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womblingfree
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826
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 Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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Q. Are you willing to be a genki grinning gimp with no teaching credentials who is willing to work 40 hours a week for peanuts and no national insurance?
A. No
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject: More interview answers |
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(You'll have to excuse me; I apparently can't figure out the quote-within-a-quote thing.)
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Omeo wrote:
Why do you want to teach English?
I decided that I wanted to get off the beaten path and do something different with my life. The idea of seeing the world and experiencing life in other cultures had always intrigued me and when I found out I could teach English in other countries I thought, �That sounds like a great idea.� I loved the idea of a career that would allow me to travel. Besides that, I�d be helping people. The reason I became a medic was because I wanted to be in a line of work where I would be helping people. Teaching English would allow me to see the world and enrich other peoples lives by providing a valuable service.
Um, English teaching is NOT a career that allows you to travel... If I were an interviewer, I would have second thoughts about hiring you, mainly because I'd be afraid you get wonder-lust six months in and leave my school stranded for a new teacher. The only travel involved in teaching in Japan is coming TO Japan, then returning home FROM Japan. Aside from that, in fact, employers prefer you don't leave town too long or too often -- as they all have painful experiences of teachers going AWOL -- and thus get nervous when their teacher takes off on a "holiday back home."
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Yes, thank you, Jim, I realize that.  I didn't think I'd be bouncing around from country to country, or even city to city, while working for the same eikaiwa. I simply meant that this job would allow me to see and experience another part of the world, and maybe that's what I should say to avoid confusion, (although I have to think it took some talent to misconstrue that.)
| Quote: |
Omeo wrote:
What�s your interest in Japan?
I�ve been interested in Eastern culture for a long time. I�ve always loved Asian food and philosophy. Japan in particular has fascinated me for years. The whole country seems to have creativity and energy to spare and it just looks like an exciting place to live. I think most Americans associate Japan with innovation. It�s seen as a technological trend setter; a testing ground for the future. It�s also the home of karaoke, the samurai, the tea ceremonies, and the geisha. Besides Buddhism, Japan is also influenced by Shintoism and Confucianism. Besides the standard assortment of anime most Americans are exposed to, I�m also a big fan of live-action Japanese film. The only Japanese cuisine I�m familiar with is sushi, which I�m not crazy about, to be honest, but then, perhaps I haven�t had good sushi. I�ve heard, though, that the Japanese eat a lot of seafood, which is great. I love seafood. I�m sure I�ll find plenty of great food if I get to go there. I also have a background in art and I�m interested in learning about Japanese art, particularly the calligraphy. I also have to climb Mount Fuji, of course.
I realize, by the way, that companies like yours are concerned about teachers getting lonely and homesick and wanting to go home. You don�t have to worry about that with me. Do I expect there to be an adjustment period? Of course. Do I expect it to be at least somewhat rough on me? Sure. But do I expect it to be so hard that I would seriously entertain the thought of quitting and going home? No. I consider that very unlikely. Teaching English is what I want to do with my life. There�s not job in America that I�m nearly as interested in doing as this. Will it be tough adjusting at first? Sure. Will my enthusiasm for the job fade when reality sets in and I�m actually doing the job? Maybe a little. But I�m not giving up. This is what I want to do.
I'd say that was MUCH too long-winded. The longer the answer to this question, the more disappointed you will be when you don't get to do/experience all the things you are hoping for. A healthy interest in Japan and its people, culture and history are acceptable, but just mention it briefly and don't get into it too much. In addition, the question said nothing about homesickness. Why did you get into that angle? Personally, I wouldn't bring it up unless they did. I thought that part of your answer came across as a little bit awkward. |
I threw in the part about homesickness because I know that one of their big concerns is that I might get homesick and want to leave in mid-contract and I wanted to stress to them that that is very unlikely.
Here's some more questions I found and my answers to them. Again, I'd appreciate your feedback.
Why is English important to Japanese people?
English is important to the Japanese people because it�s the most commonly spoken language in the world? As a guy I saw on the Travel Channel put it, when a German and a Norwegian meet in the Swiss Alps, they speak English to each other because English is the common language that pretty much every industrialized nation knows.
What do you think is the greatest challenge to Japanese learners of English? How do you propose this challenge be best overcome?
Well, based in my own experience trying to learn Japanese as well as my experience helping foreign friends with their English, I�d say the greatest challenge is getting the grammar down, like the verb tense or articles like �a�, �an�, and �the�. The best way to deal with these challenges is to explain the grammatical rules until they are understood and then giving lots of practice.
What do you like and dislike about your current job?
There�s not a lot that really bothers me about it. Again, I work in a group home for adults with mental disabilities so occasionally I have to deal with behavioral outbursts or clients messing their pants. That�s always unpleasant, but it doesn�t happen very often. The clients I work with are relatively well behaved compared to some of the ones I hear about when I talk to other people in the same line of work.
