Job Discussion Forums

[alexaspiringteacher]

Thanks in advance for all those people who have offered so much great advice on this forum. It seems to be a good source of information. However, I'd like to ask for some help relevant to my current situation. I am looking to leave the UK to teach in Asia for a year or two. I have a degree (Bsc Hons 2.1.). I currently live and work in london, as a teaching assistant in a primary school. I've done this for a couple of years, and have experience covering classes. I've got a british higher level teaching assistant qualification, but I'm not a certified teacher.

I don't really want to spend a year doing a PGCE (to get certified teacher status in england), nor can I afford it. I just want to go out to Asia, be a teacher for young children, and get paid well for it. I'm quite happy to get a CELTA TEFL qualification - this is already planned.

This is what I am looking for, in order of preference:

1. Get paid upwards of $2000 usd per month.

2. Teach children 4-6 or even up to 8 years old.

3. Work in a school with good resources, such as projectors, lots of high quality books, craft materials, computers etc.

4. Work in a school with good management, which is really supportive of giving children an education which meets their needs (ie. not death by worksheets).

5. Preferably have my own class, which I teach every day, just like a 'normal' day school. (although I'm willing to consider alternatives if I have to).

Now, I know an International School would fit my preferences perfectly, but I don't have a certified teacher status! Where can I get a job like what is found in international schools, which is accessible with the experience I have now? I've so far looked in to Korea and Japan. I'm open to any ideas, as I haven't really found the type of thing I want yet.

Many thanks in advance, Alex

[tttompatz]

The only places you are going to make the money you want and the age group you request with the qualifications you have are Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

They will NOT meet your other "requests" (resources and management) however.

A position in a (reputable) international school won't happen with your current qualifications but you should be able to land something in a 2nd or 3rd tier school if you lower your salary expectations.

If you drop your salary expectations for your first year then China, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia all come into play. Network a bit and move into a better position after you have some connections.

.

[Glenski]

I agree with tttompatz about the non-financial requirements you set. If you want modern technology, high quality books (Ha!), craft materials (??), and computers for students (yeah, right!), stay where you are. Asia has darned little of all of these to offer. As for supportive management, you'd do well to read the Asian forums, which will show you that TEFL is a business, not an educational matter, to most administrators. Teach the same class every day? Nope. They want to spread you around. You'd be lucky (here in Japan) to get the same class once a month.

I'm also curious to know why you mention leaving the UK, yet cite American dollars as a requirement.

[wiganer]

[Zero]

[quote="wiganer"]

[Zero]

It's a sad state of affairs when earning U.S. $2,000/month is considered a "lofty" request. Not necessarily untrue, just sad.

[wiganer]

[quote="Zero"]

[wiganer]

[alexaspiringteacher]

Unfortunately I'm not a tall blonde female so I'm not really able to shoot above my weight in getting glamorous teaching jobs. I'm male, 30 years old and fortunately I usually find myself choosing my employer rather than the employer choosing me. Firstly, yes I agree I really need to do a PGCE. I'm almost certain I'll do this at some point, but I'd like to get some experience working abroad first. I'd rather just get on and do the job rather than spending best part of a year talking about and not getting paid.

Ok, so clearly I need to compromise somewhere:

[Glenski]

By all means give JET a chance. But you're going to have to realize a big thing here:

JET places people in public schools, and each ALT gets more than one school to visit, so you automatically don't have the opportunity to see the same students every day. Moreover, these are public schools, so they will have very little in the way of resources that you want.

If you don't already know about textbook quality in public schools, go to the Bigdaikon.com site and ask the ALTs there just how poor they are. Japan is not known for producing a decent textbook, and you are stuck with it.

Oh, and that "co-teacher" is the head teacher, the JTE (Japanese teacher of English). You do as they say, not necessarily teach equally. ESID (every situation is different), as JET ALTs say, but you might find yourself doing absolutely nothing except repeating from a textbook passage (the old "human tape recorder" thing), or on the opposite extreme you might be told essentially to take over the class. JTEs often don't want ALTs in the room with them, and most have not had any training in team teaching. Many can't even speak English well enough to communicate with you. Their main job is explaining grammar (often in separate classes from where you co-teach) and maintaining discipline. Yes, they may be viewed as a "hindrance", as you put it, but they know far more about the kids than you ever will, they are the ones who teach the grammar (and many now far more than you do), they are the ones who set the classroom rules, and they are the ones who have often had to suffer with poor ALTs in the past (bad manners, bad motivation, no training, no teaching-related degree, and nothing more than a smile and hope to party when classes are out). JET ALTs have a poor reputation throughout the country as whiners, poorly educated JTE helpers, and people who sit around doing nothing except trying to find ways around the school computer security so they can surf the Net.

[nickpellatt]

[slareth]

For China that salary fairly easily reached in my experience. Degrees and other quals come a distant second to keeping the little princes smiling and paying money. Do not expect that money to come from a single 'school' except possibly during summer. Find a school you can tolerate and try to extend into a full time position. You will likely again need to work for more than one school for your salary goal but it's certainly doable with little effort.

