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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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mitsui wrote: |
Not true.
Go to Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Georgia or North Carolina.
Teach K-12. A MA or MS can give you highly qualified status and higher pay.
You must be certified, which I am in the process of doing. |
Being certified is (I think) a no brainer - it opens up so many doors that normally stay quite closed.
North Carolina would be nice... |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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You just need a BA/BS and certification to get a job.
My problem now is reciprocity. Nevada has more jobs, but getting certified there take more time with more tests.
These five states have the most demand for teachers.
Look at Teach.com for more information, state by state.
Private schools are an option as are charter schools, where certification is not always required. |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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mitsui wrote: |
Not true.
Go to Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Georgia or North Carolina.
Teach K-12. A MA or MS can give you highly qualified status and higher pay.
You must be certified, which I am in the process of doing. |
None of those states is somewhere I'd be eager to live.
Anyway, I meant that you'd need an MA (or to be doing one) to teach ESL in the States in a similar context to TEFL overseas, i.e. teaching adults, for example in a university.
Teaching kids in a primary/secondary school in the US is a whole new ball game compared to TEFL overseas.
By the way, what figures are you talking when say 'higher pay'? Is it high enough to make up the cost of doing a masters? |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Depends how long you plan to teach.
I plan to teach until I retire so it is worth it to have a MA.
Depends on the state as to how much extra pay is given for people with a MA or MS.
Having a MA makes it easier to get a job since that is considered highly qualified status.
Nevada pays for the teachers state pension contribution after five years, plus pays more for the MA.
It depends on the state. Minnesota, California and Colorado have merit pay.
University jobs are more likely to be for adjuncts and are harder to get. |
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Rusty77
Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 53 Location: Toronto
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 5:33 pm Post subject: staying in Poland |
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I've been teaching English here in Warsaw for 5 years, plus 2 years in Poznan, and although it has its share of headaches and yes, "MC", you're right--Polish bureaucracy and the infamous negativity will drive most foreigners mad if they don't find a way to deal with it -- but by and large it's not such a horrible gig if you can't get a job in your field in your home country, and you stick it out here, create your own business and build up clientele. That's been my situation. You do what you can to survive and thrive in life. As ESL teachers living in a foreign country that is, admittedly, not always the easiest to live in, I think we could all benefit from avoiding cynicism about ourselves and our "plight". However "belittled" we may be by the locals, we have to maintain some standard of professionalism and introspection if we want to have some sense of accomplishment, some feeling of reward from the work that we're doing.
I disagree with MasterShake and some other comments about most ESL teachers being a joke or viewed as a joke. I work my ass off and take pride in helping my students; so do my British, Aussie, American colleagues at the school where I work. We're not a bunch of ex-pat losers who are here for a lay. I may be wrong about this, but I get the impression that most of my students seem to be genuinely interested in my welfare and, for the most part, I feel respected by them. If you take time to build up an established clientele via your own business, it can be even more rewarding than working for a chain school.
As for the whole "Polish women" thing, who cares what they think? Women are women, anywhere and everywhere: just kind-hearted souls who in the end are simply looking for love. Personality traits and even perceived beauty depends on the individual. You can't categorize an entire country as having uniform expectations or qualities. Personally, I found women in Canada more physically attractive than the Polish women I've dated here, but that's beside the point. As you get older, like me, you take what you can get and look to establish a meaningful relationship with one person who you can get along with. MC, your comment, "Proper women would rarely get involved with an English teacher who has no other plans beyond teaching" is laughable. (I suppose that in the past, before finally meeting my long-term partner, I've had relations with 8 or 9 "proper women" here in Poland )
Dragon and "MC", I empathize with your frustrations and have felt them all myself. I'd love to have a prosperous, worry-free life in a "Western" country like the UK or Canada right now, but at the moment that's just not possible. One of the ways we can make a difference here is by refusing to accept this "Polish" attitude of doom and gloom, by projecting this to our students. It's possible that we're not here just to teach them English, but also to encourage them to have a more positive attitude about work, business and relations.
Any profession--including teaching English in Poland--can be honorable and rewarding if you treat it and yourself with some self-respect. |
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chuckMC
Joined: 15 Apr 2015 Posts: 75
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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Good post, Rusty77. Interesting perspective. |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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shake wrote:
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None of those states is somewhere I'd be eager to live. |
why? warm weather, low cost of living, close to the ocean.....Florida has no state income tax....what's so bad about that?
People from the colder states are moving to the south in droves. |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA
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Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2015 2:46 am Post subject: |
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Florida's not exactly a progressive place. When I hear 'Florida' I think of elderly retirees, rednecks and scammers, though I'm sure it;s got it nice parts. I'm not a fan of the hot muggy weather either. Dynow, I take it you're based there?
Rusty, I never wrote that TEFL teachers were viewed as a joke in Poland. On the contrary, I think Poles are surprised and amused that someone from the 'West' would choose to live and work in Poland.