As far what I like, it's the people I work with. The clients are usually very friendly and the work is sometimes actually kinda fun. The staff I work with are great, too. They're very easy to get along with. This is probably the best job I've ever had.
Would I be able to adapt to living in such a highly populated country? What problems do I think I might face in Japan?
The size of the population is irrelevant to me. I grew up in a very small town, but I�ve lived in big cities before. I like big cities. As far as what challenges I might face, other than the obvious language barrier, I suppose getting use to the customs will take some time, but I�m sure I can learn. Basically, as long as I know how to get to and from work and how to keep my clothes and my body clean and presentable for work, I don�t foresee any problems I can�t handle.
What makes a good teacher?
Good teachers should have a sincere interest in their work and it�s importance. They should be friendly and patient and eager to help others learn. They should make the material interesting and relevant in the mind of the students. They should encourage and inspire their students.
What would you do if all your students were quiet?
I guess it would depend on the circumstances. I�d expect them to be quiet part of the time. If you�re talking about them being quiet after I ask them a question, I might give them a hint about the answer or ask a different question. I could offer them some kind of incentive to answer. I think smiling and offering encouragement to make them feel comfortable would probably go a long way toward getting them to speak up.
What do you think of small talk?
You have to start somewhere. Small talk is usually necessary before talking about anything more important. It�s the key to getting to know others.
What's something you accomplished recently that you were proud of?
I made the Dean�s List at the college I�m going to.
What would your current/last employer say about you?
My boss seems to like me. I think she�d say that I�m reliable and good with people.
How are you at handling criticism?
I think I�m good with criticism, particularly if it�s constructive criticism. If it�s mean-spirited, hopefully it isn�t frequent and if it�s frequent, I�ll just ride out the contract and go somewhere else when it�s over.
What one word would your best friend use to describe you?
I�m going to go with �tenacious�.
If you saw someone you thought you knew, but weren't quite positive you recognized, what would you do?
It depends on whether or not I thought it was someone I wanted to talk to. If I thought I saw someone I wouldn�t want to talk to anyway, I wouldn�t do anything. If I thought it was someone I would want to talk to, I�d probably call their name and/or try to get a better look at them.
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
I�m not sure. Possibly still in Japan. I plan on being in Japan for at least a few years but eventually, I may decide I want to see another part of the world and get a teaching job there. I�d like to see Europe, but I want to teach in Japan for a while first. If I stay in Japan, I�ll probably eventually get a degree that�ll allow me to teach in colleges and universities.
I appreciate your criticism. Thank you very much.
Last edited by Omeo on Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:43 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Birdog3344
Joined: 28 Jun 2004
Posts: 126
Location: Osaka, Japan
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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What type of job are you preparing for?
Not an interview question, I'm just curious. |
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| The kind where I get to teach English to people in Japan? I'm afraid you're going to have to be more vague. |
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Birdog3344
Joined: 28 Jun 2004
Posts: 126
Location: Osaka, Japan
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Funny.
Eikawa, ALT, H.S., JET... |
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:47 am Post subject: |
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| Eikaiwa. |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:01 am Post subject: Re: More interview answers |
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| Omeo wrote: |
(You'll have to excuse me; I apparently can't figure out the quote-within-a-quote thing.)
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When you press the quote button on the top right hand side of the message you want to respond too you will see the text inside parentheses like these "[quote="Omeo"]" Then you can delete all the non relevant pieces of text and write your respone after the final set of parentheses.
Alternatively you can go to the "Post a reply" button and then add the name of who you are replying to by typing ="poster's name" where it says [quote] |
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Birdog3344
Joined: 28 Jun 2004
Posts: 126
Location: Osaka, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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| You may be putting more effort into planning than perhaps is necesary. If you have the time on your hands or its a fun excercise for you than by all means...However, the Eikawa interview is not rocket science. As long as you're reasonaby coherent, don't freak out and possess a modicum of social skills you really have little to worry about. In fact, overthinking and over-preparing may actually hurt you. Hope you're effort isn't a reflection of your stress level. |
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| The thing is, I admittedly am not a quick thinker. I don't want them to catch me off guard and wind up saying the wrong thing. I don't want them misunderstanding or misinterpreting something I said. One of the main things I'm trying to do here is iron out any of the things I should not say. Jim has already helped me with some of that. I don't wanna give um an answer that's gonna turn um off to me. I'm not trying to find lies to tell them, I just don't want to say something that sends them a message I didn't intend to give. You're probably right; I probably am over thinking this, but I don't want to take forever thinking about my answers and I don't want to say the wrong thing. |
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Birdog3344
Joined: 28 Jun 2004
Posts: 126
Location: Osaka, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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I see where you're coming from.
