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miniuser
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 16
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 Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:08 am Post subject: Certification for Int. Schools, Career Advice Wanted |
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Hello, I hope it's kosher to ask about non-ESL teaching jobs here as well, but let me know if it's not.
I'm from the US, and will be graduating with a BGS (Bachelor of General Studies) this summer. My college credits don't overlap much with a B. Ed. - it would add another 1.5-2 years to my graduation time if I changed it to that. However, I've decided I would like to become an international teacher (at an accredited international school somewhere in South America, ideally). Thus, my dilemma. I actually want to teach 6-12 Math, which I'm hoping will make me a bit more marketable being a high-demand area. Also, I like math.
I'm aware of a number of alternate certification paths such as Teach Now, Teacher Ready, Texas Teachers, and the PGCEi. I realize the PGCEi is an academic qualification and not a teaching certification, however my understanding is that it a) is accepted by some ISs, and b) can qualify me for certification in some US jurisdictions and eventually QTS, which I think would put me in a good position.
For this reason, I'm leaning towards the PGCEi. Also, because the Teach Now/Ready programs require access to an IS for field experience, and I don't know if I'd be able to find that on such short notice. My goal is to relocate this summer - my final semester of summer classes can all be taken online and should be pretty easy.
The two PGCEi locations in SA (Lima and Quito) both begin on June 1, so I would actually need to find out if I can begin the course concurrently, possibly attending the welcome session and proceeding with the coursework after my degree has been granted (which will be late July). https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/study/pgcei/venues/index.aspx
To further complicate matters, I still need to make some money while doing all of this. I have been told that there are lower-tier ISs in SA that will higher on the basis of any 4-year degree alone. Also, I would be fine temporarily teaching at a language school to cover basic expenses while working on the other credentials. However, I don't really want to invest additional time and money in a CELTA or similar certificate for a job I'll likely only have for a year at most.
Well, I think that covers it. Is my PGCEi plan crazy? Will I be able to find some kind of teaching work if I just fly there? I know the pay is low in this region, I don't really care what I earn for the first few years. What I am concerned about, however, is that going this route and eventually obtaining QTS will eliminate the glass ceilings normally faced by uncertified teachers. For what it's worth, I've been to S. America before and my Spanish is decent, bet definitely not fluent. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:20 am Post subject: |
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| miniuser wrote: |
Hello, I hope it's kosher to ask about non-ESL teaching jobs here as well, but let me know if it's not.
I'm from the US, and will be graduating with a BGS (Bachelor of General Studies) this summer. My college credits don't overlap much with a B. Ed. - it would add another 1.5-2 years to my graduation time if I changed it to that. However, I've decided I would like to become an international teacher (at an accredited international school somewhere in South America, ideally). Thus, my dilemma. I actually want to teach 6-12 Math, which I'm hoping will make me a bit more marketable being a high-demand area. Also, I like math. |
US-accredited schools overseas are primarily a continuation of the learners' American education. So if you want to teach secondary math abroad in US-accredited private schools and top western-curriculum but non-accredited international schools, you'll need:
1. A degree in math
2. A US license to teach secondary math
3. 1-2 years of experience teaching math in the US
I suggest you also post your questions over on International Schools Review, which has a forum for content teachers. Definitely look at actual job ads for math teachers in your target countries to see what employers expect. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 4:01 am Post subject: Re: Certification for Int. Schools, Career Advice Wanted |
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| miniuser wrote: |
| I'm aware of a number of alternate certification paths such as Teach Now, Teacher Ready, Texas Teachers, and the PGCEi. I realize the PGCEi is an academic qualification and not a teaching certification, however my understanding is that it a) is accepted by some ISs, and b) can qualify me for certification in some US jurisdictions and eventually QTS, which I think would put me in a good position. |
Teach Now, Teacher Ready, and Texas Teachers are all programs for alternative certification in the US. PGCE/PGCEi are for teaching in the UK. Since you are American, I'm not sure why you are looking at PGCEi (or why you are talking about "QTS," which is also a UK-specific term).
Most good international schools want teachers who not only hold home-country (i.e., in your case, American) teacher certification/registration/qualification, but also multiple years of post-certification teaching experience in your home country. That is, they want a US teacher with US teacher certification and US teaching experience because the teacher will be teaching a US curriculum as an continuation of students' previous education in the US. That also means that if you have UK teacher certification but have no experience teaching in UK schools (and also no knowledge of the curriculum from your own experiences as a student), you'll be at a serious disadvantage.
If you want to make a career of teaching math at an international school, you'll first need to set a goal of becoming a certified math teacher and teaching math at a school in the US. That means you'll probably need to do either an on-campus teacher certification program, or an alternative certification program such as those you mentioned. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 4:33 am Post subject: |
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Looking at the broader picture:
If you want to teach EFL abroad (anywhere but the EU where being an American is a disadvantage due to visa issues) what is typically needed in the 21st century is:
Degree (take along a couple of sealed transcripts as well).
