ITP - 47: First Year International Teacher in Japan

Greg: Hey, welcome to the International Teacher Podcast. I'm Kent, the cat guy, and with me today is Greg, the single guy. We're still missing Matt, the family guy, but we've got a special guest. Today, his name is Jeff, and he's coming from the American School in Japan.

Greg: Help me, Greg the single guy, give a warm welcome to our special guest, Jeff.

Kent: Woo! Welcome, Jeff.

Greg: Welcome, Jeff. So Jeff, tell us a little bit about your education journey, starting when you became a new teacher until you decided to move overseas.

Jeff: Sure. So I was born and raised in Philadelphia and spent many years there. I went to university there and got my teaching credential in music education with a jazz piano concentration.

Right out of college, I started teaching at a Quaker school in Philadelphia. I taught middle school and high school music—general music, jazz band—and did some advising work. I also did some baseball coaching in the middle school.

I was there eight years, and after those eight years, I decided I wanted to do something different. While I was teaching there, I also did my master’s part-time at the same place where I did my undergrad.

Then I decided to leave that job and go do a PhD in music education. I became a teaching assistant, and that was back in 2019. I got about a semester and a half in before COVID hit, and then I spent the next two years basically online doing the degree.

I’m still not done, but I’m close enough that I started looking for another K–12 teaching job. That’s what brought me into the international circuit, which is where I am now.

Greg: So Jeff, can you dial back a little bit and tell us how you found the job? I know we communicated about a year and a half ago on ITP, and you had been listening to us in our early days. Tell us a little bit about how you found your current job.

Jeff: Yeah, so it happened in a lot of different ways. I knew I wanted to do something different, and my wife and I had always talked about living somewhere other than Philadelphia and outside the United States.

I had heard about international teaching—I honestly don’t remember the first time. It wasn’t this podcast, sorry to say. But someone mentioned it, and I thought, oh, that’s interesting. I get to teach in a school in another country, in English, and live abroad.

So I started doing research, asking people questions, and setting up Zoom calls because we were in the middle of the pandemic. I talked to lots of people, and they kept telling me what I needed to do—use agencies like Search Associates, ISS, TIE Online, TES, and all of that.

I started taking notes and figuring it all out. Then I came across a podcast that was very informative—it was this one. I started trying to picture myself abroad.

After I figured everything out, I signed up for the agencies. It was really a two-year process because I was in this PhD program and hoping to finish before we moved, but that didn’t happen.

So we applied anyway. I set up my Search Associates profile, which took a lot of work, ISS took less work, and some others even less. I also signed up for Carney Sandoe, which is more for independent schools in the United States but also a bit abroad.

I just put my name out there everywhere. Job postings would pop up on dashboards, and I would apply. Music jobs aren’t that common, so I applied whenever I could.

Greg: So Jeff, tell us a little bit about how your wife fits into the puzzle of finding a job, whether she’s a teacher or not.

Jeff: Yeah, she’s not a teacher, but she works in schools. Her career has been in fundraising—annual giving and advancement work. She was also looking for jobs, but those are even fewer than music teaching jobs.

Some schools have them, but finding two jobs that matched what we wanted was challenging. So currently, she is not working here in Japan.

Greg: How old are your kids, Jeff?

Jeff: Twenty-one months and four years old.

Greg: So they’re young. When you were back in the States and decided to apply internationally, what was that conversation like with your wife when you brought up going overseas?

Jeff: I think we were on the same page from the very beginning. Especially with our kids being so young, it had to be the right decision for all of us.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Cuba over the years, and my wife lived abroad in Spain for about six months back in college. We’ve done some other traveling too.

We’ve always wanted to see the world and experience it, so it was a no-brainer when we realized we could take our kids and give them those experiences.

Greg: So where did you end up going for your job fair? Did you go to Search Associates?

Jeff: I didn’t really go to any job fairs, mostly because of COVID. I did attend one virtual fair through ISS, but it’s not the same as going in person.

Nothing really came from that. I think I interviewed with one school, but it didn’t pan out.

Mostly, I just used Search Associates. I would log in, see job postings, and if something looked like a good fit, I’d apply.

Greg: All right, go for it, Kent. I know you’ve got a question.

Kent: So how did you hook up with your current school if you didn’t meet them at a fair? Where did you reach out to them?

Jeff: It was on Search Associates. One day it was the new job of the day—a middle school and high school band teacher at the American School in Japan in Tokyo.

