| If you do a search on all the major eikaiwa - chain | | | | night person. |
| English cram-school companies, you'll find their | | | | Eight lessons a day is ridiculous, but you get used to it. |
| websites, and then you'll find endless websites and | | | | It's amazing how quickly you get used to it. If I had to |
| forums totally SLAMMING them. It seems like every | | | | go and do eight lessons tomorrow, I probably couldn't |
| English teacher in Japan hates those guys. But should | | | | do it, but when I was working for that cram-school I |
| you pay attention? | | | | never even felt it. |
| Actually, take everything you read with a grain of salt. | | | | It's tough, but on the positive side, you get tons of |
| That goes for the websites, but also the haters too. I | | | | teaching experience. Not only do you learn about |
| worked for an eikaiwa a long time ago, and I have | | | | students, you also learn what kinds of activities and |
| some friends who work for them. I want to give you a | | | | lessons work and don't work. I use that knowledge all |
| little run down, considering the pros and cons, which I | | | | the time to this day. |
| hope will help you make an informed decision. | | | | Now that I teach on my own and prepare all my own |
| I worked for one of the more famous one - which I | | | | lessons and do all my own scheduling, I kind of |
| won't name here. (But it shares the same name as a | | | | appreciate that the school I worked for did all that for |
| famous model of Chevy car from the 70's). I can't | | | | me. At those big companies, you just walk in, do your |
| totally hate them, because they hired me and set me | | | | lessons, and walk out. You never have to take |
| up in Japan. I also got paid pretty well, and got lots of | | | | anything home with you, or worry about what you're |
| experience teaching in a short period of time, much | | | | going to teach the next day. |
| more experience than if I'd gotten an education degree | | | | On the down side, these schools often use lousy |
| back in the States. So, if you look at it from a totally | | | | teaching materials and have little concern for students' |
| utilitarian standpoint, those big eikaiwas will get you | | | | progress. In spite of that, if you are a good teacher, |
| here and get you set up. When people back home | | | | you can make the lessons valuable for the students. |
| say they want to teach in Japan, I always say it's a | | | | You can still care about students, even if the company |
| good way to get over here. | | | | doesn't. |
| Basically, at an eikaiwa, you will teach 6-8 lessons a | | | | At the end of the day, these companies are interested |
| day (depending on the company). You will have tiny | | | | in MAKING MONEY, and little else. If you really want to |
| 10-15 minute breaks between lessons, but you have to | | | | be a teacher, this can be depressing. The lessons, the |
| use that time to write evaluations and get the next | | | | teachers, the students, the staff, are all |
| lessons ready. I don't know about other schools, but | | | | interchangeable. This is why it's called "fast food |
| mine had it streamlined so that you didn't really have to | | | | English." For me, eventually this became a really |
| do much evaluation or preparation. The hours are | | | | negative environment and that's one of the reasons |
| usually afternoon or evening, which is great if you're a | | | | why I finally left. |