Job Discussion Forums

[techselector]

hello everyone. this post will probably sound really self-evident to some. i've seen quite a few posts relating to this topic but not dealing with it directly. nonetheless, i wanted to hear what the ESL cafe members thought about the situation or what experience they've had with it.

i'm currently a college student. my university offers a teacher education program to add on licensure K-12 for my major. this is optional however. aside from taking an additional 20 credit hours of classes, the teacher ed program requires you to teach at a local school for a whole semester (unpaid of course). during this time you're supervised by an experienced teacher to help you get accommodated and show you the tricks of the trade. this is certainly a great resource for new teachers.

my question is this: in terms of job offers and earning potential while teaching in China, would completing such a program be worth my time/unpaid labor?

i have a multitude of reasons for wanting to know your opinion here. i've seen a lot of discussion on the forum about how credentials really don't seem to benefit you much working in China. people often mention that MA's and even PhD's often get only very slight increases in earning potential. makes me wonder if adding on a legitimate teaching license is worth the extra effort. another reason is my major is in Spanish, so my student teaching internship would be in a different area (although i would be teaching a foreign language to new learners, so it'd be relevant in that way). i'm sure the school system/format is very different between the US and China as well. and if i'm being totally honest, the idea of spending an entire semester working my ass off for free isn't the most appealing thing in the world. i'd rather learn ON the actual job. but let it be said: i know it would be good experience and i'm willing to do it if necessary.

for the record, i do take teaching seriously. i have a natural talent for it and i'm definitely going to at least have my BA and an ESL certificate before i reach China. i feel that i'll be effective at my job regardless of whether i get licensed or not, (i have work experience with tutoring, etc) even if it takes me a bit longer to develop my teaching style. my students are important to me and i'll do my best to be effective.

thoughts/experiences/comments/troll posts?

[Opiate]

Do it.

There can only be a positive outcome. If you have a teaching cert you'll have a lot more choices. In China you'll be able to work at real international schools where the salary will be higher and the work will be like....real teaching. Also, if you do not like China for whatever reason you'll be able to go to any country (including your home country) and work legally.

[techselector]

[Opiate]

[techselector]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Look, a lot of teachers here are really in Lala Land with their heads in the clouds. They fall in love with China and because they had nothing really going good back at home, embrace everything that they are told by their bosses at face value. The roads here are paved in chocolate, the lamp-posts are all candy canes, and the tap water is sparkling champagne.

[Mister Al]

It may or may not make a difference in China, depending on what you are looking for, but it will make a big difference later on when you are experienced and looking for better jobs around the world. Take your opportunity now and get that qualification.

[Non Sequitur]

I agree with Opiate.
I suggest you get into a conversation with one or two international schools in China. PM me if you want help there.
I expect they will advise getting certificated is the bottom line to their potential interest in you.
International School experience is just about the only China experience that will get noticed on your CV when you return home AND THEN only if you continue in teaching.

[Guerciotti]

Do it. It's extraordinarily unlikely that you'll regret it, and quite likely that you will be glad you did.

[Sinobear]

Go for the gusto, but like GWOW said, forget about China.

[twilothunder]

I teach at an international school without a teacher qualification. The salary is 17500rmb/month. You can get your foot in the door without being a qualified teacher, if you have good credentials and work experience or know the right people, or are simply in the right place at the right time (ie they are desperate for staff mid-term because someone they employed decided to go home for whatever reason).

A teacher qualification would give you more chance of getting these jobs but it's not impossible without, so I would give it a try before you commit yourself to doing extra study.

Of course, it does open many doors having qualified teacher status - someone I know teaches at a prestigious international school and earns 27000rmb/month - those real high end jobs are closed to me without a formal teaching qualification. But then there's no guarantee you would get that kind of job even with QTS.

[techselector]

thank you all for your responses. what i'm gathering here is that going ahead and getting my credential may benefit me down the road, not necessarily while in China (although the higher possibility of getting a job in an international school is a slight perk). it sounds like regardless of whether i use it in China or not, it'd be a good idea to go ahead and grab it just in case. it may provide me greater opportunities down the road if i decide to leave the country.

GWoW, you brought up some good points as well. yes i do plan to stay in China long-term. however, i'm knowledgeable enough to know life is a very dynamic thing. a time may come when it loses its luster and i want to move on. one more semester won't kill me, although the anxiety will be annoying as hell. your point about ESL teaching not generally being taken seriously by the Chinese is something i have heard many teachers say. to be clear, while i do have a strong element of involvement with my job, that comes second to the benefits of being an ESL teacher. at the end of the day, it's about what i want out of it and what i'll receive. i love to travel, experience new cultures and learn languages, there's nothing much better than that. so with that being said, will i put effort into doing my job well? yes, to a large degree i will. do i expect to go play "white man with the natives," be some kind of super-instructor who gets results/respect and produces wunderkind prodigies? absolutely not. i have no such delusions of grandeur.

any other thoughts ladies and gents?

[Miles Smiles]

[techselector]

what you said about many states requiring teachers to complete X amount of hours of continuing education to retain their license is true in my state.

if i get my license and DON'T do those continuing education hours while abroad, effectively losing my license in the US, would that negate the benefits of completing the teacher education program? in other words, would employers in Asia (particularly China) and elsewhere view that as me essentially not having a license/being a qualified teacher? if that were the case, it may not be worth it at all. i'd imagine that i might have a very difficult time trying to keep my license valid while abroad. i don't intend to return to the states any time soon.

[Miles Smiles]

Short answer: for another 16 hours or so beyond the 20 hours of requisite licensure classes, you can skip the licensure classes and go for an M.Ed which will put you in a higher pay bracket than a BA level teacher --- in a public Chinese school. That could qualify you to take the Praxis in the States, depending upon the courses that you take.

The M.Ed would also make you more desirable to the schools that are discriminating in their choice of teacher and actually value the western FT.