Search found 7 matches

by phyrro
Mon Feb 03, 2020 4:50 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Hoping to get my foot in the door
Replies: 32
Views: 78151

Re: Reply

PsyGuy wrote:
> The forum consensus of the major contributors (a pretty big event for us)
> is that 2 years post credential experience in DE is highly advised. However
> there are other factors, neither FL nor GA are suffering a shortage of
> EL/Literature ITs, so unless you have or know someone who can get you a job
> youre going to have a hard time getting that two years of experience, you
> could be waiting years.
> So while that two years experience is important there are lots of hardship
> regions and lower tier ISs that would like that but cant get it, and have a
> much lower quality of candidate they have to appoint from, and they will
> appoint with less than to years experience.
> Visa and immigration requirements do play a role, but usually an IS will
> know how to get around them in such cases your ESL experience may be used
> to secure you a visa or work permit.
>
> Are these ISs legitimate? In what way do you define legitimate? They will
> mostly be local DSs or Academy ISs that will have some kind of western
> program (even if that means they hired westerners to teach whatever it is
> they teach). At a certain point in bottom third tier ISs it really just
> comes down to, do they pay their coin, and do they pay on time and is your
> housing livable.
>
> None of your ESOL or field work will count, maybe your online experience,
> maybe a portion of it. You shouldn't expect anything higher than step 1 or
> 2 on the salary scale. Other than that what your really looking for is the
> OSH package. How much coin out of pocket do you have to accommodate for, do
> they fly you in and out, or is the out only if you renew (or is there an
> out). Whats the housing? Do they pay visa and document fees? Whats the
> relocation if any?
>
> It doesnt matter which credential you use. I would say FL since that as
> your initial credential, and has the closest link to your EPP/ITT program.
> Once you get the FL credential you should apply for QTS.

I just wanted to update this post to say that I finished the TeacherReady EPP program December 2018, and finished all of the Florida tests in January 2019. I didn't receive my "Status of Eligibility" from Florida until May 2019. I immediately submitted the Status of Eligibility and fingerprints. I did not receive my teaching certificate from Florida until January 2020! I immediately used the Florida teaching license to apply for QTS. I am proud to report that I finally have QTS!

All in all, this journey started in May of 2018, and after almost two years of work and waiting, I have met my goal!

Thank you, all who contributed to these posts, and helped to point me in the right direction.
by phyrro
Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:53 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Hoping to get my foot in the door
Replies: 32
Views: 78151

Re: Hoping to get my foot in the door

Thames Pirate, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I have put my resume on Teaching Nomad, Teach Away, Edvectus, Naukri, Bayt, Ajarn, Footprints, and I am considering paid services like Search Associates. Are there any other job boards/recruiting agencies that you might recommend?
by phyrro
Mon Mar 18, 2019 8:52 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Hoping to get my foot in the door
Replies: 32
Views: 78151

Re: Hoping to get my foot in the door

Thames Pirate, I appreciate your positivity on the subject. I am definitely trying to shoot for the best position that I can secure. Can you provide any tips on how to tell the difference between a Tier 3 and Tier 2 school? Is it simply a difference in pay scale? Number of students? Curriculum taught? I am fumbling through open positions and I see jobs all over China that teach K-12 students and claim to be international schools. Does it matter if they are privately owned or run by the state? How can I be sure that work at a school will be recognized by future employers?

Or perhaps I'm just over-thinking the whole thing, and its just a matter of securing a job that requires a teaching license?
by phyrro
Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:29 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Hoping to get my foot in the door
Replies: 32
Views: 78151

Re: Hoping to get my foot in the door

PsyGuy, thanks for your reply. I am currently sending out applications and putting my resume in places where I think I might be able to find employment in "Tier 3 International Schools." My biggest concern is finding employment that will help me move up in the future to better schools. Thats what I mean when I say "legitimate." But to be honest, I'm unsure of how to gauge for myself which schools would be considered credible, valuable experience by future employers, and which would not. The last thing that I want to do is spend 2 years working a gig only to discover that future employees will not consider that experience valuable. Do you have any tips on what to look for?

