Job Discussion Forums

[viddy]

My long-term goal is to make a career in teaching (though teaching Maths, not English). The main reason why I want to teach English in Japan is to experience what it's like before I do a PGCE or commit to proper teacher training here in England.

I have interviews with NOVA, GEOS and AEON coming up in the next couple of weeks. My question is: is teaching at an eikaiwa "real" teaching? Can I really learn from it? Or might working at a place like NOVA leave me disillusioned by it all...?

Following on from that, what chances are there for someone who doesn't know any Japanese getting an EFL job at a primary or high school ?

[easyasabc]

[foster]

Must second what easyasabc said. Teaching in Nova, Goes etc is NOTHING Like having a classroom full of screaming kids. NOTHING!!!

First of there, there are very few discipline problems with a Eikaiwa whereas in a classroom, you are face to face with them daily. There is the planning, the marking, the after-school, the PARENTS, the administration (which you get as well with Nova etc) and of course, the kids. Kids are great, wonderful, demon creatures. I love my kids and I love my job. No two days are the same in a classroom.

Will Japan help you get your foot in the door in your country? Maybe, as it *IS* experience, but not classroom. I would consider it more as tutoring IMHO.

When (if) I return to Canada, I know that my 2 years in Nova will count for NOTHING. To be honest, I don't even know if my years in Hong Kong in a proper high school will amount to anything in the eyes of the Canadian education system.
AS for schools in Japan, you may get lucky. I know of one guy who is now teaching in a girls school. His Japanese is non-exsistent!
Good luck!!

[guest of Japan]

With the exception of JET experience is the deciding factor in landing a high school/jr. high job. Japanese ability is not always a requirement, but it will help your sanity. Getting a job directly through a BOE is very difficult.

Although I agree with easyasabc in that eikaiwa work is very different to public school teaching there are many parallels. Patience is important with both. Presentation of ideas is also important with both. This may include humor, simplification of ideas, teacher demeanor and lesson planning. The ability to motivate students is also important to both. Both require evaluation of students by the teacher although the means of evaluation is quite different.

Differences are: Discipline is not a factor in eikaiwa work, but is a dominent factor in public school teaching. There is a lot more paperwork in public school teaching. There are a lot more classroom hours in eikaiwa work. This is very draining. Public school teaching as a very diverse range of job duties that require a lot more training and planning. Class sizes do not compare. Eikaiwa classes follow a standard curriculum and style of teaching whereas public teaching requires various teaching methods and and more longitudinal planning with the curriculum.

Personally, although I think the differences outway the similarities I think eikaiwa work is a good way to begin a teaching career. When teachers start public school teaching they are usually overwhelmed physically and psychologically. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done by first year teachers. When this is coupled with the pychological stress of learning to be in front of a classroom many teachers snap and change careers. Eikaiwa work is like teaching with training wheels. Although I must add that due to the differences some trained and experienced teachers cannot adapt to doing eikaiwa work.

[TokyoLiz]

Viddy,

About eikaiwa - no, the situation in an eikaiwa in no way resembles classroom work in a school. You need a very different set of skills from schoolteaching. In eikaiwa, you need to know how to improvise, adapt, be diplomatic, elicit conversation from the students and entertain them, all at the same time.

About primary, jr and sr high school - yes, there are jobs available for new teachers, but they're hard to come by. Check out www.gaijinpot.com for the English teacher jobs section. You'll see some agencies hire teachers for these jobs.

JET is your best bet for coming over to Japan to experience school life as both an assistant teacher (however that may be defined by the Ministry of Education) and observer of classroom management. While I was on JET, I participated in classrooms from kindergarten to third year junior high school.

I have a hunch British unis and employers are familiar with the JET program and take it into account when you're applying.