Passport from an anglophone country
Clear police check
For teaching at international schools who are not internationally accredited (international in name only) they tend to be pretty loose with the qualifications (degree, white face, aptitude to teach the subject in question).
For teaching at properly, internationally accredited schools you will typically need to be home country certified in the subject you want to teach and have a couple of years of home country experience.
For those who have completed a degree in a subject area (Math) the route to certification usually takes about a year.
To do a 2nd degree as a B.Ed usually means adding 3-4 semesters of upper level (3rd and 4th year) courses plus your practicum after you have your other degree.
If you want to be a math teacher in high school (as compared to elementary schools) then a degree in Math or Physics is pretty much a requirement.
If you want to teach math in the primary grades (G1-G5/G6) then certification as an elementary school teacher is typically required.
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miniuser
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
US-accredited schools overseas are primarily a continuation of the learners' American education. So if you want to teach secondary math abroad in US-accredited private schools and top western-curriculum but non-accredited international schools, you'll need:
1. A degree in math
2. A US license to teach secondary math
3. 1-2 years of experience teaching math in the US
I suggest you also post your questions over on International Schools Review, which has a forum for content teachers. Definitely look at actual job ads for math teachers in your target countries to see what employers expect. |
I actually posted at ISR first (and received a lot of really helpful feedback). Basically, I was told that following a traditional EPP/ITT licensing path with two years of domestic teaching experience was recommended, but that some lower tier ISs that will hire based on a four-year degree alone - particularly in this region, which is where I want to go anyway. They recommended posting here for advice on finding work while I'm working on the PGCEi (if I decide to go that route), but I figured it couldn't hurt to get more ideas on my overall plan too.
I was told that I could use the PGCEi to get US licensure using Washington, DC as the clearing house. I'd need my CRB fingerprints taken, the Nottingham PGCEi transcript evaluated, and I could then take the three Praxis exams. I would receive a DC standard (level 2) teacher certification, which I could then use to apply as an OTT (Overseas Trained Teacher) for QTS.
I was also told that after a few successful years in education (domestic or international), nobody will care how I was credentialed - with the caveat that in the absolute most elite schools which get 1000 applicants for a single vacancy, something negligible like that could end up making the difference. |
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miniuser
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:32 pm Post subject: Re: Certification for Int. Schools, Career Advice Wanted |
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| rtm wrote: |
| Teach Now, Teacher Ready, and Texas Teachers are all programs for alternative certification in the US. PGCE/PGCEi are for teaching in the UK. Since you are American, I'm not sure why you are looking at PGCEi (or why you are talking about "QTS," which is also a UK-specific term). |
I'm aware of this, but I didn't think it mattered. What's wrong with an American getting British certification, or vice versa? |
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miniuser
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| suphanburi wrote: |
For teaching at international schools who are not internationally accredited (international in name only) they tend to be pretty loose with the qualifications (degree, white face, aptitude to teach the subject in question).
For teaching at properly, internationally accredited schools you will typically need to be home country certified in the subject you want to teach and have a couple of years of home country experience.
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I think this part is the crux of the issue. This is consistent with what I've heard, however it's also my understanding that:
1. There is mobility between the low tier and mid-high tier international schools after a few years of successful teaching, as long as the teacher is licensed to teach in one of US/UK/Australia/Canada.
2. Traditional licensing, relevant degree, and two years of domestic teaching experience are generally required of entry level teachers at the better schools. However, after some experienced is gained, it only matters that the teacher has a) a degree, and b) a license in one of those countries (whether certification came through a traditional or alternate route no longer matters).
Do you think any of the above is inaccurate? I assume 'better schools' = accredited, although I've heard there's generally 3 tiers so I don't know if that means all the accredited schools are in the 1st tier and unaccredited are in the 2nd-3rd, or if the 1st is accredited, 3rd unaccredited, and 2nd has some overlap of each, etc.
One last thing, which I should have mentioned in my original post, is that while I'd like to teach math, it's not the only option I'd consider. I figured since it's a high-needs area, it would be the best opportunity for me to get a foot in the door.
My understanding is that Primary is a generalist position and although it has a lot of applicants it also has the most openings, so perhaps I'd be able to spin my BGS as being relevant to that? |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldn't go for the PGCEi. It doesn't enable you to get QTS as stated at the bottom of the Nottingham PGCEi page:
'Important note: Qualified Teacher Status in England and Wales is conferred by the National College for Teaching and Leadership on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education (England) and the Minister for Education and Skills (Wales) not by universities. This PGCEi does not therefore offer a licence to teach in the UK or elsewhere.'
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/study/pgcei/index.aspx
Some schools might employ you with it, but to be honest, in the long term it would be far better to have a proper on-campus PGCE. As you are American, I would agree with the other posters and suggest that you go for a US teaching license, anyway... |
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miniuser
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| currentaffairs wrote: |
I wouldn't go for the PGCEi. It doesn't enable you to get QTS as stated at the bottom of the Nottingham PGCEi page:
'Important note: Qualified Teacher Status in England and Wales is conferred by the National College for Teaching and Leadership on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education (England) and the Minister for Education and Skills (Wales) not by universities. This PGCEi does not therefore offer a licence to teach in the UK or elsewhere.'
