Katoh School was the first school in Japan to implement an English immersion program in 1992. Beginning with 28 students we now have over 560 students Preschool through grade 12. Most of the students are Japanese nationals whose first language is Japanese.

The school has been at the forefront of English education and school innovation in Japan. It has been the center of numerous research studies, seminars, workshops and symposiums. The school has also be the recipient of numerous educational awards. It is also the first school in Japan to receive authorization from the International Baccalaureate (IB) for its Middle Years Program, and was the first (and only) Japanese national school to receive authorization for its IB Diploma Program.

The faculty is composed of Japanese nationals and approximately 32 foreign nationals from seven different countries.

Full time teachers must hold a college degree and a teacher certification / license (TESOL certificate or its equivalent without a valid teacher’s license does not meet this qualification).

Candidates must have at least two years of full-time teaching experience. Teachers come into our program with an average of eight or more years of prior teaching experience.

Katoh School seeks well-qualified, experienced teachers who have a professional approach and who are flexible, open minded, and willing to be part of a Japanese school community.

The school year begins in April but the school typically employs teachers from April or August.  Working hours are:

Teachers work approximately 20 (half-day) Saturdays a year at the junior /senior high program. (No Saturday classes at the kindergarten or elementary school.) There are a few special events that take place on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays or National Holidays for which compensatory time off is provided. Teachers are typically able to take a three and a half week summer break, and a two-week winter break. These vacation periods are composed of various Saturday substitution days and substituted workdays during the school year.  The school year is from April 1 to March 31.

Initial contracts are for two years and are renewable for one-year periods with mutual agreement by both the teacher and school. Contracts typically begin in either April or August each year. The school calendar is approximately 220 workdays a year.

The school provides a competitive salary and benefits package. Included with the salary is a relocation allowance, contract completion bonus, extra duty bonus, severance bonus, housing allowance, settling in allowance, health insurance, pension, and resigning bonus. The school also provides reduced tuition for children of employees.

All employees of Katoh School must take part in the Japanese Private School Association Health and Pension Program. The Health Program covers 70% of all medical expenses – including the doctor’s office visit, prescriptions, and routine dental care. Dependents receive 70% coverage of the above medical benefits. The employee pays approximately half of the monthly health & pension payments and the school contributes the other half. Employees must also pay national and local income taxes. A small teacher association fee is also deducted from the monthly salary. TOTAL monthly deductions (including income tax, health & pension payments, etc.) amount to approximately 22% - 25% of a teacher’s salary. Teachers may apply to have their pension payments refunded when they return to their home country. Most teachers seem to save between 15 - 25% of their salary and still live very comfortably.

We are a Japanese school with a Japanese national curriculum. Working within a foreign school setting it is important that teachers are flexible, patient, and open to other ways of doing things. An open mind and a relaxed attitude are important qualities of living in a foreign country and working in a Japanese school. You will need to bend somewhat in order to be effective here.

Extra time and effort is necessary for lesson preparation and coordination with other teaching partners. Your students will have limited English skills. Therefore, you must integrate foreign language teaching into your content instruction. This often requires more lesson preparation than teaching in an international school setting. Extra effort is also required to overcome possible language barriers between you and the Japanese staff. Remember that your students are all learning English as a FOREIGN language.

There are many meetings, some of which are done in Japanese. When possible these meeting are translated. We have weekly staff meetings as well as curriculum meetings, planning meetings, "debriefing" meetings to review & evaluate past school events and "study" meetings to explore educational issues related to the program.

There are many school events and many non-teaching responsibilities for teachers that require more of the teacher’s time and attention than in most full time teaching situations back home (see below). Because of the various responsibilities involved in being an immersion teacher and the challenges in adjusting to a new culture, the position is not for individuals that tire easily or have chronic health concerns.

Teachers are often asked to carry out duties that may not be expected of teachers in a western school setting. Depending on your assignment, some of these duties may include:

These are some of the things that prospective teachers need to be aware of before they consider teaching at Katoh School. Knowing these things up front will hopefully help teachers adjust to their new experience more quickly. Yet put in context, few of these things are overly burdensome for teachers who are... committed to learning about Japan and Japanese education, strongly believe in the "mission" and philosophy of the program, and want to be at the cutting edge of bilingual education in Japan. The potential for personal and professional growth is immense. It is a unique professional experience, unlike anything else back home or in Japan! We hope you will come to feel as proud of being a teacher and part of this exciting program as we do.

Applications are accepted throughout the year and personal interviews are generally required. Most interviewing takes place at the recruiting fairs or is set up on an individual basis. General employment inquiries are also accepted (be sure to include a copy of your resume).

The above information can be mailed or emailed.  Videotapes, CDs, DVD, iMovies, portfolios, awards, etc. may also be forwarded in support of candidate’s application.