Corresponding With Your Successor

IMPORTANT - All JETs leaving the JET Programme MUST make contact with their successors.

The following suggestions should help you correspond effectively with your successor (taken from the 2010 GIH p. 197-201).  Of course you may have a lot more to say, but please try to cover at least these basics as they apply to your situation.

 

About yourself:

- Introduce yourself briefly

- Home and work telephone numbers, addresses and email in Japan (indicate which ones will be the same for them so that they can give the info to friends and family before leaving)

- Best time to contact you (you may want to remind them of the time difference)

- If you will be around during orientations and if/how you can arrange to meet

Pre Departure:

- What to pack: clothes, shoes, personal items, gifts

- What to send ahead: winter clothes (thermal underwear, warm socks, etc), books, etc.

- What will be needed in Tokyo and in the host prefecture upon arrival

- What NOT to pack: things that you did not need to bring

About your city, town, or village:

- Location and description: where it is located with regards to a “big” city

- The geography of the area (photos!): mountains, beaches, rice fields, climate and temperature

- What facilities are available and unavailable and where they can be found: stores, supermarket, hospital, gym, train station, etc.

- Availability and cost of goods: food, clothing, books, etc.

- Activities and groups in the area: sports clubs, ikebana, calligraphy, etc.

- Proximity of other foreigners and the JET community

- Local events and festivals throughout the year especially o-bon and other events soon after arrival

About your house/apartment: (if it will stay the same)

- Rent: how much is paid and by whom, whether there is key money and/or a deposit required upon

arrival

- What furnishings are supplied, what you want to sell: futon/bed, TV, VCR, telephone, washing machine, stove, oven, iron, kitchen utensils, etc.

- What the JET should bring or plan to buy for the apartment

- Description and photos: how many rooms, type of bathroom, etc.

- Average utility bills (gas, electricity, phone, water, internet) per month and how they are paid

- Who owns the apartment, your relation to owner

- Rules: pets, overnight guests, etc.

About your office/base school:

- Schedule: weekly rotation, office days, summer/spring break, regular yearly events

- Name and brief introduction of supervisor and others (photos are good)

- To whom you give omiyage and when to give them

- Who speaks English and how much

- What to expect in the first few days/weeks

- Attendance on holidays, weekends, working after hours, and attitude toward taking paid leave

- Procedure for taking sick leave

- Dress code

- Smoking policy or lack thereof

- How your salary is paid

- Office dues: do you pay them, to whom and why

- How your salary is paid and what deductions are made

- Whether you are reimbursed for travel expenses and when

- Whether you were given assistance with setting up a bank account, getting a hanko (stamp), meishi (business cards), etc.

- Transportation to and from work

About your job (ALT):

- Teaching situation: one-shot, regular, base school

- Junior or senior high school, primary school, adults

- School visit schedule

- A typical day/lesson

- Example of a lesson plan, evaluation, and textbook page

- Average number of lessons/classes taught per day

- Brief introduction of teachers and schools (photos and a seating chart with teachers’ names in romaji would be great)

- Self-introduction lesson and other materials to bring

- Whether your work duties include designing or grading tests and/or homework

- Special activities: foreign language club, newsletter, school sports club, pen-pal exchange, etc.

- What to expect from the students: attitude, language ability

- What to expect from teachers/colleagues (lesson planning, team teaching)

- School/office activities you can take part in: sports day, school trips, meetings, homerooms

- How often and to what extent your input and ideas are accepted

About your job (CIR):

- Office situation: prefectural, city, town, relations with other offices (photos)

- A typical day: when you arrive at the office, procedure, work you do regularly

- Brief introduction of colleagues: what they are in charge of, how they relate to your job (photos)

- What to expect from colleagues: attitudes, language ability

- Amount of Japanese you are expected to use and the level

- Materials to bring for making speeches, teaching, translating (including electronic dictionary, etc.)

- How much of your work is after hours, whether you receive compensatory time off

- Your responsibilities in the office

- Work or projects in progress or anticipated

- How often and to what extent your input and ideas are accepted

- How you are involved in the office life: office trips, etc.

Other duties and requests:

- Speech contests: coaching or judging students

- Enkai, official functions

- Participation in town festivals

- Articles for newspapers

- Translating/interpreting

- Speeches

Miscellaneous:

- Places of interest

- Where you traveled

- Good places to relax

- Recommended restaurants and bars in the area

- Bus and train schedule

 

The importance of your successor hearing first hand information from their predecessor cannot be stressed enough.  Advice and reassurance about your job and workplace can only be supplied in the welcome letter prepared by you and your office.

 

Things to Leave Your Successor

The following items and resources should be left in your house or in your office when your successor arrives.  The information you provide will play a big role in helping your successor adapt and survive in their unfamiliar surroundings in the first few weeks and months

 

   Ø  Your phone number and address in your home country

   Ø  Town map

   Ø  Bus and train schedules

   Ø  Directions to important places and facilities (supermarket, post office, nearest large city,

                   etc)

   Ø  List of emergency and work telephone numbers

   Ø  Instructions for the appliances, including copies of “How to use” manuals and warranties

   Ø  Household waste and recycling explanation - pick-up times, categories and regulations (in

                   English if possible!)

   Ø  Copies and explanations of monthly utility bills (who collects them, how they are paid)

   Ø  Office/staff room seating chart with names, job titles and responsibilities (in romaji if

                   possible)

   Ø  Office/school schedule: breaks, cleaning, clubs, community center events, lunch (where,

                   what and with whom)

   Ø  Notes on projects, team-teaching, class levels and teaching plans

Anything else you wish your predecessor had left for you!