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mrbiru
Joined: 25 Feb 2010
Posts: 4
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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 Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:11 pm Post subject: Transition from Primary School to University Teaching |
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| I am wondering how easy it will be to make the transition from teaching kids English to teaching at university level in the future. I've been working at a kindergarten and lower primary school in Thailand for a year and a half. My last job involved teaching adults and kids English for a year at a conversation school, also in Thailand. And before having a break from teaching for three and a half years I worked in Japan at a conversation school teaching mainly adults for three years. I am thinking about moving to the Middle East next year to teach adults, once I have completed an online Masters in TESOL and Applied Linguistics. I'm would like to know if working as a primary and kindergarten English teacher for another year and a half will make it harder to get a university job. I enjoy teaching kids for the most part at my present school, but think I'd prefer teaching adults in the long run. Would getting another year of experience teaching adults here in Thailand make it much easier to get a university job, or is it fine to teach at kindergarten and primary until moving next year? Is is important, when looking for a uni job in the ME, to have recent experience at the relevant level? |
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It's Scary!
Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I am wondering how easy it will be to make the transition from teaching kids English to teaching at university level in the future. |
In the Arab Gulf, the only difference is body size. The mental maturity between children/adolescents and "adults" who enter college are identical to each other.
It's a sad fact! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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Not exactly the question though IS... 
The best schools will want to see a couple years of "related experience" AFTER the MA. Your teaching of kindergarten and elementary school won't be counted as experience. While the maturity level may be similar, the teaching methodology and what you are teaching has little or no similarity. I doubt that you are teaching these tots Academic English and essay writing. Nor will teaching conversation classes to any age group count.
You best option is probably to complete the MA and get as much full time experience as you can working with adults. Your best option might be the recruiter based Ministry jobs in Oman. That would get some related experience with Arabic speaking "adults." Their ads ask for a couple years experience, so depending on the Ministry efficiency and demand, you might be able to get in... The other easy choice is Saudi Arabia as to hiring with limited credentials, but they won't recognize your online MA.
VS |
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mrbiru
Joined: 25 Feb 2010
Posts: 4
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the info. I will check out the ministry jobs in Oman. I'm also interested in working in Dubai...what is the job situation like there, and are online TESOL Masters accepted in Dubai? I have a friend teaching at a Saudi university, who got a lot of experience teaching at all levels in Asia before moving there, but he has an online TESOL MA. Are you sure they are always strict about the this? Or is it OK if the certificate doesn't say 'online', and it is from one of the top universties? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Mrbiru: I just responded to your same post in the general discussion forum. |
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It's Scary!
Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Not exactly the question though IS... |
Yup! I was focusing on the Ss mindset rather than the employer's mindset.
It's interesting how "adults"...,people who will be charged in the future to keep aircraft from falling out of the air, that I currently teach are less responsible or reasonable that my 11-year-old B-Day boy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, F.! |
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Captain_Fil
Joined: 06 Jan 2011
Posts: 604
Location: California - the land of fruits and nuts
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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Less responsible or less reasonable adults...
...it's scary!
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| mrbiru wrote: |
| Thanks for the info. I will check out the ministry jobs in Oman. I'm also interested in working in Dubai...what is the job situation like there, and are online TESOL Masters accepted in Dubai? |
Last mentioned here, the Ministry of Higher Education accepts them, but the Ministry of Education doesn't.
But the best university jobs are even more demanding of MA plus 3 or more years of related experience.
| mrbiru wrote: |
| I have a friend teaching at a Saudi university, who got a lot of experience teaching at all levels in Asia before moving there, but he has an online TESOL MA. Are you sure they are always strict about the this? Or is it OK if the certificate doesn't say 'online', and it is from one of the top universties? |
In the Gulf anything is possible. Most jobs in Saudi don't even require an MA, so who knows if it was even used for job approval at the Ministry.
Of course if one has a degree from... say the US... at the same time as your CV mentions a job in Somewhere, Asia, they might notice. Or they might not... 
VS |
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