MARCH: The Monstrous Month of Deskwarming (A Survival List)
Don’t let the Coronavirus get you down! For most Gunma ALTs, it’s been a slow week since the surprise shutdown was announced – and there’s still a few weeks left. The GAJET team has compiled a list of our ultimate tips to avoid deskwarming deterioration.
- First, make sure you ask if there’s anything you can help your teachers with this month. You might be surprised at how much your help is appreciated!
- Make extravagant decorations for the graduation ceremony (if your school is still having it).
- Read every single book in your school library.
- Talk to the teachers you usually don’t speak with in search of juicy gossip.
- Open and close your Japanese textbooks and continue to ignore them.
- Write graduation cards for your students – bonus points if you draw any Disney or mascot characters.
- Plan fun trips which may or may not actually happen, and fantasize about the cheap flight prices.
- Go on a quest to loot the supplies closet.
- Hone your origami skills. If you didn’t find anything good in the supply closet, Daiso has beautiful origami paper.
- Create an awesome lesson that doesn’t rely on the textbook. For those days when your JTE/HRT says, “I don’t know, what do YOU think we should do?”
- Do not give in to the temptation to watch cat videos all day. Do not.
- Plan a toilet paper heist.
- Make materials for the BEST. ENGLISH. BOARD. EVER!!!
- Tidy up your desk. We know it’s filthy.
- Find an abandoned classroom to stretch, meditate, do yoga, or maybe just stare at your phone for a few minutes.
- Make use of that abandoned classroom to give your family a call and let them know you’re still alive.
- Bring 50 cabbages to school to host your Gunma-themed juggling contest.
- Reorganize or plan a curriculum for next year. You can never be too prepared! You can upload some resources to our ALT Drive while you’re at it.
- Do menial tasks for your teachers in exchange for snacks – cutting or laminating flashcards often has a high exchange rate.
- Look up bento recipes so you can show off your skills at lunch time.
- Make memes for JET Programemes or our Gunma ALTs page, and start an emergency GIF folder for quick comebacks.
- Practice your free throw in the gym.
- Actually study your JLPT materials instead of staring at them and hoping the Japanese comes to you via osmosis.
- Create some epic review games – brush up on those PowerPoint skills!
- Make your own English chants/songs – we know you can do better than the textbook. ALT rap battle, anyone?
- Update your resume. Whether you’re leaving JET this year or not, it’s better to get it over with! Don’t forget your cover letter template and LinkedIn, too.
- Play Gunma’s Ambition on your phone/Nintendo Switch and call it cultural exchange.
- Do some school cleaning! It’s dirty work, but it will score you major brownie points and someone has to do it, right?
- Write an article or make art for AJET’s Connect Magazine.
- Spend hours writing up a draft email to your BOE/CO listing numerous reasons why you should be given free 特休. Good luck!
**Not all deskwarming activities are BOE-approved or fully safe. Exercise caution and attempt at your own risk. GAJET holds no responsibility for injuries from cabbage juggling or other dangerous acts. Stay safe out there!**
Header image credit: @tofupupper
