Job Discussion Forums

[starteacher]

I study Japanese.
I work on lesson plans.
I work on crosswords and quizzes.

[steki47]

[SeasonedVet]

Well you guys seem to have it pretty easy. I don't have all this free time everybody is talking about.
I have to be present between 8:30 and 4:30.
I teach every class in the school from 1-1 to 1-7, 2-1 to 2-7 and 3-1 to 3-7. That's 21 classes (not in a week though).
I teach 14 classes a week at a Junior high school and about 5 classes per visit at an elementary school.
I have to prepare ALL lessons at both schools.
I simply don't have the luxury of reading a book or picking my nose.
The free periods I have are used to prepare the lesson for the next year group which will be the next day or next two days.
I have to make handouts, and place a copy on the J -Teachers' desks preferably the day before. Photocopy the handouts and punch holes and sort them. Handouts may include maps, tables charts etc. It takes time.
I also have to come up with the lesson idea based on the grammar or activity that the students are currently studying.
It's back to back lesson planning, teaching, correcting/checking scripts.

I help out with any chores that I see teachers need help with. Some refuse some accept. I believe some refuse because they know the type of contract I am in and they don't want to give me extra work.
Others are in for a good time with a foreigner so they welcome it.

I act professionally because I consider myself a professional and would do the same on any job.

Having said all that I must also say that I understand the feelings of those who say the salary isn't good so why do we have to do anything extra...or why not just kick back and take it easy in the free time. I understand that feeling. Although there is something to it...I bear in mind that this is Japan and as a previous poster said, there are other workers at the school on contract and I am sure their salaries aren't good either...but this being Japan, the group is more important than the individual.
Everybody chips in and helps, from the principal to the students to the ancilliary staff.
And while we are not obliged to do the same...it certainly helps to foster good relationships with students, teacher and other school staff.

I guess it depends on your perspective. But clearly the work ethic here is different.

[OneJoelFifty]

[SeasonedVet]

OneJoelFifty wrote:

[timothypfox]

SeasonedVet,

Umm.. actually your previous post did come off a little bit like we aren't respecting the Japanese work ethic in Japan. But, thanks for clarifying. You probably have a right to vent (and this is a good place for it!) considering your schedule!

My job has got a little busier this year, but even though I help out with 2 different homerooms, and make a point of hanging out and speaking English with kids - my schools is a real study school. Kids are never just hanging around at school, and will either be doing a club activity or studying.

My classes are separate from the Japanese teachers because I solo teach. This means I plan alone and they plan alone.

I am limited in how much I can pitch in because of my limited Japanese language skills. I can't help with scheduling and other duties that really eat into the Japanese teacher's schedules. Japanese teachers have only a certain level of conifidence in my work with them on their homerooms because of problems I may have communicating with them.

Having said that this is a private junior/high school, and the schedule is designed to give teachers more time to plan their lessons than a public school. The culture of my school including Japanese staff is that this also includes downtime to surf the internet or read a book or even chat.

I recently started practiciing my ukulele at lunch, so that I could play a few fill in the blank songs for kids. My internet browsing includes writing here from time to time, keeping up on pop culture to relate to kids better, finding interesting news topics for more advanced students, and listening to latest on youtube to share or better relate to my kids.

I made this post last summer I think - when my teachers duties dropped to almost zero hours and I was still expected to be in the teacher's room full days...

Ethically I could be faulted on not working my on my Japanese skills when I have free time. I am working on my personal motivation for that. A job that requires me to use almost entirely English - but also requires me to communicate with Japanese staff members - to some extent in Japanese....

[SeasonedVet]

timothypfox wrote:

[Cool Teacher]

[Tsian]

I think though, that there is a tendency for people to ignore some cultural norms in terms of putting in extra work and/or helping out in areas which might technically be outside of their contract.

I've seen situations where people have been upset to have to stay a minimal time after work because of a meeting or other type of event -- something which I'm pretty sure would hardly be out of line in America or Australia. (Though, I've also seen schools where ALTs are sent home an hour early rather than being asked to spend 30 minutes extra to attend a meeting or have to leave partway through).

I think it is worth remember that most Japanese teachers at schools are, according to contract, supposed to work 8-4:30. Now, of course, they have an increasing pay scale and bonuses and the like.. but I do sort of wonder what would happen if all teachers adhered as strongly to their contract as many ALTs do.

Of course, the ideal situation is one where the contract actually spells out what everyone is expected to do... but how often is that actually the case, I wonder.

[OneJoelFifty]

[Tsian]

Oh absolutely! I think there is a large difference between being a direct hire and working for dispatch.

I can understand someone only making 20man a month with no insurance not wanting to stay a minute past their contract.... but when you have a reasonable salary and benefits, then I think it is - to some extent - your responsibility to take on more duties, whether or not they are explicitly requested of you.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

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[rxk22]

[Tsian]

I technically have 7 free periods a week, but with school assemblies and other such things which pop up, I figure I get maybe one period a day off.

I use that time to do marking and prepare lesson plans (though it is rarely enough time to actually finish everything)

Outside of that time I am usually pretty busy helping oversee club activities / cleaning / lunch / whatever, so I find that a lot of the time I am finishing my prep after all the students have left the school.

Of course, I occasionally make some time to check in here too, when I need a little bit of down time.

[eiyosus]

I've worked at the same girls high school for four years now (This is my fifth. Privately hired.), and it's gotten to the point where I can do my job and plan my classes in my sleep, since I've done the same classes the entire time.

My first year was busy with making class material (I'm not really an ALT, since I plan my own lessons and teach without a Japanese teacher in the room (except for the first term)), and my second year was a little busy refining all the material I made the first year, but now I don't have anything to do in my free time.

But that's okay, since I teach 20 class hours a week (two hours free time a day, minus the hour at the end of school). I pretty much only read books if I don't have any paperwork to do, but I don't feel bad about it, since I'm also the boss of the rock n' roll club (57 members) and work with them after school when they ask (although my goal of making them more independent is slowly working).

I also help out with English speech contests when they happen (usually only one or two students participate a year), and help with the third year students prepare for university entrance exams (the English tests only, of course).

And I also do Eiken practice.

So yeah, I'm a pretty lazy for a little bit of the day (if I don't have anything to do), but I try to make up for it by helping out with other things. The rock band club had six members before I took over, and now it's the second biggest club in school.

My school's pretty laid back, and I honestly don't care if some stuffy ojisan has a problem with me not trying to look like I'm constantly working every hour of the day. The English staff like me, they know that I'm well prepared for class, and the students like me, and that's all that matters. Most of the teachers chitchat throughout the day anyway.