※日本語訳は英文に下にございます！

When we (family) finally decided to settle in Japan I quickly landed jobs as a part-time teacher with a few conversation schools and other companies. I found myself standing in front of a group of Sony/Hitachi/Nissan employees at 7:00pm who were very tired from working all day. Not a good situation for me or them.

Shortly after that, I joined a well-known English conversation school as a full-time teacher. Working for that company was mostly good as far as gaining experience and learning from other teachers. As time went on, I became one of those people training inexperienced teachers. I enjoyed that.

There were many rules, and one was “do not ever socialize with your students.” We were not permitted to even have a cup of coffee with them. I lasted 8 years at that company, then found Smith’s School of English.

Working with Smith’s School of English puts me in charge of my own English school here in Sagamihara. I can develop rapport and establish trust with my students in my own way. Students can talk freely, and so can I. Once there is trust, the REAL learning begins. Real stories come out in conversation. I’m happy to share stories about me or my family, and many students eventually do the same.

One evening a student brought his new family to my classroom without me knowing beforehand.  He was happy to be a new husband and father.  He knew I would be happy to meet them, because of our trust in each other. And indeed I was very happy to meet his wife and beautiful boy. Real conversation happened! Such a thing would have gotten me in big trouble while working in “that other company.” Not Smith’s. Not my school. I love it.

私たち家族が日本に落ち着こうと決めた時、私はいくつかの英会話スクールや企業の英会話講師の仕事をパートタイムで見つけました。ソニー、日立、日産といった企業の、1日中働いて疲れている従業員のグループに夜7時に英語を教えるというものでした。お互いにとって英語を学ぶためには良い環境とは言えません。

それからすぐ、大手の英会話スクールにフルタイム講師として就職しました。経験を積んで他の講師から学ぶことができて、そこでの仕事は良かったです。時間が経つにつれて、未経験の講師をトレーニングする立場になりました。それは楽しかったです。