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Is AEON a cult?
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nightsintodreams



Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If people want advice about Aeon, they should speak to someone who's actually had experience working for them, of which there are plenty. You did what, three days of training or something?

Hell, I probably know more about Aeon through friends that have worked there.

I've never heard of anyone being sent back home during training, ever. So I'm going to guess it was your own fault. Take responsibility, get over it.

Nothing worse than a sore loser.
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rslrunner



Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Posts: 252

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pitarou, the one constant in most of your responses are, "You said this, but you would be better off saying this." Which is fine. You can correct what I say so you can a better point from your perspective. There is nothing wrong with what you've said. You are also welcome to say anything as contentious as you like, unless you hold back for the sake of the moderators.

Nightsintodreams, I take responsibility for joining AEON and not measuring up. That is my problem. I also welcome people who want to join AEON to speak to someone from AEON.

Again, I just want people better prepared and informed for this specific experience if they decide to pursue it. I stand by what I've said. I'm also more than willing to endure far more criticism. I'm making some very tough observations, and to use a cliche, if I am willing to dish it out, I need to be willing to take it.
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nightsintodreams



Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What a hero!
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rslrunner



Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Posts: 252

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nightsintodreams wrote:
What a hero!


Thank you, Robin.


Last edited by rslrunner on Mon Nov 11, 2013 5:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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kpjf



Joined: 18 Jan 2012
Posts: 385

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You want to inform people here? The problem is that you are not being objective or even trying to be, and most people who look at the previous thread will realise that.

You were bitter from your experience and how AEON "treated" you. You worked for a mere 4 days. Your time there was minimal.

Quote:

Yes, the word cult has multiple meanings. No, AEON is not a religion. Nor are cults sinister by nature. (Please see my OP again to see how I defined a cult.)


Furthermore, you call the company a CULT using your own definition. Does Aeon

Quote:
For me, any organization that demands individuals to subsume their identities, employs constant psychological techniques to retain control over people and remains clandestine about its own methods is a cult.


do this when people are not working? Does AEON have control over what you think outside the classroom or who you associate with?

Some of what you describe could apply to other companies, not just AEON.

Sorry, but I'm sure many people reading or commenting on this thread would concur that you need to stop. Move on. I think it's better that you never write about AEON here.

Quote:

Tim, you misunderstand both me and my post.

I have no interest in going back to Japan.

Yes, I understand the need to move on both professionally and personally. I have moved on. Writing a post here does not indicate otherwise. Don't worry about me.


It doesn't look that way to me! I think, again, others would agree. Your opinion is so so slanted on AEON and I don't think it's a good representation, thus not useful for newbies. I think Pitarou's edited version of your post would have been perfectly fine and useful for newbies though.
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fat_chris



Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree with the above.

Again my point, why bring this up now...8 months later?

IMHO such a topic does have a limited shelf life--bringing this up and talking about it, ranting over it, brooding over it, etc. in the first one or two or even three months afterwards would have been easier for the community here to accept and perhaps even provide some sympathy...

(The OP already did that several months ago, so as others have said, it's time to move on and not bring this post up again. It has been hashed out and gone over already. What's the point in bringing it up a second time many months later?)

...but 8 months later?!? Not so much. It makes it seem like one has some kind of agenda/vendetta/unhealthy manifestation of whatever that should have been sorted out already awhile ago.

Warm regards,
fat_chris


Last edited by fat_chris on Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:59 am; edited 3 times in total
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fat_chris



Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

rslrunner wrote:
Again, I just want people better prepared and informed for this specific experience if they decide to pursue it.


However, only having one lone person's experience to go by, I am not sure how valuable that really is in regards to preparing and informing others when they are considering AEON.

I guess it was worth a shot --> if others then chimed in and stated that they have had similar experiences, then I would think that we've got something here, but I don't see that happening in this post, hence, no smoke, no fire here?

I don't mean to be disrespectful to the OP, I'm just stating that we would need many more examples in order to make a case against AEON. I'm no social scientist but a sample size of one in such a study isn't enough to convince me that AEON could be considered to be a "cult". Not even close.

Warm regards,
fat_chris
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Pitarou



Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rslrunner wrote:
Pitarou, the one constant in most of your responses are, "You said this, but you would be better off saying this."
That's because I was trying to be constructive, rather than just criticise you. But I don't think you're taking the hint, so I'll say it clearly now.

