Job Discussion Forums

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

I see ads for big salaries for cert'ed teachers and I assume it means QTS from the UK...

But in some cases they accept a TESOL or a PGCE when not QT... how about a PGCEI?

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

You know no one can answer this except the people on the other end of the adverts.

I would guess places in China cannot always be so picky. A QTS or state certified teacher might be wanted, but will they find them?

rioux · Joined: 26 Apr 2012 Posts: 880

A "qualified teacher" is:
a. Anyone who is white.
b. Has a pulse.
c. Can grunt out a few intelligible words in English.
d. Shows up to class sober (at least half the time).
e. Doesn't hit on too many of the female students.
f. Knows how to appear polished when called upon and knows how to vanish as well.

There are of course others but these are some of the biggies.

kungfuman · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 6:56 am Post subject:

The school I work at has IB and BC teachers - they need to be certified in Canada for BC and certified by the IB program

Certified and qualified don't mean the same

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

The reason I ask is simple - I think demand far outstrips supply and wonder what happens to these positions if they dont get a cert teacher.

JamesD · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 7:53 am Post subject:

I've worked with more teachers who were certifiable than certified.

Laurence · Joined: 26 Apr 2005 Posts: 401

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Remember the schools wanting registered teachers are commercial operations. They need to be able to show parents - particularly expats that their faculty is of the same quality as their offspring would experience at home or on another o'seas posting.
This limits the extent to which they can or want to lower standards.
Probably more acceptable in something like music, than maths and sciences.

asiannationmc · Joined: 13 Aug 2014 Posts: 1342

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I think casual staff agencies like Kelly operate on the basis of a pool of willing part timers.
Given that a non-Chinese teacher must have a job to have a visa/residence permit, the Kelly business model doesn't seem that applicable to China.

asiannationmc · Joined: 13 Aug 2014 Posts: 1342

Non Sequitur wasn't intended to be referencing China... read the quote above the posted article. Perhaps I should have further explained... I know of several FT's who have gone back to get teaching certs and have used Kelly's to gain experience. Also I know some who have certs and have exhausted opportunities in China and have returned to the US to work in places where no full time is available. However I have just heard in conversation with some cuz'es back home that many school districts are now using Kelly's to cut cost.....or perhaps it is a budget consideration...whereas the state will provide part time funding but will not increase the rolls of teachers due to the cost of benefits...

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

For those in the U.S., this is it in a nutshell:

You earn a BA or BS degree in the subject which you expect to teach, and you take a lot of courses that teach you the how of teaching rather than the what of teaching. Those how courses teach you the jargon of public education.

Then the prospective teacher takes the Praxis exam. (There are other state certification tests, but the various Praxis tests are the most common and the most widely accepted tests).

I think it's idiotic for China to require licensure for university-level teachers. Licensure isn't required to teach in U.S. universities. One must have a minimum of an MA in the subject to be taught (though that isn't written in stone either. I know a prof who has a PhD in Literature, and he's teaching film studies courses).