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We all want to make a difference in someone's English goals, while having fun and learning from our students and each other.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ― W.B. Yeats |
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Suzy
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Jayne
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Kotoe
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Noriko
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Sam
Past Teachers' Experiences
Emily March 2013 - April 2015
What did you like about working at OEK?
The students and the staff at OEK are amazing. So many families invited me to join them for various events or celebrations and I felt like I was home. Right from the start, I felt like I was part of the OEK family.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
While working at OEK, I enjoyed being able interpret the curriculum as I saw fit and use it how I need to maximize learning for my students. Creating resources is another way that I could connect with my students and help them along their English journey. Outside of work, Minato Matsuri was awesome. Dancing among tens of thousands of people with 40 degree heat, 100% humidity, while having the best time ever!
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
In Shimizu, I always like Miho Beach, to get away from the city a bit and have a great view of Mount Fuji. In Shizuoka prefecture, Izu Peninsula is a must see. It has nature, the sea, fresh wasabi, and onsens.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
I would go back to the kite festival in Hamamatsu. The kites are as big as rooms, with huge teams of people flying them. It's amazing to watch, plus, the shop food is great! The sandy beach is right there and there is tons of interesting Japanese cuisine to try out.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
Different personalities clash, it's a way of life. How you deal with those situations will determine whether you are successful at OEK or not. OEK is all about connections and the ability that teachers have to make them between multi-cultural staff and students.
The students and the staff at OEK are amazing. So many families invited me to join them for various events or celebrations and I felt like I was home. Right from the start, I felt like I was part of the OEK family.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
While working at OEK, I enjoyed being able interpret the curriculum as I saw fit and use it how I need to maximize learning for my students. Creating resources is another way that I could connect with my students and help them along their English journey. Outside of work, Minato Matsuri was awesome. Dancing among tens of thousands of people with 40 degree heat, 100% humidity, while having the best time ever!
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
In Shimizu, I always like Miho Beach, to get away from the city a bit and have a great view of Mount Fuji. In Shizuoka prefecture, Izu Peninsula is a must see. It has nature, the sea, fresh wasabi, and onsens.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
I would go back to the kite festival in Hamamatsu. The kites are as big as rooms, with huge teams of people flying them. It's amazing to watch, plus, the shop food is great! The sandy beach is right there and there is tons of interesting Japanese cuisine to try out.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
Different personalities clash, it's a way of life. How you deal with those situations will determine whether you are successful at OEK or not. OEK is all about connections and the ability that teachers have to make them between multi-cultural staff and students.
Eric April 2013 - April 2015
What did you like about working at OEK?
OEK is serious about students. If you have an idea new or old, that would benefit your students, it is always strongly supported. Adult students are so much fun to teach. They are very interested in your country and lifestyle. I always liked going out to the bars with them for some special lessons. The OEK staff is very helpful for the transition to living in Japan. It wasn't just a job, it was also a family.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
I always loved going to all the events. Minato Matsuri was probably my favourite. Dancing around in the streets in hot night weather with a couple other thousand people will always been a pretty memorable experience. Doing these events, I always felt like a part of the community instead of just an outsider looking in. You get to know your community and become friends with some.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
I really don't like living in big cities. For a small town Canadian, Shimizu is still pretty big, but it is very manageable. Shimizu is an awesome location. It is 15 minutes to Shizuoka, which is a big city, and only 1 hour by Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo, a huge city. You can really relax in Shimizu while still having access to everything Japan has to offer. Shimizu is also on the coastline, and I loved walking along Miho beach and just watching the water in Suruga Bay. There are mountains, rivers, lakes, ocean, surfing, hiking, swimming, onsens, bars, pubs, relaxation, a big city close by, and so so so much more. For me it was an ideal place. Oh, and did I mention you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day? Yeah that is pretty awesome too.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
I was very fortunate to do a lot of things in Shizuoka and Japan. We always made the effort to get out, explore, and experience many things. But there was one thing that never lined up with my schedule. At a local shire, they have a fire festival. It sounds amazing and spectacular. I would have loved to have seen it in person and walk along the hot coal path. I hope I can come back in the future and give it a try.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
When I first came to OEK I was new to teaching English. I had a lot of experience teaching skiing and sailing, but this was the first time teaching inside, to the same students, for a long period of time. Only a small piece of my experience really applied here. I learned to work with a large age group, about 2 to 75 years old. I learned how to plan a successful lesson, and maybe more importantly, how to change that lesson in a second to adapt to how the class was going. I learned how to speak and be comfortable in front of a group of people, something I really preferred not to do in the past. And I learned how to work with a tight nit team, something that is very important to OEK running as smoothly as it does. It was all a wonderful experience.
