The Tokyo Association of International Preschools (TAIP) is an organization of schools, teachers and services that aim to serve the needs of the early childhood education community in Japan.
They have more than fifty member schools ranging in size from small to the biggest in the country and offer a variety of professional development and publicity opportunities.
If you want to teach in better schools that pay more and care about their staff, you really need to connect with other teachers and schools. That’s how you build a reputation so your resume says “teacher” not just “foreigner”. TAIP has regular events on professional development throughout the year so you can learn more about being a teacher and improve your classroom skills. Speakers from the local community and presenters brought in from overseas do workshops that will make you better at your job.
Everything from international school teachers to administrators and directors are involved in the organization and attend many of our events. International schools are a great career avenue for you if you want to stay in Japan in the long term (more pay, more flexibility).
Why become a member?
1. Expand your network with like-minded professionals – developing professional relationships in your industry is a great way to grow, share ideas and be apart of something bigger than just your school.
2. Learn new skills and gain valuable professional experience – take advantage of professional development opportunities. Find (or become) a mentor to help yourself and others grow as professional educators. Benchmark and bounce ideas off of other members as we all work together for a common goal.
3. Learn about professional development opportunities – being part of TAIP is being part of a close and helpful community. No only will you find out about, and participate in, the latest professional development opportunities, you may just find your next job through the network that you have made at TAIP.
4. Give your reputation a lift and differentiate yourself – whether you are a member or in a leadership role, showing peers, employers, and parents that you are a member of TAIP shows that you are serious about your profession.
5. Fun! – we have social gatherings as well. Sometimes it is difficult to make friends if you are working for a small school, live in a rural area, or just arrived in Japan. TAIP members are mainly teachers which makes us naturally social people that love to have a good time.
If you want to find out more or join TAIP, take a look here.
Peter Lackner is the Managing Partner at JobsinJapan.com and has had management-level positions at major job boards in Japan including: CareerCross.com, GaijinPot, CareerEngine and currently the managing partner at JobsinJapan.com.
Running a job board gives Peter the opportunity to speak with employers and job seekers every day and find out why some are successful and others are not. Speaking to both employers and job seekers has given Peter the ability to be able to see both sides of the hiring process. This is why JobsinJapan.com exists - to help job seekers find the jobs they want and employers to find the candidates they need.
Peter is active in the ETJ (English Teachers in Japan organization), a member of JALT’s School Owners SIG and currently on the Executive Board of the Tokyo Association of International Preschools.
You can often find Peter speaking to groups on how to get a new or better job, and to employers on how to avoid making a bad hire.
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