Job Discussion Forums

Armbar · Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 11

I was just turned down by ADEC for not having a teachers license in my home country.

I do have BA, CELTA, almost 5 years in schools.

I now need to update my Kwal-a-fa-kay-shunz

I think a masters degree would qualify me to teach in a college / univ., no?

Even with a masters, do I still need that license to teach in schools?

Anyhow, what would you all recommend to get? My "goal" would be to teach in schools and /or universities.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I do believe that this is clearly stated in their job adverts... and mentioned regularly here.

If you want to teach university level, get an MA in ESL/EFL/Applied Ling... a teaching cert/license is of no value. If you want to teach in the schools, get the cert/lic from your home country... an MA won't help you at all.

There is no crossover or way to get qualified for both with one piece of paper. Sorry...

VS

meritpay · Joined: 18 Feb 2010 Posts: 3 Location: UAE

VS is right. I first found teaching work in the UAE on the strenght of my PGCE (UK teaching licence) and worked at mostly broadly secondary level for several years.

However, I managed to jump ship when I finished my Masters, and now work in the Vocational/Further Education field - where things are MUCH better!

boundforsaudi · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 243

If you want to increase your earning potential with the least effort, get an MA in secondary that simultaneously gives you graduate credit for high-school certification. Don't know what your original BA was in, but if you want to improve your actual ability to teach English go back for a BA in English. Rinse and repeat until you figure out what an apostrophe is for. After that you can go for the MA in ESL.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:12 pm Post subject:

Yep. That's what I did. My first issue of my teaching license that I earned in getting my B. Ed. had lapsed, but with the completion of my M. Ed. in TESOL, I applied for a renewal and was granted it in 2002. It lapsed again in 2005. Crying or Very sad

NCTBA

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Not many places offer an MEd in TESOL... and I'm not sure that it would provide a state teaching cert/license if you hadn't done a BEd and had one previously. It likely depends on the state.

VS

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 2:38 am Post subject:

Oh, I agree completely. The awarding of the two pieces of paper was coincidental. One for specializing in TESOL and the other in recognition of my continuing education.

I don't know of ANY Master's that leads to certification, but there may be something out there.

NCTBA

boundforsaudi · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 243

Here ya go for the MEd/certification, if ya can stomach the stuff. As for the ESL, by all means do that in an English department. Avoid departments of education wherever possible.

https://www.coe.unt.edu/teacher-education-and-administration/curriculum-instruction

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Yes, but most universities in the Gulf would not accept that in lieu of a related MA for TEFL.

VS

Asda · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 231

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Are you referring to 100% on line degrees or distance where you attend some summers? That makes a difference to some employers I hear. Saudi doesn't trust them and rumor has it that Kuwait can be sticky.

In the UAE, the Ministry of Higher Education accepts them, but the Ministry of Education does not. I believe that Oman accepts them. Don't know about Qatar or Bahrain.

VS

scintillatestar · Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 74 Location: New York, NY

Hi,

Certification seems to be the trend now. I was just accepted to Columbia's M.A. in TESOL program. They have two tracks - one leads to NY state certification and the other does not. The latter has a student teaching component, and I opted for this. It seems that the best K-12 jobs, especially for international schools, do require certified teachers. Moreover, even if the cert is not a required, you can usually expect better pay/conditions.

Having said that, I didn't want to limit myself to the K-12 field. What if I found a good university job? An M.A. is often required for these.

So I agree with the previous poster. If you want to cover all your bases, enroll in a program that grants an M.A. and state certification. Many U.S. universities offer these programs. It seems to be a worthwhile investment based on the advertised salaries.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:18 pm Post subject:

Yes. Especially here where people have their heads totally wrapped around the DELTA which emphasizes observed teacher training (not a bad thing!) Any kind of practicum is always a plus, certified or not.

NCTBA