Training in Japan... interested?

Can you read? For the last time it says 4-6 hours. There is little prep-work. There is a CURRICULUM. This is English conversation NOT rocket science. Also, you must not know what you're talking about, because the teachers left in the late (most in 1997) 90s, during the Asian currency crisis. This also affected Japan, but much less (I did lose about $5,000 savings in regards to lowered yen value over the time I was there) than Korea. The teachers in Korea, more-or-less lost their savings, cut their losses and quit in the middle of their contracts and escaped back to their homelands with what little money they had left. Even as cheap as Asia is to travel the WON might as well have been the GEN then. I prepare and teach classes, because I can manage my time efficiently. I don't think that qualifies me as being special. Plus if you think 4-6 (again that is 4-6) hours a day is difficult while training, read the link. If you are going to dispute that, please READ the article before dissecting it for some kind of hidden flaw.

Yes I can read but obviously YOU CANT! Your info. posted was 4-6 hours teaching a day, now forgive me but doesn't that add up to 20 - 24 hours a week? If you read the posting it listed 25 hours of teaching a week, with prep time equaled around 40 hours!

No body is disputing that people lost the money they had saved, don't know where I said they didn't.

My point is simply that you are making this place (and teaching) sound like a paradise where you get paid to do nothing.

I know there are other people on this board who are currently teaching in Korea, maybe they have a few thoughts.

You say part time, then that means you don't have a visa sponsor, which therefore means that legally you can't work. Dont know about Japan but in Korea if you get caught working without a visa, its a several thousand dollar fine and deportation.

HEY DICK HEAD, WHY DON'T YOU READ THE OTHER GUYS POSTING AGAIN

You'll probably have spend a fair amount of time outside of class preparing your lessons, at least if you want to do a decent job and not feel like you're ripping off the students. At the beginning, you may have to spend as much time preparing as teaching. I found that hard to do when I was exhausted from training.

I would definitely be interested in knowing more, unfortunately I didn't see an email address to write you directly so I guess I have to address the whole board. My questions are as follows:

a) How exactly do you find schools for potential teachers

b) Who is the coach and has he / she had any success with other runners

c) Currently what are the running pr's of the group you train with

That's about it to start. Thanks

What the hell is a samuri? Is that someone that can't spell? [quote]the last samuri wrote:

HEY DICK HEAD, WHY DON'T YOU READ THE OTHER GUYS POSTING AGAIN

Dickhead is one word. You should know, because you are one. Also it looks like you are trying to use the possesive in the above. Therefore, you would need an apostrophy between y and s. You may be right on one matter. One would need to spend as much time preparing as teaching, if they had your English skills.

It seems like this guy has made a decent offer and you may be envious because you can't and wish you could run the times listed. If you can, please post your names and PRs. As a teacher in a regular junior high, I don't know one teacher, in any subject who prepares as much as you prescribe.

My apologies. But, I have never had to prep 15 hours for 25 hours of teaching. You can't tell me that you have either. I'm not saying that there is no prep time involved, but come now, 15 hours for 25 hours of teaching? Absurd. You don't get paid to do nothing, but you do get paid to teach English conversation. Is it really that difficult? If it is, and you are teaching it, maybe you are in the wrong profession. Those jobs want you to be there for 40 hours to justify the pay you are getting as a full-time teacher. I am proposing you get paid for the hours you teach, not prepare. That is just not efficient use of time if you are preparing 15 hours for 40 hours of work.

It is on the first page, guess I forgot to check the box on a few replys. Go ahead and email that address sushi-san.

recent marathoner wrote:Can you read? For the last time it says 4-6 hours. There is little prep-work. There is a CURRICULUM.

Having a curriculum will spare the teacher a lot of prep time. I'm glad to hear there is one. A lot of the eikawa schools that cropped up around the peak of the bubble didn't bother with such niceties (even though they were charging each student 5,000 yen an hour -- around $45 at today's exchange rates). At the school where I worked, I had to create the curriculum from scratch. That included traveling to Kinokuniya in Tokyo to shop for text books. So maybe my experience was especially bad.

I do think that those interested should get a clear idea of the amount of prep that will be necessary, though.

I was a math teacher at UNR (University of Nevada, Reno) for 2 years, so I can tell you first hand that you can easily teach and train at the same time.

Obviously the programme offered by the Marathoner in Japan is going to be focusing on marathon training, using the teaching business as a way to support the training, so the emphasis is on the training, not the teaching, just so as long as you are doing your job and being at least somewhat professional about it. (Keeping your "private lessons" somewhat discreet.)

Of course what he is not going to freely tell you is the sheer availability of young women (16 and up) who would just love to "try a ride on the white horse."

You can count me into your programme about September 2005.

Yours Jason

Everything depends on where you work and just because you have a curr. doesn't mean that you will have little prep time. I have taught at several schools in Korea and they had everything set out - Day 1 do pages 1 and 2 etc. Well thats great and everything but its pretty hard to stretch out "hello how are you?" "I'm fine thank you and you?" for 50 minutes no matter how many times you repeat it. The other problem is the time schedule, if its adults I would normally say "no" as it more often than not requires a split shift. My first school I would start at 6:30am teach till 8:30am and then have a break till 4 or 5 and I would finish at 9 or 10pm. Well yeah it was only 5 or 6 hours a day but it was spread out over 16 hours!

