PsyGuy,

I respect your opinion a lot. You remind me of a no non-sense business man that tells it like it is and sees through all the bullshit**.

What's the best way of climbing to the top and actually becoming a good leader. I'd like to make a difference in the education and operational duties as I know what its like to work for horrible leaders. I'm ready to go back to school and put in the elbow grease. Just seems difficult and a lot of a** kissing to make it there. If I'm not cut out for leadership, I can accept that, but I can't accept not trying. No point in living if you don't shoot for your dreams.

Another thing is I'd like to have a family. Having a wife and possibly 2 kids would make me unemployable, unless of course I was in leadership (I think). This is all about planning, career wise, family wise, financially wise, and accomplishing big things in something I love (education).

One more thing.....I'm still young and would really like to start a grad program soon. Doing a leadership degree, if I would actually get accepted with my limited lack of experience, would be great to start right away. Look like I'm gonna have to buckle down and get 5 years or so under my belt along with recommendations and possibly a mentor to get accepted into an Ed. Leadership program.

I'd just like to power through all optimal qualifications now while I'm young, even getting a doctorate, so I can be done with it and focus on teaching and rising up the ranks.

PsyGuy,

What you say makes a lot of sense. No point in spending 20k+ just to get into an elementary classroom when I can do that by simply passing an exam. I may have to start at a lower tier school (somewhere in an unstable nation like Libya, but I actually enjoy those experiences, I like to see the full spectrum of travel and life around the world. BTW, I've lived in many nations most would stay away from for fear of their safety, so I'm used to it. This seems logical to save money and time to pursue this route.

On the other hand I do believe C&I is interesting as I transition my experience out of the classroom. Another reason I do see myself getting out of the classroom at a later time (10 years or so) is because I would like to buy a house and have a good retirement plan. C&I would give me a better pay raise, but leadership is obviously the way to go if I want to make 75k+. This seems difficult to obtain, but I'm sure I could network over the years and probably invest in a leadership degree with credential.

I am very much interested in teaching PE and likely elementary, but in the long term, the pay just isn't there. C&I could be a good compromise, but like you said, why get a degree in that when I can simply just be good at the job and avoid schooling and costs.

Thanks for the interesting perspective. I gotta lot to think about before I go down a path I may regret.

Cheers

Hello fellow teachers,

I am currently a PE teacher and considering a Masters in Education. I would like to get an M.Ed for the following reasons:

1.) Become more competitive at the top schools
2.) Go up on the pay scale (I'm young and have about 30 more years left, so it will pay for itself)
3.) Teach another subject or move out of the classroom in the future (admin, C&I, etc.)
4.) And of course I'd like to learn and develop more as a teacher

I don't think it would be wise to pursue a master's in PE as that seems very limiting. I am very interested in teaching elementary. All I have to do is pass an exam to get an elementary license, though I'd have no education or experience in that subject area.

I'm currently looking at two programs: M.Ed in Elementary and the other is M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction (Specializing in elementary education). The M.Ed in C&I appears to be better as it provides an education in elementary teaching AND C&I which will be a great option as I get older and want to get out of the classroom. I'm certainly open to other specializations, such as Integrating Tech, so please send me your thoughts on which direction would be best given my goals.

Thanks a lot

PsyGuy wrote:

> @HighHo

>
> Professors are well known for off the cuff idioms, they sound nice but if
> you really want to make a difference, join the peace corp, or look into one
> of the volunteer types of opportunities. In IE your essentially working for
> affluent parents who want their children to study at Uni in the west, and
> its just a grind. The things that annoy ITs arent the students struggling
> with challenges to succeed, its the students who can have more walking a
> round money than ITs who think they can copy/paste from Wikipedia and then
> get their parents to change their grade. Its the parents and students who
> are essentially buying their way to academic success.

@psyguy
I do want to make a difference and I actually considered the peace corps. They are not able to guarantee me a placement in Latin American and a position as a PE teacher, so I'm not interested. I expect the students at IS's to be high up on the socioeconomic chain, but I hope it is not like you say. If students are expecting to buy grades, that kind of enviornment must be terrible to work in. It might be part and parcel of the job. I will find out soon enough once I land my first contract.

joe30 wrote:
> One final point I'd like to make, is sacrificing the now for the future
> often leads to simply rolling forward your goals an extra few years, and
> never being truly happy.
>
> I've mentioned this across the internet, but delayed gratification is a
> very bad western ideal. It goes like this: you don't like school, but are
> told you need to grind out those good grades to go to a good uni. Then
> you've got no money at uni, course deadlines etc, and are told you need to
> get over this stage to land a good job. Then you get the good job, but of
> course you're bottom of the ladder, but are told by society you need to
> 'pay your dues', and it'll be fine once you get a promotion or two. Then
> you get the promotions, and sure you have a bit more money, but you've also
> now got a lot more stress and work hours. But then society says 'well you
> made it this far, just imagine how great it'll be when you can finally
> retire after years of paying into your huge pension'. The end result? Many
> people with this mindset go through their whole lives not being happy, and
> only really start enjoying life once their best years are behind them.

