Job Discussion Forums

[Solar Strength]

I was speaking with a few new teachers at Interac and they told me that their initial induction and training was a horrible experience with the corporate trainers belittling them and telling them off for not doing something correctly the first time. Trainers were described as hostile and many of the trainees did not like it with some even walking out before the 3 days were finished.

Any current or former Interac monkeys here - is it really that hostile? And, if so, why is this the approach that the company deems most suitable for treating their new people?

[Pitarou]

For the longest time, I was getting flashbacks to the AEON is a cult thread.

You should try asking at the ALT forum at http://englipedia.informe.com/forum/. You don't need to register to post to their Pandora's Box thread.

[fluffyhamster]

Nastiness like that doubtless helps dispatchers establish who will and won't put up with stuff (exploitation) then and later on. Softening up is the technical term. It could throw one a little however, as Japan isn't exactly synonymous with rudeness (or it isn't usually western management who goes in for it). Edit: I forgot to add that my induction/training with Interac wasn't bad - small group, trainers took shifts, all spread over only a day or two at most, relatively relaxed and informal, and I'd imagine reasonably informative if not useful for newbies (me, I was quite experienced by then, having been a JET for starters). And they were the most friendly and least exploitative of the dispatchers I've worked for. Mind you, my time with Interac was nearly a decade ago, so much may have changed!

[Solar Strength]

Apparently, as one of the new guys described it to me, it was run as a kind of boot camp style of induction / training.

Push people around a bit, demean them a little, shake their confidence and then see who sticks around. Those are the ones they want.

[fat_chris]

[fat_chris]

[kah5217]

I was at their initial training. PM me if you want specifics, but I can tell you there was definitely some negative energy. My biggest problem was that trainers A and B would tell you to do something a certain way, but then when you did it that way in front of trainers C and D, they'd tell you what you did was wrong and you shouldn't do it that way.

But what really got me was that the training was geared toward those who would be in complete control of a classroom, and there was little reference to what most JHS ALTs do. Show me what a real classroom looks like, not just the ideal MEXT version.

There was also a lack of actual "here's how to teach" moments for those of us with little to zero educational experience. A lot of their exercises want you to come up with the answers, when I think it would have been much more helpful if they provided some advice, besides "ignore it and call us".

The days spent with the individual branch instead of en masse were much more effective. I would have liked it if more time was devoted to that segment, rather than "4 days as a borg". In fact, I ran into one of the assistant trainers on the elevator after hours and even he told me the branches were kinder.

There were people so nervous they cried, people so angry they walked, and people too exhausted from jet lag to concentrate. I think boot camp is appropriate, as training literally lasted 12 hours, plus whatever homework you had.

(There was also an optional ladies discussion, which turned out to be worthless, "don't dress like you want chikan'ed" type advice. A lot of the questions the other girls asked were the kind that made me think "you moved to a foreign country without looking into that first?")

[fat_chris]

[nightsintodreams]

I don't work for Interac anymore, but I worked there for three years. My training was at one of the branches and was pretty good to be honest, they tried to best prepare us for what lied ahead wit the limited time they had. Pm me if you have an specific questions.

[Inflames]

I highly doubt any trainers were confrontational (unless being told "that's wrong" is confrontational) in training.

That being said, my Interac training at a branch was completely useless. They didn't even show us the textbooks.

[rxk22]

I did it years ago. It wasn't anything special. It especially wasn't helpful. As was stated earlier, it was based on somehow having complete control of the classroom.

Here is a quick question, is the Interac unpaid training legal?

[fluffyhamster]

[kah5217]

[steki47]

[rxk22]