Job Discussion Forums

Charlie123 · Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 146

MOD EDIT: If you can't show civility and not post with the intent to antagonize others with ad hominem attacks, then don't be suprised when you lose the ability to post. Consider this your one and only warning.

Cool Teacher · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 12:32 pm Post subject:

Yo Rolling Stone! Wassup? Very Happy

Don't feel too bad about missing out on AEON, somethimes I think they choose teachers who will do things there way and don't want the experienced one's who might already have a better way of teaching. I think the important thing for them is that you will learn there method of teaching Evil or Very Mad

and not have already learned other mthods. I know this happended in an eikaiwa interview of mine. One lady kept saying that when she was at NOVa they taught XYZ method. The trainer explained that at Wink

school that she wouldn't be able to teach that way and must follow the method she is being taught in the training. In other words they didn't want experienced teachers. Maybe I was lucky because they chose me and my lesson was a bit...well...not the greatest Laughing

So, chin up and think maybe you didn't pass because your ACE!

By the way, I don't want to get to controversial but maybe Canuck123 shouldn't be reading in to the conversation too much because I think we all know the times when we have lostened to a conversation, especially only a very small fragment and thouight OMG! Shocked

but found out later that we misheard or didn't understand the context and that made us jump to conclusions so I am saying that maybe it wasn't about the teacher being black that stopped them being chosen maybe they said something else. Who knows? Confused

seklarwia · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject:

Inflames · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 486

Cool Teacher · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:30 pm Post subject:

seklarwia · Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:50 pm Post subject:

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

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

I too worked with teachers of all racial backgrounds at NOVA, and also at ECC. My guess is that the racism comes out whenever a teacher makes a mistake.

thecobra2006 · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 9

I was accepted by AEON a couple of months ago. The interview was the standard AEON interview with about 30 applicants. Most of the applicants never lived in Japan and did not have previous teaching experience. From my experience the most important things that I learned from the interview were:

1) Be sociable with the other applicants and try to talk with as many people as possible.
2) Be active in all activities but you do not have to be over the top enthusiastic as this may be perceived as acting. Just actively participate and show some enthusiasm.
3) Prepare a demo lesson in advance and include some simple props. Prepare a simple game that is high energy and gets everyone speaking rather than you. The game I used was a simple ball game that involved the students passing the ball trying to get the other students to drop it. If you drop the ball you are eliminated. Before the students pass the ball they have to ask a question and the person catching has to answer the question. I did a quick drill of the phrase and vocab before the game started.
4) Ask a couple of questions during the question and answer period.
5) If you get accepted to a one on one interview bring some props that you can use during the demo lessons. I brought some dice and cards to the one on one interview and was able to quickly think of an activity that used these props.
6) When the interviewer asks you to critique your demo lessons be honest and if you can't think of anything to say you should have reduced teacher talking time.

I found that the people that prepared the most complex games and props were the most nervous in my interview. Some of the props must have taken a very long time to make but the lessons were boring and difficult to follow. Also, it seemed like almost everyone in the group interview got accepted to a one on one interview the next day. Not too sure why.

RollingStone · Joined: 19 Jan 2009 Posts: 138

thecobra2006 · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 9

Perhaps.....but I was also older than the other applicants (just turned 30), had two years teaching experience in Japan and I am in the process of getting my Masters degree. The other thing to consider is that I might have applied at a good time before they were completely overwhelmed with applicants. From talking with the recruiter after I was hired, they told me that the number of applicants vs the number of positions available has increased substantially. They used to have about a 20 people apply for recruiting sessions last year and now they have over a hundred. Many of these people are very (or over) qualified. In addition, they don't have the same amount of turn around they did in the past. Many teachers are choosing to renew their contracts instead of heading home. The good news is that you can apply again in about 6 months or so. Alternatively you can apply for other companies, however some have stopped hiring overseas (ie GEOS and ECC). If you enjoy working with children, Peppy Kids Club is always hiring but mainly focus on Vancouver.

Mojoski · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 170

I have only just applied to AEON. I guess I am a methuselah in this realm. I'm 57. I'm finding that age discrimination is very much present in just about all TEFL contexts. I've had Korean recruiters refuse to work with me because they say they can't sell anybody over 40 to the schools. Mostly, you just don't get any response at all. I've applied at about 45 schools and recruiters so far, in 9 countries, and so far, the only responses I've had were acknowledgements of receiving the application plus two "other candidates were more successful."

I know how it is. The private schools want cute young people hopping around over middle aged experienced teachers with sound methodology. It's all about attracting students. (Actually, I'm a cute middle aged person who still hops around with the best of them.) Cool

I think my best bet is the English Institute/Foundations attached to colleges. In UAE and Oman they have these all over because many of the colleges instruct mostly or only in English. They have some legal age limits in those places of 60(end of contract), in the case of UAE, and I believe 60 for beginning a contract in Oman. I just want to get in my last two-year contract and move on. I'd take anything in Asia where I could save around a thousand a month. More fun to live there, for sure. Going to be interesting to see if I'm given a chance anywhere.

BTW, I have BA double major: Linguistics and English, TESOL Certificate from university graduate school, and 9 years experience teaching English in two countries.

Anyway, this age thing is a fact of life in our arena of endeavor. I wish it weren't. I'm shooting at everything that moves, as far as putting my name in, and I just have to hope that I get lucky with ONE bullet. Rolling Eyes

starteacher · Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 237

Sometimes companies put on demos so that they can copy some of the stuff you thought up of to be used in their lesson plans and classes. Or even books.

Nothing new.

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

Age doesn't have to be a problems. I got my first teaching job in an eikaiwa at 40-41. ECC Junior didn't take me on 3-4 years later, but that could have been due to my age (younger is better for the kiddie classes), or for other reasons. Bear in mind the age factor when your students are very young, though, for that may be a real concern. Will you demonstrate the energy level needed to keep up with the kids? Is your teaching style for kiddies or for older students (older meaning teens and up)?

Show the right energy, though, and you may have no problems getting hired for the teen and up crowd. There are so many factors. People say that only the young and beautiful get hired by eikaiwas, but they are wrong. Yeah, the ads that students see depict teachers mostly in their 20s, but the fact is, lots of students are middle-aged housewives and retirees who would rather have some sort of mature conversation with someone with life experience.