Hello everyone. You’ve arrived at the exciting conclusion of my English Teacher Trap Trilogy, in which I offer some advice on how to avoid getting stuck in what may be an unsatisfactory dead end career. Now isn’t that a cheery subject? If you’re new to this series you can review what I covered in Part 1 and Part 2, or you can just skip to the thrilling conclusion below.
So how do we stay away from the English Teacher Trap (ETT) and avoid the fate so many others have stumbled into? Simply put, learn Japanese and/or some other skills, perhaps through online courses, that you can put to good use here or back home. Otherwise, you better limit your stay to two years, because anything beyond that on a resume starts to look like you’re just wasting your time goofing off.
Now, some of you dear readers would rightly point out that there are people who actually like to teach, and maybe they’re happy with themselves. Well if you have a passion for teaching, then by all means ESL in Japan is a great option. The students are generally polite and studious (except at many vocational schools and universities), you can certainly maintain a minimum standard of living, and if you put some effort into your work you will see positive results and enjoy a warm feeling of personal fulfillment. Also, if you are crazy about Japan and will do anything just to live here, then come on over and have some fun. Beware though that this enthusiasm will likely wear off.
To conclude, while it is usually an exercise in futility to make detailed long-term plans for our futures, at least make the decision after a year or two teaching in Japan to either quit while you’re ahead (i.e. go home), commit to improving your skill set, or decide that teaching is freakin’ awesome and you want to do it for life. It’s up to you to either make sure that the ETT doesn’t get you, or to embrace it (and probably call it by another name). Living in Japan as a long-term resident can be a positive experience so long as you keep control of the direction your life is heading. If you hold on, you should be able to find joy and happiness in this land that offers opportunity to those who reach out and grab it. It just might be a little harder to see than in the society where you were educated and grew up.
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