Teacher testimonials about working for Education Network and living in Japan
My time with Education Network was the most rewarding 2 and a half years of my life. After college I felt the desire to get back in touch with my Japanese heritage that had always seemed so distant as a 4th generation Japanese-American Los Angelino. I came to Japan almost immediately after graduation and in what seemed like a flash had already spent over a year and a half in Nagoya as an English teacher before I went home my first time.
The two sub-companies that make up Education Network, Kids International School and Kids English Club, are both incredibly well developed and well structured programs developed around the instructional concept of "Edu-tainment" an incredibly attractive and effective teaching method which is still very unique to the Japanese education system. Being an Ed-Net teacher meant singing songs, playing games, and building relationships with your students. A much more rewarding experience than those of my many friends who went to Japan with the J.E.T. Program.
For me personally, the most beneficial aspect of working for a company such as Education Network was the fact that I could be my own person. While the company has a set curriculum they would like their teachers to follow, I was able to incorporate my own strengths and personality traits into how I chose to teach each lesson. However, the creative freedom was just one of the things that made teaching for Education Network such a comfortable experience for me.
Another big factor was the Japanese Staff. Since most classes are taught with a Japanese Pair Teacher, compatibility is key, and the Japanese teachers at Education Network are some of the most supportive and encouraging people I have ever encountered. Working with them in class, on projects and during camps and events was always a very comfortable and enjoyable experience.
At the end of my 2 and a half years in Japan, all of which was spent as an Ed-Net employee, I'd have to say that they made my time in the "motherland" the unforgettable experience that it was. They were always there when I needed them, for both work and non-work related things, and they provided me with a good family-like base which kept things very comfortable. It is an experience that I would, and have, highly recommended to anyone that asks, and I am so grateful that I was fortunate enough to have been a part of Ed-net history.
-Kirk Iwasaki, United States of America (KEC, 2006-2009)