To be honest, Asia wasn’t on our radar at first, mostly because of the distance. It’s a 12-plus hour flight from Philadelphia, and not even direct—we’d have to fly through New York.

We were thinking more about places that were closer, like Europe. But we looked at the job, the school, and Japan in general, and thought, why not apply? You never know.

I ended up hearing back and going through the interview process, which was quite a ride.

Greg: Can I just jump in and say it’s adorable that you thought a 10- to 12-hour flight was far? Welcome to international teaching.

Kent: I just got off my bike—my back. Can you talk anymore?

Greg: My brother and father came for Christmas from Miami. It was a 14-hour flight to Dubai, then another four-and-a-half hours to the Maldives.

So it’s adorable that we have a new international teacher with us. Welcome to the land of 12- and 14-hour flights.

Kent: I think I have the winner—Dubai to Seattle is between 15 and 16 hours.

Greg: Sixteen hours with Kent on a plane. Can you imagine that?

Jeff: I will say, though, once we did the flight—it was our first time—my younger son slept for 10 of the 12 hours, which was our biggest concern.

We flew at night, so it worked out. We left around 7 p.m. from New York, and it basically aligned with bedtime. The kids were fantastic.

Greg: So you’re actually ahead of us right now by quite a bit. What’s the time difference?

Jeff: It’s about 14 hours ahead right now. It’s almost 9 p.m. here, so it’s around 7 a.m. back in the States.

When I was interviewing, my interviews were in the evening in Philadelphia, which was daytime in Japan. My first interview was at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. My family was asleep, and I was at the kitchen table in a suit.

My second round was over Thanksgiving. We were in upstate New York in the mountains, and I was using the manager’s office at a small place because our room was too small.

I remember doing another interview at something like 3:30 in the morning, wearing a dress shirt on top and pajamas on the bottom, hoping I wouldn’t have to stand up.

Greg: You even put on nice shoes, I bet.

Jeff: I think I did, actually.

Greg: You mentioned fairs were disrupted because of COVID. What about entry into Japan?

Jeff: We were lucky. By the time we traveled, all we had to do was show a negative COVID test.

Earlier, you had to test again on arrival and quarantine, but those restrictions had eased. By July, it was just the pre-departure test.

COVID is still different here, though. We’re still wearing masks, and there are protocols that aren’t in place in the States anymore.

Greg: This is your first overseas assignment. After you signed the contract, what was communication like with your school?

Jeff: It was a long process. I signed in December and didn’t fly until the end of July.

There was a lot of back-and-forth with the school. They were fantastic—helping with paperwork, housing, and everything else—but it took time.

There were lots of videos of houses, pictures, and discussions about what would work. I think the hardest part was the waiting—six months of imagining what everything would be like.

Then there was preparing to move. We had a house, two cars, and a lot of stuff. We sold the house, sold the cars, sold or stored a lot of things in family basements, and shipped what we needed.

It was stressful deciding what to bring and what not to bring. There were big spreadsheets and lots of steps. It was a long lead-up, but it was worth it.

Greg: How long did it take for your stuff to arrive in Japan?

Jeff: We chose air shipment instead of sea shipment, which meant we brought less but got it faster.

Everything left around July 10, we flew out on the 26th, and we got our shipment around the third week of August. So it was just a couple of weeks without our things.

Most of what we shipped was kitchen stuff, clothing, and kids’ items like toys. It was nice when it finally arrived.

Greg: Did any of your appliances work in Japan?

Jeff: No. We could have used converters, but we decided to buy everything new.

The only thing we brought was a TV because we were told they were more expensive in Japan and would be in Japanese. That worked out, but everything else we bought here.

Greg: Let’s talk about Japan. I have this romantic vision of landing in Tokyo where everything is small—your apartment, your bowl of rice, everything. And Godzilla.

Jeff: Some of that is true. I haven’t seen Godzilla much, though.

Things are smaller. At the grocery store, for example, everything is in smaller portions compared to the States.

Downtown Tokyo is very dense—small apartments, lots of people, limited space. Space is definitely a factor.

But once you get outside the main city areas, it’s different. We live in a more suburban area about 30 minutes by train from downtown, so we have more space.

Greg: So housing—did your school provide a stipend or housing?

Jeff: We get a housing stipend and can choose how to use it. The school provided options, and we picked what we liked within the budget.

They handled the paperwork and helped us find places. Pre-COVID, they would take you around in person, but for us, it was all remote—videos, pictures, and emails.

