Hi everyone! I got an offer from Westgate to be a cover instructor for a little over three months starting in late April.
I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with Westgate as a cover instructor in particular. I’m interested in the position because it allows a bit of scheduling flexibility in that when you don’t get called to cover, you work on materials development. I also appreciate being able to cover both extracurricular and accredited courses, and experience different campuses. (I had previously contracted with Westgate to do accredited courses, but then the pandemic hit.)
For context: I’ve got a Masters in TESOL and have worked in US universities for nearly 10 years, and currently do education consulting and teacher training. Westgate is appealing to me because it’s short-term, and I’d get to add more TEFL experience to my CV.
I’d appreciate any insight! 🙂
4 comments
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Following because I’m also deep in the interview process and want to know about the company.
No no no nooooooo … not Westgate!
With an MA TESOL and already 10 of experience, this is not going to be a good position for you.
Look, Japan is amatureland. You’ll be continually frustrated that the people around you don’t have any of the qualifications you do, but think they know twice more than you because they’ve been in the country longer.
But experience without education means nothing, because teaching badly for five or ten. or even worse, fifteen years, without the discipline that knowledge brings only means you’ve spent your time fossilizing bad habits.
Even worse, these people live in lala land where no one challenges their authority because most of the people around them know even less – it’s the ignorant leading the blind. It’s like that old saying: you can’t persuade an idiot that he’s wrong when he doesn’t even know enough to realize how much he doesn’t know.
You don’t even have to take my word for it. At your interview, be sure to ask some pointed questions. By now you should know the kinds of questions to ask: what methodology is employed? What kind of process is used for curriculum development? What are the expectations in regard to learning outcomes? How are learning outcomes decided? How are learning outcomes assessed?
Then take a look at the material they have produced. That will probably tell you all you need to know.
With MATESOL, you can get a university position without lowering yourself to work for a dispatch company. Believe me, you can do MUCH better.
> For context: I’ve got a Masters in TESOL and have worked in US universities for nearly 10 years, and currently do education consulting and teacher training. Westgate is appealing to me because it’s short-term, and I’d get to add more TEFL experience to my CV.
Have look [here](http://www.jacet.org/job-openings/). Very competitive, but I’d think you’d have a crack at the first ICU job–it’s one that doesn’t mention needing pubs or j-lang ability (tho I think it presumes you’re already in country). Scroll down to the ads for hokuriku university, and kanazawa institute of tech–two more that don’t mention lang ability or pubs (tho now out of date).
The four legs of a uni job are MA-tesol (check), experience at uni in japan (yours is good, but apparently not here), publications/presentation (which you don’t mention), and j-language ability (I’m guessing none). And maybe a fifth leg–being here already.
Take westgate if you must, but seriously, _only_ as a stepping stone to get yourself here.