Hey all,
I have worked at an international private high school for 2 years and have taught history (AP US history but that information won’t be needed in Japan). I also have a handful of composition classes on my resume and have a US government issued teaching license.
I’ve recently decided to move to Japan to help out a friend who I met at university and to actually live in a country that experiences the autumn season. My friend lives in his childhood town of Fujisawa but it’s a coastal beach town and I imagine that most of the international/private schools will be higher north towards Yokohama.
I am open to starting in the Kansai region if it comes to it. My main question is which schools should I aim for with realistic expectations? What time of the year will be best to apply? I’ve read October/November but i’d like to hear it from someone who has actually went through the application process.
Thanks in advance.
2 comments
Could you clarify what a “US government issued teaching license” is? I’ve heard many international schools require you to have a license from your home country that required a teaching practicum. If you received a license by non-traditional methods you might have some difficulty finding employment in proper international schools.
You might be able to find a teaching position at an international school in Tokyo. You’ll have to research the schools in the area you want to work on, as depending on the school they may follow the Japanese school year (April-March) or foreign school year (August/September-May/June), and that will affect when their hiring season is.
Also, be careful as there is no regulation on the use of the word “international” in school names. You’ll want to check if they’re actually accredited as international schools.
You could pick up an IB certificate and look to teaching IB History.