Job Discussion Forums

[rtm]

[RM1983]

[nightsintodreams]

[timothypfox]

I work at a private high school in Japan, and compared with students that I taught for 5 years at an NYC high school, I can finally go to sleep at night and believe my kids will not make bad choices and join a gang, and will most likely go on to university. I was actually more replaceable in NYC than here with teachers lined up to get in. I don't know - maybe I'm living a rare dream here, but things are going pretty well for me here.

Divorce is hell everywhere you live, but when you lose access to your kids as Debito has, I'm sure that Japan would feel like a souless machine. Losing access to kids though is not a Japan only phenomenon as I hear of this happening in the US and Canada too. It may happen more in Japan due to cultural norms, but what Debito writes is true - but only on a really bad day in Japan.

[timothypfox]

I forgot - Debito's other beefs were that he saw through bettering a few human rights issues since he was here, along with being denied the opportunity to take a sabbatical leave as a tenured professor in Hokkaido. I believe Japanese professors were given this opportunity, but he was denied it repeatedly.

It may be his combative foreign style, or he may have been on to something about not being equally/fairly treated. I don't know - or it could have been something in between these two.

So, in short he has a reason(s) to have a chip on his shoulder - but we all don't have to bear it.

[isitts]

[Vince]

Debito's article is a cautionary tale that many (especially in the TEFL field) need to hear, but saying that long-term NJ equals illusio goes too far. Some people go on to better things and raise their families. To Debito's point, though, the vast majority of NJ do eventually read the writing on the wall and head for home.

[timothypfox]

Vince, I read the writing on the wall for public school teaching in the US and came back. But, yes, I suppose for most people - things don't turn out as well as it has for me - so far. I may be wincing on here in a year or two - so I'll get ready for your "I told you so."

Debito can be forgiven and even well understood for his gripe against Japan for never seeing his children again. But, it is not a burden that many of us will experience. Recent rulings do not allow a Japanese wife to flee and bar an American husband from access to his kids any longer.

[Shimokitazawa]

Two things come to mind after reading Debito's article.

First, there are also lots of men who are unhappy back in the US, Australia, Canada, etc. who have never left their countries but are faced with having to deal with nasty ex-wives and politics with their children, shitty bosses, money problems and working jobs that they do not like.

I know guys like this back home. And they didn't need a passport to have found all of those problems.

Second, I realize that people like Debito or Kansaiben / PaulH on GaijinPot have been quite vocal about the dangers of pursuing a TEFL career in Japan and "seeing the writing on the wall" and "looking back in anger", etc. However, as mentioned above, there are many non-Japanese who have great paying jobs in banking, IT, engineering and, yes, even some EFL teaching jobs. They seem to be making it work.

Not everyone is working for GABA or NOVA. I think people who have a clue realize that eikaiwa is not a long-term activity. They are smart enough, and young enough, to enjoy it for a year or two - maybe 3 - and then move on or get quailified and teach in an international school or university.

[Vince]

[Shimokitazawa]

[Vince]

[rxk22]

[Cool Teacher]

[Shimokitazawa]