Job Discussion Forums

[Florizalll]

I am a certified American educator with experience teaching English at a public high school. I'd like to find a position in an American or International school in or near Tokyo but am having difficulties.

All in all, I consider myself an educator. Perhaps a position as a full-time ALT is more suitable for me than a conversation instructor at an conversation company like Nova, etc. However, I'm still a bit uninformed as to what the position of an ALT entails.

Are ALT's assistants to the Japanese classroom teacher? Is it a team-teaching environment with common lesson planning? Does the ALT work with the same classroom teacher for all classes? Could becoming an ALT in a public school work as a stepping stone into a position as an English classroom teacher at the school?

Is it better to apply to schools directly to see if they are hiring ALTs or are recruiters more reliable?

Are all/any of these questions subjective, based on the school or experience?

Details of experiences from ALT teachers are greatly appreciated!

[PAULH]

If you have a state teaching licence and certified teaching experience in the US that is considered proper experience.

Teaching ESL in a high school is not considered relevant experience for an international school job.

ALTs are hired to teach oral communication classes in public high schools as the japanese teacher can not usually speak English. It is still the JTE s class but you come in as a 'hired gun' to give students speaking practice.
Depending on the class the Japanese teacher is like a 'third' hand who assists the native speaker in the lesson. Translating, explaining the activity to students, being a role model for the students, maintaining discipline in place of the ALT who can not discipline students.


They are not your students and you will likely be part time at several schools.

ALTs can not be hired full time to work at a high school as they are not Japanese and not public servants. You can be hired to work part time, but not full time at one school.

If you work at a private high school you can be hired full time to work as THE English teacher, but not at a public high school, hired by the local Board of Education.

JET teachers are ALTs hired by the BOE, not by the schools they are posted to. Schools do not hire ALTs directly but work through the board of education. private high schools hire their own teachers, and are hired through the schools board of directors.

[Florizalll]

Thank you for your detailed response. Perhaps I may want to redirect my job search towards work in a private school.

Most school directories found on the web contain lists of public schools by region. Can anyone suggest a website that contains a compiled list of private schools by region?

[PAULH]

[Florizalll]

Thank you for your feedback on how to begin a search for private schools.

Why I've decided to move forward with interviews with ECC and Westgate is exactly for that reason- perhaps just getting over to Japan will help my efforts to find a job that could develop teaching skills and add experiences to my carreer. Hopefully, this will allow me access to those "face-to-face" interviews that I agree are so crucial.

Has anyone taken a similar approach- start through a conversation company and later find a job at a private/public/International/American school once in Japan?

Your success stories are appreciated!

[PAULH]

[wangtesol]

Florazilla, I hope Paul has been able to successfully convey to you that ALT work is basically public diplomacy work, not teaching.

You will not be divising lesson plans, marking, testing or even assessing. The ALT system was not created to teach English. In Japanese the name of the program is called the "student exchange program."

And a significant number of these students on exchange as ALTs have come straight out of frat and sorority houses.

You definately want to get work in a private high school. This of course, though, means having the right connections. Usually religious ones.

[Florizalll]

Thank so much for your help! I've learned more on this message board tonight than from 4 months of job research through the internet and friends!

I have attended Catholic school from kindergarten through College- while this certainly isn't an accreditation- I suppose I would have enough background to stay afloat with Christian teaching and curriculum. I may look further into these types of institutions.

Knowing that many schools, particularly ones that advocate the use of English, have established roots in Missionary work, how much of the curriculum is based on Christianity?

I know that Christians are a religious minority among the Japanese population- do students come into conflict with the curriculum or rituals? How does the student population differ from private to religious schools- i.e. what do parents expect their children to gain from an education at a religious school?

Perhaps these questions seem trite, but I'm trying to gain a better understanding of the different types of educational institutions available in Japan to learn the different types of student populations and the qualities of a candidate that administrators are looking for to make a good fit.

[yamanote senbei]

[sallycat]

[PAULH]

In Japan less than 2% of the population are Christians but in the big cities you get a couple of Christian high schools and universities but they are small and rare. Most 'religious' schools are actually Buddhist and owned by temples. The temples are usually sitting on prime real estate and the head monks themselves are fairly well off. No vow of poverty with these guys.


Students who go to Christian schools are not always Christian but parents want them to go to private school because of reputation. Students may have religious studies and the occasional prayer service or a lecture by the head priest etc.

[Florizalll]

Thanks, PAULH, that is good to know. I'd feel a bit uncomfortable teaching religion, particularly to those who do not follow the belief system.

[PAULH]

[wintersweet]

>>Christmas day is not even a work holiday in Japan.

Why would it be? Heck, I don't remember the last time I got O-Bon off in the US.

Anyway, to the OP, international schools DO post jobs, and they tend to have well-developed English web-pages if you want to google for them. I can't say anything about what it's like to work for one--just passing on that I have seen the listings and they're out there.

[luckyloser700]

Florizall,

Despite the "conversion to Mormonism" crack, Interac is a good company to get a foot in the door with. You'll end up as an ALT teaching at public schools. It's definitely a good chance to learn how the public school system works here. The biggest problem with Interac is that you have to pay all of your own start-up costs: rent, key money, airline ticket, etc...
And, if it seems as if many of the people who are on this discussion board are somewhat jaded, just remember that the people who are really having a blast here are too busy to spend time writing comments like these. I'm married so I'm not allowed to have too much fun anymore. Guess I'll be spending a lot more time on this disscussion forum.