Also, I have a question about your QTS comment. As I understand it, QTS is a UK teachers' thing. What is the value of it for an American trained and certified teacher?
by phyrro
Thu Mar 14, 2019 11:37 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Hoping to get my foot in the door
Replies: 32
Views: 78151

Hoping to get my foot in the door

I taught ESL in South Korea for six years and returned to the US summer of last year to acquire a teaching license through the TeacherReady program of Florida (thanks PsyGuy for the info in your various threads). I completed the TeacherReady program in December and the FTCE exams for Florida in January. At the time of enrollment, I wasn't sure if I wanted to teach internationally or not, and since I am a Georgia resident, I also completed the GACE exams and EDTPA requirements for them. I'm now waiting on the Florida DOE to issue my teaching license which I intend to use to acquire a Georgia teaching license (I'll be certified to teach ELA 6-12 in both states).

I have now decided that I want to go back abroad and work at an international school. I have decided that a place like the Middle East might be my best option for earning some money. However, I see many job listings that ask for 2+ years of post-license experience. Are there any legitimate international schools in the Middle East that will hire me with only ~200 hours of student teaching experience on top of six years ESL experience and a year of online teaching experience (worked at DaDa while attending TeacherReady)? If so, what kind of salary should I expect?

I also have a tangential question--if I do find a school willing to give me a foot in the door, should I use my Florida teaching license, the Georgia license, or does it simply not matter?
by phyrro
Sun May 07, 2017 11:02 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: I want to become an international school teacher...
Replies: 19
Views: 32777

Re: I want to become an international school teacher...

Thanks for this post. So it seems like I just need to stop delaying and get the ball rolling on this Teacher Ready program. I'll get to it then.
by phyrro
Sun May 07, 2017 9:44 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: I want to become an international school teacher...
Replies: 19
Views: 32777

I want to become an international school teacher...

So I realize that I have a bit of a challenge in front of me--but not an insurmountable one. After teaching as an ESL instructor in South Korea for 5 years (going on 6 once I complete this most recent contract), I've decided that I want to move out of the hagwons and into a more elevated position.

As it stands right now, I'm a simple plebeian with a BA in English Literature, an inconsequential online 120 hour TEFL certificate, and 5 years of experience in the classroom. The first three years were basically monkey work; singing songs and the ABCs. These more recent 3 contracts have been at a much higher level. We teach literature, essay writing, and TOEFL. None of that probably matters--I just wanted to give you a little bit of background on where I stand right now. I've learned a lot through trial and error, but I know that I need pedagogical training.

I just turned 30 yesterday, and for the past year professional development has been on my mind. I thoroughly love teaching, and I want to break into the international school circuit. That said, I'm not a wealthy man, and I can't really afford the opportunity cost of leaving work and going back to university. I've read about online masters programs, but then I've seen it said that no legitimate international schools will hire people with online MAs.

Thus, I've been looking for options--trying to find a way that I can move up from my current station while continuing to work. That is when I came upon this forum and a user by the name of PsyGuy talking about the Teacher Ready program. I'm seriously considering forking up the money and completing the program. However, I wanted to ask some of you knowledgeable folks here about your experiences.

First, to those who have completed the Teacher Ready program--were you able to find work at an international school after completing the program? Was it a very difficult job hunt?

Second, I've seen some say on other forums that years of experience in your home country (USA in my case) after teaching certification is earned is a hard requirement to get into an international school. Is that true? I realize that there are different tiers of international schools. If one were to get certified and then get a foot in at a lower tier school--would that experience translate on a resume when later applying for a higher tier school? Meaning, if I got certification with 0 years teaching experience in America, then got a job offer and worked at the lower tier school for a year or two; would that allow me to move up to a higher tier school later?

Third, is an MA recommended? Is an online MA (something I would consider later--after earning teaching certification) worth it? Do international schools place any value on those online degrees?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Have a nice day!