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job helper guy?
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acousticego12



Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Hawaii, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:22 am    Post subject: job helper guy? Reply with quote

i know this site is mainly for ESL teachers and people who want to teach english, but im gonna give it a shot and ask anyway =)

My mom needs a job as a teacher (preferably Middle or High School//or if possible, an international school) in the Tokyo area.
As our residency is in the US, we have hardly no connections to any of the schools in japan-
which is why i need help.

Numerous applications have been sent out to several widely known international schools but i doubt any of them will go through.

i think we will have a better chance with public japanese schools but since their website are in japanese, i wouldnt know how to send an application or search for them in the first place

is there some sort of job finding counseling agency which will help my mom find a job?
what would you reccomend we do?


PS:
i dont think it matters right now but just in case:
she needs a decent job preferably as whatever fulltime teaching position possible (preferably english, japanese, special ed, math)
she can fluently speak japanese,mand. chinese, english
my mom's a few classes away from a masters
and has about 7 years of teaching experience


any help or advice is greatly appreciated =)
thanks in advance
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taikibansei



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your mom can't be hired as a teacher in a Japanese public school unless she has Japanese teaching certification. (A very few private schools offer the occasional EFL teaching position to foreigners lacking this certification, though I've never heard of one hiring from overseas.) She could possibly get a job as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) assisting with English instruction, though your post suggests she wouldn't be interested in this.

Hence, international schools would really be the best way for her to go. You probably know about these services/resources, but just in case:

http://www.iss.edu/edustaff/jobs.html
http://www.cois.org/
http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/international_schools.html
http://www.globaldaigaku.com/global/en/schoolsearch/based/inter/index.html
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Sweetsee



Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything

PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How does one get an ALT postion? How much does it pay?
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

acousticego,
You wrote that your mom has several years of teaching experience. What sort? Does that mean she has a teaching license in her home country? (That will be needed for any international school job.)

I agree with taikibansei, in that people who are outside of Japan are just not going to get hired for most jobs.

Want a job at a mainstream school? You need to get on the JET programme, Earlham College ALT program (similar to JET), a dispatch agency here (to be an ALT), or be very VERY lucky in getting a direct hire through the Board of Education. Only the first two really hire from outside Japan.

Sweetsee wrote:
Quote:
How does one get an ALT postion? How much does it pay?
Is this a joke? You have been an ALT for about 15 years in Japan, right?
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acousticego12



Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Hawaii, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

what are the procedures an american citizen must go through in order to get a japanese teaching certification? is it worth the trouble?


I've been sending applications and resumes directly to about 9 international schools so far and a few english teaching ones posted here.

what do you think are the chances of getting even a response from them?
even if an interview is requested, we would have to fly to japan for a couple days just to do so

maybe one of those international program agency thingys would be the best bet

i checked out JET before and while reading the requirements, i saw that they wanted more younger perhaps caucasion type of people

my mom is originally from taiwan and is a bit over the age recommendation
=)

ill see if she would be interested in the ALT route, but i doubt it


hmm as for the experience, i think she had 3 years of exp. as a assistant for a public highschool and 4 years of currently operating a full class room

teaching cert? im not sure,
i just asked my mom and she says her position is a bit complicating and didnt want to explain right now hah

but she says she's close to obtaining a master of educations degree (27 credits earned so far?) and she says if she pasts the test, she can teach at universities. (so i'm guessing that should be a teaching certification)
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taikibansei



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

acousticego12 wrote:
what are the procedures an american citizen must go through in order to get a japanese teaching certification?


The "procedures" are a bit complicated--tell your mom (who is "fluent" in the language) to do a Google search on these Japanese terms: 教育免許 学校教育法 教職課程. (If neither you nor she have the language ability to do such a search, then the question is moot.)

Quote:
is it worth the trouble?


Among other things, it depends on her age and where you want to go. A number of locations in Japan have age caps for "new" (i.e., those with no full-time Japan teaching experience) hires. E.g., for regular (non ALT) teaching positions, the prefecture in which I live now will only consider new applicants who are under 40.

