Teacher Selection and Application Process
|
Student Exchange Selection Process & Criteria
Ketchikan, Alaska – Kanayama, Japan Two-to-Three Week Visit in June TEACHER APPLICATION CHECKLIST:
Please submit your application as soon as possible with the following: 1. Teacher Application 2. Four references, including one employer and three personal not related 3. Medical Information Form You will be paid by the Ketchikan school district for a 10-month contract (September-June). Kanayama provides a furnished apartment and vehicle to use while on the job, and medical insurance. Should you wish, school lunch is available at your cost. You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from Japan and any traveling you might do while in Japan. You must have a four-year college degree to obtain a Japanese work visa for this program. We ask that applicants have knowledge of the Ketchikan area and customs of the USA. Teaching experience and ability to work with children is desired but not required. Your Teaching Duties: Nursery school/kindergarten: You will do all the planning and teaching of lessons. There are approximately 15-35 children per class. Each nursery school will be visited once per month. 3rd and 6th grades: There is a curriculum you will follow, but you will be responsible for your lesson plans and teaching. Each school is visited once per week, possibly two classes per afternoon. Junior High: You will work with the two English teachers at the Junior High and will do whatever they think is important. There is little or no planning. Half of each day is spent at the Junior High. You may be asked to travel with the students on their annual school trip (usually a class ski trip and class trip to Tokyo). You will help prepare the Kanayama students for their trip to Ketchikan and you may be asked to help with the annual English speech contest. The Junior High has a dress code for teachers and students. Men will be expected to wear a shirt and tie and slacks to work, and a suit for graduation and other ceremonies. Women will be expected to wear a blouse and skirt, or nice slacks for work. You should bring something dressier for graduation and other ceremonies; black is a preferred color. You may be asked to meet with the superintendent once a week just to see how things are going. Adult Evening Classes: You will be asked to teach interested adults some English once a week in the evenings. Your lessons are entirely your responsibility. There is plenty of teaching materials from past years available to you. In addition to your teaching duties, you will have certain social responsibilities. These include parties with staff and students, where you may be expected to help pay; and, participating in community events. You will need to email the Exchange Board once a month about your experiences, and that you serve on the Exchange Board for a year upon return, if at all possible. Former Ketchikan teacher, Tony Hatano-Worrell, now lives in Kanayama and acts as a contact and liaison for the exchange program and teacher. |
|
EXCHANGE TEACHER from
KETCHIKAN to JAPAN Applying for your VISA to Japan After you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, you need to arrange an appointment with the Japanese Consulate in Anchorage (see information below).
You must apply in person for your visa. The Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage is the best place to do this; they know about our Exchange Program, and have been very helpful over the years, speeding the process for us and bending over backwards to help. (Note: Past exchange teachers have wondered about applying at the Consulate in Seattle, but at that office, you’re just another face in the crowd – they don’t know about Ketchikan’s Exchange with Kanayama and Gero, and have no reason to care. If anything goes wrong or you need any extra help, they likewise have no reason to do you any favors.) |
Applying for your VISA to Japan
WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE WITH YOU TO ANCHORAGE:
|