Comments on: Gaba http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/ Teach.3Yen.com - Being a Teacher in Japan Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:06:44 +0200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Mike http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-18473 Mike Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:02:57 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-18473 GABA is the same as other eikaiwa schools, I worked at GABA for 3 years. It was not very fun, but more professional than other eikaiwa schools. Also, You can pick your own schedule, so if you get sick of working a lot, you can cut back your hours or take a few days off. Try doing that at other eikawas. For a year or so, it ain't that bad, especially if you want a flexible schedule, i.e. young and no family. GABA is the same as other eikaiwa schools, I worked at GABA for 3 years. It was not very fun, but more professional than other eikaiwa schools. Also, You can pick your own schedule, so if you get sick of working a lot, you can cut back your hours or take a few days off. Try doing that at other eikawas. For a year or so, it ain’t that bad, especially if you want a flexible schedule, i.e. young and no family.

]]> By: Elbow http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-16145 Elbow Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:38:18 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-16145 Going to start this week, so am hoping to make some cash and have a laugh....... 350,000 a month, that sounds like bollocks to me..... Going to start this week, so am hoping to make some cash and have a laugh…….

350,000 a month, that sounds like bollocks to me…..

]]> By: RighSaidFred http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-14867 RighSaidFred Wed, 21 May 2008 00:03:26 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-14867 YOU SAID - I can’t find any examples of where Gaba do things illegally (like may eikaiwa have done in the sub-clauses of their contracts). I might be wrong on this count so please comment and correct me if you know something I don’t. It’s because you are a contractor, and not an employee, so Gaba have a lot of leeway. This is totally illegally and this is why GABA has made financial settlements to teachers who threatened to get a union involved. YOU SAID – I can’t find any examples of where Gaba do things illegally (like may eikaiwa have done in the sub-clauses of their contracts). I might be wrong on this count so please comment and correct me if you know something I don’t. It’s because you are a contractor, and not an employee, so Gaba have a lot of leeway.

This is totally illegally and this is why GABA has made financial settlements to teachers who threatened to get a union involved.

]]> By: Josh http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-14205 Josh Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:57:21 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-14205 As a previous employee I can halfheartedly agree. While making a lot of money is definitley a MUST in Tokyo I actually enjoyed my time working at GABA and managed to get along with almost all the staff there. Your rights are limited as mentioned above however if you do a good enough job then you will be offered better positions and yes dare I say, sponsorship to stay in Japan longer (Yes it is possible! If you talk to and get along with the right people). In response to the poor pay in contrast to prep debate. Come on, the textbooks are very easy to work through and it takes less than a month to memorise most of the material of the general textbooks. While GABA would like you to play by the book you're still not restricted toadd your only personality to the lessons to make them enjoyable. Well, as you can see I liked GABA. The pay is crap, I didnt get any compensation for transport and it was a nightmare to figure out how to get my tax return (even with a fairly fluent level of spoken Japanese). But I could chose my own work hours and was always offered options to climb the corporate ladder. If I didnt wanna work a month I didnt have to. There's freedom in that which I've never had in any other job. As a previous employee I can halfheartedly agree. While making a lot of money is definitley a MUST in Tokyo I actually enjoyed my time working at GABA and managed to get along with almost all the staff there.

Your rights are limited as mentioned above however if you do a good enough job then you will be offered better positions and yes dare I say, sponsorship to stay in Japan longer (Yes it is possible! If you talk to and get along with the right people).

In response to the poor pay in contrast to prep debate. Come on, the textbooks are very easy to work through and it takes less than a month to memorise most of the material of the general textbooks. While GABA would like you to play by the book you’re still not restricted toadd your only personality to the lessons to make them enjoyable.

Well, as you can see I liked GABA. The pay is crap, I didnt get any compensation for transport and it was a nightmare to figure out how to get my tax return (even with a fairly fluent level of spoken Japanese). But I could chose my own work hours and was always offered options to climb the corporate ladder. If I didnt wanna work a month I didnt have to. There’s freedom in that which I’ve never had in any other job.

]]> By: manky http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-13861 manky Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:34:03 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-13861 Gaba was a good experience for me. The pay is not good, I have to agree. But if you factor in commuting costs and the time one needs in order to find your own students, the pay is actually reasonable. It's brainless work and it only takes 5 minutes to plan a lesson. I worked in the Nagoya Sakae branch and the people were really friendly there, but I've heard that the Tokyo branches are a lot more competitive. The staff at my branch were really good and supportive and the students were wonderful. By the way, it's 1400 yen per lesson, which is 40 minutes. Gaba was a good experience for me. The pay is not good, I have to agree. But if you factor in commuting costs and the time one needs in order to find your own students, the pay is actually reasonable. It’s brainless work and it only takes 5 minutes to plan a lesson. I worked in the Nagoya Sakae branch and the people were really friendly there, but I’ve heard that the Tokyo branches are a lot more competitive. The staff at my branch were really good and supportive and the students were wonderful. By the way, it’s 1400 yen per lesson, which is 40 minutes.

]]> By: Alita http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-13770 Alita Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:48:15 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-13770 It's not true that they only hire from within Japan. They've been hounding me since about november when I first thought to express initial interest in them, and now won't get the point. I think I need to just give the a straight out but polite answer that I cannot agree to a contract which doesn't provide housing and transportation assistance. It’s not true that they only hire from within Japan. They’ve been hounding me since about november when I first thought to express initial interest in them, and now won’t get the point. I think I need to just give the a straight out but polite answer that I cannot agree to a contract which doesn’t provide housing and transportation assistance.

]]> By: happakun http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-10143 happakun Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:48:00 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-10143 What position did you take to get paid 350,000? What position did you take to get paid 350,000?

]]> By: todd http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-7438 todd Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:56:13 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-7438 im about to recieve a position at gaba as an instructor and these comments are hardly what i was looking for... i was attracted to gaba because they are one of the few places that will hire your without a degree and its 1 on 1, are there any others that fit the bill here, maybe im taking the wrong path... im about to recieve a position at gaba as an instructor and these comments are hardly what i was looking for… i was attracted to gaba because they are one of the few places that will hire your without a degree and its 1 on 1, are there any others that fit the bill here, maybe im taking the wrong path…

]]> By: gaijingurl http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-5328 gaijingurl Sat, 17 Mar 2007 12:28:33 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-5328 i worked monday to friday from 8:30 to 7. I got paid 350,000 p/m at gaba. it was easy money. i worked monday to friday from 8:30 to 7. I got paid 350,000 p/m at gaba. it was easy money.

]]> By: BewareGaba http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/comment-page-1/#comment-3589 BewareGaba Thu, 09 Nov 2006 01:51:10 +0000 http://teach.3yen.com/2006-05-17/gaba/#comment-3589 As a current and soon to be leaving Gaba instructor I can only concur with the first comment. For people venturing into the field..don`t waste your time. Aside of the low wage, zero transport fee and zero help on anything...you are classified as a `Gaba partner`. Not a REAL employee. You do an itaku contract so they can abuse your rights without you being a REAL employee. But you still need to act like it. One more thing; they will tell many good things about bonuses and incentives. Most of these are well out of reach. Forget about it. yknife As a current and soon to be leaving Gaba instructor I can only concur with the first comment. For people venturing into the field..don`t waste your time. Aside of the low wage, zero transport fee and zero help on anything…you are classified as a `Gaba partner`. Not a REAL employee. You do an itaku contract so they can abuse your rights without you being a REAL employee. But you still need to act like it. One more thing; they will tell many good things about bonuses and incentives. Most of these are well out of reach. Forget about it.
yknife

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