As you read all of these posts by Smith’s School owner-teachers you cannot help but feel the passion we all have for what we do. We are much more than just teachers. We are full-fledged members of our communities. We attend a lot of local events and participate actively in our students’ lives in ways that are not normal for the average run-of-the-mill EIKAIWA teacher. Being school owners, we have a vested interest in our students’ success. That’s why we often go above and beyond to help our students with additional homework assignments, and assistance with their college papers etc.
We do all of this because we enjoy doing it. The Smith’s curriculum is very well thought out. It covers most of the areas that Japanese students have trouble mastering. It provides us with a lot of tools to help our students. But it is also open-ended enough to allow us to expand the lesson, especially with man-to-man (private) students to cover special areas that the student may need for their work or area of study. There are a lot of good English text books available that other schools use. They are all good, but the bottom line is “does the student actually assimilate the language that they learn and is he/she able to really use it”. This is the focus of the Smith’s curriculum. Give the students a lot of practice with the most important and useful verb forms and gradually raise their level so that they can really expand their ability to communicate and use more difficult vocabulary, phrases and idioms in a real life setting, all the while, keeping it fresh and enjoyable. I rarely have a lesson where we do not share a laugh and that shows that Smith’s is truly different. We make it fun for our students and we in turn have a great time teaching! What could be better?
So, for prospective students, give Smith’s a try. You will not be disappointed. For prospective teachers and school owners, Smith’s is a great opportunity for you. You are limited only by your own effort. If you can make the required effort, you can succeed. And you can have a great time while building up your school and helping your students to succeed. All the while knowing that you are your own boss. Again, what could be better than that? In a word, NOTHING!
I couldn’t agree more. Working at Smith’s has opened my eyes to the world of business which is something I would never had gotten at a regular school. Mark is always showing us how to improve our schools, our business and our futures. It’s always good to have someone who’s been there and done that.
Adrian
Al and Adrian,
I also never had any urge to enter the business world- I always wanted to be a teacher. But now I have doubled my options and love learning business from Mark and from the experience- hands on, thumbs up!
Edward, SSE Ohtsu
Edward,
I always heard that business is war and based on my experience in the electronics and automotive supply business, I can say that it truly is with heavy competition and lots of pressure to cut costs and get new contracts. However, the Smith’s business model is rather simple and it works! There are some slow times but in general we provide a service that is in demand at all times so it is great! Keep up the good work!
Al, SSE Okamoto