Job Discussion Forums

SandyG20 · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 208

Ok what is a typical teaching day like? Do you teach in just one school? Are apartments close to your school? Are there jobs for older teachers?
Is the cost of living high? Can you save money? Can you work more than one job?

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

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

In my job history:

FT eikaiwa
Get up 8am. Do household stuff till noon. Eat lunch, then go to work. 2-3 classes between 1 and 9pm. Prepared lesson plans for future classes, did student interviews, some shopping before work was finished. Home by 10:30pm. Puttered around till midnight.

PT HS (not ALT) & PT private lessons
Get up 6am, off to work by 8. Ave 3-4 classes (80 min. each) between 8:50 and 4:00. Lunch interrupted often with student Q's. Home for quick dinner, then off to a private lesson between 6 and 8pm. Home by 9:30pm. (always a private lesson or 2 on weekend, too)

FT private HS (not ALT)
Get up 6am, at work by 8. 3-4 classes ave per day (45 min. each), plus at least one meeting (committee, club, staff, etc.) lasting 1-2 hours. Leave around 7pm. Have to be in the office every other Sat. twice a month.

FT university
At work by 8:30. 1 class per day ave (90 minutes). Students and teachers fill my time during the day with questions and proofreading requests, plus time for research and checking sample books. Home by 6pm.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

"Is the cost of living high?" and especially "can you save money?" are topics that have been covered many, many times here, including relatively recently. Have a look at the FAQs or scroll back a few pages and I'm sure you'll find answers to those questions.

"What is a typical teaching day like?" depends on where/ who you are teaching- there are all kinds of English teaching jobs, from one-on-one private lessons at an eikaiwa to groups of toddlers to university lectures to corporate classes and many in between. Can you be a bit more specific?

SandyG20 · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 208

I haven't explored much about Japan jobs yet. I have noticed some schools ask teachers to have an IDL - so I wondered if they require teachers to teach at multiple schools/locations.

I was also wondering about how close the apartments are to the schools you teach in.

I have taught in Public schools in the USA and have a BS in education and teaching license.

In Japan it isn't common for air fare to be provided - is this correct?

I did read the FAQS about Japan on this message board.

Thanks for the quick replies - it is informative.

No - 36 isn't older IMO.

vancouver_syndicate · Joined: 09 Sep 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Canada

if you have a teaching licence you should apply to international schools rather than teaching in english conversation schools. pay is significantly better.

AndyH · Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 417

When I worked in Japan (2003-2007):

Noon-leave apartment
12:30-2:00: prepare lessons (leisurely pace, includes lunch)
2:00-9:00: teach lessons (average time about 50 minutes) At least one 1 - hour break and one or two half-hour breaks, depending on the schedule
9:30-return to apartment

The schedule fluxuated from day to day. Sometimes, I'd begin teaching a little later, other times, sooner. I almost always had a one-hour break, and usually more. It usually took 20-30 minutes to get to the school from my apartment.

I was able to save money, no problem.

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Have any of you worked for ECC, and can give details about the hours for there? I saw the schedule posted on the website, but it looks like it runs from 3-9:30pm on average, WITHOUT any breaks for dinner or otherwise. That sounds insane, and I know I will have a really hard time waiting until 10 to eat something...I sure hope it's not that way.

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

Inflames · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 486

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Glenski, thanks for the info! Smile

That's good to know!~

jc1977 · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Posts: 29 Location: Nerima

ALT job

7 a.m. Wake up
7:30 a.m. Walk to station (10 minutes)
7:40 a.m. Zone out on subway
8:30 a.m. Start school
8:40 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Usually teach 2-4 classes
12:15 p.m. Lunch (eat with staff at JHS, with students at ES)
1:15-3 p.m. Class, or if finished, go home
3:30 p.m. Arrive at home, do normal routine stuff.

Say this for ALT jobs: you get a lot of free time.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

degolasse · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 21

As it has been pointed out, a typical day varies greatly and depends on what kind of job you have. Working in a conversation school (which I know little about) will be completely different than working in a public school. Even a public school job will depend on whether its elementary, junior high, or high school, how many schools you teach at (some teach at one, I know I guy who teaches at 28 ), and how the school board likes things to be done. Pay, flights, vacations, etc.. will depend on what company you are hired with. JET tends to get higher pay and alot more perks (free flights, often free or subsidized housing), but less vacation time than other companies.
So my typical day, working as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) at 4 Junior High Schools deep in the mountains, and employed by Interac:

Monday-Friday:
6:30-7:00 - Wake up
8:15 - Arrive at school. One school is a 5 minutes walk, others a 45 minute drive.
8:15-8:30 - Sit through a teachers meeting of which I understand precisely nothing, yet am pretty sure little of importance was said.
8:45 - 12:35 - Four periods, of which I teach 2 or 3. During teaching classes I usually stand there and repeat vocabulary and practice sentences, walk around and help students with their work, and occasionally lead some game or activity. The other periods I study Japanese, read a book, nurse a hangover, or sometimes just stare out the window at the mountains. Maybe once a week I'll spend a period preparing some activity for class.
12:45-1:30 - Cleaning time, where I wander around, sweep some floors and move some desks, but mostly just chat to students. Then lunch time, sometimes eating with the students, sometimes with staff.
1:40-3:30 - 2 more periods, of which I occasionally teach 1. But usually the afternoon is spent on the above mentioned activities of studying Japanese etc... As the school year quickly comes to an end, staring out the window or napping in my seat has become increasingly popular in the afternoons (especially on curry day), as I notice it is for most of the other staff as well.
4:00 - I head out the door, much to the disgust of my jealous co-workers who will be sitting staring out the window until 8pm.
Sat-Sun:
Whatever I want. But usually if I have no better plans I go to school and watch students do sports clubs.

Very occasionally I'm sent to elementary schools which is a completely different type of day altogether. During my free periods I actually have to plan lessons to teach, and during every second of free time I'm usually playing soccer or skipping rope with the kids. I hardly even get a chance to stare out the window.

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.

When I taught at a college, my typical weekday work schedule started anywhere from 8:20 to 10:15. Classes were 90 minutes long, and I taught three and was done by 2:30 or 4:15. Four evenings a week I taught a class for corporate workers (I was employed by a vocational school that sent teachers to businesses), which started at about 7:00. I spent the few hours between jobs eating a quick dinner, going to the gym, or stopping someplace like a bookstore or computer parts store. The pace was steady, but never hectic. Those were the most pleasant workdays I've had. I'd still be there if it had paid a little better and had been reasonably secure.