Job Discussion Forums

[sandyhoney2]

This has been bugging me for awhile. I'm referring to TEFLers referred to as not being 'real'. Others have asked, if I'm not a real teacher, then what am I?

The argument against being "real" probably goes something like this:

You don't have a B.Ed or masters - thus you are not real.
Your degree is in Anthropology and you wrote your thesis on the Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea - thus you are not real.
You are not recognized by any professional association - thus you are not real.

Just because you write, it doesn't make you a writer.
Just because you teach, it doesn't make you a (real) teacher.
Just because you run across the road to catch a bus, it doesn't make you a runner.

And so on, ad nauseum.

So you are going to get certain posters slagging you for not being "real" (the slaggers have a master's, apparently). It is diminuitive, meant to cause insult, but don't take it that way.

Cambridge Dictionary: Teacher: someone whose job is to teach in a school or college

Merriam-Webster: Teacher 1 : one that teaches; especially : one whose occupation is to instruct

You teach TEFL - you are a real teacher. Call yourself a TEFLer if you want. Whatever else is said here, remember, the intent is to cause insult, let it slide. I will do the same thing, because I've been spending too much time getting p*ssed off at uncalled-for bashing that goes on in here.

REAL: not artificial, fraudulent, illusory, or apparent

And another thing - if you have an anonymous moniker, really, how can any kind of threat be taken seriously enough to warrant a tattle to the moderators, especially when followed by a smiley face? That's like threatening to denude Donald Duck. Do you really thing it is a real threat??

[31]

The Turks are way ahead of us there. They require a 4 year degree in English Language Teaching to be a teacher of English.

Odd that they don't accept 4 weekers.

[crumpy]

Sandy Canım ... you -are- a "real" teacher, it's just that according to the (maybe ridiculous) legal requirements here in Turkey, you can not be employed officially as an English teacher in a k12 school. Don't worry about it though - virtually every school in Turkey will hire you ... if they like you enough, that is. As far as I know, only Ko�, Robert and �sk�dar American insist that their teachers have the correct documentation.

BTW, you don't need a Masters, just a Bachellors (but it should have 'English' written on the certificate) and a PGCE (or the equivalent done in your country)

[31]

Of course you could go and get yourself some real teaching qualifications but that would be too much like hard work.

So you will have to suffer the indignity of not being called a real teacher and the most humiliating of all is knowing that it is true.

[justme]

I suppose in my mind I have some distinction about what a 'real teacher' or 'not a real teacher' means. However, it's hard to define. It certainly has little to do with qualifications. I, with my MA, don't sneer at those who don't have one, because having a master's doesn't make me a good teacher (though I admit to some unqualified sneering at backpackers in the past on this forum and elsewhere, which I stopped when I realised I can't define what I mean by 'backpacker' very well either. But I wasn't doing that from an 'I have an MA and you don't' perspective-- it was more from a 'I'm in Turkey for the long haul, I don't like these tourist teachers giving the rest of us a bad rep and making my job harder' perspective).

In fact, I honestly don't think I am a very good teacher. I just try to get through the day as best as I can-- the MA just allows me to better justify my classroom actions in good TEFLese should I ever have an observation. It also makes it easier to get a job. Actually though, because I have the MA, I've been offered really stupid jobs from employers who just want to be able to point me out to perspective investors and students and say 'Look, we have a foreigner with a master's, and she's blond too!' (Search my first post ever for a long-winded and whining description of that job).

The MA program itself was the best part of getting the degree-- it was damn interesting and challenging. Now I just have a *huge* debt which I'll be paying for what seems like forever.

And I've known plenty of CELTA teachers who are really, really good. Way better than I'll ever be.

So what is a real teacher? Or a 'not real' teacher? Hard to say but I know it when I see it.

It seems sometimes that TEFL teaching needs to be distinguished from other types of teaching. My mother teaches high school special ed, and I hesitate to debase her qualifications, experience, and instinct by comparing it to what I'm doing. Apples and oranges. Chess and Hungry Hungry Hippo. I often wonder if I could walk into, say, a Shakespeare seminar or a high school history class and be able to teach it. What we do here isn't really the same thing, I don't think. Or is it?

I know teachers here who probably could walk in and teach any class, topic, age-level, etc. I think there are some teachers who are innately good at it, and talented and special at teaching, instruction, and guidance. I'm not one of them. I'm experienced enough to get by, and man, have I ever read a lot of books. So maybe that's a real teacher? Someone who's just naturally good at it?

[sandyhoney2]

I get the "legal requirements" to work at a k12 school. I understand that I may not be qualified to work in a high school. Thank god. I have never wanted to. I enjoy working with adults, or anyone over 20. I worked for two years in Istanbul, and I'm coming back.

My point is that I am not going to feel bad, guilty, or insulted anymore by 31, or anyone else in here.

And as for not being able to cope with the "hard work" that is necessary in order to get a Master's - I absolutely would and could do it if I lived anywhere near a city that offered it. My husband is presently the student in the family - we simply cannot afford the time nor expense at this moment for me to pursue my Master's. That's not to say it is completely out of the question, though. I am not sure that any online Master's program would be legitimate...

Not humiliated. Not insulted anymore. Go ahead, Donald Duck, slag away.

[31]

I absolutely would and could do it if I lived anywhere near a city that offered it.

Sure

[sandyhoney2]

[31]

Not taking an MA either.

[tekirdag]

If a person has a job that pays REAL money and makes a REAL effort to guide REAL live learners then that person IS a REAL teacher.

[31]

TEFLing doesn't pay REAL money.

[sandyhoney2]

[tekirdag]

To 31-IT'S COUNTERFEIT?!?!


Guess I took the bait, too....

[TeachEnglish]

Hello fellow posters.. you don't have to be so sensitive and feel insulted, bad, quilty, or anything else by some of the other negative posters. If you do a good job, and see and hear results of your hard work - "teaching,"- then you should feel good and that you have earned your money. Just because someone goes to college/university and gets a degree..doesn't make the person a teacher either. To be honest with you, I don't see how some of these negative people could actually be a decent teacher. Just do what you do, do it well, and ignore the stupid negative posts. These negative posters might need a place to vent because maybe they don't have any friends...Would you want to be around them? Relax.. If you teach, then you are a teacher!

[dmb]

i am obviously not a real teacher. I do not have a PGCE. I only have a degree, CELTA,DELTA and MA. I have been standing in a classroom for the past 13 years. What is my job if I am not a teacher?