Category Archives: Backtrack

Backtrack #28: Take Me Home, Country Roads (Jennie Terman, Kamijima ALT, 2006-2008)

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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

I’m Jennie Terman, originally from “almost heaven” West Virginia in the USA. When I applied for the JET program, I had requested to work on a remote island, and I got what I asked for! From 2006 – 2008, I lived on a small island in the Inland Sea called Yuge. It could only be accessed by ferry (not sure if they’ve built a bridge since my time there), and the population was a couple thousand. I taught English in all the schools on the island and for all ages, including kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school, as well as adult English conversation classes. The junior high school was my favorite, partly because of the amazing teacher with whom I co-taught (we’re still friends 15 years later!) and the amazing group of kids. There were only about 50 students at the junior high school, and some of the grades only had 12 students, so I was really able to get to know them. The school was literally built right on the Inland Sea!

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Backtrack #27: A Lightbulb Moment (Maura McCarthy, Uwajima SHS ALT, 2013-15)

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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

My name is Maura McCarthy, and I had a placement in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture.

I’m a military dependent, so I’m not from one place in particular– but I spent my last year of high school and undergraduate career in North Carolina before JET. I lived in Kanagawa prefecture for 3 years in high school (on a military base), so Japan was also a part of my upbringing in some ways. 

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Backtrack #25: I Didn’t Want to be in England (Steve Turner, Hojo High School ALT, 2003-06)

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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

I am Steve Turner. I was an Ehime Ken ALT in Hojo Senior High School, in Matsuyama for 2 years and then added Imabari Nishi Senior High School and Imabari Technical High School for a year.

I was originally from Walsall near Birmingham in England. The ongoing joke was if there was a small group of brummie sounding kids now in Japan.

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Backtrack #22: Welcomed and Included (Heeni (Janie) Tito, Masaki ALT 1997-2000)

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What’s your name, when and where was your placement, and where are you from originally?

Kia ora koutou, ko Heeni (Janie) Tito ahau. I was a teacher at kindergarten, primary and junior high schools in Masaki-cho, Ehime-ken from 1997-2000.

I descend from Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Whātua iwi, of Northland, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Currently living in Wellington.

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