Thoughts on changing careers while abroad

[RDLLCR]

Hello all. I am an accountant and attorney from the United States, currently living in Latin America. For a while I've been considering a career change from accounting to teaching. I'd thought that would require returning to the US, which I haven't felt ready to do. However, I realized that there are several International Schools in my area, and I've started thinking about making the career change while staying abroad.

At first I was considering Teacher Ready or Teach-Now, but after reading several posts on this forum, it seems like my quickest path to a US license would be the Utah AEL or the MA provisional license. So that, I believe, would take care of that element of the change.

However, I'm still not sure quite how employable I'd be. My education isn't in a directly endorsable subject, so I'd have to use exams to get certified for any subjects (right now, I'm thinking middle grades mathematics). The other hurdle here is...I don't actually know how to teach. I know that I would like to teach, and I did spend about 20 years actually in school as a student, but I'd want to learn how to actually do the job of teaching.

My current line of thought is that after getting a provisional license in MA or UT (likely UT so I can take the exams here) I would pursue either an IB Certificate in Teaching and Learning, or an MA from WGU in middle grades math education. Or potentially both, if it would make a difference. Does anyone have any advice on which programs would 1) make me potentially better equipped to actually educate children and/or 2) give me a better chance of finding employment as an educator? It seems like either of these would be a better use of roughly $5k USD than Teacher Ready or Teach-Now, but I'm certainly open to ideas.

I appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks!

[RDLLCR]

I wrote that first post before my morning coffee. I thought of some additional details to add.

Personal background: 38, married, no kids. Spouse currently does not work a paying job but that would have to change if I moved into teaching, as I'd expect a drastic reduction in salary. Spouse is not from from the US, but from an EU country. This is the primary reason I don't simply get a few years of experience in the US first.

Visa status: Should have a permanent visa in this country sometime mid year. I understand that means any job here would probably mean I get in as a local hire.

Goals: I want to do something that has some social value. I'm tired of my work and the specific stresses involved. I don't mean to imply that I'd expect education to be a stress free career. I'm just near my limit for the particular stress of "if you screw up one piece of paper millions of dollars disappear." My mother was a high school social studies teacher, I understand it's not a light and easy gig. I'm not especially concerned about money at least for a while. Enough to live on. I'm happy to downsize. I'd certainly expect low pay to be part of the process in the early days. I want to remain in the country where I'm living for now, potentially move to Europe in the future.

I suppose I could start moonlighting doing some ESL teaching (I have a cheapo weekend TESOL I've never used) to get some kind of teaching experience. I also expect that if I was to work as a local hire, I'd need to do some level of moonlighting as an accountant to make ends meat at least for a while. I think that it would be fine to spend a few years doing the transition.

Honestly, I'm a little bit lost. I know I want to change careers, I'm interested in teaching, and for family reasons I can't really leave this country at least for a little while. I'm hopeful there's a way to navigate these waters. I appreciate any insight from people knowledgeable about international teaching.

[falconeer]

Hey. I've met plenty of mid career international teachers in my years overseas. They often make outstanding teachers. Last one I knew was a geologist in the petrol industry who teaches chemistry now in Shanghai. He switched for similar reasons as you described, and was one of the happiest guys at the school. There are a handful of certification experts on this board that I'm sure will have more focused replies than mine, but I just wanted to lend a few words of support. Best of luck on the road ahead.

[RDLLCR]

Falconeer, thank you. That's a really nice and encouraging message.

[LaylaH]

My advice is to spend some time in a school before deciding on a program. Shadow a teacher for a day or two in the area you are interested in and see what it is really like. Many things have changed since you or your mother were in school. Also, middle school math might be an interest to you, but are middle school kids? You have to love this wacky, unpredictable, hormonal age group. You mention where you want to live, what you want to teach, the money you want to make, but no mention of the kids. If you don’t love kids, enjoy being around kids, have a passion to want to bring out the best in young people, then this career is not for you. Many teachers came to this profession later in life and with experiences that make them an asset to the classroom. Just make sure it’s about the kids.

[Mencoh]

Consider that WGU only allows US military to study outside the country. I have called them personally and confirmed this -- it was a blunt "no". There are loopholes such as forwarding proctored exam materials and documents from your US address, but they're pretty clear on the stipulation and you may or may not face consequences for violation.

You have several other options for a Master's, but just outlining that.

UT AEL or MA provisional is my current path, but I'm still learning a lot about my personal competitiveness with such a credential. While Teacher-Ready definitely isn't as quick as a provisional, you can finish as quickly as you want and then do exams at a Pearson VUE site with mentored teaching in the US in a few weeks. Definitely my backup if I find I'm not very competitive with a provisional.

I have no idea how competitive you are in Latin America without prior teaching experience. I'm interested in replies you'll get because they'll factor into my own ongoing job hunt.

[RDLLCR]

@Laylah: Thank you for the comments. I think the shadowing is a good idea. I actually know a couple that either does teach or did teach (not sure if they retired yet) at the largest IS in this country, I will reach out to them to see whether and how they can arrange that. I do like kids. I do not have any or want any of my own (primarily for financial reasons). When I mentioned that the profession has social value, that's what I mean. Helping children learn is one of the most valuable things a person can do.

@Mencoh: I know that WGU does not allow the teacher certification paths to be pursued while outside of the US, because they cannot ensure the student teaching component. I believe the masters programs for already certified teachers does not have that restriction - but I'll verify. So, my thought process was to get some kind of license (UT or MA) then enroll in the WGU program. It does look like the website says nobody outside the US can apply, but lots of folks online saying they did it online anyways. I'll look into it further, but if it doesn't work I'll check out other programs.

