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State Teaching Certification - Teach-Now?

 
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NuestroJuan



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 21
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

PostPosted: Thu Oct 24, 2019 7:27 am    Post subject: State Teaching Certification - Teach-Now? Reply with quote

Greetings,


I wanted to reach out to folks in this community to glean some information about attaining a state teacher certification.

Let me provide a bit of background information. I’m from the US, and I’ve been teaching for eleven years. I’ve taught in Azerbaijani schools as a US Peace Corps volunteer, at language centers in Azerbaijan and Russia, at a community college and migrant shelter in the US, and at the university level in Germany, where I live now with my wife. I also gained some e-learning experience developing an online course at the German university. I have a CELTA and master’s in TESOL.

During the two years I’ve been in Germany, the job prospects in the teacher field have been - perhaps not surprisingly - underwhelming. I rarely get a response from schools, and when I do, it’s almost always for freelance lessons in God-knows-where. At the university level, if one attains a coveted contract position, it’s usually for two years, and then they cut you loose.

No doubt many TEFL teachers share in the frustration of investing time and money gaining experience and/or an MA-TESOL to see it amount to little or nothing. It’s become increasingly clear that international school teaching is a possible way to secure long-term employment, not only in Germany but elsewhere. I feel I have the tools to make it in this field. I’m just missing an integral piece of the puzzle, which is a state teacher certification.

An American guy who was in a similar position recommended TEACH-NOW, a nine-month online course that costs $6000. He pointed out that it isn’t the best program, but it’ll get you the certification you need. At this point, I would like to get the certification in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. I am also about to move to a small town in Bavaria, and I’ll have some time on my hands.

Do you all think I am barking up the right tree with this? In terms of career and raising a family, I’m not sure what other path to take.

Furthermore, does anyone have any experience or insight with TEACH-NOW? Would anyone recommend different programs for certification?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't speak for that program, but be aware that not all employers (or countries) accept qualifications gained online. You'd need to check the teaching requirements for schools in the locations you're interested in.

Additionally, this isn't the best forum to ask about teaching in k12/international schools. I suggest you look to the forums on International Schools Review for advice from teachers already working in Germany and wherever else you want to teach.
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Welcheronymus



Joined: 08 Aug 2009
Posts: 49
Location: The Middle Kingdom

PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 3:01 pm    Post subject: Re: State Teaching Certification - Teach-Now? Reply with quote

NuestroJuan wrote:
Greetings,


I wanted to reach out to folks in this community to glean some information about attaining a state teacher certification.

Let me provide a bit of background information. I’m from the US, and I’ve been teaching for eleven years. I’ve taught in Azerbaijani schools as a US Peace Corps volunteer, at language centers in Azerbaijan and Russia, at a community college and migrant shelter in the US, and at the university level in Germany, where I live now with my wife. I also gained some e-learning experience developing an online course at the German university. I have a CELTA and master’s in TESOL.

During the two years I’ve been in Germany, the job prospects in the teacher field have been - perhaps not surprisingly - underwhelming. I rarely get a response from schools, and when I do, it’s almost always for freelance lessons in God-knows-where. At the university level, if one attains a coveted contract position, it’s usually for two years, and then they cut you loose.

No doubt many TEFL teachers share in the frustration of investing time and money gaining experience and/or an MA-TESOL to see it amount to little or nothing. It’s become increasingly clear that international school teaching is a possible way to secure long-term employment, not only in Germany but elsewhere. I feel I have the tools to make it in this field. I’m just missing an integral piece of the puzzle, which is a state teacher certification.

An American guy who was in a similar position recommended TEACH-NOW, a nine-month online course that costs $6000. He pointed out that it isn’t the best program, but it’ll get you the certification you need. At this point, I would like to get the certification in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. I am also about to move to a small town in Bavaria, and I’ll have some time on my hands.

Do you all think I am barking up the right tree with this? In terms of career and raising a family, I’m not sure what other path to take.

Furthermore, does anyone have any experience or insight with TEACH-NOW? Would anyone recommend different programs for certification?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.


Howdy, NuestroJuan,

TLDR: getting teaching certification from an American state may or may not help you prefessionally and personally, and Teach Now may nor may not be the best choice for you if you want an American teaching certificate.

I would agree with Nomad Soul that the forums at International Schools Review would also be a good place to look for/get answers to your questions. They have an open forum and a quick search turns up a good amount of posts about Teach Now. This one might help you- https://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7210. And this one has some comparison between a few different pathways to a teaching license and their relative merits and drawbacks- https://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5829.

I went through a teacher certification program similar to Teach-Now called TeacherReady (https://www.teacherready.org/). It's through the University of West Florida and would, upon successful completion, get you a professional license (after taking the tests, getting your criminal background check done, waiting for the state Department of Education to review everything, etc) through the state of Florida. The cost is probably similar to Teach-Now. I think it was OK as far as a teacher prep program goes and the folks at TeacherReady were supportive, responsive, and helpful to me as a student. And while many people have had issues dealing with the Florida Department of Education, I can say that I've always found them helpful (though they often do move slowly).

I can't say much about Europe or how being a licensed teacher would help you in that region. From what I've read in forums at ISR, people say that even as a licensed teacher the pay relative to the cost of living is not all that great and that saving money can be difficult. But it's possible that you'd get more stable employment (long term, consistent full time hours) and benefits like tuition for children. Not sure what your spouse's qualifications are, but if she isn't a teacher that could be an issue for schools when they make hiring decisions as some schools might not want to pay for the visa (and/or other costs) for a non-teaching spouse.

In China and other parts of Asia, being a certified teacher can open up jobs that pay really well relative to the cost of living and better than what teaching jobs in training centers and universities pay.

From my experience in China, and from what I've read in online forums at ISR, there is no guarantee that the quality of your co-workers and administrators will improve working as a certified teacher, though. You may still end up working with an assortment of unstable people and in an environment that is not all that conducive to providing quality education (many schools are for-profit and make decisions accordingly). So you'll be earning that money that's for sure!
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