Quote:
maybe one of those international program agency thingys would be the best bet


If your mom does not have teaching certification (different from the Masters), I'm not sure how much they could help you. Still, it's your time and money....

Quote:
ill see if she would be interested in the ALT route, but i doubt it


Well, good luck then....
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Sweetsee



Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What is the ALT route?
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ripslyme



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 481
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sweetsee wrote:
What is the ALT route?


OK sweetsee, you wrote this in 2004:
Sweetsee wrote:
Ranmawoman, sorry about the delay but a JTE (them) is a japanese teacher usually paired with an ALT (us) in the classroom. The concept is called team teaching.


I don't know what you're on, but I suggest you quit.
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Sweetsee



Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just curious about how one becomes an ALT today, what the recommended "route" is. I'll let your negativity slide, Rip.
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acousticego12



Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Hawaii, USA

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i was just told that my mom is 2 more classes away from getting a teaching certification and about 6 from obtains a masters of education.
so if she does pass the test set about 2-3 weeks from now, she'll have a official nationally-recognized teaching cert.

is it true that this teaching certification will be recognized in other countries i.e. Japan?

(i apoligize if i'm being too general about what type of teaching cert. as i assume there is only one)

sweetsee:
as for the ALT position,-if i remember right- doesn't it just mean Assistant Learning Teacher ?
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Sweetsee



Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 3:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, that's close enough. Still waiting on the "how to" part.
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ripslyme



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 481
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sweetsee wrote:
Just curious about how one becomes an ALT today, what the recommended "route" is. I'll let your negativity slide, Rip.


ok, if you had made it clear that this was the question you were asking, then I wouldn't have had to get all snippy. Wink

edit to add: Oh, I didn't even attempt to answer said question.... I found my job on ohayosensei. It's solo teaching, but there were a good number of ALT positions posted as well. You'd better get hot though, the hiring season for the next school year is winding down.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

acouticego,

Your mom needs her American teaching license plus a year or two of teaching experience in order to qualify for international school jobs here in Japan. They won't accept less.

As for public schools, that is a different story, and taikibansei has provided good info for you/her to follow.

I have no idea what you mean by "international program agency thingys ". If you cannot be more specific/clear, we can't help you/her.

Quote:
I've been sending applications and resumes directly to about 9 international schools so far and a few english teaching ones posted here.

what do you think are the chances of getting even a response from them?
Zero for international schools until she gets her license. Why do you write that you have sent the applications, when it is your mother who wants the jobs?


Quote:
i checked out JET before and while reading the requirements, i saw that they wanted more younger perhaps caucasion type of people

my mom is originally from taiwan and is a bit over the age recommendation
Bullfeathers on that part about being caucasian! You have not read enough about JET! They hire people from 30 countries.

By the way, what nationality does your mother hold now? Is she a naturalized US citizen?

Quote:
i was just told that my mom is 2 more classes away from getting a teaching certification and about 6 from obtains a masters of education.
so if she does pass the test set about 2-3 weeks from now, she'll have a official nationally-recognized teaching cert.
Then how has she taught for 4 years?

Sweetsee wrote:
Quote:
Just curious about how one becomes an ALT today, what the recommended "route" is.
I fail to understand how someone like you, who has been an ALT in Japan for over 15 years, doesn't know the answer to this question.
1) There is no all-purpose "recommended" route. What route one takes depends on one's situation.
2) ALTs can be hired through the JET programme, the Earlham College ALT program (similar to JET), or through dispatch agencies (outsourcing companies).
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Sweetsee



Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything

PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How funny would it be if I were to return to my school through a dispatch agency?
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ripslyme



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 481
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sweetsee wrote:
How funny would it be if I were to return to my school through a dispatch agency?


That would be sadly ironic, doing the same job for less pay & benefits and having to go through some middleman for administrative paperwork that used to be a mere walk down to the front office. Good luck!
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