Job Discussion Forums

[johanne]

Broman,

As someone working at an international school in Japan I can tell you that yes, they are not really involved in the culture. It's like living in an ex-pat bubble, both with your co-workers and your students' families. But, if you don't want to live in that bubble, it's no problem. I'm married to a Japanese man, so it's easy for me, but others I work with do plenty of things in Japan with Japanese people. They have an interest, like it seems you do, so they go out and make the effort. You get about 14 weeks of paid holidays a year, so there is definately time.

As for following rules from above, well, yes that can be tiresome. I actually miss public school in Canada where the ones I worked at, at least, seemed much more interested in the students' welfare than the internatioanl schools here, where even the non-profit ones seemed endlessly concerned about budget. There are also rules that I don't understand, as they actually hinder student progress, but I have found that within the confines of my classroom I can do as I please and so am getting a lot of satisfaction at seeing my own group of students progress well. It seems that in many international schools if you teach the kids and don't annoy the parents you are left to your own devices.

About the Catholic schools, most of them are Catholic in name only. There's maybe a Christmas mass but that's about it. The religion class is really more ethics and love your neighbour kind of stuff and also teaches about world religions. These schools are not looking to convert anyone.

Personally if you are coming to Japan anyway, I wouldn't bother with CIS or ISS. Just contact the schools directly and set up some interviews. You're probably too late for the 2007-8 school year but you never know. You'd get a feel for the school and see if it's something you'd be interested in. From talking to others, it seems that working as an ALT can be more aggravating than working in an international school as there can be even more inexplicable rules that would lead to frustration. I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, but just providing some info from my own experiences and others I've heard about. Good luck

[broman]

Johanne, thanks for the info. I've never been in an international school that I recall but I had a feeling it'd be like that, as I remember the thick crowd of American, Canadian, and British expats in Korea who didn't interact much with anyone else, and who weren't friendly toward a Korean-speaking Korean-American who taught at the hagwon.

So you think that the best is just to forgo the recruiters and apply in Japan if I decide to go for an international school? Sounds good to me. Get there, get the lay of the land so to speak, and go from there... seems a reasonable way to approach things.

And Sage, thanks for your perspective on ALTs.

Glenski, I had teaching contracts in a few high schools in California, taught in other states, and got tenure and a pension in CA. I've also been a carpenter, a telephone technican, and a kitchen designer. So what? I've worked for big corporations, government bureaucracies, and small businesses, and if I prefer working somewhere I can talk to my boss and owner, so what? If I want to go to Japan to teach and experience the culture at the same time, and not enter in at a high-pressure career-type position, so what? Be nice.

I said "my impression" of a dispatch company. Of course I don't know what they're like. I never said I did. Just offered that, from what I could gather, the dispatch part seemed like being a sub. Just trying to put it in my own frame of reference, perfectly natural. I also didn't say "career" teacher, I said "careerist," meaning someone who gets out of school, teaches, and retires. As wonderful as that life may be, it's not mine. So, easy.

I don't know why you want to put me in the position of having to defend myself. Perhaps you could impart your perspective while leaving that bit off. I know I'd appreciate it. And thanks for the other useful information.

[Glenski]

[broman]

Glenski, let me quote a few things you wrote:

[Glenski]

broman,
Forget everything I wrote so far.

You wrote a while back:

[broman]

Thanks, Glenski. Didn't mean to make you go in circles. Appreciate the info and advice.

[Gypsy Rose Kim]

[broman]

[Gypsy Rose Kim]

Yeah, I've taught in both places. I found my employers in Japan to be much more reasonable vis-a-vis what was expected of both students and teachers. In Korea, as you know, too many principals and hagwon owners expect you to keep the kids laughing while magically transferring your native speaker skills to their brains.

This exists to a certain extent in Japan, but the Japanese seem to expect far fewer miracles. There is a heavy emphasis on making all the students comfortable--comfortable with you, comfortable with English, etc. They tend not to have overly high expectations regarding student performance/improvement. (Nice because it's less stressful; discouraging because you always know that they could be learning MORE if only...)

I've always taught adults except for my last year in Japan and my first in Korea, when I taught kids. ALT then kindergarten/hagwon. So, I'm not the best resource if you want to teach kids.

I love eikawa work, but I couldn't teach kids in one. The kids programs at most eikawa seem pointless to me. I don't know for sure, but try to get more info. In Korea (nowadays, and perhaps 12 years ago?), kids study with the same teacher every day for an hour or two. I believe some eikawa kids study for 40 minutes a WEEK and don't do homework. You can see how that might not be especially rewarding.

I'd look into that kind of stuff, too, if I were you. In most eikawa, you'd teach adults and kids. That variety could be nice. I learned a lot more about Japan (and Korea) from my adult students than I did from kids.

[broman]

Thanks, Gypsy Rose Kim. Great stuff. Some aspects of my hagwon and other hagwons I heard about did seem a bit harsh (interesting way to put it with the "miracle" thing -- now that you put it that way, it definitely rings a bell). But it wasn't all that bad compared to, say, an inner-city continuation high school in the US. The way you describe the Japanese situation makes it sound considerably more pleasant than the Korean, especially the word "reasonable." Not to say I didn't meet very kind and sophisticated Koreans, I did, mainly professors and private school teachers.

I'm basically trained and experienced as a high school English teacher, although I like teaching adults as well. In Korea I taught college students mainly (the hagwon was next to Pusan U.) but a fair mix of others, although only one elementary class. I try to stay away from anything under junior high, and even junior high isn't my favorite, but I'll do it in a pinch.

Are you familar with a variety of eikaiwas? I take it some are perfectly nice places to work. I wonder if my English teaching experience in the US would be appreciated? Seems reasonable it would be.

I'm thinking my best approach might be to stay away from the recruiters and, either here or in Japan, deal directly with an eikaiwa.

[stillnosheep]

Eikaiwa are hogwons. Some may be better than others but the chances of you landing in one of the very few that are special must be pretty slim. And the pay is crap.

With your credentials I'd definitely go the international school route. Working for an eikaiwa you will spend all day speaking English anyway. Many ban teachers from speaking Japanese on the premises. So you might as well be working for an international school (if you can get a job in one), earn some decent money and spend your free time immerseing yoursen in Japan.