I think LaylaH has the right idea about shadowing though. My mom retired in the early aughts and died in the late aughts so I can't even ask her about her out of date experience. A significant percent of my friends are teachers as well, but that's primarily domestic.

Another general question: Is there any subject that I might be certified to teach without a Praxis exam on the basis of my existing degrees? I have a business degree, an accounting degree, and a law degree (JD). US government/Social Studies, maybe? I think I would prefer to teach math, but if I'm employable as a social studies (or related) teacher, that might be good to know.

[LaylaH]

If you are willing to work as a local hire at a school that calls itself international but is all local children, you may be able to get a job just as a native English speaker. That isn’t anything I would suggest or recommend but some people go that route. Some people feel “called” others are ex Peace Corps type people who want this experience. If you want a spot at the real international school, you will have to become a licensed, certified educator. You will need to start with the department of education in the state you wish to be certified. Start there, some have very stringent requirements on internships, student teaching requirements and specific classes. I expect you will need a half dozen classes on modern pedagogy, educational law, special needs education and inclusion, educational psychology and a practice on educational theory and best practices. You will need to complete an internship and a student teaching practice. You said you had never been in a classroom before. You will not have a classroom of 30 children respectfully sitting in their desks. You need to learn classroom management skills. After you complete the required coursework, take the required praxis exams ( I was in a MEd program with two JD’s. They had to do everything we did.) you will apply for a license and be certified for your state. Most only last 5 years during which time you will have to complete CER’s or continued educational requirements. You have to renew your certification every 5 years. Start with a search on the educator licensing requirements for your state. A phone call to the board may also be in order to explain your unique circumstances. Most (no not all) but most good quality schools where you want to work will require a current certification, a background check and preferably 2 years of relevant experience. If you can coach a sport that is also a big plus. Hope this helps. I can see you are interested in this and are getting excited about the possibilities. They are there and you can do this. It will take some time, but it’s about the kids and you have to get this right.

[Mencoh]

@RDLLCR

>>> I believe the masters programs for already certified teachers does not have that restriction - but I'll verify. So, my thought process was to get some kind of license (UT or MA) then enroll in the WGU program. It does look like the website says nobody outside the US can apply, but lots of folks online saying they did it online anyways. I'll look into it further, but if it doesn't work I'll check out other programs.

Please feel free to share what you find out, then. Your good news is my good news.

[JasperTheCat]

Mencoh wrote:
> @RDLLCR
>
> >>> I believe the masters programs for already certified teachers does not
> have that restriction - but I'll verify. So, my thought process was to get some kind
> of license (UT or MA) then enroll in the WGU program. It does look like the website
> says nobody outside the US can apply, but lots of folks online saying they did it
> online anyways. I'll look into it further, but if it doesn't work I'll check out
> other programs.
>
> Please feel free to share what you find out, then. Your good news is my good news.

Is WGU legit? What are the perceptions of WGU program? How do potential ISs view graduates from this school?

[Mencoh]

@JasperTheCat
>>> Is WGU legit? What are the perceptions of WGU program? How do potential ISs view graduates from this school?

I don't know regarding how teachers are viewed but WGU is regionally-accredited and I've primarily seen it discussed as a viable opportunity for people who switch to computer science. I assume it would be the same for education.

[PsyGuy]

Accounting is typically eligible for a business studies credential. You would likely be eligible for the UT AEL in Business (CTE Core) without having to take the PRAXIS.

Have you talked to any of those ISs located near you, would any of them hire you, have they expressed interest in you? If not your doing a lot of work to transition to a profession you dont have a way through too. You have to start with one of those ISs or your career aspirations end there it sounds like.

Lower secondary maths isnt very marketable, not by itself. ISs especially lower tier ones and smaller ones want ITs who can do upper secondary meaning algebra too calculus if not whole IS, or they need an IT that can pair maths with another subject such as science.

IB T&T certificates tend to be expensive (most are associated with a graduate degree program) and arent worth very much in IE outside the regional IB offices or a handful of foundational IBWSs.
The UPe M.Ed in advance teaching is about USD$3200 and provides the same IB PD benefit as a T&L certificate.

You cant get a credential though WGU unless your domestic in the US, there are some ways you might be able to get around it but its risky, you can do a non-credentialed Masters with them OS. You do not need to return to the US to do field experience for TN or TR, many ITs complete their field experience OS. The Teach Ready program is only a 5 day field experience vs. Teach Nows 12 weeks.
A Masters is a much stronger backup compared to completing a skills based EPP/ITT program such as Teach Now or Teach Ready.

Assuming you can obtain an EU passport that would be highly marketable in the EU, so much so you could very likely find employment without an edu credential solely with a M.Ed.

Yes, you will likely be considered a LH.

I disagree with @LaylaH, as soon as a class sees a visitor in the class, their behavior changes, and an IT with such a visitor is going to give an exemplar lesson. Its not an accurate reflection of teaching.
You dont have to love kids at all, there are plenty of successful ITs that dont like kids at all. Its like any job, if your good enough at it, enjoyment isnt a particularly important factor.
You dont need to do any of those things @LaylaH described, you can apply without doing anything and get a UT AEL credential in Business.
Almost all ITs do some form of ASP, sports is a minor part, MUN is more marketable overall in IE.

@JasperTheCat

WGU is accredited so its legitimate in that aspect. There are successful ITs who are graduates of WGU. generally, unless a uni is a Global Ivy than it doesnt much matter where you get your Masters from, though there are some small handful number of leaders that have a low opinion of WGU.