OEK is serious about students. If you have an idea new or old, that would benefit your students, it is always strongly supported. Adult students are so much fun to teach. They are very interested in your country and lifestyle. I always liked going out to the bars with them for some special lessons. The OEK staff is very helpful for the transition to living in Japan. It wasn't just a job, it was also a family.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
I always loved going to all the events. Minato Matsuri was probably my favourite. Dancing around in the streets in hot night weather with a couple other thousand people will always been a pretty memorable experience. Doing these events, I always felt like a part of the community instead of just an outsider looking in. You get to know your community and become friends with some.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
I really don't like living in big cities. For a small town Canadian, Shimizu is still pretty big, but it is very manageable. Shimizu is an awesome location. It is 15 minutes to Shizuoka, which is a big city, and only 1 hour by Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo, a huge city. You can really relax in Shimizu while still having access to everything Japan has to offer. Shimizu is also on the coastline, and I loved walking along Miho beach and just watching the water in Suruga Bay. There are mountains, rivers, lakes, ocean, surfing, hiking, swimming, onsens, bars, pubs, relaxation, a big city close by, and so so so much more. For me it was an ideal place. Oh, and did I mention you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day? Yeah that is pretty awesome too.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
I was very fortunate to do a lot of things in Shizuoka and Japan. We always made the effort to get out, explore, and experience many things. But there was one thing that never lined up with my schedule. At a local shire, they have a fire festival. It sounds amazing and spectacular. I would have loved to have seen it in person and walk along the hot coal path. I hope I can come back in the future and give it a try.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
When I first came to OEK I was new to teaching English. I had a lot of experience teaching skiing and sailing, but this was the first time teaching inside, to the same students, for a long period of time. Only a small piece of my experience really applied here. I learned to work with a large age group, about 2 to 75 years old. I learned how to plan a successful lesson, and maybe more importantly, how to change that lesson in a second to adapt to how the class was going. I learned how to speak and be comfortable in front of a group of people, something I really preferred not to do in the past. And I learned how to work with a tight nit team, something that is very important to OEK running as smoothly as it does. It was all a wonderful experience.
jO
What did you like about working at OEK?
I loved how all the kids would always play together in the garden, and how all the adult students always wanted to talk about real, genuine topics. How it was always about the essence of communication, not just dry dialogue and passing tests.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
The events and parties were always fun and of course, love all the awesome staff that OEK attracts!
What is something that you love about
Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
Shimizu / Shizuoka life - I loved driving down to the coast to the beaches during time off.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
If I had my time again, I think I'd probably enroll in a Japanese Language school or more actively pursue language exchange.
Miss you all and lots of love ~ Jo
I loved how all the kids would always play together in the garden, and how all the adult students always wanted to talk about real, genuine topics. How it was always about the essence of communication, not just dry dialogue and passing tests.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
The events and parties were always fun and of course, love all the awesome staff that OEK attracts!
What is something that you love about
Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
Shimizu / Shizuoka life - I loved driving down to the coast to the beaches during time off.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
If I had my time again, I think I'd probably enroll in a Japanese Language school or more actively pursue language exchange.
Miss you all and lots of love ~ Jo
kATIE
What did you like about working at OEK?
