is provided but that is about all in the way of amenities. You should bring everything else including the following:
- A bath towel & small vanity towel to cover up in the bath
- Shower amenities other than soap and shampoo
- Cash. There is no ATM at the center
- Athletic shoes, should you need them
- Your own pillow is reccomended.
There is a cafeteria at the center where you can buy breakfast and lunch. You will need to buy meal tickets at vending machines in the cafeteria at the center. The vending machines accept notes of ¥1000, and change no smaller than ¥10. Meal tickets should be bought as early as possible as they have a tendency to run out.
Keep in mind that the Prefectural Education center is not a hotel, but rather a training center for government employees. As such, please treat the building, staff, and others staying there with respect.
Dinner Party
Charity Akita provided a sushi dinner held in the tatami room.
Menu: Sushi selection with soft drinks
Price: Free of charge
Workshops
This year saw an increase in government mandated presentations, which the PAs do not have posession of. Located below are a list of presentations that were given by ALTs and after a short time they will also include the presentations themselves.
Intro to the Akita JET Program
- Pimms Hubbell
A brief explanation of how the Akita JET Programme is structured, and support systems in place for Akita JETs.
Laws & Safety
- Aaron Kern
Laws in Japan are going to differ from those in your home country. This presentation will go over basic laws for daily life, safety precautions, as well as who to consult for legal matters.
Natural Disasters in Akita and the JET Emergency Response Manual
- Catherine Johnson
PAs will give a presentation on the proper procedures to be taken for block leaders, PAs, and individual block members to take in the event of a disaster both at work and in daily life.
File:(2019) Disaster Preparedness Presentation.pdf
Getting to Know Your Block
- Block Assistants
Our JET community runs on a regional “block” system in order to support all of our participants. This presentation will introduce you to your blocks, who your block leadership is, as well as fun things about your block communities.
South Block's Presentation (Was too big even as a PDF, so here is a google slides link)
File:South Block Handy Pre-Winter Checklist.pdf
(North and Yuri block's presentations included names and locations so they will not be uploaded. Central Block did not use a powerpoint.)
Taking Care of Your Health
- Men's: *Glenn Timoney
- Women's: Catherine Johnson
Living on your own in a foreign country is no easy feat. Many everyday things become challenging with their unfamiliarity, and taking care of yourself in a new environment is a learning process. This lecture is led by your PAs and Block Assistants in order to help you live a healthy and fulfilled life in Akita. Because this presentation covers sexual health, JETs will be separated into different rooms for the presentation.
Men's: File:Mens Health 2019 Glenn.pdf Women's: File:Taking Care of Your Health (Female).pdf
Working as an ALT
- ES/JHS: Aaron Kern
- SHS: Pimms Hubbel, Alexis Baker, Glenn Timoney, and Stephanie Daugherty
Working as an ALT (ES/JHS) In this presentation, we will be talking about your everday job. Problems you might run into, how to do a good job, and how to comprehend a lesson.
Learn everything you need to know about being an SHS ALT and how your job will differ from the majority of ALTs in the prefecture. We'll talk about the basics of lesson planning, and give some examples of activities you can use in the classroom.
ES/JHS: File:ES JHS 2019.pdf SHS: File:Working as an SHS ALT.pdf
Booths
Several ALTs had small booth discussions during an extended lunch period. Here are some of the handouts:
See also
| Akita Orientation | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2009 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||||
