Job Discussion Forums

[Glenski]

[seklarwia]

[fluffyhamster]

[seklarwia]

Okay Mr Hamtaro. In theory, it's very easy to keep the dispatchers happy, but in practice it might be difficult if you have neurotic schools.

And as to being ultra professional; that's one of the many reasons that BOEs are choosing dispatch over JET these days. Our JH JTEs still gossip a couple of years on about a certain JET who used to take time off to go travelling then flaunt the fact that that was what they had done when they got back.

[flyer]

[fluffyhamster]

Hi Sek. It's sometimes hard to know what makes JTEs tick - I've known some who seemed to love the fact that a previous AET (JET) was the travelling type, showering everyone with sunkissed snapshots (and who knows, maybe armfuls of omiyage - a permissable form of flaunting, eh, to share some snacks!). But I'd agree that most Japanese still seem to think that a Tokugawa ban on travel is still in effect or something, and that taking "too much" time off is a no-no. (Not that a dispatch AET of course will get to take much time off during term time/semesters, even if they are nominally-legally entitled to and could afford it financially!).

Regarding the professionality of JET AETs versus dispatch ones, I wouldn't ultimately like to generalize (and I've been both), but sure, it is certainly far easier for JETs to abuse things (what with their "friends"/supervisors at the BOE, ordering JTEs and schools to be extra-nice and tolerant), and the JET application rule that one can't have been in Japan for any period or length of time during the previous three years or something (I can't quite remember how it's worded) does effectively rule out a lot of people with relevant experience and possible expertise. (It makes you wonder why some of the money potentially wasted on JET isn't ploughed back into hiring more locally).

But even assuming that dispatch AETs are a bit better on average than JETs, they then have to contend with dispatch agencies (and let's not forget those neurotic JTEs unhampered by BOE directives LOL) continually whining, in their pathetic attempts to justify the way they treat people in order to make money (or bolster their egos), that there's not a single decent teacher among us foreign "fly-by-night" labour! Which of course is complete rot. A lot of BOEs deserve much worse teachers, and many teachers (and let's not forget the students), better BOEs.

[robertokun]

LOTs of good points here. And Fluffyhamster, no need to apologize for "exaggerating." That's great description.

I guess it depends what level you're going to "teach" but, yeah, ALT's in general don't really teach. In my experience high school JTE's don't even teach. Lesson planning is "crack open the textbook and lecture in Japanese for 50 min about these English sentences that are going to be on the University entrance exam, while they all quietly take notes and fill out worksheets." Seriously. High school English language education in Japan is not about learning to speak English. It's about memorizing enough vocabulary and grammar for a period of time long enough to take and get a decent grade on the university entrance examination.

Maybe if you teach elementary students you might be more apart of actively trying to inject some native speaker goodness into the classroom and catch some young minds that are in their language sweet spot, though.

Eikaiwa or ALTwise, you're going to get nitpicked about everything you do, so there's no lesser evil when it comes to doing everything right in the eyes of the people above you. As long as you do what they say and make them a lot of money every month, both groups are happy to be making that money off you.

[Bread]

[Glenski]

With blank test papers yet passing grades, it makes one wonder how the parents feel about the school passing along these uneducated delinquents into jobs or college.

Until schools like this get tough, the problem will remain.

[ShioriEigoKyoushi]

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[fluffyhamster]

I think it's always been difficult to believe what adults say, but it is especially difficult nowadays (when one literally cannot buy into it for love nor money). What would help of course would be if those in charge could change things so that they weren't so impossible, but all we seem to be getting is the same old line of 'Trust us, things are working and will soon be fine again!'. But fine for whom? (Welcome to the Matrix - we have a nice cosy little life-sucking pod especially for you! etc). Anyway, Japan (and elsewhere) could sure do with a pedagogical revolution at the very least.

[Glenski]

[ShioriEigoKyoushi]

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[Apsara]

[Yawarakaijin]

These stories of out of control Japanese middle and highschools always peak my curiosity.

I wonder though, what should be done about it?

Option one:

Get seriously hardass on all these students all of a sudden? What will this cause and in the long run would it actually benefit the society? Imagine, suddenly, an entire generation of children who would be unable to move onto university and therefore never be able to get a job. What kind of effect would that have on unemployment, crime and families?

Option two:

Maintain the status quo, let them graduate, and leave it up to the companies to sort them out. Isn't this what is already done in Japanese society? It is the company that takes on the responsibility of training and molding the young adults into what is needed.

It seems to me that the kids these days have finallly figured this out and are just going batshit crazy and having fun or acting like dorks while they can.

It is a totally different situation than from the West. We expect our schools to educate children both morally and intellectually. Companies don't give a shit about you. If you aren't good enough to join them, someone else is.

Here is just seems like school is a filler, someplace you need to endure before you are taken on by a company and given a purpose in life. The absolutely gifted ones will pull through and actually appy themselves in highschool and uni. The others....they become salary men.

Seems messed up but maybe that is the way the Japanese like it.