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/study/pgcei/index.aspx
Some schools might employ you with it, but to be honest, in the long term it would be far better to have a proper on-campus PGCE. As you are American, I would agree with the other posters and suggest that you go for a US teaching license, anyway... |
PGCEi itself doesn't grant QTS, but I would be able to get my PGCEi transcripts evaluated, get my CRB fingerprints taken, and take the Praxis exams. Having done all that and passing the exams, I could apply for QTS. So basically, it can lead to QTS in a roundabout way, or so I've been told. |
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Xie Lin
Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, Miniuser, congrats on the impressive amount of research you have already done. You seem to have a fairly realistic overview of the career possibilities once you are licensed. It is true that you do not need a degree in math to get certified in math, but the lack of one may ultimately prevent you from qualifying for the most competitive positions. It is also true that in most cases the path you take to becoming credentialed is more important at the beginning of your career than it is later on, when your record of experience will count more heavily.
Have you considered teacher licensure programs such as this one? It has the advantage of providing a year of home country experience, a salary, and a teaching license. It was part of a pilot program which now has similar programs in a number of cities, should Boston not be your cup of tea. 
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=38338
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miniuser
Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 1:03 am Post subject: |
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| Xie Lin wrote: |
Hi, Miniuser, congrats on the impressive amount of research you have already done. You seem to have a fairly realistic overview of the career possibilities once you are licensed. It is true that you do not need a degree in math to get certified in math, but the lack of one may ultimately prevent you from qualifying for the most competitive positions. It is also true that in most cases the path you take to becoming credentialed is more important at the beginning of your career than it is later on, when your record of experience will count more heavily.
Have you considered teacher licensure programs such as this one? It has the advantage of providing a year of home country experience, a salary, and a teaching license. It was part of a pilot program which now has similar programs in a number of cities, should Boston not be your cup of tea.
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=38338
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Thanks, that program does seem like a pretty good deal, it looks like their registration deadline was 2/29 unfortunately. It seems similar to one of the Texas Teachers options I was looking at (maybe they come from the same pilot program you mentioned?) - http://www.texasteachers.org/how-it-works/
I'm not going to lie, my heart is kind of set on S. America, but maybe I need to take a step back to gain some objectivity. Another recommendation I received was to do Teach Now in S. Korea, because it would be much easier to find a cooperating IS there for the field experience portion. I'm not even sure how I would get in contact with an IS in SA at this point, or if it would be a lost cause on such short notice. That's also part of the reason I was considering the PGCEi, because there's no field experience requirement.
I would prefer having the field experience of course, if I can find a cooperating IS, which is the argument for Korea. Is there a list of programs similar to the Boston one?
I guess it's going to come down to just how badly I want to be in SA  |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 2:06 am Post subject: |
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| miniuser wrote: |
I'm not going to lie, my heart is kind of set on S. America, but maybe I need to take a step back to gain some objectivity.
....
I guess it's going to come down to just how badly I want to be in SA. |
Ditto that. South America will still be open to you several years from now. Think with your head and not your heart. Figure out what your priorities are in terms of your career goals long term.
We see plenty of posts throughout these forums from EFL teachers who wished they had taken the time to get the proper credentials and education before they headed abroad --- that feeling of shoulda, coulda, woulda. They're in mediocre teaching situations overseas and earning stagnant wages. They'd like to qualify for the better teaching opportunities in other countries or just want to move up in their careers. It's not that easy to return to one's home country for several years in order to gain more education and/or k-12 teaching qualifications. By the way, take a look at this related thread: Teach abroad or PGCE?
As for teaching programs, there's Teach for America. Also check with your state's department of education to see what programs are available. |
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Xie Lin
Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:32 am Post subject: |
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I would prefer having the field experience of course, if I can find a cooperating IS, which is the argument for Korea. Is there a list of programs similar to the Boston one?
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Well, of course we are hoping that not only will you succeed in becoming a teacher, but that you will also become a skilled, capable teacher! And the chances of that are much higher with a supervised teaching practice.
Here is a list of teacher residency programs. This model has MUCH to recommend it, but doesn't suit everyone. The job board ad I linked to is not a program based on this model--they are structured much more like Teach for America, another good program, as suggested by Nomad Soul in her post above.
http://nctresidencies.org/become-a-teacher/residency-opportunities/
And this is the Boston Teacher Residency program--it's the one I actually meant to link to in my first post, and the program I had in mind with my comment about being part of a pilot program.
http://www.bostonteacherresidency.org/program/
Texas Teachers is not part of this network, and does not follow the teacher residency model, but is certainly a viable ACP. There is a member here who was certified through Texas Teachers not too long ago, but unfortunately I can't remember her name.
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