I 100% agree with you. Reminds me of a video by Alan Watts where he explains how to find happiness in life.

It seems that for one to "make it" in IT, you must get in line and follow the herd (pay your dues). This seems like the golden ticket to landing a top job: 2 years experience in the U.S.A., 2 years experience at tier 1/2 school, no wife or kids, a master's degree in education, and look the part (modern haircut, no tattoos, no disabilities, white). I'd rather be happy now and walk my own path.

Thanks for all the different perspectives guys!

I am DEFINITELY not returning to the U.S.A. to teach, in fact, I never plan on teaching there in my entire career. If someday I decide to return home, I will take up a different field. It's good to see that my thinking was correct in that it doesn't matter where I receive my initial 2 years of experience (IS vs. DS).

I see some people were bringing up salaries, but that doesn't really concern my interests. I just want to make ends meet. Adding to my savings is great, but it's not a priority. There are many factors to consider, but generally speaking, I'd like to make 1500 USD a month (though i'd certainly accept more) somewhere in Latin America. One thing I've noticed about Latin American IS's is that they tend to hire locals for their PE positions. Only the top schools seem to hire foreigners for PE, and at this stage I am no where near competitive for those. So China seems to be where I will find my first contract, but who knows what will happen.

Some of you mentioned bad/rough schools. When you say this, are you referring to bad administration or low socioeconomic students? I actually prefer working with students that come from poor backgrounds, as that is where I come from, and I believe with my subject (PE), I could really influence them more than most other subject teachers (science/math/english/history). Ive worked with challenging kids before, and they've never broken my spirit. I welcome challenging classrooms. My professor once told me, "We grow as educators when we step outside of our comfort zones."

Another idea I just thought of is maybe I could approach Tier 2 schools and ask for conditional employment. I would sell myself by acknowledging my lack of experience, but also my willingness to learn from their current PE teacher. In this instance, I would agree to be mentored by the current PE teacher for a couple of months (for free), and take over the position when they leave. I'm considering this option as a last resort as no one wants to work for free haha

Thanks for all the replies (b12r, thames pirate, joe30, dude, PsyGuy). I have been sending out my resume to any ads that I see online about P.E. positions. Im still new to the IE circuit and I find it quite odd that there are a lot of P.E. positions in China. Why is China so desperate for P.E. teachers more than any other country? Would these schools count towards gaining my 2 years of experience? If I teach at an UNaccredited international school in China, can I use this to transition later toward the better schools? I have been in contact with a Chinese recruiter, but I am worried that the experience in China will not count in the eyes of real international schools.

There are a lot of schools in my state looking for P.E. teachers, and I believe I could land one of those, but I agree with joe30, in that I dont wan't to be miserable teaching in the U.S.A. for 2 years. Life is short, besides I don't even know if I'll be alive by then, we could die at any time. It's all about the moment RIGHT NOW. What I do know is that I am very passionate about this subject. I studied P.E. simply because it is entertaining to me. My advisor told me, "Do what you love and the rest will fall in place," so I changed my major to P.E. and never looked back. Any interviewer could look into my eyes and see my passion. I live it and breathe it. I am willing to work for very little, so long as I can cover the essentials.

PsyGuy you are correct in guessing my references are academic and student teaching only. It sucks, but what can I do. I have been to Mexico and I really like it there. Oddly enough, Mexico and China seem to be major markets for P.E. teachers at the moment. Not sure why. I am going to continue researching and sending out resumes, but right now, it looks like I will have to pursue Mexico and China for a P.E. position at a school that may not be accreditted. I appreciate the advice guys, Thanks a lot.

Greetings,

So I just recently received my teaching license in Physical Education. My bachelor's degree is also in this field (Kinesiology with a focus on P.E.). I have taught ESL abroad for 2 years, but I know that amounts to nothing in IE. So what should my next step be to getting a contract as a P.E. teacher? I applied to many schools directly via email. The ones that actually responded said I needed 2 years of experience.

I am from the U.S.A., but I have no desire to return home to acquire the necessary 2 years experience. I read online about others going straight into IE after receiving certification, but I would like to get more advice from you guys. I suppose the only thing I have going for me at the moment is I am single, I have no student loan debt, and I am willing to teach anywere in the world. I would prefer to teach somewhere in South America. The pay is not a big concern to me as long as I can cover the essentials and travel a bit during the holidays, Im not looking to save much if that makes a difference. I have lived in many dangerous places throughout Latin America, so areas that are deemed "dangerous" are not a problem for me.

Where do I start? I saw some people recommended tieonline. Sending out resumes blindly to schools hasn't been successful for me. I don't think attending a job fair would do me any good as I have no teaching experience and P.E. appears to be a competitive field. Just looking for advice and recommendations. Thanks guys.