Prepping for Company X

     So Korea was a bust!  I moved on and searched for Japan - I know a couple people that have gone and they loved it.  Apparently a lot of companies that supply Japan with teachers have gone out of business so I had to start from scratch.  A friend advised me to look for a company that was fairly large, had several locations available, and check out their reviews.  I googled like crazy and found a company that fit the profile - Company X! Unfortunately I can't divulge the name b/c if I do get hired I could lose my job for posting about them...not a big deal.

     I filled out the online application, wrote another letter of why I wanted to teach in Japan - I was pretty driven by now so I think I rocked it out, and waited again...

     Then I heard back! My interview was scheduled to take place in a few weeks in Toronto.  It was a 2 stage interview.  Stage 1 - attend a group meeting, get some info on the company, present a 5 minute lesson plan, and take part in other lessons being taught by fellow interviewees.  Stage 2?  That's coming!

     I checked out what people were saying online about the company and the interview(s).  The reviews about the company were mixed - some loved it, some hated it, others just rolled with the punches.  One thing to remember is: Japan is not Canada!  They do things differently and we're guests in their home.  And, just like here, managers can be assholes or they can be great.  You take your chances anywhere you go.

     For the interview reviews people were pretty confident and (from what I saw in my interview) pretty honest.  Nothing was a surprise.  Thank god!  From the email you receive about the interview you already know what to bring and what to prepare.  And the reviews suggest for your 5min lesson have props, be fun, confident, and REALLY enthusiastic! Almost goofy - you need to be able to engage young kids (obviously if you're teaching older students, you modify :).

     So I prepped like crazy! I planned my wardrobe (for 2 outfits just in case...) and practiced, practiced, practiced my lesson with a friend who just happened to be a real-true teacher that went to Korea the year before.  We got together and she schooled me on how to speak to the students and how to deal with unruly behaviour.  She even pretended to be a little kid that wouldn't pay attention - really helpful.

     Then came prepping for stage 2.  If all went well on day 1, stage 2 would take place the next day.  From what I saw online the interviewer gives you 5 minutes to prepare a lesson plan from the workbook they give you and you have 5 minutes to teach the student.  So my friend and I practiced for hours - she would give me different lessons I could be asked to teach (colours, weather, seasons, clothing, etc.) and how I could make it seem more interesting by giving it a back story to draw the kids in.  It was really helpful!  I suggest you practice before your interview - look online for samples, check out youtube for lesson videos, etc.

     Then I went to the first day.  I was expecting a lot of people.  Different forums said they were with upwards of 40 people.  Mine was just myself and another girl.  We met the nice interviewer and sat down and made our intros.  Then we watched the video of the company and what's expected for us.  Then the interviewer answered questions and gave us a ppt presentation to make sure we knew exactly what we were getting into.  It was straightforward but it showed the job was physically demanding and included things you wouldn't expect here.  For instance, in Japan (and not just for this company but for most schools in Japan) teachers clean the facility.  They rotate jobs on a daily basis so everyone has to perform cleaning tasks.  There's also some business work involved.  Teachers have to promote selling the coursebooks to the families (it's a private school where students go outside of their regular schooling, like Kumon) and post flyers and pamphlets to get more enrolments.  To be honest I was worried when I heard this.  But then the interviewer explained that not all time is taught teaching.  There are office hours where all this work is fit into and is part of our job, not extra.  Any overtime is paid for.  No worries.

     After that we taught our lessons.  The other girl taught colours and made up a song that I had to sing along with.  I taught phrases and got her to chose certain objects while using those phrases.  It went by really fast!

     Then we wrote a test.  Nothing to worry about!  It was 2 pages and you corrected grammar mistakes, filled in the blanks, etc.  Then you wrote down questions you had and any concerns you were feeling.  The interviewer came back and took the tests and told us to wait in the lobby while she graded them.  After about 15 (very nerve-wracking) minutes the interviewer came back and handed us both envelopes.  In it it either said you won't be needed anymore OR you can come back for stage 2.  We were advised to open them alone just in case we were disappointed.  Because of that I don't know if my fellow interviewer got to stage 2 :(

     I DID!!!!!  I was to come back the next day!