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