Your experience with AEON was painful. We get that. Some of us even feel a little sorry for you. But your quiet vendetta -- your demonisation of what is, in truth, a run-of-the-mill eikaiwa chain -- your name calling -- your sweeping assertions based on minimal experience -- they're tiresome, and childish.

If you're so set on helping people, why don't you talk about the mistakes you made, and what you'd do differently if given a second chance? I think that's something you're much better qualified to talk about. Don't you?
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surendra



Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82

PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I interviewed with them. They definitely know what they want to make their teacher do. They aren't a cult, they just are, in my opinion, a bad eikaiwa to work for. Hours are longer or same as others but they expect NO downtime from the timetable I was shown. During my interview, the interviewer even said that they want a teacher they can mold and follow the AEON way. Also, it seemed like too much pressure just for an eikaiwa job if you aren't a "real" teacher.

On the plus side, if you want to learn English, and find them affordable, they seem like one of the better ones to go with.
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Pitarou



Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

surendra wrote:
I interviewed with them. They definitely know what they want to make their teacher do. They aren't a cult, they just are, in my opinion, a bad eikaiwa to work for. Hours are longer or same as others but they expect NO downtime from the timetable I was shown. During my interview, the interviewer even said that they want a teacher they can mold and follow the AEON way. Also, it seemed like too much pressure just for an eikaiwa job if you aren't a "real" teacher.

On the plus side, if you want to learn English, and find them affordable, they seem like one of the better ones to go with.
Nice to hear somebody thinking about the students' perspective. Smile

Am I right in inferring that AEON have their staff sign a confidentiality agreement that prevents them from talking about their experiences on-line? If so, that's a shame. We could do with some input from people who've actually taught there.
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surendra



Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82

PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I only interviewed, so I am not bound my any such agreement. They did show videos of the training process and I like to think I know how they work. Also, I saw a 'typical' schedule.

So if you have any questions, I can try to answer.
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rslrunner



Joined: 12 Feb 2010
Posts: 252

PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 2:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pitarou wrote:
rslrunner wrote:
Pitarou, the one constant in most of your responses are, "You said this, but you would be better off saying this."
That's because I was trying to be constructive, rather than just criticise you. But I don't think you're taking the hint, so I'll say it clearly now.

Your experience with AEON was painful. We get that. Some of us even feel a little sorry for you. But your quiet vendetta -- your demonisation of what is, in truth, a run-of-the-mill eikaiwa chain -- your name calling -- your sweeping assertions based on minimal experience -- they're tiresome, and childish.

If you're so set on helping people, why don't you talk about the mistakes you made, and what you'd do differently if given a second chance? I think that's something you're much better qualified to talk about. Don't you?


Like I said, your insights are welcomed and I agreed with your original four points. Your are also free to criticize me as much as you see fit.

What mistakes did I make? What would I have done differently? I promise to answer those questions in good faith in 2-3 days.
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Wintermute



Joined: 11 Jun 2007
Posts: 79

PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A friend of mine worked at Aeon for a year. Generally positive experience except for a few idiosyncrasies. Aeon definitely has a 'method' that all teachers must adhere to or risk getting whacked on the head. Also, having to living in Aeon accommodation proved too much for my friend as he had a wife and naturally wanted to cancel out of the Aeon accommodation and find something larger but was flatly denied. I may be wrong but Aeon is one of the few remaining eikaiwas that have overseas recruiting offices making it an easy way into the country. Like Nova before, suck eggs for a couple of months and find a better job.
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Pitarou



Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wintermute wrote:
Also, having to living in Aeon accommodation proved too much for my friend as he had a wife and naturally wanted to cancel out of the Aeon accommodation and find something larger but was flatly denied.
Wow. You make it sound like every single worker is obliged to live in an Aeon dorm. It can't be that extreme, surely???
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kah5217



Joined: 29 Sep 2012
Posts: 270
Location: Ibaraki

PostPosted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's true. A woman I studied abroad with used to work for them, and they gave her trouble when she married and wanted out of the apartment. Of course no one can make you stay in their apartments, but they're sure as heck going to keep taking rent from your pay.
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