We picked our place before arriving. When we got here, we stayed in a hotel for a few days while the house was prepared—getting a fridge, furniture, and so on.

In Japan, rentals often don’t come with appliances, lights, or even air conditioning, so there was a lot to set up.

Greg: That’s all part of the fun—arriving in a new culture, staying in a hotel with kids, and trying to get everything sorted.

Greg: Every school is very different, but your school, the American School in Japan, is very well established. It’s been there for a long time. It’s probably about 2,000 students, or is it a little bit less?

Jeff: That’s a good question. I think it’s less than 2,000.

Greg: Yeah, just a detail. What is well established is that they have a strong intake process for new teachers. Not every school is like that. I’m glad to hear ASIJ does that for you because most of the higher-end schools we talk about—the ones everyone wants to get into—take care of their employees when they arrive.

They have different options, whether it’s a stipend, a hotel, or housing they’ve already planned. There are many different permutations of arrival, and it’s exciting to hear that.

Kent: Have you heard of ASIJ before?

Greg: I think it’s over 100 years old.

Kent: I did see a picture of Jim Harbaugh on the website, or at least someone who looked like him. Do you have sports there?

Jeff: Yes, we do. We have football, wrestling, baseball, basketball—pretty much everything.

Kent: I can understand basketball and baseball in Japan, but what about American football?

Jeff: Yes, when I said football, I meant American football. We also have soccer. I think we play some other international schools and possibly some base schools, but I’m not 100% sure.

Greg: So are you the band director?

Jeff: I’m one of three band directors.

Greg: How do you divide that up?

Jeff: We have sixth, seventh, and eighth grade band, then two bands in high school—a concert band and a wind ensemble—and a high school jazz band.

We also have an orchestra program and a choral program from grades six through twelve. In total, there are five music teachers covering everything, plus electives.

Greg: Which ones do you work with?

Jeff: I co-teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade band. Sixth grade is beginning band, and we have about 81 students starting out, so it’s very hands-on.

I also direct the high school jazz band and teach a guitar elective for students with little or no experience.

Greg: We’ll take a moment’s break now to remind you how to reach out to us.

You can address any negative comments to Kent, the cat guy. We’d love to hear from you. We’re on Instagram and Twitter at ITPexpats. You can also email us at [internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com) or visit our website at itpexpat.com.

Greg: You know Kent and I are both musicians. Kent is a flautist, and I played saxophone in high school and a bit in college.

We actually had one of the best jazz bands in the Middle East just before COVID. I hadn’t played sax for 30 years, but we got together and played again.

Kent: You sounded great.

Greg: We even played one of the first outdoor concerts in our region after restrictions lifted.

We should connect you with Chris Coleman from episode 42—he works with international teachers and music.

Jeff: That would be great.

Greg: You’re still in your first year overseas, right?

Jeff: Yes, still in my first year.

Greg: Tell us about adjusting to teaching overseas.

Jeff: It was challenging at first. I had been at my previous school for eight years, so I knew everything—the people, the processes, the students.

Coming into ASIJ, even though everyone was welcoming, it was a steep learning curve. Learning names—students, faculty, staff—especially with masks, was difficult.

Figuring out who to talk to for what, where everything is, how systems work—it’s all the little things at once.

I still don’t really know how to use the phone in my office.

Greg: Those are the things that hit you all at once.

Jeff: Exactly. One thing that threw me off was security. At my old school, I locked everything up—my laptop, my room.

Here, people don’t do that. Japan is very safe, and people are very trustworthy. It took time to get used to leaving things out and trusting they’d still be there.

Greg: Let’s talk about the kids. Are they different?

Jeff: Honestly, kids are kids. The main difference is their backgrounds.

I have students with American passports, Japanese passports, EU passports—very diverse. But in terms of teaching and interacting with them, they’re very similar.

Greg: I agree. Around the world, kids are kids. The only major difference I’ve noticed is the level of respect from students and parents, which feels different from what I hear about in the States.

Kent: I’ve taught students with 16 different passports in one class. Same level of boredom after 10 minutes.

Greg: What’s the balance of students at your school?

Jeff: It’s a mix. There are many students from Japanese backgrounds, but it’s quite diverse overall.

Greg: As a specialist, you see a lot of students. That can be tough.

Jeff: It can be, but I’m lucky. I see students every other day for over an hour, so I do get to know them well.

They still surprise me, though, with where they’ve lived or their backgrounds.

Greg: Welcome to international teaching. That diversity is one of the best parts.

Do you work long hours?

