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JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Recently, a friend of mine (who currently works part-time) for this juku/conversation school has sent me this schedule based on my request for him to do so....

To say this is a LOT of work is an understatement.... But, the flip side of the coin is 6 weeks of paid holidays for about 280,000 yen... AND the fact that a) the owners of the school are nice people to work for, b) you have complete autonomy over your classes in what you teach, how, choice of textbooks, etc... etc...

What is your overall impression?

---direct quote----

Here`s the current schedule, I imagine it will be very similar in the future.

Tue and Wednesday, Thursday is same but no class at 15- 15:55, instead has one at 13- 13:55
14- 14:55
15- 15:55
16- 16:55
17- 17:55
18- 18:55
19:30- 20:25
20:30- 21:25
21:30- 22:25

Friday 15:00 - 22:25 with same break times as above
Saturday @14:00- 20:25 with same break times as above

So, 8 hours Tue to Thurs, 7 on Friday and 6 on Saturday, 37 hours, all one place and you are the man, salary is around \280,000. That`s everything I know as of now, if you are interested let me know.

Oh yea, there are vacations here, a full week in March, May, July, and August. 3 days in November, and from the 21st of December to the 5th of January.

Hope this helps, & honestly they are good people to work for, just a demanding schedule.

---end direct quote---

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Jimdunlop2,

When you think about it, most ALTs work a 40-hour week.

What are the class sizes? If they're 5 students or fewer per class, the day will go by slowly or quickly depending on the level of the students.

Does the school provide materials?

chinagirl · Joined: 27 May 2003 Posts: 235 Location: United States

My initial impression...that's insane. Shocked

Am I reading this correctly? Eight lessons daily? Is the school expecting the teacher to create lessons, or just be a friendly chatter for hour after hour?

Where's the prep time? I'm looking at a 2:00 PM to 10:30 PM schedule with a half hour break.

This looks like a schedule to be shared between two teachers - both for the sanity of the teacher and the quality of the lessons, IMO. I would expect to see this in Korea, but not in Japan.

BenJ · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 209 Location: Nagoya

ALTs dont TEACH 40 hours though do they?

Those hours are a sure way to going insane and quitting early - you can find jobs with MUCH fewer hours and similar or more holidays. The pay isn't flash either - just a little above the standard rate. I'd be looking for something else and do just ONE little part-time job on the side and make the same money as that.

Same question as chinagirl - are you saying you have to make up the classes as well?? 5 hours of teaching a day are plenty when you consider you aren't working at a factory where you clock in, work, clock out - teachers have to prepare, create, modify before they step into the classroom.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

To provide the additional details here for those who asked: yes the school provides all materials needed, but you are entirely responsible for your classes.

I.e. you decide what textbooks the use/don't use, what they do/don't do in class; how much grammar/conversation/textbook work/listening/reading/etc students do in class... you ARE the man/woman.

That's why I'm a little confused about this position -- I've never heard of an eikaiwa teacher having this much autonomy before.... The idea here that my friend was trying to impress on me is: there ARE no rules to what you do all day/every day -- as long as it keeps students coming and paying tuition. The only thing you have no control over is the number of classes per day.

It definitely IS a crazy schedule (hence the 6 weeks of paid holidays). The fellow who is leaving has been there for some time so it can't be that atrocious...At least one would think that.

JD

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

You say how "nice" the ownes are. Well I guess it would make me feel a little better if I knew that the man who had burgled my house was smiling while he did it.
Mind you it is his choice and you can never underestimate the crosses that some will willingly bear.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

37 teaching hours sounds absolutely insane.

d

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

I'll just add my name to the "you're insane" list.

I can't imagine anyone being able to keep up that schedule for a long time.

280 000 is very low for that schedule.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

That's nuts.
The owners must be greedy pigs.

brownbread · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 2 Location: Canada

Add me to the crowd crying "insane!" especially if there is no curriculum to guide you. Choosing one's own text books sounds great until you have to do all the prep required to develop your own curriculum. IMHO it is much better to have a set curriculum with texts, however bad, and then use your own choice of material to support and enhance the lessons. This set up makes me tired just thinking about it.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Well, like I said, it seemed a bit extreme to me too -- probably more so now that I've thought about it a little longer.

But it just goes to show you, the reason why a position like this even exists, is because obviously they've been able to find someone to fill the job.

It's like telemarketing gigs.... There's never a shortage of people desperate enough for a job to do it.

I'm a little reluctant to pass judgement on the owners yet though -- as I've noticed that in Japan, indeed people DO work crazy hours and overtime and it is considered quite normal. For all I know, they may be working just as hard as the person they are hiring. (Not that I'm trying to defend them or anything). Smile

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

Even if they are working long hours, just sitting in an office is a lot easier than face to face teaching. Don't do it!

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

And the owners of a school or any other small business have a reason to work like slaves. They are slaves to their own future prosperity. The teacher who takes this on is just a slave.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Because there is no time allowed for prep, I'd say you'd be bare-bones on materials. So much for teacher autonomy - that only works when you're given time to put the program together.

Looks like an eikaiwa arrangement to me, with the owners expecting too much from the teacher. Probably the owners aren't teachers themselves, so they have no clue how to build a program. "Let's hire some foreign braniac and make heaps of money on his/her back..." I can hear them say.