OK, so here again comes the time when transitions occur. Below is a link to an article in the Japan Times online by a fellow English teacher in Japan. Though I don't know the author personally, I do know what the person is feeling.
Our status as "ALTs," "NETs," "Eikaiwa teachers," etc. is normally based on a yearly contract that starts in April and ends in March. The uncertainty of job security this kind of position provides is enough to keep even veteran teachers like myself a bit on edge since, as the author pointed out, we have families who depend on us. More permanent status or, at least, a gateway to such status would be ideal. Yet, politics as they are in Japan, be it locally or nationally, seem to prevent anything like this from happening.
I am very fortunate to have the job I have and I want to continue in it for some years if possible. The life I've made here with my family is golden, the opportunities for my daughter beyond imagination. That's why I'd like to continue. I've been told I can stay another year, but next year will present the same set of circumstances. All depends on how I handle them, I suppose. Maintaining positive foresight on all the available options will help me to decide the future of my family and my career path. The two are intertwined. Building more on the connections I've made and the trust I've engendered among students, colleagues and superiors will help to further create the job security I seek. In the end, it's all relative and I'll keep counting my blessings every day.
"A worrying period for all ALTs" - http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110308hn.html
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