Jeff: Every teacher is expected to do an activity or sport. I’ll be coaching middle school baseball and helping with the Asian Student Club.

In terms of work-life balance, I usually arrive around 7:30, school starts at 8:00, and ends at 3:00.

Some days I leave right after, especially to pick up my kids. Other days I stay later or take work home, like during report cards.

The school encourages balance—no expectation to be there all day or sending emails late at night unless necessary.

Greg: You’re on the American schedule, right?

Jeff: Yes, we start in late August and end in early June, with breaks throughout the year.

Greg: Did you travel over the holidays?

Jeff: We stayed in Japan. We went to Ishigaki Island south of Okinawa for about a week. It was beautiful—some rain at first, then great weather.

We also spent time in Tokyo exploring the city.

Greg: That’s a different kind of holiday than back home.

Jeff: Definitely. We want to make the most of being here, but also balance that with normal home life.

Even taking a train 30 minutes into the city can feel like an adventure.

Greg: What still amazes you day to day?

Jeff: I love teaching, so working with students—from beginners to advanced jazz band—keeps me excited.

Outside of that, it’s the little things. Noticing something new on my commute, discovering something different in a store, or hearing my kids say something in Japanese.

They’re in an English-speaking preschool but surrounded by Japanese culture, so they’re picking it up naturally.

Greg: Have you learned any Japanese?

Jeff: A little. My kids are probably ahead of me. I know basic phrases like hello, good morning, thank you, and a few others.

My wife is taking lessons, so I’m picking things up from her too.

Greg: That’s great. It really enhances the experience.

Are you immersed in Japanese outside of school?

Jeff: Yes, completely. Once you leave school, most things are in Japanese, and many people don’t speak English.

It can be challenging, but also rewarding when you connect with someone who does speak English unexpectedly.

Greg: That immersion makes a big difference.

Any cop stories yet?

Jeff: None so far.

Greg: Any bureaucracy stories?

Jeff: Yes, definitely. Setting up a bank account took time. Then to add a payment account, I had to request a security token by mail.

I thought it would be a one-time code, but it turned out to be a physical device that generates codes.

Greg: Like a spy gadget.

Jeff: Exactly. It’s kind of cool, but the process to get there is long.

Kent: Do you have a stamp with your name on it?

Jeff: Yes, I had to get one to buy a car. You have to register it with the city and get certification to use it.

Greg: What are you looking forward to next?

Jeff: The second semester—seeing students perform in concerts and festivals.

Also warmer weather and exploring more of Japan.

I feel like I understand the school better now, so I’m excited to build on that.

We’re also planning to go back home in June. I used to play in a Cuban band, and I’m hoping to perform with them again while I’m back.

Greg: That’s fantastic. What’s the band called?

Jeff: Conjunto Philadelphia.

Greg: We’d love to share any recordings from your concerts.

Jeff: Absolutely.

Greg: Will you come back on the show?

Jeff: I’d love to. It’s been great being here. I’ve listened to every episode, and you’ve been part of my journey into international teaching.

Greg: Any final thoughts?

Jeff: If you’re considering international teaching, it’s worth it. It’s a big process, but it leads to an incredible experience.

Some days are hard, but most of the time it’s magical. It’s a chance to see the world and grow in ways you wouldn’t otherwise.

Greg: We’d like to thank our guest, Jeff Torchon from the American School in Japan.

Kent: Thanks for joining us.

Jeff: Thank you.

Greg: Every school is very different, but your school, the American School in Japan, is very well established. It’s been there for a long time. It’s probably about 2,000 students, or is it a little bit less?

Jeff: Well, that’s a good question. I think it’s less than 2,000.

Greg: Yeah, it’s just a detail. What is well established is that they have an intake when new teachers come in. They have it really well established to make you feel welcome when you first arrive. Not every school is like that.

I’m glad to hear that ASIJ does that for you because most of the upper-crust schools—the higher-end schools we like to talk about and that everyone wants to get into—are the ones that take care of their employees as they arrive.

They have different options, whether it’s a stipend, a hotel, or housing they’ve already planned out for you. There are many different permutations of arrivals, and it’s exciting to hear that.

I know your school is very well established, and I’m happy that you landed your first job at such a well-established school with a great package.

Kent: Have you heard of ASIJ before?

Greg: Kent, I think it’s over 100 years old, and I know some of the famous graduates. We’ll talk about that a little bit later.

