Wow, PsyGuy, lots of information to digest! Can you help with the acronyms? Thanks for pointing out the problem with the initial Indiana license. I actually wouldn't mind working in Indiana for two years, assuming I could find a job here. As senator pointed out, nobody cares about my professional experience. I'd have to compete for jobs with experienced teachers, and new grads with education degrees. So if I couldn't find a job in Indiana I'd be out of luck, since I wouldn't be able to do anything with that license. I can't imagine getting a license based only on my professional experience. I need some training and practice in front of a real classroom.

That's why the in person Program at Purdue appeals to me. I think the practice teaching is 16 weeks, and I wouldn't have to try to organize it myself like the online programs. But it costs twice as much, and I only get an initial license. But the courses are graduate level and could be applied to a masters. I like the way the courses are in person, and not online. For me the more practice the better. The online programs make it look like it's easy to find a practice classroom. How easy is it to organize this?

Can Americans participate in the UK's Schools Direct Programs? What does your option 2 get me? If it worked I would get a UK QTS, but I would have no experience or training.

As senator pointed out, working and saving is probably the ideal option from a financial standpoint. But I have to take career break every seven years, so I'm currently between jobs and looking for something now. If I get an engineering job the online programs seem like a good way to set me up for a career change in my late 40s. But I kind of don't want to go back to years of 60 hour weeks and two week vacations, which is why I'm considering the career change now. If I do the career change now, I would want to make sure I'm adequately trained and get lots of practice training.

Hi, I just found this forum and there is some good information here. I though I'd introduce myself and ask about my plan. I have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in computer science, and have worked at several tech companies. I've just returned from two years of international travel after leaving my last job, and am starting my job search. I could probably find something in my field here in the US, but I'd love to be able to live and work overseas. I can't do that in my field.

I'm already 42, so I sort of want to start setting myself up for a career oversees. If I took another tech job, I'd just get stuck in that again for years. So I've been considering going the international teacher route. As an engineer, I'd prefer to teach math or physics over English.

My understanding is that I need two things to do this: teaching certification and experience. My state of Indiana has something called Transition to Teaching, a one year program for people like me with STEM degrees. It includes ten weeks of teaching experience, and at the end I would get an Indiana teaching license, but no degree. The cost would be about $12,000, but I could commute to Purdue University from home, so would have no housing costs.

I'm curious if that is a viable option for me. While not cheap, it's not that expensive. Especially considering free housing. And one year isn't all that much time, considering I'm already 42.

But what worries me is getting real experience. I'd have to find a teaching job in Indiana, and I'd be competing with folks that have experience and education degrees. I'm not sure how hard it would be to get my first job here. Supposedly there is a math teacher shortage, but I don't know how much that would help me. After two years of teaching here I'd be 46, so I worry that my age will start working against me when I start looking for international jobs.

My other plan would be to teach English. I actually did a CELTA ten years ago, and got a pass A. With this I was able to get a job in a third tier school in Bangkok that rich locals sent their kids to. I enjoyed teaching grades five to seven, but couldn't handle kindergartners, so had to quit. From there I landed a job lecturing at a low tier private international university, but as somebody else said here, lecturing isn't teaching. Man, that was an easy job!

I wouldn't want to teach in a language school, but teaching in a middle or high school would be OK. But like I said, I'd prefer to teach math or physics. If I went this route I'd want to get another certification, since my CELTA was so long ago. The advantage of this route is that TESOL certifications are under $2,000, and only take a month, so I could get going right away.

Anyways, I wanted to hear what the smart folks here though about me doing the Transition to Teaching program. I have four months before I have to apply, so I still have a lot of time to think this through. That's good, since this is a pretty important decision!

Terry