Teacher Discussion Forums

My wife is currently teaching ESL abroad on the JET Program. She has a Bachelor's in Economics and has taught adult ESL at home in the States part time in the evenings.

When we get back from Japan, she wants to teach ESL fulltime at the elementary or secondary school level. However, everything that we have read said that she will need to go back to school for at least two years in a degree program, in addition to applying for a teaching certificate.

Since she will have been teaching for two and half years by the time we return, does anyone know of any alternate way to obtain a teaching certificate?

We live in Nebraska, but would be willing to move if there are any states that offer more lenient requirements?

Even a list of specific requirements by state, perhaps?

(If she could get her Master's in teaching, she'd be more than happy, but the requirements seem to suggest she needs another undergraduate degree.)

She should get her masters. She should be able to apply to a grad program with any bachelors. I knew a girl that did it with a degree in pottery. She could do the masters in education or eduational administration and get her ESL endorsement at the same time and be fine. Or she could get her Masters in teaching English as a foreign langauge. (I have a BS General Science and masters of Ed)

There are various states that have "alternative" programs. I would search using that term.

She should really get her Masters. More pay, less hasle, and it is generally only a one year program.

There's a new program called "Passport to Teaching" which enables people with Bachelor's degrees to also get their teaching certificates without having to go back to school. It's by the Dept. of Ed, and it's such a new program that it's not that well-known yet.

There's a link: www.abcte.org that has more information. They do offer an ELA 6-12 program, but they don't offer EFL/ESOL certification quite yet.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that Passport to Teaching information.

I've been teaching in East Asia for about five years now in ESL and have been looking for a way to get into teaching back home without having to get another diploma. I honestly didn't think there would be a way and was looking at staying in East Asia until there was!

(I'll be getting my master's anyway, but still this is REALLY great!)

Thanks again!