NationStates Jolt Archive

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.

Because when I think back about my school days, my favorite teachers were the ones who obviously cared and the ones I learned the most from.

My advice is that if you want to come back to the US, then do it. Don't do it out of some sense of altruism or duty to the schools here. Do it because you want to come back to the states. And if you'd rather stay in Japan, stay there.

My advice is that if you want to come back to the US, then do it. Don't do it out of some sense of altruism or duty to the schools here. Do it because you want to come back to the states. And if you'd rather stay in Japan, stay there.

I intend to return, whether as a teacher or in some other field (I do have several options). But my question is would it really be worth it to persue a teaching job?

1. Depending on the grade level you teach, you can slowly teach kids that America is not a god-like nation and to pay attention to real-world news, to a point.
2. We need better teachers. Period.

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.

*warms up, stretches, gets ready to sling some first-class bullshit* :wink:

You should spend time getting a qualification because, firstly, the US is in dire need of good teachers. Secondly, the horrid state of the educational system will not be changed by politicians, it will not be changed by administrators and secretaries, rather, if it is to be changed for the better, the teachers will be the ones to do it. Honestly, teachers would not need to be tested for qualifications so rigorously if the teachers who were training them could be counted on to generate quality teachers for the future. Hence, the solution to the problem of poor teaching is to teach our teachers to be better teachers. To do that, we need some good teachers to teach the teachers who are teaching the teachers. It's a very annoying cycle, and the only ones who can break it are those within it or those who are willing to go in and suffer for the long-term gain that their efforts will bring. In summary, get your sorry butt over here and get cracking, Daisy. :lol:

Do I get bonus points for that? :)

My advice is that if you want to come back to the US, then do it. Don't do it out of some sense of altruism or duty to the schools here. Do it because you want to come back to the states. And if you'd rather stay in Japan, stay there.

I intend to return, whether as a teacher or in some other field (I do have several options). But my question is would it really be worth it to persue a teaching job?Ah. Well, the teaching shortage in the US has been around for the last couple hundred years and doesn't look to be changing anytime soon, so we could certainly use you. It's frustrating work, but I'm sure you know that already. My guess is that you have to decide whether the unpaid benefits of being a teacher outweigh the money you can get in another field.

teachers dont get paid much, dont do it... make more money

The system does not care if you return.

You are going to get paid crap(unless you go into a private school) and you will probably get little respect.

If you return, don't look to California! Last in the union for education standards for several years!

Thank you Republicans for slicing open the belly and thank you again for working with the Democrats on drinking the blood!

You are probably making more money in Japan and they probably appreicate you there.

The public schools in my area stink. The shrub's "No Child left behind" crap has made things even worst. Well the Teachers Union and the State are also adding to it.....

But that might be the Republican strategy to creating jobs! Make the people illiterate so they will be cheap! ;)

Be prepared for the millions of pages of forms you have to fill out as a teacher now. I work very closely with the school system in my current job and sometimes I feel bad for the teachers for the amount of paperwork. Then I remember that in my state, teachers are extremely well paid in comparison to the rest of the state.

Actually, go for a professorship at a college.....if you have enough tweed jackets in your wardrobe to do it that is. Female or male...tweed jackets are in abundance for college professors.

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.
There are good schools, and their are shit schools. The problem, as you know, is an uneven property tax base that schools rely on. However, as HotRodia has said, teachers are always the best solution to our education problems. And since you teach ESL, I advise going south. The new wave of Hispanic immigrants need to learn English. ESL teachers are in pretty high demand right now in those areas, as they are key to creating better students. Economically deprived areas are a wonderful place to start, as I'd imagine ESL teachers are in higher demand there. However, you can find a good ESL job anywhere, as there are immigrants throughout the country. So returning to the US would be of great service to this country, and in the future, we'll thank teachers like you for intergrating Hispanics into mainstream society. However, do you happen to know Spanish?

A good friend of mine's a Caucasian guy who's been teaching English in Korea for several years. He's gotten so used to life in Asia now that he finds North America disturbingly foreign & surreal. He hopes to one day buy his own school in Korea and live out his life there.

