Job Discussion Forums

[kidkensei]

Is university level teaching for me??

In the last two months I�ve sent out close to a dozen applications to individual universities for a position teaching English and so far I haven�t had a single response. Perhaps my cover letter sucks but realistically I think its because

1) I don�t have teaching experience
2) I don�t have publications
3) I don�t have an MA that�s related to linguistics or education

I�m willing to except that while starting out I may have to take a position as at AEON or Interac but I really think I would be overqualified to teach elementary or high school kids.

***If teaching at a university means I will have to prepare longer for grammar lessons that are complex even to native English speakers, this is fine. The more English students know in advance, the more I will learn about Japanese culture and thought through them by teaching. I would inevitably be more exposed to abstract ideas being discussed in Japanese universities as they transit through English.

So given these reasons, how many of you think university teaching at this stage in my career is suitable for me?

[Glenski]

1) I don�t have teaching experience
2) I don�t have publications
3) I don�t have an MA that�s related to linguistics or education

Three strikes and you're out. There might be an extremely rare remote chance that some uni will hire you, but odds are less than 1%. Look at the ads in JRECIN and see what they call for. All of the above and more.

[dove]

I know that university jobs are considered the best teaching job in Japan (good salary, good vacation, good teaching schedule, etc). I, myself, am working part-time at a university. BUT--can I be honest with you?--I don't like it. I have never taught more unmotivated, meek, timid, and passive people in my life. I know that it might just be the classes I got this semester and maybe I'll get better students next time. But every class seems like pulling teeth. I try so many kinds of activities (I have complete freedom), but nothing seems to spark these student's out of their coma. Also, the few good students seem to dumb themselves down so not to stand out.

Do any other university teachers struggle with this? What do you do? Do you just teach for the few who want to be there? Probably you just have to accept the fact that you're sometimes going to have a dud class.

Maybe university teaching isn't for me.

[Apsara]

Just wondering how someone could be overqualified to teach high school or elementary school kids without any teaching experience at all? That is harder work than eikaiwa teaching in my opinion.

I can understand not wanting to teach kids, but....overqualified? For real?

[Glenski]

[Brooks]

overqualified?
Having previous experience teaching primary or secondary school students helps a lot.

You are qualified to work in eikaiwa.

Dove, you should go to JALT or ETJ. Teaching the unmotivated is a common theme.
Lots of teachers at JALT talked about their frustrations with teaching.

[G Cthulhu]

[Hoser]

I don't think he's trolling-I think it's just a good joke.

Anyways forget about university. Junior high is where it's at. Most of the kids love you, they're not exactly motivated but nor are they 'too cool for school' yet either. I get 4 months paid vacation per year not including all the other days off- national holidays, exam periods, bunkasai, sports day, random days for no seeming reason whatsoever. It's just great. Surely not even Glenski can beat that?

[Apsara]

Making a joke post to see what responses you get is still considered trolling, even if it's relatively benign like this one. I've seen some good trolls before, but this one isn't particularly funny.

[Glenski]

[G Cthulhu]

[Apsara]

Well, he (she?) insists he's not trolling. If so, I still want to know how someone with no teaching experience is overqualified to teach school kids. In my opinion that is the harder job than eikaiwa, which is why I've never wanted to do it.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[ripslyme]

[flyer]