Kent: I did have a question though. I looked at the website earlier, and there was a picture of Jim Harbaugh on the website, or at least someone who looks like him. I don’t think he ever went to the American School in Japan. I don’t know why they have him.

Do you have sports? Is there like an American sports program at your school?

Jeff: Yes, we do. We have a football team, wrestling, baseball, basketball—we’ve got it all.

Kent: I can understand basketball and baseball, big sports that exist in Japan, but what about American-style football? Is that popular?

Jeff: Yes. When I said football, I did mean American football. There’s also soccer. I’m trying to think of the schools that we play, and I think a few of them are base schools, military base schools, and then some of the other international schools in Tokyo. I’m not 100% sure, but yeah, we do have a football program.

Greg: So are you the band director?

Jeff: I’m one of three band directors.

Greg: Do you take a certain grade level? How do you divide that duty?

Jeff: We have sixth grade band, seventh grade band, and eighth grade band. Then two bands in the high school—a concert band and a wind ensemble—and then a high school jazz band.

We also have an orchestra program, grades six through twelve, and a choral program, grades six through twelve. So in total, five music teachers teaching all of those programs, plus some electives.

Greg: Which programs do you work with?

Jeff: Right now, I co-teach sixth grade with the two other band teachers because that’s beginning band. We have about 81 students this year all starting out, so it’s a lot of hands-on work to get them going on their instruments.

Then I co-teach seventh grade band and eighth grade band as well. I also direct the high school jazz band by myself and teach a guitar elective in the high school for students who have never taken guitar or have a little bit of experience.

Greg: We’ll take a moment’s break now to remind you how to reach out to us. Of course, you can address any negative comments to Kent, the cat guy. We do love to hear from you.

If you’re on Instagram or Twitter, our handle is @ITPexpats. If you want to, you can send us an email at [internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com), or you can visit us at our website at itpexpat.com.

Greg: You know that Kent and I are both musicians at heart and out in public too. Kent is a flautist, I believe, and I did play in high school and a little bit in college.

The cool thing was, Kent knows this, across the quad from my apartment lived a guy who fixed clarinets. I don’t know why—he was a trombone player and played in a jazz band locally, but he fixed clarinets for some reason.

He was really good with his hands, so he would order clarinet parts. He had like 30 or 40 clarinets, and I actually bought a nice clarinet from him. I’ve got one of the Silver Kings from 1925 that he refurbished for me.

Leading up to this, we had the best jazz band in the Middle East just before COVID. I was in a band, and I had not played my saxophone for 30 years. Thirty years, Jeff.

Kent: You sounded great.

Greg: It was a hit because we played in one of the very first legal outdoor concerts in our region. We talked about it on a previous episode.

We need to get you in touch with Chris Coleman. He was on episode 42, and he works with international teachers. We also talked about Japan back in episode 14.

Now we’ve got you—Japan and music—and we can talk about all this good stuff. I’m excited about you going overseas with your kids, landing in Tokyo, and being at this massive school.

You haven’t even finished your first year yet. You’re still in the middle of it, back in the swing of things. I’m excited for you.

So tell us a little bit about school and adjusting to overseas.

Jeff: I think it was challenging when I got here to get used to the school because I had been at my previous K–12 school for eight years. I knew everybody, all the processes, and all the kids. I had basically taught everyone.

So coming into ASIJ, while everyone was very welcoming, it was a really steep learning curve. Figuring out names—student names, faculty, staff—and recognizing people with masks and without masks was difficult.

Then figuring out who to talk to for what, where things are in the building, how everything works—it all hits at the same time.

Jeff: I don’t even know how to use the phone in my office. I just leave it there.

Jeff: One of the things that threw me for a loop was security. I was so used to locking my door at my old school and locking my laptop away. We don’t do that in Japan because it’s very safe and people are trustworthy.

That took some getting used to—leaving my stuff somewhere and coming back and it still being there, and trusting that students would respect that as well.

Greg: Let’s talk about the kids. Are the kids any different?

Jeff: No, kids are kids, honestly. The difference is their backgrounds. I have kids with American passports, Japanese passports, EU passports—very diverse backgrounds.

But in terms of how you interact with them and teach them, they’re pretty similar.

Greg: For me, around the world, kids are kids. Elementary kids worry about the same things—friends, who’s standing next to them. Middle schoolers go through all the same crises. High schoolers are figuring out their identities.

The only thing I’ve found different is the level of respect from students and parents compared to what I hear about in the States.

Kent: I’ve taught students with 16 different passports. They’re all the same—the same level of boredom after 10 minutes of a lesson.

