Amity Corporation

This is the Eikaiwa that will work you the HARDEST. I work at one of the busiest branches and aside from lesson preparations, you will have to do a huge amount of paperwork (student progress, extra book sales, etc.) So, you better be prepared to come in on weekends. Amity's Management has recently made it mandatory that employees clock-out at 9:30 PM. My Japanese staff will always clock me out without asking me; then we will continue to work well past 9:30 PM. This is actually illegal and when they began this policy (to protect their company against victims of Karoshii) I lost every ounce of respect I had for this company. Instead of taking extra efforts to help the staff feel less over-worked, they just created an illegal policy to protect their reputation. The lesson materials are terribly designed. If you know very little about second language acquisition, they will appear very fun and useful, but if you really consider the design, the only required textbooks for the lesson are so shallow and so mind-numbing, that the only real rounded materials and homework have to be bought separately - and you will be made to sell these materials. Also, the materials from one year to the next transition so disproportionately, that your students will struggle and you will be forced to make heavy modifications to the lesson so the students don't quit. This will greatly add to your preparation time and take away from the lesson. Amity's management are extremely concerned with making their financial goals; so much so that they accept any and all students without trial or background check. One of my classes was completely torn apart when a student with a severe behavioral problem and extremely low English skill was placed in a very advanced class. Subsequently, some students quit and it was made very clear from that moment, Amity cares very little about actually educating their customers. Which leads me to the last point... Amity is a revolving door. Not only for the teachers, but sadly the children who are at the mercy of a very incompetent management. You will be under great pressure to work extremely hard and you will feel a great deal of guilt if you try to take days off. Also, try not to get sick, because the staff will most likely call you and ask you to come to work regardless.

This was my first experience teaching abroad. My experience with Amity was a positive one. Amity has over 70 branch schools throughout Japan. The staff at my school was very friendly and helpful. The Japanese staff and foreigners got along well. However, I have heard that at other schools this was not always the case. Amity provides a week of intensive training to get you familiar with their methods and teaching materials. Following training week, you spend a week with the teacher you will be replacing learning their class schedule. The work can be very demanding, but once you get the hang of things it becomes much easier. I worked Tuesday through Saturday, so my schedule allowed for plenty of time to travel. In regards to pay, I was paid well enough to save and do quite a bit of traveling. I never had any issues with being paid on time.