Job Discussion Forums

[Sez]

Hi there,

I wondered if anyone could answer a question about JET.

Does time spent on the JET Programme constitute as valid teaching experience both in Japan and other countries? The reason I ask is that I have seen teaching jobs advertised in the past that have stated 'No Jets'. Is this a common view shared by other employers?

If JET wasn't deemed as valid experience, then if you were in an ALT position with JET but did some part-time teaching, then would this part-time teaching be seen as good experience?

Any views, comments or experiences about this would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks!

[Mosley]

Are the jobs (so advertised) that say''no JETs", in Japan or outside of Japan? Public schools or conversation schools? There's no context in your post's inquiry. I would love to know WHICH ads said"no JETs". That way, I might be able to give you some advice/perspective. I'm an ex-JET(served 3 yrs.) BTW: I, personally, have never seen a job advert that said"no JETs".

[Sez]

Mosley,

The jobs were in Japan, private school.
I really don't know anymore than that, I just remember seeing this somewhere and wondered if it beared any relevance within the bigger picture.

I just wanted a general overview of how JET is deemed by employers at any school, whether in Japan or another country.

Mosley, you sound like you have not had any problems. Good for you.
Anyone else's experiences would be good to hear.

[Smooth Operator]

Wasn't a problem for me. I went from JET straight to a lecturer position in a Japanese university. I did almost 3 years on JET (left in April to start the new job), and I only had a bit of other private teaching on my CV.

Many of my colleagues at the uni were JETs too...

[Glenski]

[Mosley]

Glenski: I might disagree with you, at least a tad. You're right- many incoming JETs have no formal qualifications for ESL teaching;and JET was originally designed as bit of a "do-gooder" cultural exchange scheme. But in recent years schools within JET have been looking for more "bang for their buck"(so to speak) and emphasis has been shifting towards real ESL teaching via the team-teaching system. Within the constraints of their school, board of education, etc., it's up to the individual JET to be as much as a "teacher" as they want to be. As for the "Big Daikon" site, many JETs have never posted there and the site has a lot of regular posters. I strongly suspect that more than a few JETs have visited the site, looked at it in disgust and have never returned. Cheers.

[Mike L.]

I would also add the JET program application does ask if you will have/will have a TESL/TEFL certificate by the time you wuld be sent to Japan.

I wouldn't say they are only looking for "cultural ambassadors."

Myself and four other colleauges, from the same TESL/TEFL course, checked that little box and all got jobs on JET.

I planned and taught most of my own lessons and marked lots of tests too while on the program.

The failures of the JET program are mainly those of Monbusho's English curriculum. It's difficult to teach effectively when your class hours of instruction are cut (English 30% from April 2002) and mandated Monbusho texts at the junior high level have no approach and are inrcedibly disjointed. The teacher's are often uniterested etc

: Yes, many JETS also leave much to be desired too.

My JET experience did pay off I found a job last August, teaching in a private high school, with little diffculty. The school liked it because of the programs association with Monbusho. I'm responsible for all of my own planning, teaching and evaluation.

I would hihgly reccomend the program for work experience. It's pretty much what you make of it. Certainlky beats eikaiwa.

[Sherri]

[Glenski]

I admit I don't know everything about JET, and I find it encouraging to hear comments like those from Mosley, concerning the changing trend of JETs. I have also heard a different view, that JET may soon be on its way out, which leads me to ask why? If the changing trend is to find team-teaching situations, and JET attracts such huge numbers of people, why is it (presumably) going down?

[Celeste]

I, for one, would be really glad if JET started training the new ALTs that it hires. I feel really frustrated when I hear Japanese teachers tell me that their ALT cannot help them because they are like another kid in the room. I am an ALT, and because I am based in the Education Center in my city, a big part of my job is training Japanese teachers. I teach English instruction methods to Elementary school teachers, and starting this summer, I will also be teaching junior high school and high school English teachers. Yet there is no training available at our center for the ALTs.

When I started working for JET, I already had 5 years of teaching experience, and a TEFL certificate, but now I think I need more training to help me succeed at my job. Yet the JET programme does not offer in service training for ALTs. So I muddle along as best I can- don't get me wrong, I am a really capable person, but if I wasn't a real self starter, I would be left twisting in the wind.

My boss was really excited when she found out that I was an experienced teacher. My predecessor had been straight out of university, and had to deliver seminars to teachers within her first week off the plane. I had to do this too, but for me, the only hurdle I had to overcome at the time was the time difference.

Now I do understand that the original plan for JET ALTs was that they were not really responsible for teaching the students, but just there to expose the children to foreign faces and attitudes. I think it is time that the programme moved beyond its original mandate. It is time that the JET programme started hiring ALTs who are prepared for and fully capable of the task of teaching English. That is what the boards of education in their communities expect of them.