There have been a large number of good / excellent Canadians who were teachers, including Freddie Williams (1:45), Paula Shnurr (?)(4:04) and Alain Boucher (8:33 st.). I can't think of any runner though who teachers abroad in Asia who is of any note. For my two cents, its a great way to make money, great life experience but I personally don't see it as a great opportunity to train.

JVB

I ran 2:19 and change in Houston and 2:21 while teaching here in Japan. It's not great, but not bad. This is while working full time. In Japan, there are many adults (almost all women), who are are housewives, or for you PC people out there domestic engineers. They have a lot of free time in the afternoons, are motivated (because they travel overseas) and have money they are willing to shell out for English conversation class. Again, this is not Korea. Don't compare apples and oranges.

No its not apples and oranges, its oranges and oranges! I was putting up a comment for people who were seriously thinking about coming over to teach. Sorry didn't mean to step on your toes but obviously you are only out for yourself and I'm trying to give people information about what to expect. Congrats. on your 2:19 but using your own standards, you barely qualify for your own team! I have friends who have taught in Japan, Korea, Thailand and Taiwan and the set up is all basically the same. Some of the same companies have schools in every one of these countries, Berlitz, ECC and Direct English to name a few. How could it not be the same set up! Sorry I thought this was an open discussion board and I was allowed to post my own opinion, guess I was wrong.

JVB

I think ragingbull has a valid point. You were giving your opinion on Korea. That is fine, but I have lived in Japan and I have also visited Korea. They are not the same countries and due to the isolation of Japan as an island country, very different. It also looks like he qualified well within the ranges of his team standards. What is your best marathon, JVB?

Second, everyone that is giving their opinion seems to have a very subjective opinion and is comparing their school to his private school. If he is conducting business, I think he can make his own rules on how his school is run. Am I mistaken?

Of course, you are titled to your opinion, but so is he.

Is Cornell grad Rob Cunningham teaching in Korea? Is he still running? Maybe the runners that aren't running well and teaching do so because they are headed another direction in their lives.

LONELY JAPANESE HOUSEWIVES.....MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

THIS IS ONE RIDICULES ARGUEMENT SO THIS WILL BE MY FINAL POST ON THE MATTER.

I think ragingbull has a valid point. You were giving your opinion on Korea. That is fine, but I have lived in Japan and I have also visited Korea.

They are not the same countries and due to the isolation of Japan as an island country, very different.

YOU MUST BE JOKING! READING THIS MADE ME FALL OVER WITH LAUGHTER. JAPAN AN ISOLATED COUNTRY? YES THAT MAY BE THE CASE BUT ISN'T KOREA REFERRED TO AS THE HERMIT KINGDOM? I WONDER WHY?

It also looks like he qualified well within the ranges of his team standards. What is your best marathon, JVB?

I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS AN ARGUEMENT ABOUT RUNNING ABILITY, IF SO I WILL GLADLY POST MY RUNNING RESUME AND I WILL STATE RIGHT NOW THAT IT WILL BE A LOT MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN YOURS. I TALKED ABOUT YOUR 2:19 BECAUSE YOU POSTED IT LIKE IT WAS SOME SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENT AND THAT JAPAN WAS THE ANSWER TO RUNNING FAST. 2:19 IS A VERY SOLID TIME AND THAT ALL, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS

Second, everyone that is giving their opinion seems to have a very subjective opinion and is comparing their school to his private school. If he is conducting business, I think he can make his own rules on how his school is run. Am I mistaken?

IT BECOMES PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT "TEACHED IN JAPAN" AND "RAGINGBULL" ARE THE SAME PERSON. WHERE IN ANY OF HIS STATEMENTS DOES IT SAY THAT THIS IS HIS OWN SCHOOL? WHAT A SUPRISE THAT YOU BOTH HAVE LIVED IN JAPAN AND VISITED KOREA SEVERAL TIMES. IT NOW BECOMES PRETTY OBVIOUS WHY HE IS DOIND THING, NOT ONLY IS HE LOOKING FOR TRAINING PARTNERS BUT HE IS ALSO LOOKING FOR FREE TEACHERS WITHOUT PAYING A FINDERS FEE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, A FINDERS FEE FOR A TEACHER IN KOREA IS ABOUT $1,000 U.S.

Of course, you are titled to your opinion, but so is he.

Is Cornell grad Rob Cunningham teaching in Korea? Is he still running? Maybe the runners that aren't running well and teaching do so because they are headed another direction in their lives.

I WILL ASK HIM WHEN I GO RUNNING WITH HIM THIS WEEK.

.... where all the bitter teachers in Korea go to voice their opinions. Don't start talking BS until you know the story.

Thank you Jason for your intelligent input. Yes, you will definitely be on top of the list of people not to be included in this project

isnt this a place to voice our opinions? no lets just have jason talk abut slamming house wives. how about posts about mom suing coors beer. until this website is strictly about running i thinnk you can voice any opinion you have about anything here