By far my favorite part of working at OEK was the people. My coworkers and students were all just amazing people plus many of them were good friends too, so it made adjusting to life in Japan super easy.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
I suppose, one of the more unique experiences I had was becoming good friends with one of my beginning adult students. At the time, she didn't speak very much English and I spoke no Japanese at all. Generally, that kind of friendship might be really difficult or even a bit shallow but it was neither of those and she became one of my dearest friends here in Japan. It's amazing how much heart and feeling can communicate.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
Shizuoka has some really amazing outdoor spots... for example, Kenritsu University park and walking path, Miho, the strawberry fields & Kunozan area. There are so many beautiful areas really close to Shimizu that are easily accessible by bike or train.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
If I had one thing to do over, I suppose I would start studying Japanese from the time I started living here. Even if you just stay here a year or two, knowing hiragana, katakana and some useful phrases can make a huge difference.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
A person that works at OEK needs to be self-motivated, a team player and have good interpersonal skills.
If you lack any of those, you will struggle with certain aspects of the job, as we rely on each other everyday.
I think if you are a good match for the position, it will help you grow.
Have fun! ~ Catherine
By far my favorite part of working at OEK was the people. My coworkers and students were all just amazing people plus many of them were good friends too, so it made adjusting to life in Japan super easy.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
I suppose, one of the more unique experiences I had was becoming good friends with one of my beginning adult students. At the time, she didn't speak very much English and I spoke no Japanese at all. Generally, that kind of friendship might be really difficult or even a bit shallow but it was neither of those and she became one of my dearest friends here in Japan. It's amazing how much heart and feeling can communicate.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
Shizuoka has some really amazing outdoor spots... for example, Kenritsu University park and walking path, Miho, the strawberry fields & Kunozan area. There are so many beautiful areas really close to Shimizu that are easily accessible by bike or train.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
If I had one thing to do over, I suppose I would start studying Japanese from the time I started living here. Even if you just stay here a year or two, knowing hiragana, katakana and some useful phrases can make a huge difference.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
A person that works at OEK needs to be self-motivated, a team player and have good interpersonal skills.
If you lack any of those, you will struggle with certain aspects of the job, as we rely on each other everyday.
I think if you are a good match for the position, it will help you grow.
Have fun! ~ Catherine
KIM
What did you like about working at OEK?
Now, especially after working several other teaching jobs, I think my favourite thing about working at OEK is that we get to see the students progress and grow, and we have a very big part in their language development. Being the sole teacher and seeing the same students week after week makes a big difference in terms of the relationship you can develop with your students and the way in which you foster their learning. Also, there is a much more community-type feeling to OEK than any other place I've taught, where the teachers and students are on a less formal level than in a public school or corporate eikaiwa setting. We have the freedom to develop friendships with our students or their parents, and having that relationship motivates students to want to learn more and teachers to want to teach better. I think it's beneficial for both parties.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
One unique experience I had working at OEK was teaching a group of junior high school boys that had a set of triplets in the class. The one triplet had a severe anxiety problem and struggled both in school and at OEK, but the other boys in the class were supportive of him, and he was able to continue coming because it was a safe and fun environment for him, despite the fact that he still struggled to attend regular lessons at school. It was nice to see the triplet's mom focus not just on getting good test marks, but on making her sons' English lesson a positive experience.
