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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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 Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject: Three Conditions and How to Get Them |
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When I start teaching in Japan, I want my job to be as unstressful as possible, so I've outlined three things that I'm looking for:
1. Not teaching kids under the age of 10.
2. Not being monitored by the parents constantly through a video camera or similar device.
3. No ridiculous commutes in which you are farmed out to a new place every day that is two hours away, teach for two hours, and then it takes two hours to get back (and you aren't paid for the transportation time).
What are the general requirements for the jobs that meet these three conditions? I have CELTA, and will soon have a bachelor's degree (from a relatively unknown school and with an unrelated major). Is that enough, or am I going to need some experience, too? If so, how much? How much would knowing Japanese to JLPT Level 4 help my case?
By the way, I'd like to teach on Kyushu or another one of the southern islands (except Okinawa). |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Entry level jobs are dispatch agency ALT, JET program ALT, or eikaiwa instructor.
To avoid teaching <10-year-olds, do your research on each dispatch agency and eikaiwa that interests you, or go with JET (even so, you might have to teach elementary school).
You can't avoid being monitored unless you ask about that during the interview. Would be a sensitive issue depending on how your phrased it, but ALT positions are in public schools, so only one day a year has parents visiting.
Hate long commutes or being farmed out? Don't take dispatch jobs. Even some JET positions will have you working in more than one school in a rural area, so eikaiwa would probably be the preferred job.
Most entry level workers know zero or little Japanese and have degrees unrelated to teaching, plus zero to little teaching experience of any kind. You have what it needs to start on rung #1. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
Entry level jobs are dispatch agency ALT, JET program ALT, or eikaiwa instructor.
To avoid teaching <10-year-olds, do your research on each dispatch agency and eikaiwa that interests you, or go with JET (even so, you might have to teach elementary school).
You can't avoid being monitored unless you ask about that during the interview. Would be a sensitive issue depending on how your phrased it, but ALT positions are in public schools, so only one day a year has parents visiting. |
Thanks, Glenski. I don't think I'll be going with JET (even if JET wages are good), though, because of its rigid schedule. I don't want to wait six months or a year between getting my degree and getting a teaching job in Japan.
| Quote: |
| Hate long commutes or being farmed out? Don't take dispatch jobs. Even some JET positions will have you working in more than one school in a rural area, so eikaiwa would probably be the preferred job. |
Well, it's not that I hate long commutes and getting farmed out so much as I hate long commutes in which I'm not reimbursed for the subway/bus tickets, and I'm not paid for the commute time. In my opinion, going two hours away to teach for one hour (and only be paid for that hour) and spending two hours getting back home is a horrible deal. It's essentially dividing your hourly wage by five or six (if you factor in the cost of transportation). Does Japan work that way, or do the dispatch agencies usually pay you for travel time? If they do, then I don't mind sitting on the subway and watching my bank account go up.
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| Most entry level workers know zero or little Japanese and have degrees unrelated to teaching, plus zero to little teaching experience of any kind. You have what it needs to start on rung #1. |
True, but I'm trying to decide whether or not to do six months in China first, so I can claim some legitimate experience and place out of rung #1 (small children, video cameras, and long, unpaid commutes). Will six months of legitimate experience in China help me out enough to get a job where I teach high schoolers or adults (maybe even middle schoolers) and where I can work at one place? Remember, I already have CELTA. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Rooster_2006"]
| Glenski wrote: |
| Will six months of legitimate experience in China help me out enough to get a job where I teach high schoolers or adults (maybe even middle schoolers) and where I can work at one place? Remember, I already have CELTA. |
No. CELTA won't help that much either. Six years now that might be worth something.... |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:28 am Post subject: |
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[quote="markle"]
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| Glenski wrote: |
| Will six months of legitimate experience in China help me out enough to get a job where I teach high schoolers or adults (maybe even middle schoolers) and where I can work at one place? Remember, I already have CELTA. |
No. CELTA won't help that much either. Six years now that might be worth something.... |
I'm sure there's an amount of time between six months and six years that will allow a person to place out of the crappiest, lowest-rung jobs. What's that threshold? You say it's not six months of experience and CELTA. So what is it? |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| I'm sure there's an amount of time between six months and six years that will allow a person to place out of the crappiest, lowest-rung jobs. What's that threshold? You say it's not six months of experience and CELTA. So what is it? |
At least a year (shows you can fulfill a year contract), more like two... also not all countries are equal, a year's experience in China is not viewed the same as a year in, say Singapore. Even within a country experience in a language school is less impressive than a year in a University.
Put it this way, I got an above entry level (just) position on the strength of 6 years in Thailand teaching at primary school, high school and university level. No CELTA. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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Nobody's going to have a figure to give you. If you don't have any teaching experience in Japan, plan on having to settle for entry level work.
If you don't have experience at all, well, what do you think an employer anywhere would do? Be reasonable. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:41 am Post subject: |
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| Well, thanks for the input, all. It sounds like a year in China, even at a university, isn't guaranteed to help me. So I guess I'll just stay put for now and take whatever job I can get once I get to Japan. |
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