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.
There are good schools, and their are shit schools. The problem, as you know, is an uneven property tax base that schools rely on. However, as HotRodia has said, teachers are always the best solution to our education problems. And since you teach ESL, I advise going south. The new wave of Hispanic immigrants need to learn English. ESL teachers are in pretty high demand right now in those areas, as they are key to creating better students. Economically deprived areas are a wonderful place to start, as I'd imagine ESL teachers are in higher demand there. However, you can find a good ESL job anywhere, as there are immigrants throughout the country. So returning to the US would be of great service to this country, and in the future, we'll thank teachers like you for intergrating Hispanics into mainstream society. However, do you happen to know Spanish?

Not always a good idea though.

The students can be rather lazy. A buddy of my friend teaches ESL Spainish and has grown to hate it. The system is annoying and many of his students don't really seem to care.

The gang issue is always a problem as well....

I guess it depends on the area and the school. He is in a bad one because he wanted to make a difference but now he is pretty well burnt out.....

Teach at a private school.

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.STAY!

dai, i think you should teach in US because we need more good teachers. The smarter the next generation is, the better. And plus, my japanese teacher sparked my friend and I to go to japan- maybe you can do the same for others? I would of had much shittier grades if i didnt try to go to japan- so my teacher essentially got me into college and got me a trip to japan.

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.

There's no chance in hell that you could adjust from people talking in the back of the classroom to people who would stab you for giving them and F. Oh wait, am I supposed to convince you to teach?

Whatever you do, don't teach in the US because you want to make a difference, thats not something 1 or more teachers can ever hope to accomplish. Fact of the matter is that its not the teachers, who I suspect all start with a sense of idealism, why else chose the profession of teacher, who make a difference but the students themselves. I've had many good teachers whose classes were ruined simply because a lousy attitude on part of the students.

The Five Step Plan (TM):

1. Quit your job.
2. Go back to college.
3. Major in Nursing.
4. Watch all the job offers pour in through the mail after graduation.
5. Make money. Lots and lots to be made in private hospitals.

If I plan to use steps 3-5, you should too! :lol:

But in all seriousness, if you're after a more cushy job where pay is okay and the kids actually listen to you, stay in Japan. They VENERATE teachers there.

If, however, you believe that teaching isn't about having it easy but instead making a big difference in a student's life, by all means stay here. The school system is crap, and they need skilled teachers to mold the next generation of Americans into (hopefully...) a bright and righteous folk. Of course, you won't be able to convert some of the doushbags to mend their ways, but when you get at least one of them to smarten up, it's worth it.

Spawned off from another thread.

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.

I wouldn't argue that American Education is in bad shape-quite the contrary, it's in terrible shape. Much of the reason for the condition is the Mothers and Fathers of America, who don't really care if their kids get an education as much as they do that there's an eight-hour babysitting service for nine months of the year, so they don't have to take any responsibility for raising their little chest-bursters.

I'd say, if you want a job where you get respect, and where the demand is that you do what you're trained to do (Teach), stay in Japan!

I have been teaching ESL in Japan for 12 years (13 years total in Japan - 1 year as a student).

I enjoy teaching. Especially little kids, but I do like teaching all ages.

And I plan to return to the US within the next 1- years or so.

As for the main question, On a recent thread, when US schools came up, I said I might not want to teach in the US because of bad schools. HotRodia chastised me, saying US schools need good teachers.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
Arguments for why I should spend time getting a qualification, when I have 12 years experience and have seen the miserable state of "qualified" teachers firsthand, will get bonus points.

You sound like me a couple of years ago. One of my teachers told me this when I asked them the same question, "When you teach, you either live it day in and out or you don't. There's no middle ground for teaching; you'll either teach even if you have 50 year old textbooks and horrible students or you'll burn out quick. You have to love teaching for its own sake."

If you want money, find another profession or get involved in the richest schools in the best neighborhoods in the US. Aim for uptown, affluent neighborhoods with large budgets if you want money. If you want control over your own activities, find a smaller district with less interference from the school board.

You sound like you actually want to teach, thats good. Kids respond best when the teacher is enthused and active. You've been teaching for 12 years so I doubt you'll find teaching here repugnant; just very different from what you've experienced in Japan.

I'm finding it a little hard to express myself on the matter fully. I'll tell you what; Watch "Red Beard" by Akira Kurosawa (you're in japan, it should be easy to find ;) ) and you'll see what I'm getting at. When you have a gift in your profession and you're helping people when you're doing it, there are few greater joys. The discomforts of the job pale in comparison to the joy of making a difference.

Good luck with your choice.

OK. Tell me why I should come back and teach in the US.
In a word, Latinas. And them, Exploding Girls, who need to learn English to read airplane flying manuals.