Job Discussion Forums

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 8:29 pm Post subject:

Interesting post, womblingfree - thanks for expanding (I wasn't sure if you had the ESOL PGCE). I guess that's the dilemma for many wannabe career teachers - do a potentially less interesting PGCE but be "set for life", or follow the route to more interesting ELT/AL-y MAs. (It certainly has been a dilemma for me, but the recent recession/crash/?depression has made MAs, however interesting they may be, financially that bit less sensible a proposition than before. Maybe ELT is ultimately just so much - too much? - self-education than "simply" educating others, the argument being that there just isn't the time to be "idealistic" and "self-indulgent" when there's a "job" waiting and that needs "doing"). It's a shame though because it creates an educational apartheid in which no potentially beneficial exchange and mixing of skills and ideas can easily occur (I for one could probably still do with a greater knowledge and "appreciation" of literature, for example).

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

natsume · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 409 Location: Chongqing, China

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

fluffyhamster · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

So basically, the distinction (not like I said that there should forevermore have to be!) between career EFL teacher and career "real" teacher wasn't so important before this crash - the former didn't really need to feel any the less secure about their teaching if not their jobs, for lack of a PGCE (which I guess to them would've been like pulling a cart never quite bursting with decent provisions for those moments of taking stock); now that times are getting tougher however the only "real" teachers are simply going to be those in the safest jobs, and who thus retain them (i.e. those jobs less susceptible to market forces, and with direct "customers" who won't ever be fully entitled to express any open let alone complete dissatisfaction, I expect).

You kinda sounded like you were in two minds yourself (womblingfree) before finally settling for the "Well, if they want to now (only now) believe and call us a real teacher and pay us accordingly, that's up to them, and we'd be fools to complain" realization:

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

fluffyhamster · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:36 am Post subject:

I just meant that for people already with years of experience in a potentially quite varied career, and perhaps an MA too (like you), the PGCE is ultimately just so much icing on the cake (even if you do learn a useful thing or two whilst doing it).

Agree about the retail versus education thing: even though language schools in the UK aren't quite as bad as some can seem to be in Japan, I just couldn't stomach the thought of working for one recently when, after I'd been offered a job, they insisted in their very lengthy contract (dozens of pages) that any deviation from the textbook and approved supplementary materials had to always be explicitly approved by the DOS beforehand (yeah, right, like I couldn't come up with anything better, and the DOS would then ever have much time for that).

I guess my options then are (in decreasing order of feasibility/attractiveness): 1) try for a MFL PGCE (like I said) 2) fully develop my own materials and methods and try to teach English privately full-time 3) do an MA (an attractive, but expensive option) or 4) continue working in language schools wherever or as 5) an AET-type wherever (have done JET and Japan, but not NET, EPIK etc; not getting any younger though - if I were younger, this 5) might still be a 1)).

Anyway, thanks again womblingfree for being patient and letting me tease out what you think of your current job, and your previous ones. Smile

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

fluffyhamster · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 12:31 pm Post subject:

LOL re. teaching English I've got a dusty old CTEFLA at least (surprised you've not come across one of my numerous threads (Edit: or rather, "rants") regarding certificate-level training). The job I recently turned down was actually at the school that I "qualified" and then was offered a month or so PT work at (which I gratefully accepted) all those years (over a decade) ago (back when they'd seemed a lot less an*l to the newbie I then was - their contract certainly wasn't as thick or "intimidating" then as it is nowadays).

womblingfree · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826

wintersweet · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:46 pm Post subject:

Well, if California's back in the equation I'm going to mention that having a TESOL certification and experience only won't get you more than the most minimal of part-time work here (at least, not in major metro areas). The market is flooded. Of course, you may get lucky, but an MA seems to be about the minimum for decent jobs at IEPs (and, of course, is required for jobs at community colleges, colleges, and universities). Even decent part-time jobs go to people with MAs. Even adult school job postings seem to be flooded with applicants who have an MA as well as a teaching credential, and I suspect that the days of getting a full-time adult-school position with just a teaching credential and a certification are over. YMMV, of course.

Oh well, anyway, I'm actually applying for a job in Japan at the moment. Imagine that.