All applicants for teaching positions need to have a teaching degree from a four-year institution, such as a Bachelor of Education. A minimum of three years teaching experience is also a prerequisite.

Nishimachi International School requires three recommendations for any application.

Helping students learn is a collaborative experience at Nishimachi...
Teachers at Nishimachi work as members of specific grade-level teaching teams. Teams consist of two or three homebase/advisory teachers and a Japanese-language teacher. Kindergarten, grade one and grade two have teaching assistants.

Each homebase/advisory teacher is responsible for their students and meets with them daily. Teachers are responsible for the personal and social welfare of their homebase/advisory students, for monitoring daily and overall academic progress, and for reporting to parents. Teachers often have the opportunity to teach students from other homebases/advisories on the same grade. This gives students the opportunity to learn from a variety of teachers and permits teachers to discuss student progress on the basis of first-hand knowledge.

Each grade level has specific curriculum expectations. Nishimachi encourages teachers to share individual talents and expertise with others on their team, as well as with their students, so that everyone in a grade level benefits from a range of teaching styles.

The homebase/advisory teachers for each grade level meet regurlarly to plan and reflect. Each team is responsible for the grade level curriculum, assessment, homework assignments, newsletters, budgets, parent activities, and field trips. Although teachers share specific responsibilities on their teams, communication and working among team members is expected and essential for smooth daily operations and achieving a positive working dynamic.

Japanese-language teachers support the integration of Japanese language into classroom activities and facilitate cross-cultural understanding and communication. Nishimachi has specialist teachers for music, art, physical education, English and Japanese-speaking library staff, ESL teachers, a learning support teacher and a guidance counsellor. The grade-level teaching team interacts and coordinates with the specialist teachers to help achieve student learning and personal and social objectives.