One tip; brevity is you're friend. No reason to give more info than is needed. A very simple, cliched answer will suffice. Be positive and brief. I don't think they're trying to trip you up or catch you off guard. From the few posts you've written, you sound like an intelligent and articulate person and if you're able to relax that should come accross. |
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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I was recently thinking maybe I should limit my answers to maybe half a dozen sentences. Does that sound reasonable?
By the way, I'm still looking for some critiques of my answers if anyone has any opinions. |
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happyc
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:44 am Post subject: |
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Omeo; I actually have a phone interview tomorrow (Thailand job) so have been reading the posts with interest. I did a little research and found a great site which contained questions you may well come across- but obviously, on the day they'll probably ask every question but those you're prepared for!
I won't tell you the website now, but I will give you some of the most common questions asked. Must also admit... the best answers you can give to these questions are also listed on the website... but I'll give you those once you have a go with answering these questions yourself!
Sorry I haven't read everyones replies to your posts, but I'm sure someone probably has already mentioned... when you're actually there being interviewed it's a whole different kettle of fish! If you're like me, mind blanks are the norm and after the interview you think of a million fantastic answers you could have given!
Enough waffle... here are the questions...
Teacher Interview Questions
Question 1 - What are your thoughts on team-teaching?
Question 2 - What are your greatest strengths?
Question 3 - What is your biggest weakness?
Question 4 - Let's imagine an interview for a grade one teaching position wherein the interviewer asks: "Describe your classroom's physical appearance."
Question 5 - Why do you want to work for our school district?
Question 6 - How do you handle classroom discipline?
Question 7 - How would you describe a successful principal?
Question 8 - Do you have any questions for us? |
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Gone Asiatic
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 5
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:42 am Post subject: Answers |
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Omeo, some of those responses struck me as excessively wordy. I believe it is unlikely you`ll deliver long responses without tripping up.
It is far more easy to write these answers than to respond in an interview real time. |
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="happyc"]Omeo; I actually have a phone interview tomorrow (Thailand job) so have been reading the posts with interest. I did a little research and found a great site which contained questions you may well come across- but obviously, on the day they'll probably ask every question but those you're prepared for!
I won't tell you the website now, but I will give you some of the most common questions asked. Must also admit... the best answers you can give to these questions are also listed on the website... but I'll give you those once you have a go with answering these questions yourself!
Sorry I haven't read everyones replies to your posts, but I'm sure someone probably has already mentioned... when you're actually there being interviewed it's a whole different kettle of fish! If you're like me, mind blanks are the norm and after the interview you think of a million fantastic answers you could have given!
Enough waffle... here are the questions...
Teacher Interview Questions
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 1 - What are your thoughts on team-teaching? |
Honestly, being the new guy, I'd probably be meore comfortable teaching with a team than going at it alone. I could probably do it alone if I have to, but being with a team would certainly make things easier.
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 2 - What are your greatest strengths? |
I think creativity is probably one of my main strengths. I minored in Art in college. This includes problem solving. I'm pretty good at thinking outside the box to solve a problem. I also consider myself pretty resourceful. I use what I have to do the best job I can. I'm also very committed. When I put my mind to doing something, I make a point of doing it very well.
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 3 - What is your biggest weakness? |
I second-guess myself too much...I think. 
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 4 - Let's imagine an interview for a grade one teaching position wherein the interviewer asks: "Describe your classroom's physical appearance." |
Well, aside from the standard layout of a room, it'd probably be nice if there were some posters with pictures and English words and phrases on them; preferably posters made by the students themselves. Beyond that, I guess I'm not sure what you're looking for.
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 5 - Why do you want to work for our school district? |
(I'm aiming for eikaiwa work. A particular school district isn't really an issue.)
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 6 - How do you handle classroom discipline? |
(I handled this one earlier. I said I'd rely on the homeroom teacher and that I'd ask the principal and the other instructors what I'm suppose to do before I even start teaching.)
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 7 - How would you describe a successful principal? |
(A-HA! I just did a search so I could find an answer to this question and I think I found this site you're talking about. I will now paraphrase.)
I think a good principal should have a plan for the school and a strategy to achieve it. He or she should command the respect of the faculty and students. A good prinicipal should be easy-going with a good sense of humor and be able to relate well to others. He or she must be able to maintain order. Perhaps most importantly, a good principal must be genuinely committed to the success of the students and the school.
| happyc wrote: |
| Question 8 - Do you have any questions for us? |
Well, perhaps I could take this opportunity to ask YOU what the standard practice is for classroom discipline. What should I do if someone is being disruptive?
What does your school do to help new teachers adjust to life in Japan?
Are there any opportunities for over-time or tutoring work?
Thanks so much for telling me about that site. It looks like there's a ton of good info there.
By the way, Gone, I agree; my answers have been long. I'm definitely going to revise them and shorten them. |
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Omeo
Joined: 08 Feb 2005
Posts: 245
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