Greg: What’s the balance of students at ASIJ between expats and local students?

Jeff: It’s a mix. There are a lot of students from Japanese backgrounds, but it’s hard to quantify. I don’t always know everyone’s background—I just teach the students in front of me.

Greg: As a specialist, you’re seeing a lot of students.

Jeff: I do, but I’m lucky. I see them every other day for about an hour and 10–15 minutes, which is pretty amazing.

It has taken time, but I know the students pretty well now. Sometimes they still surprise me—like finding out they’ve lived in multiple countries or are from somewhere I didn’t expect.

Greg: That’s one of the best parts of international teaching.

Do you work long hours? Are you involved in activities?

Jeff: Every teacher is asked to do an activity or sport. I’ll be coaching middle school baseball and helping with the Asian Student Club in the high school.

In terms of work-life balance, I usually get in around 7:30. School starts at 8:00 and ends at 3:00.

Some days I leave right after, especially if I need to pick up my kids. Other days I stay until 4:00 or 4:30, and sometimes I take work home—especially during report card time.

But the school encourages balance. They don’t want you there all day or sending emails late at night unless it’s necessary.

Greg: You’re on the American schedule, right?

Jeff: Yes, we start in late August and finish in early June, with a winter break, spring break, and smaller breaks throughout the year.

Greg: Did you travel over the holidays?

Jeff: Yes, we stayed in Japan. We flew to Ishigaki Island, south of Okinawa, and stayed about a week. It was beautiful.

The weather was rainy at first, but then it cleared up. We spent time at the beach and pool and experienced life on a small island.

Then we came back to Tokyo and spent Christmas and New Year exploring the city.

Greg: That’s a completely different kind of holiday.

Jeff: Yeah, and we want to make the most of being here, but also balance that with being at home and giving our kids a sense of normal life.

Even taking the train 30 minutes into the city can feel like an adventure.

Greg: What still amazes you every day?

Jeff: I love teaching. Working with students from beginners to advanced jazz band keeps me excited.

Outside of that, it’s noticing new things—taking a different route, seeing something new in a store, or just picking up on details I hadn’t noticed before.

My kids are in preschool, and sometimes they come home saying things in Japanese. That makes me really happy because they’re getting that cultural experience.

Greg: Have you learned any Japanese?

Jeff: A little bit. I think my kids are more advanced than me. I know some basics—hello, good morning, good evening, thank you, please, and a few others.

My wife is taking lessons, so I’m learning through her as well.

Greg: Are you immersed in Japanese outside of school?

Jeff: Yes, completely. Most things are in Japanese, and many people don’t speak English or choose not to.

That’s one of the more challenging parts. But sometimes you’re surprised—like when someone suddenly speaks fluent English to you.

Greg: That immersion makes a big difference.

Any cop stories yet?

Jeff: None so far.

Greg: Any bureaucracy stories?

Jeff: Yes. Setting up a bank account took time. Then to add a payment account, I had to request a security token by mail.

I thought it would be a paper code, but it turned out to be a small device that generates a one-time passcode. Now I use it whenever I need to add someone.

Greg: Like a spy gadget.

Jeff: Exactly. It’s kind of cool, but the process to get there is long.

Kent: Do you have a stamp with your name on it?

Jeff: Yes. I needed it to buy a car. You have to register it with the city and get it certified before you can use it.

Greg: What are you looking forward to next?

Jeff: I’m looking forward to the second semester—seeing students perform at concerts and festivals.

Also warmer weather and exploring more of Japan.

I feel like I understand the school better now, so I’m excited to take things to the next level.

We’re also planning to go back home after the school year ends and spend time with family. I used to play in a Cuban band, and I’m hoping to perform with them again.

Greg: What’s the name of the band?

Jeff: Conjunto Philadelphia. We play Cuban music from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, similar to Buena Vista Social Club.

Greg: We’d love to share any recordings from your concerts.

Jeff: Absolutely.

Greg: Will you come back on the show?

Jeff: I’d be happy to. It’s been an honor to be here. I’ve listened to every episode, and you’ve been part of my journey into international teaching.

Greg: Any final thoughts?

Jeff: If you’re thinking about international teaching, it’s something you can do. It takes time and effort, but it’s worth it.

Some days are hard, but most of the time it’s magical. It’s an opportunity to see the world.

Greg: We’d like to thank our guest, Jeff Torchon from the American School in Japan. Thanks for joining us.

Jeff: Thank you.