Job Discussion Forums

[Buck Turgidson]

Hey Everybody,

I have begun course work to earn my state teaching certificate. While applying to take the Praxis II test, I noticed they offer a test in Teaching English as a Foreign language. Has anybody taken this test? How difficult was it?

Buck

[scot47]

"STATE TEACHING CERTIFICATE" ? Which state, pray tell. Queensland ? Northern Ireland ? The Transvaal ?

[guest of Japan]

Sorry Scot. As you summized this is an American thing. I'm sure the first poster did not intend to be ethnocentric.

Mr. Buck, I was not aware that there was a praxis exam in teaching EFL. I'm frankly baffled by it since the praxis exam isn't even excepted everywhere in the US. Obviously I've never taken the test.

Although many university students say the praxis examinations are very hard and stressful, I do not agree. I've seen some of your posts on the teacher forum, and I don't think you should worry to much about the praxis examination.

I didn't take the praxis exams since NY doesn't recognize them. Good luck.

[Buck Turgidson]

Scot,

I assumed anybody who knew what the heck a Praxis II exam was would know that I was referring to one of the United States of America.

GoJ,

Seeing as the test isn't even recognized in all fifty of the United States of America, do you suppose it would have any clout in international schools? I only thought of taking it to pad my resume. I don't intend to teach it in the US.

Buck

[johnslat]

Dear Buck,
I took the Praxis II a ways back - in 1996 for certification in the state of Colorado - but I took only the secondary school, Language Arts ( and Basic Skills ) sections - not the ESL test. I thought the exams were " middling difficult ", though that may have been because I'd been out of school for so long. But I got my certification. Here's a web site that offers some info about the ESL test:

http://www.ets.org/praxis/taags/prx0360.html

and a more general site with a lot of links:

http://www.kysu.edu/prostudies/praxis/PRAXISwebsite.html

I have my doubts as to the value of your taking it to " pad your resume "; I don't think it'd mean much, if anything at all, to most overseas employers.
Regards,
John

[scot47]

I would like yo point out that this is an international forum and not restricted to the USA. Some posters seem to assume that the world of TEFL/TESL is a solely USAnian business. If they really think that, they are blinkered !

I can now anticipate a few salvos from those who seem me as being a godless anti-American.

[guest of Japan]

You're both right. Now let's move on.

Yes the praxis test would be valuable for finding employment in an international school. However, this is only if you gain a teaching certication. They are very well known exams in American education.

John, I think you are being humble.

[johnslat]

Dear guest of Japan,
Humble?? I?? Why, thank you. It's not often I'm given credit for my modesty ( a quality which, by the way, I'm quite proud of ). But I am a bit puzzled. Just what am I being humble about, anyway?
Regards,
John
P.S. I agree with you that the teaching certification in that specific field coud well make a difference, but since Buck said:

" I only thought of taking it to pad my resume. I don't intend to teach it in the US. "

I assumed he wasn't going to get certified in the ESL area - just take the exam.

[guest of Japan]

Sorry John, you should read his first post again. He said he was going through the process of getting his state certification. In his second post he asked about the validity of tests in international schools (which I take to mean primary and secondary ed.). Hence my advice.

As for your modesty; I was referring to your description of the Praxis exam as "middling." You are obviously an extremely intelligent fella and a lot of the folk who take and pass those exams cannot be described in the same light.

[johnslat]

Dear guest of Japan,
Yup, I'd say you're right - apparently he IS going to try to get certified in the ESL conponent, just not use that certification in the States ( although I suppose it could come in handy down the road sometime - you never know where that long and winding trail is going to lead you ). But another thing to be thought about is that his state certification will, I'm pretty sure, lapse after a certain number of years unless he's actually in the States teaching and taking courses. As for the exams, well, I'm a kind of " test junkie "; I love to take the things, especially the kind with essay questions.
I'm NOT modest about my ability to BS with the best of them. ( and boy, did THAT come in handy in grad school ).
Regards,
John

[Buck Turgidson]

John,

The certification courses are not field-specific. They consist of teaching theory and practice, and psychology courses. Your major field is simply what they observe you teaching, but as I understand it once a teacher receives certification they can add new subjects to their skill set by taking the appropriate Praxis test.

