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Working at Ekaiwa Should I Change Jobs? 2009/2/8 16:20
I'm currently working at an ekaiwa in Chiba.I've been here for 6 months and have finally figured out how to be an ok teacher after lots of trial and error.

Whats driving me crazy is, I have traveled nowhere and have essentailly made no friends. Mostly due to the fact I finish work at 9pm most days. Does anyone have any suggestions for a different job? Maybe being an ALT would be better. If anyone has been an ALT and worked at an ekaiwa please let me know if its any better. I'd really just like free time at night.

I've also considered being a PC tech here. I'm a pc consultant back in the USA, but I've got no idea where to start here.
by Mario (guest)  

language school or alt 2009/2/9 10:02
if you work as an alt you will have evenings off. you will work roughly 8.30 to 4.30 monday to friday.

you will also get longer holidays although these will often be at reduced pay

but certainly you will have evenings off and time to travel especially around august.

the downside is, you will be working in a very lonely and rigid bureaucracy.
by peter (guest) rate this post as useful

thanks 2009/2/9 12:51
Thanks for the advice. Currently my job isn't very rigid, but feels a bit lonely. Even though I work with other Americans and Canadians we don't have time to talk at work and some days I'm the only person in the office other than Japanese staff. Can you give any examples of how its a rigid bureaucracy?
by Mario (guest) rate this post as useful

i'm not sure what i mean 2009/2/13 23:42
hmmm. actually i'm not sure what i mean but my experience as an alt was very lonely. i had almost no interaction with the other (japanese) teachers.

the teachers' room was one big room where all the teachers sat with the deputy principal sittng at the front overseeing proceedings.

they was almost no interation even among the teachers - they kept their heads down and tried to look busy.

you on the other hand will not be busy. but you will still have to sit at your desk pretending to be doing something.

you won't know what is going on - noone will bother to tell you. as you will not be a public officer - many things you are not allowed to know. but suddenly you will be asked to give a speech at the assembly that you didn't even know was going on.

schools are like what i imagine my parents' schools were like. they seem to do things just because it is the way is has always been done. your ideas will not really be welcome. just do it the way it has always been done.

i know this all seems very vague. i can't put my finger on it.
by pete (guest) rate this post as useful

2009/2/14 01:04
Well that's insightful. As much as I feel isolated at my job, it sounds better than that. At lest people try to be friendly when they have time. The biggest problem is we are so busy that no one has time to talk to anyone else. I guess I'll just stick with where I'm at. Sometimes I hate it and just want to go home, but other times things aren't so bad and have an opportunity to really enjoy my time outside of work.

I guess the only way to really answer my question would be to go to the school I was planning on working at and talk to the current ALT there.

Thanks for the insight! It's difficult guessing how things will be.
by Mario (guest) rate this post as useful

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