Job Discussion Forums

[BigZen]

Hello Everyone,

I have a question for teachers out there who have made the successful transition from teaching adults to teaching kids. I have written before on this forum asking for advice about trying to land the big university teaching job. Now I think after two years of banging my head against the wall I am ready to throw in the towel and teach kids. All my foreign friends here in the city I live have been telling me that is where the fure is....

I have elementary teaching certification to teach in the USA, but never really taught in the public school system there. My experience teaching kids is a limited; the juku I teach at since last April, and a little on the JET program in 1991-93. I do have the M.Ed. in TEFL and CELTA, so I know the foundation of teaching EFL. but no specialization with children.

I am approaching 50, so one of my concerns is if I have the energy to big genki enough for teaching kids. Our home here is small, so my idea is to try to rent rooms in the local community centers and try to recruit students. My friend who owns his won school told me when he started out he would teach in the kids' homes.

Any suggestions I have about how I should market myself would be appreciated. When I had made a poster advertising my services to teach adults I had listed all my academic designations and experience teaching in different countries and at the post-secondary level. My Japanese wife did not think it was a good idea since I was kind of tooting my horn too loudly, which according to her, is kind of frowned upon here in Japan. My feeling was, there are so many foreigners here where I live, and many do not have proper teaching qualifications and are younger than me, so how else can I differentiate myself?

Should I consider taking some distance education courses in teaching kids? I do feel already kind of disillusioned about investing in more upgrading since I don't see anyone in my small city recognizing my qualifications as it is.

Sorry for the negativity. I want to do my best, and be a good teacher, and not look at teaching kids as just the next best thing to teaching adults. I am married, own a small house, and with two young children, I am a lifer.
I need to refocus my energies and figure out a way to use my teaching qualifications and experience for adults to apply it to teaching children.

One friend told me that the sign adverstising my serives I had posted in the local International Exchange center would not generate much business since the way to get students is meet people out there in the bars, clubs etc. I don't drink and don't get out much at night with a 1 and 3 year-old here. Any other ideas how I can meet people to try and recruit kids?


Sorry for the long-winded post.

BZ

[flyer]

I have made the transition from teaching only adults (eikaiwa) and never wanting to go near any kids lessons to teaching mostly kids.
Given what you have shared I don't think jumping in the deep end is perhaps the best idea (??), I know it took me a while to find my feet, as teaching adults is very different to teaching kids.

You might want to wet your feet first in some school etc to get a few ideas, see your stengths etc ... but I don't know you, maybe you could make the jump directly? its your call.

[cormac]

Couldn't you find a language mill that would allow you to teach children for 1-2 hours while focusing the rest of your time on adults? That would give you the experience.

[Speed]

Perhaps ease into it by teaching part-time at ECC. I understand they have a good balance between adult and kids classes. (I'm sorry, I do know they have part-timers but I don't know if they hire p-timers domestically.)

For your own private business, once you pick up your first few kids and if your lessons are good, then word-of-mouth spreads quickly here in Japan. Good luck in your endeavor and let us know how you get on.