The International Schools Review Forum

Hey guys,

I have been considering the option of becoming a subject teacher. What online courses would international schools take seriously?

I have a BA (English-Spanish) and a PGCEi. I just dont know what course I could do online in order to be accepted/taken seriously by international schools.

A friend of mine has mentioned "endorsement courses", but so far I have only checked the US ones and they are super expensive (14k USD on average).

I would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction.
Thank you.

Out of curiosity, why are you looking into re-training for math, specifically? Do you have a background in the subject in some other way (work experience, something hobby-related, etc.)?

marieh wrote:
> Out of curiosity, why are you looking into re-training for math,
> specifically? Do you have a background in the subject in some other way
> (work experience, something hobby-related, etc.)?

I used to be good at it (I kind of enjoyed it). Plus, I am done teaching languages (due to the elitist approach of "your-passport-matters-more-than-anything").

Last year I decided to sit the PRAXIS exams and I really enjoyed the maths preparation courses online. I disliked the rest, but the maths problems kept it interesting. Obviously, there is a chance that I might not like it, but it is one I am willing to take.

Any course that comes from an accredited Uni would likely be acceptable to an IS. UPe for example has 5 maths courses (algebra, calculus, discreet mathematics, intro. statistics, statistical inference) those 5 courses would cost you about USD$600 total, you could spin that into a minor in maths.
You could also look at obtaining a US teaching credential such a the MA Provisional (entry grade credential) in maths, you would have to pass two exams. It would cost you about USD$350 in application and exam fees.
Combining some coursework and a maths credential would be a solid application in the absence of any successes teaching maths in the classroom and aside from travel would cost you about USD$1000

PsyGuy wrote:
> Any course that comes from an accredited Uni would likely be acceptable to
> an IS. UPe for example has 5 maths courses (algebra, calculus, discreet
> mathematics, intro. statistics, statistical inference) those 5 courses
> would cost you about USD$600 total, you could spin that into a minor in
> maths.
>
Thank you. How do I spin that into a minor in maths though?

UPDATE: Wait..never mind. Just found one of your old responses.

"If your interested in course material than taking courses from UPe will get you actual Uni credits and with your PGCEi you could transfer enough credits/units you could complete the Masters at less cost than the ABCTE program is, and a Masters has more value and utility than a ABCTE certificate. A nice sequence of math inspired courses might be:
- Instructional Techniques for the Elementary and Middle School Classroom
- Instructional Techniques for the Secondary School Classroom
- Advanced Practices for Teaching the STEM Fields at the Elementary and Middle School Levels
- Advanced Practices for Teaching the STEM Fields at the Secondary Level Levels"

I will look into these bullet points. There is one thing I dont understand though...so, using the sequence mentioned above would give me enough credit to earn an MA in maths, but through which institute?

Thank you PsyGuy.

PsyGuy wrote:
> Any course that comes from an accredited Uni would likely be acceptable to
> an IS. UPe for example has 5 maths courses (algebra, calculus, discreet
> mathematics, intro. statistics, statistical inference) those 5 courses
> would cost you about USD$600 total, you could spin that into a minor in
> maths.
> You could also look at obtaining a US teaching credential such a the MA
> Provisional (entry grade credential) in maths, you would have to pass two
> exams. It would cost you about USD$350 in application and exam fees.
> Combining some coursework and a maths credential would be a solid
> application in the absence of any successes teaching maths in the classroom
> and aside from travel would cost you about USD$1000

By the way, how do I spin the 5 courses of UPe into a minor? Their agent is just clueless as to how to do so.

Thank you.

@Elysium82

The previous post of mine you cite isnt relevant to your inquiry.

You will not complete an MA in maths at UPe with that sequence of courses. MA as used above refers to the US State of Massachusetts, which offers among its credentials a Provisional (Entry grade) credential.

In the US tertiary edu system at an accredited Uni a UG/first major requires a minimum of 30 credits (credit hours), a minor is generally half of a major making the average minimum 15 credits, with 12-15 credits for a major typically found in subjects of 'personal interest' and typically 18 or more credits in 'professional' minors, or those that meet the industry or regulatory minimum for practice in a particular profession (IE.. Accounting or Edu).
How you spin that into a minor is you have a transcript (from UPe for example) with the 15 units of credit on it, and you list it on your resume as a 'minor' in maths. US Unis dont "confer" degrees or scrolls in minors as as an independent qualification except in some cases as part of a conferred bachelors degree or in some cases at the students bachelors granting Uni (where the new minor will be inscribed with the students other minors alongside their bachelors degree). If a recruiter or leader asks for verification you simply send them a copy of the transcript.
You would simply apply to UPe as a undergraduate student and once admitted register and complete those series of maths courses and when completed request an official transcript and then scan it as a PDF document.