BagOfCrisps 24 Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I know lots of people get to Japan teaching English, but heard wildly different stories as to how decent the job is, if students are interested or not, what it's like. Any teachers out there care to give us an insight? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Oh, won't anybody stand up for teaching in Japan...? Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 It seems it might well be just "the way to get there"? ?? (No offence intended, anyone) Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I do a few kinds of work and one is to teach. I have my own school for kids which is pretty fun. Adults & older students (jnr high up) are pretty rank. unless they are wearing loose socks! Big schools can suck but it all depends on where you work and who with... Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 I just spent another hour talking to the curator or a muesem - a fairly easy way to make money since I would gladly talk to him for free. Im learning all sorts of things about early japan and migration patterns etc.. It really depends on if you like your students - if you are lucky enough to get interesting ones then it can be a good time - If they have no interests and are really dull people it can be hard work. Link to post Share on other sites
echineko 1 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 I hear some guy like it for meeting cute Japanese girl Is it true? Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 It depends on your situation obviously-at worst you are processing sheep or brats (who behave as such up to the age of 20 or more) with 30 or more teaching hours a week. Generally people have a better situation than this and evryone gets a better deal as time goes on. If you read some of the comments on Japan Today you'd come away with the impression that teaching here is a hellish, brain dead grind for losers who can't do anything else. A lot of this criticism seems to come from Tokyo based expats who are here on nice packages with "real" professions. However I think my work is real and I take it seriously, plus I'm sure I have a superior lifestyle to many of these people. I teach business English at companies (generally 2 hr classes in the morning/evening), college classes and various private gigs. Seven hours of teaching is my maximum daily obligation and I generally work less than that-around 20 hrs pw at the moment(more soon as winter fades). My work is flexible so I can down or upgrade my hours-I usually have a 3 day weekend during winter, some days I don't have to work until the afternoon and I never commit to work in the weekends unless it's optional and suits my needs. A few years back my friend suggested I get a recruiting job with his company in Tokyo, the money would have been better but I'm pretty happy doing what I do now. I know plenty of people who have great teaching jobs and a sweet lifestyle-things could be worse. Link to post Share on other sites
Glen Falting 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 There may be a few of those around E'chan, but do local girls still go for English teachers? Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Quote: I know plenty of people who have great teaching jobs and a sweet lifestyle-things could be worse. And just to balance that out, I know a few people here who have (ridiculously) highly paid jobs but ultimately have an awful lifestyle - total stress, no free time, hardly any friends... Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by Kambei: There may be a few of those around E'chan, but do local girls still go for English teachers? Um hello? Do you really live in Tokyo? Ask pretty much any male English teacher whether they have hooked up with a student or met people through their students and Im pretty sure it will be a resounding yes - unless you are Davo and teach business English to a bunch of stuffed mullets no doubt. I know a guy that just married one of his night class students! Link to post Share on other sites
mikazooki 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 one of my friends had the pleasure of teaching in a bunka centre, where one of his classes was just a makeout session with a private student...i'm not exactly sure how these things begin, but as they say, it takes all kinds of of all sorts to make up a packet of all sorts. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Well then, if echineko does not marry me soon, I may need to get some English teacher qualifications and hop over there. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Qualifications?! Who said you need them?!! Link to post Share on other sites
Glen Falting 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Z - um, yes, I do live in TY, just don't know many English teachers is all. Sounds like I picked the wrong job. Hey E'chan, Akibun and all you other genki J-girls out there! So what is the big attraction with male English teachers? Link to post Share on other sites
akibun 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Not really. I like smart guys in suits. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 You me both Akibun Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Too bad. I guess that rules me out...and don't get me wrong, I have plenty of suits. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by echineko: I hear some guy like it for meeting cute Japanese girl Is it true? I hear (know for a fact) some cute J girl like take engrish ressons for meet the gaijin boy! Link to post Share on other sites
Roger's head 0 Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 I think lots of Japanese ladies love a well suited guy. They really go for it. Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 It's not the students or the lessons that get me down, it's the management, and the way that the companies treat their employees, but there are many websites complaining about the big English companies here in Japan, so I won't spout. I think that overall, in my case, teaching English for a lame company, has allowed me to do what I want. They pay you enough to do what you want to, and still pay your bills back home, or save money or whatever. And I always think about the surfer-chick movie "Blue Crush," where the girls work completely lame jobs in order to support their surfing habit. I admire people who have the balls to take lame jobs in order to focus on their passions. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Luckily for me Zwelgen not all of my students are stuffed mullets, most of them are likeable intellegent people . Tonight I have a private business class with a very cute girl who also happens to be a snowboarder. Teaching-it's a terrible job. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Yeah it does sound like you enjoy your job Davo. Youre one of the few people that really enjoy it, but to echo Barok most of the people I talk to say its not the students but the management and set up thats bad. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Don't get me wrong it's not always fun but that's just the nature of work. I sympathize with people being screwed by companies having spent plenty of time in the same situation. Working for big school does have it's advantages-the last one I was with gave 7 weeks paid vacation but they took more than that was worth for it. Now I have no guaranteed income or paid holidays but I also get paid well and have no real bosses telling me what to do or cheesy marketing obligations. Link to post Share on other sites
dale#1 1 Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Cheesy marketing obligations? Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Yeah like being told to stand around in the lobby between lessons trying to talk to students who generally would rather be left alone-all part of a happy/friendly spin that has more to do with entertainment than actual teaching. Or having to fill in superficial performance analysis reports designed to create the impression that the students progress is being monitored. Level-up proceedures that have more to do with convincing students that they should take more lessons than actually putting them in an appropriate level. Cheesy marketing which creates a veneer of professionalism. Link to post Share on other sites
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