Quote:
Originally Posted by Tsuwabuki
While this is accurate, it's an attitude that drives me up the wall. A bit of a threadjack, but this perception is the reason why:
1) Most Assistant Language Teachers suck
2) Many Japanese people do not take us with teaching backgrounds seriously
3) Boards of Education refuse to do direct hire and consider ALTs to be temporary, or transient individuals
4) Culturally unaware individuals fail to grasp the importance both of their profession and their need for a certain degree of sensitivity (or as I call it, "White Boy Entitlement Syndrome" though it may not necessarily involve a white male).
Teaching is a skill. Those that arrive without the ability to teach are often bad at it. At least initially. Japan really needs to do more to set teaching requirements and standards for native English teachers. I have a job; I don't need to be doing a second trying to make up for/help fix unqualified individuals.
Sorry. Threadjack over.
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I agree totally. I wish that BOEs would stop seeing foreign English teachers as so disposable and give those who want it the opportunity to turn it into an actual career instead of assuming that all ALTs will leave after a year or two. The quality of the teaching would certainly benefit.