Your desire for top notch resources will have to go out the window though. Ditto to your wish for 'good' management, unless you get very lucky.

So yeah....your expectations are not in line with reality I am afraid. You can have your salary but will lose out on many other things in China. Likely the same everywhere you go, you will have to give up on something.

I do not teach kids in China any longer but my income surpasses your goals and I am underpaid significantly. I get to address this with my employer in a few months....should be fun!! ....back on topic.....while I was teaching kids the salary was also attainable but with a much heavier workload. Consider teaching adults to supplement your income and your social life if you so choose.

The real money (for me) is in private lessons. YMMV.

Good luck!

[naturegirl321]

1. Get paid upwards of $2000 usd per month.
Before or after taxes? With or without benefits? for example, you could get a job that pays 2K, but no housing. Or a job that pays 1500 and give syou free housing. Taxes can be HIGH in some places and most jobs adverts say what you make before taxes.

Also, consider where you are. 2000 is ok for HK or London, but in SE ASia or Latin America, it goes much further. You haven't taken cost of living into your equation.

2. Teach children 4-6 or even up to 8 years old.
Very possible. especially in ASia.

3. Work in a school with good resources, such as projectors, lots of high quality books, craft materials, computers etc.
Most institutes aren't going to cut it and with no license you might not be able to get into an intl school. And the intl schools that will hire you probably won't pay that much.

4. Work in a school with good management, which is really supportive of giving children an education which meets their needs (ie. not death by worksheets).
intl schools, maybe, but I've worked in some pretty icky ones. Institutes, well, learning English is a business for most of them.

5. Preferably have my own class, which I teach every day, just like a 'normal' day school. (although I'm willing to consider alternatives if I have to).
NOt going to happen in most institutes. Though if you have good management it might. I had that happen at one of my jobs.

Teaching in public schools in Asia is an expeirence. The books you get are good for a laugh, but not for teaching. You often have 10 to 22 classes a week and see the kids for 40 to 50 minutes and have 30 kids in a class.

You can't really demand that much if you don't have much to offer.

Last thing: intl schools, you MIGHT be able to get in. But 2000 is a lot, espeically for the lower ones or ones in second and third world countries. To give you an idea, I earned 700 and 1500 at mine. Average worker in that country made 200 bucks a month for about 60 hours, 6 days a week. We bought a house paid in full with cash, no mortgage during that time. No housing included, no airfare, nothing. These were after taxes as well. Wasn't taxed at the first school, but taxes at the second were 30%. I had experience and was working on my first MA. Don't think that all intl schools pay the same!

[alexaspiringteacher]

Glenski - I thought the phrase 'human tape recorder' was a metaphor for crappy lessons - I didn't actually think it was meant literally. Yikes! I think I know enough about how to teach kids that if I was asked to do that I might just run out screaming. Seriously, not that I'd discount public schools in Japan, but it would certainly be a 'cultural experience'. As much as I'm for learning from other cultures, to be honest I'd prefer being able to put in to practice tried and tested western teaching methods. It's best for the kids, and that's the whole point isn't it?

Nickpellat - Thanks for the pointer towards EF (Education First) - I'll certainly look in to them. I must admit I'm slightly hesitant about english language schools in china and south korea because they seem to offer only 10 days holiday. I'm not a slacker but coming from a british state school where I get 12 weeks holiday, that's pretty crap. I don't expect that but more than 2 weeks would be nice. I'm also a bit put off by the pollution in chinese cities. Is it really all that bad?

slareth - thanks for the info. It's good to know China can really pay well.

Naturegirl, thanks this has been really helpful. I've had a look at your blog as well - wow you have been busy!

There seems to be so much information to absorb and consider in choosing where and what type of job to take up. I'm guessing the most important things are:

1. Something I can have a really immersive cultural experience, and learn a lot about teaching. This will be in preparation for returning back to the UK to gain qualified teacher status (QTS) (I grudgingly accept I�m going to have to do this).

2. In this sense, money is less important, but I strongly feel as an international citizen prepared to travel worldwide, I should be paid an international market rate. If money didn't matter I'd be teaching in a mountain village in Nepal.

3. Whatever country I go to, I can foresee gaining a strong connection with that place and wanting to return after gaining QTS, preferably on a top rate of pay for an international school (optimistic thinking). So as in (1) the location is of great importance. I'm not greatly materialistic - I value relationships and a peaceful environment more.

Also I'm thinking long term - I don't desperately need to make decisions immediately - my CELTA course runs part time August to November, so I'm tentatively looking to move Jan-March 2012. However, I have itchy feet and it's playing on my mind that I could be set up abroad and getting paid by September this year.

Thanks for all your suggestions and really helpful advice - I'm following up on all of them. This is a great source of information on these boards.

[AGoodStory]