Work life balance as an English teacher?

8 comments

1. It depends on the school and your role.

   I’m a direct hire at a private school and plan and lead my lessons and have English club.

   I work 4 days a week, but regularly have 9 to 10 hour days.

2. You could just leave at the time stipulated in your contract. I think most contracts whether temporary, full-time, part-time, seishain, whatever you should have times outlined on when you come in and when you can leave. I used to be an english teacher at an eikaiwa and the only benefit was that you leave on time. Everything else was shit. I’ve heard being an ALT can be pretty chill if you’re at a decent school

3. Are you considering becoming a teacher (that would need qualifications), or as an ALT or eikaiwa teacher (that would not).

   As an ALT, in almost all cases you will be able to maintain fairly great work-life balance.

   An eikaiwa teacher may have good hours, or may have many split shifts. Would be reasonable to expect numerous evening / weekend shifts.

   As a teacher? Every school is different, but you will probably work quite a bit and often have to at least work either Saturday or Sunday.

   >I’ve never worked as an English teacher, and I don’t believe I am teacher material.

   If you have no interest in being a teacher, please don’t. It won’t be any fun for you, and it will be worse for your students.

4. ALTs mostly have incredible work life balance.

   Eikaiwa instructors mostly do not.

   Those are the two most common for most English teaching foreigners here. If you ever become a normal teacher, then it will probably depend on the school. Public schools, not so much. International schools, probably. Private schools, coin flip.

   For me the problem with ALT work was that it didn’t feel like a real job. So even with good work life balance I quit because I was about to explode.

5. Eikaiwa is definitely the worse when it comes life work balance!! Alt in public school is very easy going but depending on your company / contract the pay might suck

6. I work as an adjunct in universities/graduate school, teaching both English and other things. I regularly work 12- to 15-hour-days (including commuting and work at home) several days per week, but I also regularly have five months per year with no set duties.

   Most importantly, I *like* the work. If you don’t like your work, everything is going to seem like it has a bad work/life balance. I volunteered as a teacher before I got any qualifications or professional work and knew I liked the work.

7. If you enjoy free time do ALT work if you want more money do eikaiwa

8. I work at an eikaiwa and it really depends on the specific company. I was very lucky to find a nice place where the amount of hours working at around 26 per week. I also received one week of training. The only downsides for me are the strange hours(mostly evenings) and the wide range of ages.

   This is why I’m looking to rather go the ALT route since I’m a qualified high school teacher. I’m really not good with little kids.