IPGCE for an experienced teacher?

Post Reply
Niall1984
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 9:44 am

IPGCE for an experienced teacher?

Post by Niall1984 »

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, so I apologise if this is an overly asked question.

I've been teaching for 15 years, firstly in TEFL, and then I got a DELTA and worked for the British Council. I was fortunate enough to get into a decent international school, and then I was even more fortunate to get a job at a good international school (probably tier 2). This has led to me being an IB teacher for 6 years now. However, I am considering making a move to Europe next summer, so I have a potential problem concerning my lack of certification (apparently, the DELTA does not count).

I recently spoke to Search Associates, who I have previously has positive experiences with, and they recommended that I either do Teach Now or an IPGCE. I did some research, and I understand the differences between the different IPGCEs and Teach Now. I found a IPGCE course from Derby, which I can start next week, and that will give me the qualification. Although I appreciate there are aspects of the course which might help me, realistically, I'm just doing it to help improve my employability. Teach Now seems to be better, as you get the certification, but I am British, and I thought it makes more sense to stick with British qualifications.

My question is two-fold: Do most schools look at IPGCEs in the same manner even if you have been teaching internationally for years? Can I still get hired in a good IS in Europe without an IPGCE or a US certification?

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Smoko
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2019 1:41 am

Re: IPGCE for an experienced teacher?

Post by Smoko »

An iPGCE/PGCEi is not a licence, just an academic course that equates to roughly 1/3 of a masters. Teach-Now results in an actual credential. A US teaching credential is more valuable than a British academic qualification, even if you're British.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

I generally concur with @Smoko, a PGCEi is an academic qualification equal to about half of a Masters. Its not a credential, and doesnt license you to do anything by any regulating edu authority. A US credential as one prepared for through TN or any other US state is a professional credential, that subsequently licenses an IT to provide instructional services.

The DELTA doesnt count, but your did it with a DELTA, so maybe fortune favors the bold.

SA and TN have a relationship now, so that doesnt surprise me. The PGCEi is curious. The difference in available programs depends on your availability of doing field work. There is a pathway to a credential using a PGCEi and CT (Connecticut) and youre right at the place in your resume where it could work and allow you to get QTS. Its somewhere between a coin flip and a crap-shoot. Youre teaching in an IB IS so unless its also a BS and teaching the UK NC you cant do AO, though you may be moving into a BS when you transition to the EU and then you could do AO, in which case the PGCEi would provide some academic material to the AO portfolio, since the DELTA isnt going to impress anyone. The EU tends to be more academic focused on qualifications then it does on credentials.
The TN program will get you a credential, and there are benefits to being cross curriculum (US and UK) trained. Youre very unlikely to be able to use the TN program and subsequent credential to get QTS. A British IT with a PGCE, QTS and then (later) a Masters with a work history in IB and working with the British Council is a strong resume for a BS with DIP.

Sure you could, but your resume is on the lite side, whats really in your favor is youre, for now, an EU national (assuming your not Irish). There are lots of ISs in the EU that will hire you with a bachelors/first degree and your IB experience, thy might even count the DELTA for scale to get the contract done. Youre going to hit a wall at some point as you want to transition though the tiers and highly desirable locations. Youre not going to check that 'legal' box of professional edu without a professional edu credential. A PGCEi on its face can b a working credential especially in lower tier ISs, but ESOL isnt likely to b one, your basically going to have the problem that recruiters and leaders will roll their eyes when they hear youre an ESOL ET, and all you have is a DELTA who got lucky and got some IB IS experience. There going to picture a dispatch ET who just got assigned to an IB IS and milked that for 6 years.

There are three aspects to an ITs resume and marketability 1) What they can do (qualifications, credentials, certificates, degrees, etc.). 2) What they have done (experience, exam results, etc.). 3) Special skills (MUN, productions, recitals, competitions, niche areas of expertise, etc.) Of those, experience (and exam results) are King. At the point youre at in your resume what youve done in the classroom is more important and more marketable than qualifications. There are going to be a significant number of ISs especially IB ISs that are going to want or need to check that 'legal' 'credentials' box, if for no other reason that in ESOL there isnt exactly a shortage of credentialed applicants, especially in the WE where lots of ITs want to live and teach, those ISs (and the second tier is highly represented by IB ISs) can be selective, they typically dont have to settle in regards to an ESOL IT.