Sorry for the ranting- my boss and I have been talking about this in the office lately. We are both feeling a bit frustrated.

[Mosley]

Celeste: Your very valid suggestion about ALTs being properly qualified started to be discussed at about the same time that I had to leave the programme(1999). At the very least, there should be different pay scales for the qualified/somewhat qualified/unqualified. Moreover, JET has to SERIOUSLY re-consider its " 3 year limit" policy. If the ALT and the school board are happy with each other, why shouldn't an ALT be allowed to stay beyond 3 years? ALTs could continue serving as "cultural ambassadors" in any event.
Mike L.:At the risk of seeming anal, I hope you didn't teach spelling and punctuation while you were on JET! :)

[Reesy]

Let me start out by saying that OF COURSE the JET Programme constitutes teaching experience and reputable employers serious about hiring capable people recognise this fact.

6000 ALTs work in Japan's public schools everyday. They are employed by prefectural offices, local boards of education and some private schools. They participate in in-service training (though not enough), are often active participants in the lives of Japanese schools through not only their teaching, but participation in sports, clubs, cultural festivals, speech contests, school trips, the arrangement of study abroad programs and numerous other events. Moreover, most of them spend between 10 and 20 hours a week in classrooms of 40 or so students teaching English. I might also add that many of them plan their own lessons and are assisted BY the Japanese teacher rather than the other way around. If all of this does not constitute teaching experience than you have a different idea of the definition of teaching than I do.

The fact that some JETs are ineffective, lazy, dating their students, alcoholics, untrained, selfish, or are only interested in financing trips to Thailand is a moot point. Teachers arond the world share some of these traits. However, the entire profession is not condemned because of it.

The mantra of the JET Programme is "every situation is different" and nothing can be more true. Yes, Glenski, some teachers don't plan their own lessons. Many do. I understand that "teaching" at many language schools does not require lesson planning either. You just teach lesson 14, 65 or 33.

On the the point of why the original poster saw an ad that said "No JETS". This is not a reflection of the JET Programme but the employer. I have also seen ads discriminating against Brits, Australians, and non-native speakers. Some employers won't hire non-caucasians, women or men over 35. When I see these ads, however, I do not ask "Are Brits bad teachers?" or "Do people over age 35 not posses the ability to teach well?" These selection criteria reflect the biases of the employer, not any deficiencies of those being discriminated against.

The "No JETs" criteria probably reflects one of two things. Either that employer hired a JET in the past and it didn't work out for one reason or another. Or, the employer recognises that JETs have experience in Japan and can therefore not be as easily taken advantage of.

Because of their extensive involvement in the day to day life of Japanese public schools, JET teachers possess far more important and authentic teaching experience than those whose experience amounts to little more than sitting in a room outside a train station all day teaching pre-set one-hour classes out of an ancient, poorly designed textbook. Reputable employers in Japan recognise this fact and this is why so many ex-JETs go on to have very successful careers in Japan.

[Sez]

Many thanks everyone for your response so far regarding my original post.

I have been given a good account of the JET employment experience in Japan so far but could anyone offer any views of outside of Japan i.e are there any ex-JETS that have experienced anything positive or negative of being an Ex-JET whilst teaching in countries other than Japan?

[Mosley]

Again,Sez, you leave gaps in information: what do you mean by "countries other than Japan?". ESL jobs in E. Asia? Professional public school jobs in English-speaking countries? You have to elaborate....
You haven't told us much(or anything) about your background. This is an all too common problem on Dave's. I mean, what are your qualifications, aspirations, etc. ? "I want to teach on JET & then have a great career from there...." Well, what does that TELL anybody??!!

[Nagoyaguy]

You have to remember that, to the Japanese government, JET is NOT a teaching job. Read any literature in Japanese about the programme. The name in Japanese reads something like "International Youth Culture exchange Programme". Nothing about teaching.

Ever wonder why JET teachers never receive any teacher training? No follow up training? No curriculum support? No lesson planning hints? Why is JET not run directly by Mombusho?

IMHO, the programme is not about education or teaching or language. It is about public relations. The idea is that the teachers will stay in Japan just long enough to get a good impression of Japan, then take that reputation back to their home countries. Hence the general trend to pick young and inexperienced people for the programme. It is a goodwill ambassador campaign. This also explains the time limit on JET of 3 years. Gaijin have an 'Expiry Date', beyond which their is a danger of either the gaijin staying in Japan for longer (and thwarting the PR aspect of JET), or getting a little jaded and cynical (also killing the PR).