Job Discussion Forums

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

Just because you've been in Japan a long time doesn't mean you know everything about every nook and cranny of everyone's jobs. You don't need to shoot down everyone's posts all the time.

They need a good reason to fire you.. but reasons can be created. Even if they don't sack you, your boss can come at you with complaints all the time saying you did such and such wrong or you're not doing something else in the way that that company does things. As an ALT you're pretty much left alone, however, if you do do something wrong, you are more likely to be used less by that teacher.

I have never heard of a dispatch ALT being moved.. but then again, dispatch ALTs are kept in their place with poor salaries held together with bonuses. If they take sick days off, they lose 1man a day, for example. One of the dispatch ALTs goes to work on time and dresses smartly but is a useless teacher and her school dislikes her very much. They complain about her every year but nothing is done about her.

I'd feel bad about leaving my kids now because here it's part of my job to get into the community and be with the kids a lot. There's a big difference between teaching a class of kids for an hour on a Wednesday night every week and being in a situation where you see them every day, live next door to them, have them around you when you step out your door... I feel a responsibility to be good to them. I don't want to let them down. This might be due to the speeches we get at JET orientation about always being on our best behavior. We're not really English teachers, we're mini ambassadors and if we do something wrong then everyone will know about it etc etc.

Even if non-JET ALTs don't get plane tickets, my "and stuff" covers the bonuses that I mentioned previously.

where2next · Joined: 30 Sep 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Ontario, Canada

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:15 pm Post subject:

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

Haha, on the contrary, I'd say that it'd be the next ALT in your spot who would suffer if you were horrible. People tend to think that if you do X then all people from your country also do X. If you drink drive, all people from your country drink drive so they might keep a tight lead on your successor too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm having a wonderful experience, and I love the children. I just don't like the way I am treated by my co-workers and I can't get my head round the Japanese education system. For example- our 3rd year teacher failed her teacher's English exam last week. She is still teaching 3rd years who need to pass high school exams next year, and she is still making mistakes worse than the students.

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

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

I'm not very good with the multi-quotes, so please forgive me for a normal reply.

No, it's not that I didn't like what you wrote, I don't mean to go off topic but all your posts fall into 2 categories- telling people that they are wrong or telling people not to bother because the market is over flooded. You come off as a bully or at least as someone whom people wish wouldn't reply to their posts.

No, that's what I'm saying, ALT companies don't make those reasons to get rid of someone. They ignore them unless it is very very serious. See the person who posted right after what2next. Replacing ALTs is expensive and a pain so they let bad ALTs (JETs or otherwise) stay.

No, complaints are often not dealt with. I know some really terrible ALTs and although one knows that his schools are bemused with him, he has never had more than a light-hearted telling off and a slap on the wrist. The dispatch ALT that I wrote about before understands no Japanese and so has no idea when her school's representative complains about her in front of everyone at the general meetings.

Just because things are illegal doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.

What my story showed was that there are bad dispatch ALTs that are not dealt with. There is nothing more to the story. She's an old timer, an older lady. The school wants her out but it is not up to the school. It's up to the BoE and the company. The schools need to suck up to the BoE; people at the top there are usually ex-kochos or people wanting to be kochos.

I agree with your comment about us all being ambassadors. I apologize for saying otherwise.

where2next · Joined: 30 Sep 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Ontario, Canada

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

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

I'm sure you're a good man. Your posts just seem to attack people.

I'll have a look over those videos when I'm not at work, but saying (and keep in mind I've not seen how many cases are in the videos) "I saw a video of an ALT being moved, it must be something that often happens" is like saying "I saw on the news that there was poison in a gyouza, it must be something that often happens". If we make sweeping judgements on stuff we see on youtube, we'd all be singing "Never Gonna Give You Up" by now! Laughing

Of course, I have never been an ALT except in my own prefecture. I only know how things are here. I'm lucky because I live in a JET friendly prefecture- lots of money to spend on lots of JETs, and also a great JET community with only one or two bad eggs- but in other prefectures, BoEs look out for things that you do wrong so that they can replace you with a dispatch. It's a good thing for dispatch ALTs. But other than this, in my experience in my prefecture and from listening to friends in other prefectures, I have never heard of someone being replaced or moved. The only exception being a JET friend in Gifu being told his placement didn't exist anymore.

kotoko · Joined: 22 Jun 2010 Posts: 109

I'm sure you're a good man. Your posts just seem to attack people.

I'll have a look over those videos when I'm not at work, but saying (and keep in mind I've not seen how many cases are in the videos) "I saw a video of an ALT being moved, it must be something that often happens" is like saying "I saw on the news that there was poison in a gyouza, it must be something that often happens". If we make sweeping judgements on stuff we see on youtube, we'd all be singing "Never Gonna Give You Up" by now! Laughing

Of course, I have never been an ALT except in my own prefecture. I only know how things are here. I'm lucky because I live in a JET friendly prefecture- lots of money to spend on lots of JETs, and also a great JET community with only one or two bad eggs- but in other prefectures, BoEs look out for things that you do wrong so that they can replace you with a dispatch. It's a good thing for dispatch ALTs. But other than this, in my experience in my prefecture and from listening to friends in other prefectures, I have never heard of someone being replaced or moved. The only exception being a JET friend in Gifu being told his placement didn't exist anymore.

barashkov1 · Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 26

Hi,
I'm interested in finding an ALT job in Japan to start working in April next year. What would be the best time to go to Japan to look for work? I've noticed that some companies are advertising jobs already.

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

robinnn · Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 83 Location: Spain

ALT work is riddled with all sorts of issues, and I've yet to hear about a reputable dispatch company. For what it's worth I've been treated well by my company in the last 3 years, but friends of mine have also been treated very badly by them. However if you strip away all the issues surrounding the job and look at what you can achieve as an ALT, you'll find it to be an extremely rewarding experience. If you try, you can have a hugely positive impact on the lives of the children you teach. A good ALT can make the school day a little more interesting and a little happier for their students. I didn't feel I could do that at Juku cause my students were mostly half asleep. As far as EFL work goes, you could do a lot worse than being an ALT. But if you're looking to make good money then this is the wrong place to look right now, especially without previous experience of the job.

barashkov1 · Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 26

barashkov1 · Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 26