Speaking of caring, another unique experience I had was after the earthquake in 2011, after I had already left OEK. When the school wasn't able to get two teachers to replace Brian and Suzy, a succession of old teachers came back to help: Jo, Ken and myself. Old teachers from way back in the day emailed Jayne asking about how they could help from afar (ask her about it, she said some Australian teachers were very supportive of OEK's difficulties at that time). Plus Josh came from Tokyo to help out as well and ended up moving to Shimizu for two years to work at OEK. I think that's really indicative of what kind of community that OEK has and the type of people it attracts. It was really nice to see people step up and care a lot about the school, and doing what they could to help it out in a difficult time.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
In Shimizu and Shizuoka, I really like the variety of festivals and events that are held throughout the year. Between Kappore, Daidogei, Shizuoka Cannes, Abekawa Hanabi and others, there is always something interesting and lovely happening in and around the city.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
If I could do something over, I would take advantage of all the free or cheap language classes in the area, and make more of an effort with studying Japanese. I would also try to learn japanese in other ways, for example, by taking a cooking class or music lesson.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
And for something that I learned from working at OEK ... I guess I learned that because your group of coworkers is so small, everyone needs to pull their weight for the team. Being good about making deadlines, cleaning up, being time efficient and producing good materials, resources, etc. goes a long way with helping all teachers and staff work happily and efficiently. It really is a team effort, keeping the school running. You end up caring a lot about it!
See you guys soon!~ Kim
Now, especially after working several other teaching jobs, I think my favourite thing about working at OEK is that we get to see the students progress and grow, and we have a very big part in their language development. Being the sole teacher and seeing the same students week after week makes a big difference in terms of the relationship you can develop with your students and the way in which you foster their learning. Also, there is a much more community-type feeling to OEK than any other place I've taught, where the teachers and students are on a less formal level than in a public school or corporate eikaiwa setting. We have the freedom to develop friendships with our students or their parents, and having that relationship motivates students to want to learn more and teachers to want to teach better. I think it's beneficial for both parties.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
One unique experience I had working at OEK was teaching a group of junior high school boys that had a set of triplets in the class. The one triplet had a severe anxiety problem and struggled both in school and at OEK, but the other boys in the class were supportive of him, and he was able to continue coming because it was a safe and fun environment for him, despite the fact that he still struggled to attend regular lessons at school. It was nice to see the triplet's mom focus not just on getting good test marks, but on making her sons' English lesson a positive experience.
Speaking of caring, another unique experience I had was after the earthquake in 2011, after I had already left OEK. When the school wasn't able to get two teachers to replace Brian and Suzy, a succession of old teachers came back to help: Jo, Ken and myself. Old teachers from way back in the day emailed Jayne asking about how they could help from afar (ask her about it, she said some Australian teachers were very supportive of OEK's difficulties at that time). Plus Josh came from Tokyo to help out as well and ended up moving to Shimizu for two years to work at OEK. I think that's really indicative of what kind of community that OEK has and the type of people it attracts. It was really nice to see people step up and care a lot about the school, and doing what they could to help it out in a difficult time.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
In Shimizu and Shizuoka, I really like the variety of festivals and events that are held throughout the year. Between Kappore, Daidogei, Shizuoka Cannes, Abekawa Hanabi and others, there is always something interesting and lovely happening in and around the city.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
If I could do something over, I would take advantage of all the free or cheap language classes in the area, and make more of an effort with studying Japanese. I would also try to learn japanese in other ways, for example, by taking a cooking class or music lesson.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
And for something that I learned from working at OEK ... I guess I learned that because your group of coworkers is so small, everyone needs to pull their weight for the team. Being good about making deadlines, cleaning up, being time efficient and producing good materials, resources, etc. goes a long way with helping all teachers and staff work happily and efficiently. It really is a team effort, keeping the school running. You end up caring a lot about it!
See you guys soon!~ Kim
KEN
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What did you like about working at OEK?
I loved the school’s free spirited nature, the garden and the community vibe of it. It really allowed you to develop your own teaching style and gave you a bit of a mirror to your weaknesses as a teacher. But, it was the students that I enjoyed the most. Being friends with the parents, having great students, both adults, teens and children, and being able to decide the events that we hosted bonded us and really made me feel at home in Shimizu. It made teaching not even seem like a job at times, especially with our adult izakaya lessons.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
When I left Japan the first time, the outpouring of support from everyone at the school, staff, students and friends really overwhelmed me. But, it wasn’t until I got to the kindergarten that we taught at that I really broke down. I went to say goodbye to the kids and every single class came to yell goodbye to me. Let me tell you, if saying goodbye to all of the wonderful people you made your friends and family over the last 2 years wasn’t enough to make you cry already, 200 chubby cheeked Japanese 3, 4, 5 and 6-year-olds stopping their classes, running out, giving you high fives and screaming goodbye does.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
Mt. Fuji! Just being so close to her is amazing and knowing that you get to see her almost every day when some people come to Japan and never get to see her because she’s shrouded in clouds. And also knowing that I climbed to the top is pretty rewarding.
