Job description

General Information

The initial contract is for one year. All vacation time is predetermined by ABC Plus and is listed on the schools' annual calendar. There are approximately 6 weeks of set vacation time each academic year.

Teachers teach an average of 22 to 25 classes per week, with each class usually lasting between 45-50 minutes. Teachers have two consecutive days off such as Sunday/Monday or Saturday/Sunday.

The students range in age from as young as 2 years old to adults, with the majority of the students being children aged 6 to 15. Classes will have a maximum of 6 students per class.

Native teachers teach English without using any Japanese. Teachers are in charge of their own classes and do not have a co-teacher present. Teachers should thus be able to explain concepts in easy and clear ways while incorporating fun activities to encourage a comfortable and relaxing learning environment.

Working shifts

Staff and teachers at ABC Plus are divided into two working shifts.
Shift A: 8 hours + 1 hour break.
Most Japanese office staff and Japanese teachers work this shift.
Shift B: 6 hours + 1 hour break or more.
Most Native teachers work this shift.

There are two different shifts. Shift A teachers are scheduled to work 8 hours shifts either Monday - Friday or Tuesday - Saturday. (A typical shift A runs from 12:30 pm until 9:30 pm on weekdays,or from 9:30 am until 6:30 pm on Saturdays, including a break.)
Shift B teachers work 6 hours shifts. This requires each teacher to teach the roughly 23 classes assigned between 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm. If assigned to shift B, time outside of classes and meetings is used to plan classes, correct students' homework or essays, or for breaks at own discretion. As a result, the latter shift has more flexibility.

Unless given a specific instruction, these schedules are set and will not change from week to week.

There are some differences. The difference in working shift does not affect monthly salary and duties. However, it does affect teachers' arrival times, finishing times, and what type of health insurance and pension programs teachers are signed up for.

The following duties apply to all the teachers equally:

To plan and teach classes. Teaching contents are usually clear. However, please feel free to ask HR staff members or experienced senior teachers for help or ideas whenever needed.
To follow the school syllabus and curriculum.
To correct students' essays. Many of our students try the English proficiency test called the Eiken test. Writing is one of the most important elements for most students. We spend a significant amount of time learning to write proper essays.
To cover the classes when someone is absent. If someone is sick and you do not have a class, you may be asked to cover some classes.
To update monthly progress. We keep track of the progress of each class by having teachers update the information each month.
To teach between 22- 25 classes on average per week for a calendar month. We offer additional allowance to teachers who teach more than 23 classes on average per week for a calendar month. Thus, if there are 20 working days and you teach more than 92 classes, you will receive additional allowance at the overtime rate.
To clean the workplace. We ask all the staff members to help with the upkeep and cleaning of the school. This includes tasks such as vacuuming, wiping boards, cleaning the teachers' office and teachers' bathroom, etc. Each school has a cleaning schedule with tasks divided between teachers.
To maintain the teaching materials. It is important to keep the workplace clean and tidy. We help each other by organizing and sorting teaching materials such as flash cards and textbooks after you use them.

A Typical working day

Working hours can be from 12:30PM - 9:30PM or 2:20PM - 9:10PM on weekdays, 9:30AM - 6:30PM or 9:30AM - 5:00PM on Saturdays.

12:30PM The school opens at 12:30PM. This is the earliest staff members can come to the office.

1:00PM This is when the earliest classes starts.

2:20PM Everyone meets. Shift B teachers are required to come to the office at this time. Teachers can spend time freely preparing for classes, doing research or correcting students' homework.

4:00PM - 9:00PM This is the peak hours. Most classes are scheduled in this time. The last class ends at 9:00 pm. Afterwards, teachers spend a few minutes completing their daily cleaning tasks before heading home.

9:30PM Everyone leaves. The school does not stay open after 9:30 pm.

Photos

Students & Class Types

Here at ABC Plus we cater to a variety of students, although about 70% are aged 15 and under.

Our youngest students, aged 2-3 years old, attend Kid's Plus classes where they are exposed to English through songs, games and craft activities.

Students aged 3-6 years old typically attend Stage classes. Similar to Kid's Plus classes, Stage classes still use an assortment of English songs and games. However, because the children in these classes are older, they will be expected to learn more vocabulary, have a better grasp of phonics, and be able to respond to questions in complete sentences.

Elementary and Junior High School-aged students will typically be in a textbook class. At this age, reading, writing and listening become very important because many students will start studying to take English proficiency tests, such as Eiken.

In addition to English proficiency tests, Junior High School and High School students need English for school entrance exams. These classes normally consist of a good amount of conversation in addition to grammar, reading comprehension, and listening.

More often than not adults take English classes for one of the following reasons: for business, as a hobby, or to prepare for upcoming travel abroad. Although the majority of these classes are textbook based, conversation is still an important part of each lesson.

Events

Spring Excursion:
Students of all ages are welcome to attend this event. In addition to the main activity, which has been picking strawberries, going to the zoo, or touring Nagoya's aquarium, teachers usually play quiz games, have a picnic lunch, and go to a playground with the students.

Fall BBQ:
This event is a chance for teachers to spend time with not only students, but the parents and friends of students as well. The BBQ is held at Tenpaku Park where everyone can enjoy eating, visiting with one another, and playing on the playground.

Children's Christmas Party:
During the Children's Christmas Party we first break into smaller groups to make Christmas-themed crafts. Then after that, we join back together to read a Christmas book, hand out a present, and enjoy a visit from Santa.

Adult Christmas Party:
Our Christmas Party for adults is typically held at a nearby restaurant. Teachers have grown to really look forward to this annual event as a chance to talk with and get to know their students better in a more casual setting.