Hello all. I apologize, but I’m going to be one of those teachers who is planning to move to Japan, and then they start a thread about it on reddit. Basically, I’m asking if there are any avenues that I haven’t yet explored that could possibly present a way into Japan.
I’m on Search, Schrole, TES, and I have applied to jobs using all three. I’ve also been putting out feelers on LinkedIn. Finally, I have the employment pages of all my target schools’ websites bookmarked, and I check them about twice a week. I’m not picky about teaching in an international school or a bilingual school. I’ve applied to both so far.
I am a fully licensed and certified (USA) teacher with 10+ years of experience. I have an MA and MEd, and I’ve just started my Ed.D. I also have some IB certificates, if that’s any help.
I know all the economic realities of moving to Japan at this point, and I’ve made peace with them. My wife (who’s is also a licensed teacher librarian) and I own a home in Kyoto, and we’d simply like to be closer to it. 8 years in China is a long time, and we’re ready to move on.
So, are there any bases not covered here? Are there places I should be looking for, but I’ve missed so far? I would be appreciative of some advice. Thank you.
8 comments
Do you speak, read, and write Japanese?
Apply to go to the international school job fairs. I haven’t looked into it in ages, but there were 2 annually, one in the USA and one in the UK.
You own a home but can’t get a visa to live in the country to live closer to the home you own?
Hit up the search job fairs and I’m sure you can find something. I also saw an IS in Kyoto on teacher horizons, idk if the salary would be ideal for what you’re looking for.
You didn’t really give much actual detail like;
1. What year level and subject(s) are you certified for? Or looking to get?
2. Do you have _experience_ teaching IB or just been doing workshops yourself?
Hiring season has just barely started. Unless you’re in a specialized subject, you just have to wait and keep applying.
Check JALT jobs. Sometimes have international school listings
Go to:
JALT jobs (likely your best bet)
https://jalt-publications.org/tlt/departments/career-development-corner/jobs
have you considered reaching out to any recruitment agencies specific to international education in Japan? sometimes they have connections to schools that might not be publicly advertising positions. good luck with your search!