Job Discussion Forums

[redsoxfan]

Being from the area, I can tell you that Framingham State is well known in Massachusetts as a reputable college for teacher training.

[tompetrie]

I have been looking into this program for almost a year now.

I've researched it quite a bit and have spoken to a few students who have already completed this Masters program as well. I am considering just getting myself out to Poland first, establishing myself first with a job, gain some experience, and then starting the program in either June or the September start as a commuter.

They offer a commuter program so that you can essentially work as an ESL teacher anywhere in Poland, or probably anywhere in Europe, and when the semester starts, you just trek out to czestochowa to go to school for the 2 weeks and stay in the dorms there. Of course, being that you would not be participating in the work/study program, the tuition is not paid for. Out of pocket for the entire 2 year program works out to be about 6,400 U.S. dollars. I would love to go to school for free, but they only offer the work/study program in a few cities as of now, and I would rather choose the city that's right for me, rather than settle for a city I get placed in, whether I like it or not.

The only thing that may get in the way is scheduling between teaching and going to school for the Masters. I'm afraid that if I sign a 1 year contract with a school, come September, the Master's program will be starting and the dates will overlap with when my work semester starts.

Anyway, glad to see somebody else is interested in this program!

[Tiger Beer]

[Ernst]

I am currently in the program you are speaking of.

Non-licensure means that you are still responsible for getting yourself certified to teach in a particular state. This is the case with any degree -- after getting a degree in Ed, you cannot teach in a US school until you get your teaching certificate by passing that state's exam. However, with a Masters most Intl schools and Uni's won't care about a cert anyway.

The program works on 2 week intensive courses, 2 classes at a time, 4 hours a day per class, for 8 hrs per day total in class time. You have pre-session assignments, and a fair amt. of homework at night. In 2 years you are done.

If you are part of the workstudy program, they arrange interviews for you with various schools around Poland. If they like you, they make an offer. If you like the offer, you can take it. If you don't, no hard feelings. So bring a resume, and be prepared to crunch the numbers before you say yes. The main advantages to this are that the school has to give you time off to attend courses, the pymts are deducted from your paycheck, (well, it is less painful for me that way) and you get papers, so you are legal.

Otherwise, you might consider the commuter program, which might be easier, and might allow you to make more dough. Personally, I couldn't have afforded it if I stayed in Spain. The lower cost of living here allows what money I keep to go further, and thus afford to make the pymts to the prog. But if you are in Korea, you are probably making good bank, and could pull that off no prob.

Let me know if I can answer anything else for you.

Ernst