JET Personal Statement

My main reason for wanting to join the JET program is my deep interest in education as well as Japanese culture. This program is an excellent combination of both of these passions that I have. I went to school for a degree in English teaching and because of this I have had many experiences with teaching, lesson planning, and working with students. By being presented the opportunity to work in the classroom with Japanese students I will be able to develop my own skills in the classroom particularly when working with non-native English speakers. I have already had several different experiences in very different classroom settings, and I hope I am able to enrich my knowledge of teaching English as a secondary language. By harnessing these skills as an ALT, I can apply these skills to my long-term career plan to become an educator in Denver. Denver has many learners of English as a secondary language so these skills would be helpful.

My pedagogical ideology is the idea that I as a teacher must provide everything I can to student in order for them to succeed in …show more content…
Japan to me is a mix of high-tech and long-standing traditions, and that makes it so fascinating. While I do have an understanding of some Japanese culture my goal would be to develop my knowledge further. After taking a class discussing Japanese history I was fascinated by how much I did not know, and what I had learned from that class has stayed with me. I think many students would feel the same way when exposed to Japanese culture. In the American classroom I believe this is critical for fostering different perspective as well allowing for international cultures to be presented to students. It is through global spread of cultures that develop relationships between countries and their people. When a culture is not understood, only the most exotic and foreign parts are remembered. This perpetuates