retiring and teaching at 62 or 65

[Michael Savage]

I have a Master's degree in English and many years of teaching experience, from middle school through college. I am 60 years old, but intend to consider permanent residency if I can get an ESL English-teaching position in Japan. However, I have noted in some of the posts that foreigners over 40 are rarely hired as teachers. On the other hand, I feel that my experience teaching English to students from 10 to 80, my love of people and interacting with them, and my love of Japan should make my age less of an issue. I will also be eligible to draw U.S. Social Security and a private pension by the time I reach Japan, so the combination of my teaching income in Japan and my retirement benefits should make life very comfortable for me. These combined incomes should also help to reassure my employer that I will not disappear at the end of the year due to economic privation.

I love America and the principles upon which the nation was founded, but the Reagan era and the second Bush regime have driven this country so far to the right that the Bill of Rights has become almost null and void, with serious threats to freedom of speech, personal privacy, and other natural rights. As a passionate believer in the rights of men and women, in respect for racial and cultural equality and diversity, I feel more and more a stranger in my own land.

I know that the Abe administration may push Japan to the right as well, but I don't think that the Japanese electorate will tolerate extreme high-handedness on his part. The Japanese are much better educated and more politically savvy than Americans and would never tolerate a leader like George Bush.

I have made this digression into politics in order to emphasize that my coming to Japan will be a commitment not just to a teaching job but to a nation I deeply respect. What I have lost in youth I have made up for in commitment to my mission as a teacher and in my determination to offer as much of myself as possible, in and beyond the classroom, to the Japanese people.

Am I too old for any of this commitment and social passion to matter, in terms of employability? I am interested in your views.

[cool ice]

Hello Michael,

Read your post with interest. I agree with you on the politics of the US and what the Bush administration has done not only to the US but to the world. I was amazed to see however that the US kept Bush in for a 2nd term. Are Americans just dumb or scared of change?

To be honest with you, it will be tough to find a job teaching in Japan because of your age. Whilst you have many plusses, there are equally as many plusses with younger teachers. Had a friend many years ago try looking for English teaching work in Tokyo. He was also your age, but minus the experience in teaching. In the end, he just went back to America.

To have any chance of success, you would need to come to Japan and actively search. Forget the big schools, as they wont touch you. Best is to go to the rural schools or even teach corporate classes. Really, it's going to be tough - give yourself a full 6 months living in Japan and job seeking.

[ichini]

You can basically forget about teaching children. No school will employ you to teach children if you are a senior. Can you jump around, laugh lots, lay on the ground, hold hands with the children and spin in circles etc?

You need lots of energy to teach children. Even though you may say you have the energy, your age would really tell the truth.

Heck, some schools wont even tough teachers over the age of 35! Now this is what I call crazy.