Has anyone here successfully become a full-time teacher after being an ALT?

19 comments

1. Yes. I went back to the UK to get a teaching license. Now teach at a private school in Japan (not English).

2. Yes. 4 years as an ALT, 2 years at an Eikaiwa. Someone who taught at the same Eikaiwa mentioned a job at a private elementary, recommended me for the job. I got it. Hated it. I was recommended for a job at a different private school, this one JHS. That was 4 years ago. I was made permanent this year. In the process of getting the special teacher’s license this year. I’ve been running my own special English program that whole time. It rules I love it.

3. Depending on your prefecture, there is a “Special License” that is offered to people with many years of experience.

   You can get this license easily if you are working for a private school and they appeal to the City Hall or Prefecture on your behalf.

   However, for public schools, you must get a recommendation from your City and then you are required to take the same test as the JTEs. If you pass, you get the “Special License”. It is good for 10yrs.

4. There’s between 20-50 people around the country who passed the employment tests provided by their prefecture. Saitama, where I work and passed, is the most famous of these partially because I keep blabbing about it.

   I really do not know the full national numbers, but there are similar programs in Gunma, Ibaraki, Hokkaido, Kochi, and Osaka, at the least.

5. What is the Japanese name for the test and what type of questions are on the test? Is it English only or Japanese phrased?

6. Yeah. I was an ALT for five years, got my masters in TESOL, and then got a permanent teaching position.

7. Went to IB after being an ALT. Also got my teacher’s license.

8. Do you mean permanent? There are lots of full time contract (常勤) jobs at private schools, some with a license (I think the temp licenses are only valid for 3 years which is why some schools just don’t do the license & keep folks for longer) and some not. You just have to watch for them. I’ve done these at various age levels now.

9. Worked in eikaiwa for 5 years, then as an ALT at primary schools for a year, then to my current school. Been here over 11 years, tenured for the last 4 or 5. Years before being tenured I was on a temporary teaching licence, and got the special teaching licence the year before I got tenure.

10. I know a guy that went on to get a japanese teachers license and now teachers at JHS I think.

11. Yes, after being an ALT for 4 years I decided to go to university in Japan while working, got a teaching license from my prefecture’s board of education, took the saiyou shiken, passed it, and become a public junior high school teacher.

12. uh, there are 40.9k members so I’d hope I’m not the only one.

13. I was an ALT for my private high school for 5 years. I negotiated with them about staying more long term and because of that they sponsored me for a special teaching license. I’ve now been full time tenure for 8 years there (13 years including the ALT ones).

14. Started on JET. Then got my English license. Then social studies. Then information science. Now a vice-principal.

15. Is OP from the states?
    My friend is studying online for his US teaching license (Masters in Education and Mathematics).

    His plan is to apply for math teacher positions at international schools and US base schools around Japan, and see which one gives him the best offer.

16. I did it for a year. The high school was decent and you do feel really like you are having an impact but its really busy. Also depending on the school might not be the kind of teaching you like. Grammar translation is strong here and most of the times the best you are allowed to do is throw in a few speaking tasks. Compared to when I was an ALT and basically had free reign. TBLT baby, well more task supported but was striving for TBLT. Had a few kinks to work out.

17. Did 4 years as an ALT in Japan but saw the writing on the wall regarding professional & career development. So I went home and did my BEd at a university in my country, got a teaching license and have been working at an excellent high school as a history/business/law/government teacher for the past 10 years.

    The ALT time helped a little with classroom management, a little with having interesting stories for my students/peers about comparative educational systems, and a lot with recognizing the absolute shitload of work teaching entails that I *didn’t* see as an assistant teacher.

    Still lurk around here out of professional interest and nostalgia.

18. I have! I returned to the States, moved to Arizona, went to grad school, first for my masters and then my PhD thereafter. I layered that with loads of experience teaching ESL and composition in various capacities for the same university, so tuition would be waived. Finished JET in ’07, finished the degrees in ’17. I am now a professor of English at a local community college because I like to teach more than I like the thought of battling for tenure and this nonsense publish-or-die culture at research one institutions.

19. I took a full time teaching position at a private Japanese school after being an ALT. There are a lot of schools out there that hire ppl who only have ALT experience. Those schools are usually a mess in one way or another, but it’s a great way to get your foot in the door to something better. Much like being an ALT is a great foot in the door to working in Japan. It’s not a high step up the teaching ladder, but it’s a step and can lead to better things depending on how determined you are to stay in the teaching sector and your willingness to improve and learn new skills/getting new qualifications.