Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:17 am Post subject: Are you "qualified"

OK, Rhonda - here's your poll.
Regards,
John

ntropy · Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 671 Location: ghurba

Damn right I am

Shaman · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 446 Location: Hammertown

If one is not qualified to teach ESL, does that mean that s/he is relegated to speaking English "good"? Wink

Shaman

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:42 am Post subject: Some do good while others do well

Dear Shaman,
Not "relegated" but "doomed" to speaking/writing/reading/understanding English "good" (though with enthusiasm).
Regards,
John

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

Qualified to teach? So only having a BS degree, thogh I have three, I am not qualified to teach? I was in the 99%tile on my GRE's, but I am not qualified? A person with a TEFL certificate is more qualified then me, though I have taught for 9 years, taken many writeing readin, lit courses, have a teaching cert that's not TEFL, etc>

Now you've got me riled.

I do refute categorically that getting your Masters in any way makes you a better teacher. Pesonal experience, and from talking to everyone I know in this field with a MA.

Phd.'s often make the worst teachers. The only reason to hire one is for your school to wave the piece of paper around. They have so much to unlearn. PHd is about writing papers and getting published, not teaching. They usually have virtually no teaching training

Okay Slat, you got me P O'd

I am so mad that I might have to go back, finish my Phd/Ma (enter the Phd so you can get the money, get the MA and run) to finish my MA I would have to forget everything I learned teaching, because it's all wrong, and listen to some snot nosed kid who has never had a real job, but has spent all his/her life in the safe confines of the institution...

But I'm not one to rant

So by your written specifications, I guess no to all the above

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

I answered Yes-Other meaning I have a BA- 70% of a TESL (long story) and 3 years exp.

A question--If one meets the criteria to get a work visa does it make one qualified?? The longer I do this the more I believe in training. Ideally people would have BA-BED-Celta.

Shaman · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 446 Location: Hammertown

johnslat wrote:

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:00 am Post subject: A "qualified" response

Dear arioch36,

"Okay Slat, you got me P O'd."

Huh??!!! Whadda ya mean? I didn' make no stinkin' "value judgements".
Criminy, I even put "qualified" in quotes. Whatcha mad at, anywhichway? Why, if I didn' know no better, I'd be thinking you're seeming just a tad "defensive". And, just to shift the blame - it's RHONDA you otta be
P O'd at:

"Why don't you do a thread to see how many qualified people are here and how many unqualified?
I would do it but I do not know how!"

Jeez, Louise - try to help a lady out and people give ya all kinds a grief.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Regards,
John

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

I have no TEFL training at all...a choice that was not on the survey. I have a B.Ed in French Education with a maths minor. All of my courses in Uni were about how to teach a second language...save the maths and computer courses.

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

I think many factors should be taken into account when trying to determine if one is "qualified " to teach or not:

I have a B.S. in Finance and I am not a "native english" speaker, but by the same token, I have spent most of my life in the states, I have a bit of a southern twang and I have learned French, spanish and Arabic.... I spent enough time studying languages and I believe that I have a better understanding of what the kids go through when learning english or any second language for that mattter...

Scott in HK · Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 148

I have the BA and the B'Ed (in primary school, which is more useful than you think even for the older kids) and I am working on the M'Ed....and 8 years experience...1 pre-qualifications and seven post....the seven post have been much better...natural teaching flair (ahem...pat self on back) only gets you so far...and with all that..I still suck at classroom management...

I know that people rave about CELTA, but between reading and what I learned in my B'Ed...I am not sure it is worth the time or the money...

I am not sure about MA courses...but everything I have taken so far during my M'Ed studies has helped me become a better teacher....some courses were designed that way and some I had to twist to my own purposes but all in all...I am becoming a much better teacher...

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

I fall under the "Yes, other (please explain)" category: BA, TEFL Certificate, and MA in unrelated field.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I also fall under the "other" category.

BA (unrelated field), TEFL certificate, MATESOL (and proud of it!!! This is my life/career/love/etc., etc., and I take it very seriously)

No, my qualifications do not make me "better" than teachers without qualifications. Nor do they make me worse, as has been implied in certain posts in certain threads--comments about educated folks lacking enthusiasm, being bookish, etc.

Why the antagonism? In what other fields do people without little bits of paper (a.k.a. degrees) belittle people with little bits of paper?

I don't believe I have ever said that ONLY qualified teachers are acceptable. Yet I am getting the impression that some people think that ONLY unqualified teachers are acceptable, or that unqualified teachers are superior. What?!?!?

d

Atlas · Joined: 09 Jun 2003 Posts: 662 Location: By-the-Sea PRC