Job Discussion Forums

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Hi Everyone,

I got accepted to work for ECC after I went for my interview in December. I'll be heading back to Japan with them in September this year (as I was in Japan as a university student before). At the interview, we were asked to do a demo lesson and I was AMAZED at how high energy they were expected to be to impress the interviewer. Can anyone provide me with some insight as to whether those circumstances are exaggerated in the interview as opposed to the actual condition at ECC, or if that it is reflective of how I will have to act all day long in all my lessons. I got the impression that since it's all about helping the students "have fun" we need to be smiling and happy all the time...and that's no problem. I am just worried that if ALL my lessons require THAT high of an energy output I will be too exhausted to pick up private lessons or another p/t job, as I had hoped to do (to supplement my income and thereby save more).

Any tips to keep my energy levels high, aside from drinking those little (sometimes niccotine-laced) energy drinks? Hehe. Very Happy

gonzarelli · Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 4:52 am Post subject:

Only the new teachers are full on high energy. After a little while, teachers start to get jaded and start going through the motions. It's pretty much impossible to get fired from ECC. Don't worry about it.

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

When I was teaching at Nova full time I only had one part-time gig. I honestly didn't want any more. The money at Nova was decent (until they stopped paying it) and the last thing I wanted to do while teaching 40 lessons a week was teach more privately. Now that I'm working at a high school and have a lot more free time I teach a lot more privates (mostly former Nova students! Very Happy

)

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

I was thinking that I could pick up a pa/t job in the mornings for 2 hours or so each day...or do that on just a few days a week and teach a couple of private lessons on my days off. I am not one who veers away from hard work, if it means I will be able to make more money to save and get out of student loans faster. Besides, I don't want to be worrying every single month that I might not have enough to put away for my loans (hopefully 70,000-80,000 yen) simply because some extraordinary expense popped up that I had not expected.

How many extra hours of work per week would you guys reasonably think a person could handle in addition to the 29.5 hour total at ECC? Any recommendations on specific places I should look to pick up those extra hours? I'll be in the Osaka area, though I'm unsure exactly where.

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

I'm guessing that 29.5 is the actual teaching time. I assume that you'll probably be at school 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Remember that you'll not only be spending time teaching the lessons but also making up new ones. Hopefully you can use them for all of your students but sometimes differing student abilities precludes that option.

gonzarelli · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject:

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

When you say "prepping" what do you mean? I was under the impression that all we were doing was reviewing lessons at home the night before and bringing the books to work with with the students. What other kinds of "prep" do we have to do??

gonzarelli · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:25 pm Post subject:

Mainly pull out flashcards, get out any props that you may use (balls, toys for the little little ones, get out the cassette tapes and rewind them to their right place etc). Another thing to do is to write the structures on the board. Usually you'll be teaching more than one kids class in a row (usually 2 or 3). You'll have to prep all the lessons at once. It took me FOREVER the first little while but after a couple months or so I had it down to about 10 minutes prep for each lesson.

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Oh I see...Ok, so I have a few more questions. I hope you don't mind...

1. Do the lessons they give us to teach tell us which props to use and/how how bast to use them? Or is that up to us? I would, honestly, prefer to have them tell me which things to use...

2. Do we, as teachers, get to keep any of our lesson books at the end of the year? Or do we have to give them back to ECC when we are leaving? I would really like to hold onto them, as it will be nice to have some reference and lesson ideas in case I even decide to teach ESL/EFL again afterwards.

3. How long, approximately, does it take the average teacher to become effective at teaching the lessons? And does the training session really help prepare us for the classes and Japanese classroom management, or is it more general and inapplicable? I am a certified Canadian high school teacher, but from what I have heard, the methods of classroom management differ significantly in eikaiwa "schools", as the companies want more FUN than LEARNING.

Thanks in advance for your insights! Smile

gonzarelli · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 1:44 pm Post subject:

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Gonzarelli,
Thanks for replying! I'm hoping I can pick up some private lessons not too long after I get back into Japan. Adjusting to the culture is not going to be an issue, but adjusting to ECC might take some time, as you say. I just hope that I can get the knack of it sooner rather than later, so I can start supplementing my income to save more. How long would you suggest I wait before picking up extra lessons? About 3 weeks to a month??

As for classroom management, I normally don't have any problems with that, but that is in Canada where I can have a stern talking-to if a student DOES get out of hand. Does ECC and otehr eikaiwa even want us to discipline the kids, for fear that they might not re-sign? I heard some stories from people I know who worked for Nova, and I was rather shocked at the way they were expected to let the kids pretty much do what they wanted within reason. Still, I'm sure you're right that we will learn both on training and in the classroom regarding what is expected and preferred by the companies.

gonzarelli · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:41 am Post subject:

Do you really think that adjusting to the culture will not be an issue? I was there for over five years and culture shock came and went all the time.

I tried getting private students after a couple years at ECC. I could have done it a lot sooner but I wasn't there for the money. I was there for the experience. Teaching privates takes time and it can be really frustrating and time consuming. I took privates for about four months and then I quit doing it. If you want more money, I would recommend checking with ECC Jr to see if you could pick up some morning or weekend work with them.

It's important to set standard during the first kids class. I recall a teacher kicking out at least one kid during the first lesson with any group. This showed the kids that he isn't to be messed with. He also ended up kicking out a kid EVERY class (for 10 minutes) because he wouldn't improve his behavior. One time he took a flex day and he wrote a note telling the sub teacher to kick the kid out no matter what. The sub teacher obliged and the main teacher loved it.

I kicked a kid out of class only once in my three years at ECC. As long as you have a valid reason to kick out a kid, the parents and the staff won't come down hard on you. The parents would much rather see a really strict teacher than someone who gets walked all over.

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Oh wow...I believe in keeping kids in line but kicking a kid out just for the sake of proving a point each class is rediculous. Maybe it was that teacher's daily entertainment?

I asked my ECC interviewer about overtime with ECC, and he said that while opportunities DO come up once in a while, they are not steady forms of income that I can rely upon. I w as thinking of signing on with a private lesson facilitating company, such as Aim or Orangutan. I can take on just a few students and fit them into MY schedule, so that I can figure out how much energy I have and what days and times I am free. Unlike you, I AM going back with 2 intentions: to make money and refresh my Japanese proficiency.

And as for culture shock, I didn't really even seem to have it when I went to Japan the first time.I suppose I mentally prepared myself for things beings quite different from Canada in many ways, so it didn't really phase me when those differences became reality. I DEFINITELY had culture shock (rather, counter-culture shock) when I came back to Canada. All I wanted was to be back in Japan...Canada's customs seemed so foreign to me, and I missed pretty much everything about Japan (aside from the men who assumed I was a Russian prostitute! LOL)

Were you placed in Osaka when you worked with ECC?

gonzarelli · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:09 am Post subject:

It was indeed the teacher's form of daily entertainment. Funny stuff! I was in Nagoya.

Russian prostitute! Shocked

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

Yep, I dunno WHY they would have thought that cuz I dress pretty prudishly. LOL. I guess it's because I'm blonde and there are so many Russian girls in Osaka for that reason in the last 15 years or so. I was definitely pretty scared when I was propositioned like 3 times and groped about 50 throughout the course of the year RANDOMLY! Gah! So, I am highly considering dying my hair brown before I go back this time. Haha.