You have mountains to hike around the city and Miho beach is a great place to go to clear your mind and look at the ocean. I’ve never lived that close to an ocean before, so it was always amusing and inspiring to go down to the water, stick my feet in it and smell the air.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
I kept saying that I would join a taiko class, but the time sped away and I never did. I also wanted to join diving and never did. I think the main thing is to make an activity part of your schedule right at the beginning to get engrained in your schedule, especially if you want to study Japanese. Don’t wait to get accustomed to your schedule and then add something; you may never end up joining.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
The personal growth of me as a teacher and as a co-worker and as a person was invaluable. I truly learned how to deal with conflict resolution, how to keep your promises and pull your weight, how to prioritize and plan and how to always try to keep a positive spirit. I can’t emphasize enough how working with such a small staff really required every person to be attentive both emotionally, and in a professional stance, for both your co-workers and your students. And most importantly, the fact that we all cared for and respected each other and always tried to have a good laugh really carried over into my work ethic at subsequent jobs.
I loved the school’s free spirited nature, the garden and the community vibe of it. It really allowed you to develop your own teaching style and gave you a bit of a mirror to your weaknesses as a teacher. But, it was the students that I enjoyed the most. Being friends with the parents, having great students, both adults, teens and children, and being able to decide the events that we hosted bonded us and really made me feel at home in Shimizu. It made teaching not even seem like a job at times, especially with our adult izakaya lessons.
What was one unique experience that you had while working at OEK?
When I left Japan the first time, the outpouring of support from everyone at the school, staff, students and friends really overwhelmed me. But, it wasn’t until I got to the kindergarten that we taught at that I really broke down. I went to say goodbye to the kids and every single class came to yell goodbye to me. Let me tell you, if saying goodbye to all of the wonderful people you made your friends and family over the last 2 years wasn’t enough to make you cry already, 200 chubby cheeked Japanese 3, 4, 5 and 6-year-olds stopping their classes, running out, giving you high fives and screaming goodbye does.
What is something that you love about Shimizu and the Shizuoka Area?
Mt. Fuji! Just being so close to her is amazing and knowing that you get to see her almost every day when some people come to Japan and never get to see her because she’s shrouded in clouds. And also knowing that I climbed to the top is pretty rewarding.
You have mountains to hike around the city and Miho beach is a great place to go to clear your mind and look at the ocean. I’ve never lived that close to an ocean before, so it was always amusing and inspiring to go down to the water, stick my feet in it and smell the air.
What is one thing that you wish you could have done in Shizuoka or would do again if you had the chance?
I kept saying that I would join a taiko class, but the time sped away and I never did. I also wanted to join diving and never did. I think the main thing is to make an activity part of your schedule right at the beginning to get engrained in your schedule, especially if you want to study Japanese. Don’t wait to get accustomed to your schedule and then add something; you may never end up joining.
What did you learn from working at OEK?
The personal growth of me as a teacher and as a co-worker and as a person was invaluable. I truly learned how to deal with conflict resolution, how to keep your promises and pull your weight, how to prioritize and plan and how to always try to keep a positive spirit. I can’t emphasize enough how working with such a small staff really required every person to be attentive both emotionally, and in a professional stance, for both your co-workers and your students. And most importantly, the fact that we all cared for and respected each other and always tried to have a good laugh really carried over into my work ethic at subsequent jobs.
