Held in spring to coincide with the beginning of the academic year, the NaraJALT MyShare event is a round-table discussion for sharing practical teaching ideas. We want to hear your best, tried-and-tested, practical language-learning activities.

Participants in this open forum are given the choice to share one activity. No slides or elaborate presentations are necessary. Rather, participants are encouraged to bring a printed handout* to help explain the activity. Each “MySharer” will have around five minutes to explain their activity with additional time for follow-up discussion.

*For inspiration and guidance, refer to the MyShare column in JALT's The Language Teacher journal.

Summary

Practical teaching ideas
Round-table discussion (informal)
Anyone can choose to share an activity
Around 5 min per person
Bring handouts; no projector

This event will fill you with fresh ideas for the new school year. See you around the table!

NaraJALT MyShare 2025

Nara JALT would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that made it out to Nara for out annual MyShare event. The NaraJALT MyShare is all about bringing likeminded people together to share their practical ideas in a fast and simple manner. This year was no different and we were lucky enough to have eight fantastic MySharers. We loved hearing your teaching ideas and I'm sure all the attendees found something they could use in their classroom this year.

The mysharers have kindly given us permission to share their teaching ideas with you. We hope you find them useful and seeing this encourages you to participate in future Nara JALT events.

NaraJALT MyShare 2025: Michael Salovaara- Timed Writing

NaraJALT My Share 2025: Euan MacDougall- Good Sources.docx.pdf

NaraJALT MyShare 2025: Benjamin Robertson- The Butterfly Effect - Creative Writing and Critical Thinking

NaraJALT MyShare 2025: Eric Martin-What Would You Do

NaraJALT MyShare 2025: Motoko Teraoka-Transformer

NaraJALT MyShare 2025: Leigh McDowell- Dictocomp

NaraJALT Lunch & Hike 2025

This year's MyShare event was followed by a special lunch and hike. Last year, we went to a local restaurant and then took a guided tour of Hozanji Temple. That was so well received that we decided to make it a regular thing.

This year twenty-two attendees enjoyed stone-oven pizza and the exceptional spring views at Kumotei restaurant. The food, views, and company really made this a fantastic experience for all involved. We hope to do this again and would love it if you could make it.

A smaller group of about 10 attendees then took a leisurely stroll along beautiful woodland paths across Mt. Ikoma to Ikoma-Sanroku park. The fresh air, trees, and sakura blossoms made the trip well worth it.

We are already making plans for next year and we hope to see more of you at Nara JALT events in the future.

NaraJALT 2025 MyShare Event

📅 Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025

⏰ Time: 9:30 - 11:00 AM

📍 Venue: Room 401, Seisei Building, Ikoma, Nara

1-chōme-6-12 Motomachi, Ikoma, Nara 630-0257; Map Link

💰 Cost: 500 yen (Free for JALT members)

About MyShare

Originally a column in The Language Teacher for exchanging practical

teaching ideas, MyShare provides a platform for educators to share their

most effective teaching practices.

This open forum invites participants to present one tried-and-tested

language-learning activity in a round-table discussion format. The room

will be arranged in a circle to encourage interaction and discussion.

Guidelines for MySharers

✔ Prepare a five-minute explanation of your activity.

✔ Bring a handout in the MyShare style from The Language Teacher

(JALT Publications).

✔ No slides or elaborate presentations required.

✔ For reference, check the MyShare column in The Language Teacher

(JALT Publications).MyShare Details

👥 MySharers: As many as possible

⏳ Time Limit: 5–10 minutes per sharer

📖 MyShare Tools:

✅ Handouts (if visuals are needed)

❌ No projector / No slides

Join us for an engaging exchange of practical teaching ideas! 🚀

Schedule

• 9:00 – 9:30 → Doors Open, Reception

• 9:30 – 9:35 → Opening Remarks

• 9:35 – 10:55 → MyShare Shares (5–10 minutes per sharer)

• 10:55 – 11:00 → Closing Remarks

• 11:00 – 11:15 → Clean-up & Departure

💡 No projectors or slides; handouts encouraged.

🔗 [More info on MyShare – The Language Teacher (JALT Publications)]

Lunch & Hike on Mount Ikoma

📅 Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025 (After MyShare)

💰 Cost: ¥3,630 (Lunch reservation required)

Schedule

• 11:40 → Take the cable car from Tori-mae Station to Hozan-ji Station

Ikoma Cable-car Tori-mae Station

• 12:00 → Lunch at Kumotei (Stone-Oven Pizza) 🍕 (22 reservations

secured) Kumotei Stone-Oven Mountain Pizza Restaurant

• 14:00 → 30-min easy hike to Ikoma-sanroku Park Ikoma-sanroku Park

• Afternoon → Enjoy cherry blossoms & tea 🌸🍵

• Return: Bus or 60-min hike down to Ikoma Station

Lunch & Hike on Mount Ikoma

This spring, join NaraJALT for a fun day out on Mount Ikoma, featuring the best stone-oven pizza in Nara, easy-grade mountain hike, and exceptional spring views.

Date: Sunday, April 6th

Times, Locations and Links:

11:36 Ikoma Cable-car Tori-mae Station

12:00 Kumotei Stone-Oven Mountain Pizza Restaurant

14:00 Ikoma-sanroku Park

Lunch

Following the annual NaraJALT MyShare event, participants will walk to the Ikoma Cable-car Tori-mae Station, and catch the 11:36 cable-car to the Hozan-ji Station. From Hozan-ji, it’s a short walk to the secluded Kumotei restaurant, where participants will enjoy the most delicious pizza set-lunch.

Cost: ¥3,630

Hike

After lunch, participants will set off on a 30-min easy-grade hike to the Ikoma-sanroku Park, where they can enjoy afternoon tea among the cherry blossoms with spectacular views. For the return journey, participants can take a bus to Ikoma Station, or opt to hike the more challenging 60-min return-leg down the mountain.

You will not want to miss this unique opportunity to savour, stroll, and soak in the views of the beautiful Mount Ikoma in spring. Lunch reservation is limited and registration is essential, so be sure to fill in the form to reserve your spot.

NaraJALT Lunch & Hike 2025

Lunch & Hike on Mount Ikoma

NaraMyShare2024

The first face-to-face Nara Myshare for ages was a huge success. This was also our first attempt at a joint event where we combined our Myshare event with lunch and a guided temple tour. I’m sure we will do something like this again.

Nara JALT would like to thank the presenters: James Russell, David Stepanczuk, William Marcus, Samia Haseeb Khan, and David Wybenga for sharing their teaching experiences and expertise.

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