Try Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club on Facebook.

You seem to think that TeachNow is some sort of official accreditor that issues licenses. They are a company that offers courses. Asking money to take their course seems anything but shocking. In DC the authority is OSSE, so you might wanna talk to them.
I thought that with PGCEi and classroom experience you would be able to get a QTS, but I could be mistaken.

Norway is not in the EU.

What exams do you have to travel to the US for, in the case of TeachNow?

@PsyGuy

Sorry, I didn't notice your response until now. It was on a new page, and I kept updating page 2 on my phone, so it went unnoticed.

Could you outline the way to get this credential? Or share a link if you already posted it elsewhere. I tried the Search function, but, you know... it's useless.

PsyGuy wrote:
>
> Your path ahead of you would be different if you wanted to be an IT in
> business studies or economics, but you said PYP which is primary/elementary
> and thats going to be more difficult.

Revisiting this, and just wanted to ask if you meant that TeachNow would not be the preferred path forward if I were to focus on Economics? How would it be different?

Thanks for your replies. It really means a lot to have someone to ask for advice. I'll get some input from my local IS contacts as well.

It seems like a new plan is taking shape:

1. Get certificate(s) that demonstrate commitment to professional development, and increase the chances of getting any kind of permanent work in IS. (Does anyone have any recommendations in the certification area? Praxis, IB...?)
2. Apply for work at whatever IS would take me. I'm guessing the beginning of next year would be the best time for that. (Best case scenario would be for my IS to hire me since I'm already a "known" to them, and I've also shown that I'm working on my professional growth)
3. Between then and the beginning of school year 20/21, I would start Teach-Now. Ideally, I would start the programme in March 2020, which gives me just enough time to finish the theoretical part before September, and then I would, with some luck, be able to do the field work at my potential future IS employer (Would this actually work? I have no idea how one would go about finding a school to do field work at. How much time do I have to do the field work after completing the TeachNow curriculum?) My training school contract ends in May 2020, so I would have ample free time over the summer to focus on learning.

This is a bit lopsided from what PsyGuy said (first appointment, then TeachNow), but feels more realistic to me. Is my reasoning wrong?

I hear what you say about getting more experience before spending the money (and experience for the sake of experience), PsyGuy, but I don't think this timeline is rushed either. Other things in life are forcing my hand in a way, too. Not the least being the pretty decent salary I'm getting right now which I'd like to keep for as long as possible before quitting to focus on professionalisation.

As for my preference for PYP, that's because so far I've only ever taught that age group. I'll try to get some experience in MS and HS, just to see how that suits me, but I don't think I'll abandon PYP.


One more thing, that my wife and I (both of whom have limited insights about this), have debated over: I will broach this with them, but I'm just wondering how likely does it seem for my unicorn IS to support me at this point and give me a chance to gain real teaching experience there? For the purposes of this thought experiment, let's assume I'm no better than average in terms of teaching skills and personality (not that they would know anything about my qualities as a teacher, as I was thrust into the classroom with no supervision; there have been occasional learning support assistants, though, but overall it doesn't seem like they are paying much attention to me - I'm only subbing roughly once a month). My assessment is that the school has the privilege to choose from a number of qualified, experienced teachers, so why support me with potential pay-off for them years from now?

Greetings, ISR community,

My bio: 33 years old from a non-EU country in Europe, hold a BA in Economics, an MA in Economics, and another MA in Political Science. For the last 3 years, I’ve been doing the unforgivable - teaching at a training center in China. Spare me your usual harsh judgement, it was a solution to a set of problems I was facing at the time, and it has also lead me down a path I never imagined I’d take (although both of my parents were high school teachers at some point, I never thought of it as the right choice for me). Well, I was wrong. Here I am, for the first time in my life I have focus, and know what kind of a career I want to build. So, no ragrets [sic!].

I’ve had the good fortune of subbing at a top IS here in China, and it’s what has opened the door to me to another world, and a kind of community which I very much feel a part of. Both my wife and I have an international orientation, having studied abroad, being from different cultures, and being immersed in a circle of friends from all corners of the world. My wife is on the way to launch an expat career, and me becoming a licensed teacher capable of working at international schools will fit in perfectly with our chosen lifestyle/careers, and help us achieve our goals. Bottom line is that I am 100% sure this is the path to take.

I have no illusions that teaching at a training center has prepared me for being a PYP teacher. So, it’s back to school for me, and then starting from 0 again. Not a problem, my focus is clear.

Right now, we are gathering information, and choosing the right path to getting the licence. From what we’ve learned so far, not being a US citizen poses some challenges in getting licensed.

We’ve read in PsyGuy’s posts that there are workarounds, by getting the education and initial credential in the States, then applying for QTS in the UK, and then getting that accepted in NJ, in order to obtain a lifetime licence there.

In short, this is the plan:

1. Start an online or hybrid master program which allows me to work and study simultaneously while physically in Beijing for most of the duration of the program. George Mason University’s Advanced Studies in Teaching & Learning, which also provides an IB certificate seems to be the best option. Even though the program looks a good fit, the State of Virginia does not issue teacher certificate to foreigners. So I’ll need to seek another state for certification.
2. With an M.Ed, look for a position in a "3rd tier" IS and then get certified through Teach-Now (working at an IS should solve the issue of 3-month classroom teaching experience required by Teach-Now).
3. Transfer the D.C. teaching license to a QTS in UK.
4. Accumulate more teaching experience and look for better opportunities at better IS.


Before we make any costly commitments, I wanted to ask a few questions, in areas where we could use some help and advice about our plan.

1. Is it redundant to do both M.Ed and Teach-Now, or is that the right way to do it in my case? What would be a more suitable approach?
2. I can’t imagine it would be impossible to get a US teaching licence if you’re a non-US citizen. However, we’ve read that some states require a SSN. Can someone with specific knowledge about this part of the licensing procedure comment? Like, which states don’t have this requirement?
3. Is it possible to stud in one state, and then get licensed in another? For instance, do the GMU M.Ed, and then obtain the licence in NJ?
4. Do universities generally offer help in finding field experience opportunities for M.Ed students working towards a licence?
5. Would you recommend finding work at a “third-tier” international school now, and enrolling at a master’s program after? (This may resolve the issue of needing to find a school to get the required field experience)
6. How employable am I at the moment, in the eyes of the IS?