Job Discussion Forums

[Quoven]

I've been searching through many topics on this forum, and I would just like to thank you all for your intelligent posts. They have played a strong influence in helping me decide that I would like to teach English in Indonesia.

I won't be able to make any moves until April or May of 2011. Seeing as I have minimal background in teaching, I was wonder if there were any of you out there who were once in a similar position that may be able to recommend some books you think would be helpful. I'm still debating whether or not to get a CELTA or become certified, but either way, I think some quality self-teach material would be really wonderful. Any help you could offer would be truly appreciated.

Thanks a lot from reading, and I look forward to participating in meaningful/totally ridiculous dialogue with you in the future.

[travelNteach]

Self-taught teacher.......... kinda has a nice ring to it.

Personally i think everyone should have a minimum of a BEd before calling themselves a teacher, but that is unrealistic. next best would be a CELTA with qualified trainers and observed teaching practice. it will make a huge difference for u and your students.

if u want to read a couple of books. to go a local university and ask them for the courses necessary to get a degree linguistics, ESL, or BEd and buy those books and read them. u will be amazed how difficult and complicated it is to be a sucessful and competent teacher/educator.

[Bule_Gila]

More and more schools in Indonesia are asking for a minimum CELTA or TRINITY with observed practice. There are a few schools that would overlook this but I assure you, the pay scale for such teachers is way below the average. I would suggest that you at least get the CELTA. It will boost your CV as well as earning potential.

A B.ed is nice. I only have an associates degree with CELTA and TEFL certification with Oxford....do I qualify as a teacher?? Fact of the matter is that education, although a huge plus, is nothing if the teacher does not have the drive and determination. I have seen many an educated fool in the teaching profession my friend.

As for books, I would suggest anything from Cambridge or Oxford University press, as they are the benchmark in ESL teaching world wide. They are expensive but there are others like Longmans or Barrons that can be effective

[MrMrLuckyKhan]

[Quoven]

Interesting variety of perspectives so far. I'm sure that both education and passion have important roles to play in being a great educator.

I should note that I do have a BA in Political Science.

I must say, the best teachers I have had have been the ones that wrote their own books, so to speak, rather than taught by someone else's. That being said, it is probably important to have a strong basic toolkit to work from when beginning teaching.

Do most of these language schools have text books they assign you to teach from, or is it mainly up to you to design your own curriculum?

Thank you very much for the replies, as they have already been very helpful to me in developing a focus by which to start learning.

PS, I have plans to become a substitute teacher to gain some experience in the class room.

[travelNteach]

bule gila: are u certified as a qualified teacher in your home country and eligible to work in the public school system? there is the answer to your question.

for me CELTA is like reading the cript notes to a book or maybe a movie review instead of seeing the movie itself.

yes passion and desire are hugely important and i have seen a lot of crap teachers, even with proper teaching qualificaitons. but i think u still need the pedagogical and methodology knowledge under the tutelage from university teachers to be a truly effective educator. i think this knowledge is needed in order to write your own book. i use a variety of different methologies while teaching, not blindly follow one. imho, u must have both.

it amuses me that people, whose only qualification is being a native speaker, call themselves teachers just cause they land a job at a lanugage mill and other teachers or the DOS has taught them to play a few games/activities that keep the students attention for a short while. but what the hell, if the students dont care, the parents dont care, the school doesnt care, nor the people who are masquarading as teachers dont care, why should it worry me? the more that merrier

and yes lucky khan, i am imagine a world where everyone is properly qualified teachers.................. all of us would be getting a proper salary and treated with respect like those at international schools.......... supply and demand, they would have to treat us well because there wouldnt be enough of us around. a market flooded with a bunch of wanna be's only encourages the crap salaries offered by EF and the horrible treatment endured by some people teaching at schools like this. how long do u think swara or language mills in korea would be able to operate? not long. they would need either to treat their teachers like gold or go out of business because of the limited supply of qualified teacher. so it is the acceptance of non-professional teachers that floods the market and allows to conditions to ripen. so dont complain about low wages and poor treatment because we/schools created this situation by passing off native speakers as "teachers".

[MrMrLuckyKhan]

[travelNteach]

yup luckykhan, it is what it is. doesnt really affect me since i have a job that i really like and have been here a long time and plan to stay for a while longer. kinda funny watching people run around picking up the crumbs certain language schools offer.

Quoven, let me know how u make out with the substitute teaching. that is a real kick in the balls even for an experienced qualified teachers. should be one hell of a learning experience.