But it's not secret that many TEFL teachers in Poland don't have much in the way of training or qualifications. I'm sure there are a rare few who can pick up teaching skills through experience alone, but many are just here for a laugh and are letting their students down with crummy lessons. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 8:43 am Post subject: erm |
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They'll get good teachers when they realize money talks. Language schools and private students alike go for cheap nine times out of ten. Therefore it makes no difference if you are a teacher with a tonne of experience and good intentions or a backpacker hellbent of drinking and womanizing because you get the same dosh. There's no incentive other than pride to give a feck in Poland. Everyone knows this is the rate for A (schools) and this is the rate for B(in-company). It is what it is.
Meanwhile I've just had the stairs done for 8k, the doors for 8k and part of the floor for another 8k and then there were the carpets, the bathrooms etc etc. Didn't use a quid of credit. As summer rolls up, there'll be plenty in Polska running home to mummy and daddy or doing some atrociously paid summer camp/school somewhere except for Delph, who we all know has a salary 12 months a year; rare as rocking horse shit. |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 1:26 am Post subject: |
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Master Shake wrote: |
Florida's not exactly a progressive place. When I hear 'Florida' I think of elderly retirees, rednecks and scammers, though I'm sure it;s got it nice parts. |
people move from the north to the south, not the other way around. |
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Infinite
Joined: 05 Jan 2013 Posts: 235
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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ChuckMC... most folks on this forum, do not reflect the actual professional community of expats in this country. Teaching may not sound like a great thing to do to some, to others it's a passion, believe it or not.
I'm loving it here, two kids, my own business, property, freedom, investment opportunities and chances to actually secure my future.
Calling this place a "loser" country shows short-sight on your end.
Poland's been a free country for only 20 years and a part of the free market for only 15. Now look out your window with that in mind. I've managed to secure a future for me and my children as an EFL teacher in Poland. I'm currently looking into retiring early and effin off to some nice island but not before some serious traveling once my kids are old enough to stay home for few weeks at a time.
If you've never had children stateside and here, then you have no real point of reference. I can completely appreciate that... however, how many folks back home do you know who own their own apts. in major cities and managed to pay them off while working a part time job and raising two kids?
The great thing about doing your thing here is the opportunities which for the most part jump out of nowhere. Someone's mentioned voice overs - yup... acting... creative writing etc etc... if you take time and learn the language - translations are an amazing way to earn money here. 80pln per page if you get involved with the right people... I can easily do about 20 pages per day.
Poland's not a loser country, it's a country like any other, it is what you make of it, just like your life... you can sit here and compare dollars to złoty, but at the end of the day we've all been down that road before... that's why we're here now.
It's been years since I even thought about going stateside. Not interested in the least. |
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Infinite
Joined: 05 Jan 2013 Posts: 235
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="dynow"]
Master Shake wrote: |
Florida's not exactly a progressive place. When I hear 'Florida' I think of elderly retirees, rednecks and scammers, though I'm sure it;s got it nice parts. |
people move from the north to the south, not the other way around.[/quote
Property tax is cheaper, cheaper life, no heating bills in the winter... great place to retire on your meager pension that would equal to starvation up north. |
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simon_porter00
Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:38 am Post subject: |
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Read the OP and not much in between and felt moved to comment. I'm happy to see new people on the board, unhappy on the other hand to read such generalised unqualified dribble.
It still amazes me how people, seemingly already defeated at the outset then come on here to air their dirty linen so all and sundry can conclude the obvious: they tried, they fail or are failing, and now they want to bitch about it.
Poland is, was, and will be an entrepreneur's dream. If you can't move past Cambridge English or business English after a few years then I'm sorry - you're doing it wrong. If you started out with Called then god help you. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:19 am Post subject: yup |
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Yep. Getting a specialized area is key. Mine just happens to be Oil and Gas and that's why I make shitloads in the Middle East. Not so useful in Poland. I did all the Cambridge and Business stuff there over several years. My writing and recording job there, which took about 2 hours a week, paid as much as my 24-hour-a-week teaching job at the uni.
I think a good course in presentation skills combined with IT skills would be a winner there. |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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I used to teach quiet a bit at Google in Wroclaw. You wanna talk about a good gig, it was the Americans working out of there. Managerial level, car paid for by the company, big apartment in the center of the city paid for by the company, and they were getting paid their US salary (California wages to boot). They also had several trips to California per year at HQ which meant free trips home to see the family.
The ones I spoke to had no intentions of staying in Poland, going to Wroclaw was simply the next step in their career and they were there mostly for training purposes but for those wanting to plant some roots in Poland, it was a great opportunity.
Meanwhile, every Pole that worked there was doing their best to get out of Poland and go work at the Dublin branch or some other Google branch elsewhere. |
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