Job Discussion Forums

[KarenMarie]

I'm new to this. What do I actually want to know about a school before accepting a teaching position? I haven't held a teaching job before, so I am not sure what I need to know.

Basically, I just want to work for a school that treats their teachers fairly. I can deal with pretty much anything as long as I feel my employer is doing it for the right reasons.

Yes. I'm naive. I know.

[gerard]

This seems to be impossible to answer without knowing what country you are talking about. There are things I ask in Asia I would never ask in an interview in the West.

What are you expected to teach and how??
Can you use your own material.
How can you discipline bad students?

In Asia you need to ask about things like work visas. Money questions are unaccable during an interview at home (I think) but in Asia you must make things clear.

Will you pay for a work visa?
Will I work illegally waiting for it?
What about overtime?

And ask about accommadations. In 3 years in Asia I really have not had an interview as such thank God. It tends to be they offer me the job based on my resume and a phone conversation or they do not.

[KarenMarie]

[shmooj]

KarenMarie, as you are asking about Japan, I'll lean towards that side of things. Firstly, there are relatively few outfits worldwide that are overly concerned about you, especially as a newcomer, being a professional teacher. It is lamentable but that is the way it is. You may even scare some interviewers with this question as they realise that you may be difficult to please if you take the job. However, if you are not willing to compromise your approach to education, it is a vital question to ask. Just be willing to look that much harder for an employer who actually has this approach.

However, as far as Japan goes, you can virtually kiss this goodbye. It's money money money here. Sure, at university level etc you can probably find work that is professional-sh (within the boundaries of what Japanese education is all about) but as a newcomer you will almost certainly be working in the eikaiwa (conversation school) scene and there, it's all about keeping them happy week after week.

So basically, they will pretty much leave you to yourself in the classroom, or alternatively give you a method which is virtually unworkable. They won't yell at you but then they won't do much when you come to them for advice except say, "Well, do what you think is best." You are the teacher after all.

So much like experience of counterfeit money will help you spot a real one better, teaching in Japan will help you become a better teacher by giving you a clear understanding of what good teaching isn't IMO.

Forgive me but the question "Are you rational?" is a red flag to me. You are going overseas. What is rational to you is way off base to someone in another culture. You are going to have to let loose some preconceptions about the way life "should" be and how people "ought" to deal with things. This particularly applies, I think , if you come to Japan which seems so western but is actually almost the polar opposite.

Basically, when you land on foreign shores, life will be very very different from how you imagined it no matter how many qeustions you have asked and answers you have got. That is what makes it foreign. You cannot expect people in a foreign culture to adapt themselves to you too much. In the end, you have to let yourself be changed to succeed abroad. But, although this can scare the heck out of any of us at times, that is what makes it so worthwhile.

[Roger]

You need to research the society in which you want to survive as a teacher for a while; once you know their mores and taboos you can post such questions; like shmooj I was a bit surprised you should use the word "rational" in a question to your Japanese employers!

Also, I doubt you can take up their time discussing educational aspects or cultural differences; these guys usually are focused on their job, and they aren't aware of your particular needs. They expect you to fit in their school.

I guess you can broach questions like:
- WOrk load, class size and subject matter;
- accommodation and remunerations;
- your rights and duties, arbitration, penalty clause in contract.

-

[KarenMarie]

[shmooj]

a pain in the axxx? Well, let's just say that if you arrive presuming it will be you can only be pleasantly surprised if it isn't or well prepared if it is.

[KarenMarie]