Job Discussion Forums

Brian Caulfield · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 1247 Location: China

Ok I am happy he is no longer my mentor . I wonder where he gets his information though. I see many geriatrics here working as volunteer English teachers. I run into high school graduate making three times what I do . China can not be picky untill they raise standards relating to quality of teaching and it has nothing to do with a persons age .

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

Nothing to say.

Jolly · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 202

laodeng · Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 481

Or we could set up our own certification organization for China. Talkdoc--where is talkdoc?--could do dementia screening, and there would be no upper age limit. We could even practice a little reverse discrimination: certify no one under 40.

deezy · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 4:13 am Post subject:

Hey that's ageism in reverse! Certify no one under 40? I've suddenly lost all my teachers!

And if we have no one over 45, since I'm in my fifties, I'm gone too Crying or Very sad

Oh, and I'm a veteran backpacker. Hostelled it around Italy two years ago, and a month in Canada. Camped my way around a number of different countries....

So... backpackers unite!

As for degrees.... my teaching surebenefits from my degree (Photography) .... not. My teaching comes from years of experience, taking courses, diplomas and suchlike. But mainly doing it. Listening to more experienced teachers, observing others, reading, researching... which I still do as I believe we always have something we can learn.....even from those young backpackers who have just come out of their TEFL course!

Total baloney that a degree makes you a good teacher. It may help with some self-discipline, it may help because you've experienced structured learning... but help teach EFL in China? baloney. What helps you teach in China is knowing the English language well, speaking it well, being a good communicator, having good interpersonal skills, patience, fortitude, boundless energy, dedication, good health, etc. etc. (I'm sure you can add some traits of the perfect EFL teacher Rolling Eyes

). Not even sure a TEFL cert. is needed... a summer teacher we had last year had no quals, he was 60, very fit, and an excellent and dedicated teacher. Don't think I'd risk it again though...

No Moss · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 1995 Location: Thailand

deezy · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:11 am Post subject:

So true No Moss, so true.

The Australian Govt is testing a 'results' system of checking teaching ability in some schools, and funnily enough, the teachers don't much like the idea.

amandabarrick · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 391

An older couple in their early 60's are friends of mine here in Jiangsu Province and have had a difficult time finding jobs, they have since moved to another country to teach.

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

O.K. We're going to set limits based on some random and foolish criteria. So, how about????????????

1. A height limit: No dwarfs, no giants. Gotta be 160-200 cm. No Yao Ming.
2. A weight limit: between 60 and 100 kg. There goes Gorilla Monsoon
3. A hair limit: hair color must measure between 4800 and 6200 angstroms. and average 3-9 cm in length. Bye, bye Einstein.
4. A strength limit: have to be able to bench press a minimum of your own weight, 20 reps. Oh. Who's the wheelchair physicist in the UK/ Steven What?
5. An visual acuity limit: must be able to find a stationary rabbit in a thicket from 100 meters. Blind Melllon Chitlin'
6. An auditory limit: Must be able to detect 10 db sounds in the 25-2,000 Hz range. You mean no Ray Charles??

Do you see what you're doing?? Some of you would reject Jesus because he didn't have a PhD in religion or Gandhi for the fact his only training was in the law.

Harlan Sanders started KFC when he was 67 and living on social security.

shenyanggerry · Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 619 Location: Canada

Thanks brsmith15. The idea that a degree is required to teach competently is rediculous! My mother taught school for almost thirty years. Her training was one year of normal school after high school graduation. I often meet people in their forties and fifties who tell me what a great teacher she was.

I do have a degree and a full academic year TESL Certificcate. I've found my BA very valueable over the years. It keeps me from being overly impressed by someone else's degree. My TESL training was more useful. It pointed out sites like this and authors like Penny Ur. I even incorporate some of the concepts I was taught.

I worked for many years in an industry that frequently had presidents and vice-presidents without any university training. They fought their way up from the ranks, competing successfuly with the better educated by the only criteria that should count - who can do the better job!

However much I think a degree is over emphasized, I am happy that I took the time and effort to complete one. While I rarely if ever used what I'd learned directly, the methodology, plannning and analytical skills I honed were useful. I just think that by the time I'd completed grade VIII I had acquired all the academic skills (TESL Cert excepted) that I use here. My general knowledge came from a lifetime of reading, not an academic program.