Job Discussion Forums

[simonuk]

In a hypothetical world, if you could start again, how would you construct your ESL career?

[santi84]

I would have spent more time overseas gaining experience (both professional and life) when I was single and childless!

[jpvanderwerf2001]

Interesting topic.

I started teaching relatively young (24), and saw much of the world before 30; I'm happy about those things.

Re-dos:
1) I would've chosen the same major in college (English), but supplemented it with a secondary education license (I probably would've studied a bit harder in college, too, but many people say that); and
2) I would've started my Master's education much sooner--in my late 20s (I'm in my mid-30s now).

Notice that both of my re-dos are related to qualifications? (Ahem, new teachers?)

Otherwise, things have gone rather swimmingly.

[mimi_intheworld]

I may have taken the plunge into TEFL years ago when I first thought about it but was afraid it was all a racket. I'd like to say that was before Dave's...but it was 1999, so I'm not sure I have that excuse.

As to my steps into TEFL, I don't think I'd change it (other than starting earlier). Got my (non-teaching) BA in English, moved to Thailand, did conversational (and, quite unexpectedly, business) English classes for about 4 months, including a couple of English camps, moved back to the US & got an MA in the vaguely-appointed "Intercultural Studies", moved again, started teaching in a heavily Spanish-speaking district in Texas, got my teaching cert in English, did oodles of ESL training (and teaching - brushed up on my street Spanish, too!) for a few years, then moved to England to teach English at a comprehensive school...

Oh, here's another thing I'd change: I wouldn't have had the nearly two-year hiatus between gigs that I'm currently wrapping up.

...Next I'm hoping to move to the UAE to teach English in high school there for a few years. Get my affairs in order and all that.

[Glenski]

Basically, you are asking how to prepare yourself, based on 20-20 hindsight.

Problem is, for some of us oldsters, what used to be prevalent is not today.

And, for me, it doesn't even apply. I stumbled into TEFL as a second career at around 40. My previous one had no relation to EFL at all. I got a TESL certificate because it was the only game in town then and there. I had not planned to make this a long-term thing but was willing to plan at least that much so as not to get caught flat-footed in a classroom.

I can't say what "if you could start again" means in my case. What you want to hear is what BA and MA degrees to get, what certification you should get, and what experience to start with, as well as what professional organizations to join and publications to write. Oh, and don't forget to learn as much of a foreign language as you can, preferably one where you are headed.

[denise]

Hmmm... nothing? I'm happy with the way my life & career have developed, and any changes along the way would have changed my path... who knows where I would be today? Maybe I'd be better off, maybe worse off.

I went to a very expensive private graduate school, and I will be paying for it for many years to come. The does place a bit of a burden on me--there are countries/regions that don't pay enough for me to be able to pay back my debt. But I enjoyed my time there, learned a lot, and probably got my first post-MA job as a result of going to that school.. So even if I were to go back and choose a cheaper program, my entire post-MA career would have changed.

I've resigned from my current job and will be heading back to the US in June, and trying to make a living in the ESL world there. I'm bracing myself for some financially difficult times, but given what I know of myself & my personality, I don't think I'll think, "What if I had stayed...?" I'm just not like that. And with this career, worst case scenario is you pack up and go somewhere else. And if I do find a decent job/jobs in the US and end up there for several years, I can look back happily at the decade that I spent abroad and not feel like I've missed anything.

d

[nickpellatt]

Ha, there are probably a thousand things I would change! Of course lots of them are along the lines of 'I never should have dated that girl' and 'I shouldnt have eaten that spicy food'. So bearing that in mind ... Ill stick to the practical, sensible changes.

1 - I wish I had taken a recognised TEFL qualification before entering the classroom. I first entered an EFL classroom in Sep 2006, and didnt enter a Trinity TESOL training class until October 2008. I wouldnt say I wasted the first two years entirely, but I do think I could have made a lot more of them if I had a better idea of what I was doing. This is definitely something I would change if I could go back.

2 - Chose my jobs wisely. If I could go back I would look very closely at my options and ask myself, 'what can I learn in this job?'. As much as I enjoyed the job, the 3 terms I spent teaching Chinese teens in classes of up to 50 students didnt give me much in the way of professional skills that I can transfer to more structured, professional positions. This is a biggie for me as I sometimes looks at jobs and although Im qualified in terms of time spent teaching, I know Im not really qualified in terms of skills accrued during that time.

I guess they are the only two things, two sensible things, that I would change.

[kazpat]

I would like to echo what nickpellat said. I believe that everything happens for a reason so I am not looking for a time machine to be able change things. Here are my suggestions to new teachers as a new international teacher myself (2 years experience).

1. Take a recognized TEFL qualification that includes supervised lessons in front of real students, not on the job training like what I did.

2. I did not examine my first contract wisely. Too many contact hours and I was not clear on the structure of my schedule. I managed to survive and put myself in a position to negotiate better hours but there were tough times. So examine that contract, even post the terms and conditions here on Dave's and let TEFL vets eyeball it and give feedback.

There is one other thing I think about. I understood that speaking English and teaching English are two completely separate things before I started this journey but I would have liked to have known just how incredibly true that statement is.

[spanglish]

I would have been willing to commit to live long term in the country once I started working (because I stayed anyway) and pushed more aggressively on my first few job opportunities (didn't really know a great opportunity when I saw it).

[Insubordination]

I'd be careful of what I said 'Yes' to. I often agreed to to work-related tasks/classes/responsibilities that later became a problem. Mostly because I really wanted/needed the job or because I wanted to impress the boss. If you don't want to do something, say 'no'.

I would have started teaching overseas a bit earlier. I was scared of doing it, I think.

I would have got my PGDE (QTS) a bit earlier to broaden my options. I've only just enrolled p/t this year.

I wouldn't have been so anxious to become a DoS. I disliked it and couldn't manage my time.

[johntpartee]

[sharter]

I would have stayed at the investment bank I worked for. 15 years, lots of parties, loads of travelling but a pretty rootless, shallow existence. Sorry.

[Enigma2011]

[jennex05]

Ofcourse i'll fix a couple of mistakes.

First of all, I'll change my major.
Second of all, Ill major in IT.
Because I think techies will rule the world soon

[sparks]

I would have got out about 6 or so years ago, happy with the experience of having lived abroad for awhile and not feeling as though I've wasted a lot of time. I would have started an MA in something completely unrelated to teaching and have found a career which pays better and gives me a sense that what I'm doing with my life actually matters. Never too late to start over though ( I hope)