Job Discussion Forums

[ryanlogic]

Whats up guys,

I'm currently teaching (without state certification) at a private school in the US as a social studies teacher, but I am aspiring to eventually teach overseas. I need to pay off my student loans, and I want to travel around the Middle East, so The Gulf seems like a good place to aim for.

Anyway, my school just became an IB school and I'm wondering how valuable it would be for me to teach IB classes somewhere down the line. I dont think I am ready or even qualified at the moment, so this is more of a casual question, but how valuable is IB teaching experience?

I am currently teaching non-honors track high school kids World History, American History II, and US government. Its a total drag because no one wants to be there. I also teach two instances of 8th grade American History, and its so much more stimulating for me. The kids are still living and breathing school so to speak, and for some reason I am much better able to captivate them.

The reason I ask is because I have to fill out a survey soon which will ask which classes/grade levels I am interested in teaching for next year. I actually prefer teaching middle school, but if IB is extremely valuable I should probably opt to remain at the highschool level or even request to teach only high school.

[veiledsentiments]

Yes, IB experience would look good on the CV/resume, but even more important is a legitimate state teaching certificate.

Any chance of that?

VS

[esl_prof]

I'd say stick with what you're good at and try to excel there. Clearly, you've got a gift for working with middle schoolers that very few people have. Your ability to work effectively with this very difficult age group will open many doors for you down the road. If anything, you should be requesting more classes in that age group.

Should you apply for IB schools down the road, market yourself as one who can effectively prepare today's middle schoolers for future success in tomorrow's IB program. In the meantime, approach your teaching from that perspective at your current job.

Good luck!

[nomad soul]

Since the majority of posters on this site are EFL and not content teachers, you won't get a lot in the way of responses. Plus, most of us teach at the university level.

That said, you definitely need a state teaching license and a minimum 2 years of post-licensure experience in the US in order to compete for positions (IB and American curriculum) in international schools in the Gulf. Take a look at Teach Away to see the level of qualifications required and actual job opportunities in the region. International Schools Review is also a good site to post these types of questions.

[ryanlogic]

[ryanlogic]

[ryanlogic]

[esl_prof]