As for expiration I am not sure. Good question. I will have to ask my program director.

GoJ,

Thanks for the links. Yes, I want to get a job in secondary ed. I am looking into teaching at a Department of Defence school. Anybody ever teach at such a school?

[guest of Japan]

John is responsible for the links. I specialize in trivial banter.

John, I don't know the specifics of certificate duration for states that utilize the Praxis exams. In NY, if he has a masters degree, has taken all the appropriate tests, has done student teaching, and has had a video lesson reviewed by the NY department of Ed, then he is certified for life. I lack the masters, the video lesson and one test, so my certificate becomes void in January. I will apply for a five year extention to my provisional certificate.

As for the BSing I completely understand. Once in an advanced education class the prof was asking everyone to give their definition to some teaching theory. Everyone was giving highly technical theoretical definitions. When it became my turn I said, "_______ is the four walls which hold the roof in place. Without _____ the entire structure is irrelevant." My professor responded, "That's a really beautiful and poetic description. It doesn't mean anything, but I like it." That same professor bent over backwards to get me the student teaching position I wanted, and placed me with some of the best teachers I've ever known.

As for the department of defense schools, I once recieved their application packet. It is huge. The application is between 30 and 40 pages. At the time I didn't have very much experience, so I was too lazy to go through the lengthly application process for a job I didn't think I would get. I was also reluctant to teach in a military environment.

Be forwarned, many international schools want you to have several years of experience working in American schools. I still can't get an interview.

[johnslat]

Dear guest of Japan,
In Colorado, I'm pretty sure you get issued a " Provisional License " first and have to teach for a while and take some courses before you get issued a " Professional License ". Well, why not use the Net to check?

" A professional license may be issued to an applicant who holds a Colorado provisional license and has completed a Colorado State Board of Education approved induction program. An induction program is provided by Colorado schools, school districts, some private and charter schools, approved facilities and/or BOCS and includes supervision by mentor teachers, ongoing professional development and training, including ethics, and performance evaluations. Contact the school principal or the district's Personnel/Human Resources office for information about their induction program.

The only requirement to move from a provisional license to a professional license is completion of an induction program. It is not necessary to complete renewal credit. "

And, once you get a " Professional License ":

" A valid professional license may be renewed every five years with six semester hours of college/ university credit or 90 clock hours of Professional Development (inservices, workshops, being on a committee, etc.) earned during the validity (from the issuance date to the expiration date) of your professional license.

An expired professional license or an expired certificate may be renewed with six semester hours of college/ university credit or 90 clock hours of Professional Development (inservices, workshops, being on a committee, etc.) earned during the five-year period preceding submission of your renewal application. "

I expect, as usual, states will differ on their procedures. If you go overseas, getting those required 6 semester hours ( or 90 clock hours )
may not be too easy. But I suppose you might be able to do it by " Distance Learning ":

" Can I use computer courses for renewal credit? "

" Yes, if you can show that they enhanced your professional growth and can relate them to one or more of the Colorado Professional Educator Standards. "

So, Buck - you'd better check out what procedures and requirements your particular state has.
Regards,
John

[johnslat]

Oh, by the way, here's a good site for doing that.

http://phil.mav.net/tchrcert.shtml

Regards,
John

[naturegirl321]

I know that this might be a dumb question, but I'd like to think that there are no dumb questions, just dumb answers.

But, is there any advantage to getting a Teaching Certificate/Teaching License? Is this only a USA thing?

I've got a TEFL Diploma and want to go for a Master's. Is there any value to a Teaching Cert/Teaching License if I want to work in private language schools or public schools abroad, (not those International Schools), but public/state schools run by the country that I'm living in?

Thanks!