You dont need to do all the work though for a PGCEi or TN, you could get an MA provisional (entry grade) credential in ESOL with a couple exams (MTEL). It would effectively be a lifetime credential, and you could peddle it and see what success you get with it. Once you have it you could try professionalizing it either though CT or HI immediately or teaching on it for 3 years then professionalizing it and potentially obtaining QTS based on the professionalized credential. In the meantime looking into a Masters is more worth your time than a PGCEi, unless you pursue one of those program that applies the PGCEi towards their Masters (a top up program), though youll end up paying 2 too 3 time more for the Masters going that route.
Niall1984
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 9:44 am

Re: IPGCE for an experienced teacher?

Post by Niall1984 »

Thanks, PsyGuy. That was such a useful response.

I'm sorry to ask, but there were a few important acronyms that I didn't get.

You said that there is a pathway between the PGCEi and Connecticut. I didn't understand what that is: could you explain this? The IS I work out is American, so we use Common Core before IB (no MYP). Also, just to clarify I teach IB Literature and IB Philosophy.

Also, what is an AO - (actual observation?)

In terms of the British schools - do you think they would hire a teacher with lots of IB experience (I'm also an IB examiner) with a Teach Now credential?

Also, what you said about the MA with a couple of exams in (MTEL). This sounded interesting, but sorry to ask, could you explain this without the acronyms.

Unfortunately, post-Brexit, I will no longer be classed as an EU-citizen, so I don't know how that will affect working in EU schools. I'm really hoping to find work in Portugal, Spain or Italy. My wife is a doctor (Brazilian) and speaks Portuguese (mother tongue) and Spanish and Italian, so we are also trying to find a country where she can convert her medical degree. Being an international doctor is far more complicated than a IT.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@Niall1984

Many regions including US states have mutual recognition policies or rules that permit one regulating authority to recognize the credentials of another regulating authority, though this varies between authorities. In the US each state is its own regulating authority, and thy vary dramatically between each other in terms of what one needs to qualify for a professional edu credential. Among all the differing systems there are cracks or holes that can be taken advantage of. One of these cracks is the state of CT (Connecticut) which has two pathways to obtaining a entry grade teaching credential, one is the traditional academic pathway involving an EPP/ITT (Educator Preparation Program or Initial Teacher Training) and the other being a skis based pathway that combines an academic background with a period of experience (2 years) that a sort of apprenticeship. These combined (along with some testing) is a rather unique method in the US to get a credential. It was intended to allow private/independent parochial DS DTs to transition easily into the regulated (public/maintained) DS DT field. The PGCEi fulfills the academic requirements, you take the same exam as any other CT DT would take and then having your experience (minimum of 2 years) verified you receive the CT Initial (entry grade credential). The issues in the past have been that not all PGCEis cover the same academic material, some programs better meet CTs requirements than others. The other issue is what counts for experience (especially coming from IE) is subjective. Further if you have more experience (closer to 5 years) you could potentially qualify for the CT provisional (professional grade) credential.

AO = Assessment Only. Its a pathway of obtaining QTS (Qualifying Teacher Status) in the UK (England) that involves creating a portfolio and having your teaching observed, after which you are recommended for QTS without otherwise having to complete an EPP/ITT program such as a PCGE or SD (School Direct) or one of the other skills pathways to QTS such as Now Teach, Teach First, Researchers in Schools, etc. A number of organizations provide the AO program, but the TES Institute is the primary global provider.

Sure, as you move up th tiers though a BS without IB is much more likely to want a UK NC trained IT with a PGCE, QTS, a Masters, and high scores in IGCSEs and A*, and would salivate at an Eaton grad with a first class OxBridge degree. As you get into higher tiers those ISs generally dont have to make compromises or settle, they can get what they want. Third tier though sure. A third tier floater IS that is looking to transition to IB and is in some candidacy stage, yeah they would be interested in your experience and a DC credential through Teach Now would check the credentialed box.

MA (Massachusetts) offers a provisional (entry grade) credential that for most subject endorsements requires a bachelors/first degree and passage of two professional credentialing exams (the MTEL), then you get a 5 year credential that as long as you didnt teach in MA would be a lifetime credential. You cant use it for QTS but its a fully valid, regular professional edu credential.

Yes it is. Youre spouse has a steeper journey ahead than you do.
Post Reply