~ Hello! It was suggested I post this here ~
Sorry if this seems lazy—I have already googled it, scoured this subreddit and reached out to recruiters, but I would really value views from teachers!
I (24f) hold a BA with a 1:1/4.00GPA, publications, journalism and law experience, teaching experience and a CELTA cert.
My partner (25m) holds a BSc and an MA, in addition to a 140 hours TEFL and qualifications/experiences in fitness/sports instructing (and would be happy to teach sports or English).
We’re both very keen to come over and teach, ideally, in an ALT position. I know many people complain of desk sitting, but that’s something we’re both very happy with as we’re currently working on books.
We’ve had a mix of responses, with an interview for Nova, but I’ve seen how bad people’s experiences have been on this subreddit.
We’re both British and frankly, the cost of living crisis is just too much here—so now really seems like the perfect time (we’ve been wanting to come over since before here pandemic).
We’d be happy to take a ~ not ideal ~ position if it meant we got into Japan and developed that classroom experience. As a journalist, I’m consistently having to put in 14-16 hour days and I really need something fresh to put myself into—but not at the cost of severe mental burnout (as many stories from Nova seem). I need some time back in my day.
Most advice says to avoid private schools and go straight to Jet, but this seems unlikely as a couple? Although I would prefer the hours and holidays. Other places I’ve researched seems very biased and sponsored by the school.
We’ve applied to Westgate as that seems like a great set up, although worry that my partner lacks the teaching hours to do so.
Does anybody has any suggestions of alternatives I may have missed, please?
Thank you in advance!
2 comments
>I would really value views from teachers!
You may want to post this is r/teachinginjapan as well.
>and would be happy to **teach sports** or English
Sports isn’t going to happen.
>I know many people complain of desk sitting, but that’s something we’re both very happy with as we’re currently working on books.
If you’re viewing ALT work as an opportunity to work on your side projects, please don’t become ALTs. The program has enough problems with people who don’t want to do the actual ***job*** and just want to be in Japan.
>if it meant we got into Japan and **developed that classroom experienc**e
ALTing is not teaching. The “classroom experience” as an ALT isn’t applicable to any sort of “real” teaching down the line. You’d be an *Assistant* Language Teacher. Although it should actually be called Assistant ***to the*** Language Teacher. ALTs are primarily in the classroom as a native pronunciation and/or activity dispenser.
Apply for different dispatch companies, if/when you get to the interview stage, indicate that you need to be together. There are plenty of positions in the new year where they get a whole new town/city, so would be happy to get two people whose only requirement is living in the same area.