Job Discussion Forums

[Griff-James]

Not in my experience.

Perhaps I'll have to emphasise this on my CV.

Looks like it's going to be a military contract for me.

[ryder]

Some places don't actually want experienced teachers. They prefer fresh young graduates who don't know anything so they are easier to control
and train to do things their way.

Experience isn't appreciated the way it used to be.

[jdl]

I am finding that more employers at least at the Government College level in Oman are moving toward recruiting trained teachers (B.Ed, M.Ed. etc.) where experience as a classroom teacher is built into the program. Seems that the market is changing with a preference for employees trained to teach in addition to having some subject based knowledge. The skill of teaching seems to be taking on more importance with the assumption being that a person trained as a teacher would probably have the greater potential as a better teacher than one who is not. Make sense?

So, in short, although experience and education are important the issue seems to be one of 'what type of experience and education' The trend seems to be moving toward trained teachers (B.Ed., M.Ed. etc) and experience as a trained teacher and away from the academic degree plus an esl course.

To be honest the issues of mental and emotional stability and maturity often, but not always, play a greater role than either education or experience when a decision regarding 'which candidate to hire' is being made.

[ryder]

Quite right, JDL. B.Ed and M.Ed degrees better prepare teachers for the classroom. A lot of the TEFL/TESOL diplomas focus on theory but not much hands on teaching practice. Too busy teaching teachers about linguistics and not about teaching. However having a PhD in Education makes me overqualified for a lot of the jobs I do. I have an Arab wife who wants to stay in the Middle-East. She didn't like living in the US I have had to compromise. The kids are learning Arabic so that's good.

[15yearsinQ8]

the only way you get to be competent (and judged by others as competent) is to teach
ABSOLUTELY expereince counts and should as well

A skilled interviewer will determine if the candidate is 'set in their ways' as a few TEFLers with over 20 years experince are