I don't mean to contradict myself. I suppose the easiest way to put it is that I do not want to go back to the UK and fork out nearly £10,000 to do a PGCE. I already have a job that I am happy with for now and so the idea of going back to England to gain a qualification to just leave again and teach internationally is obviously not appealing. I'm not trying to be noble. Yes, hindsight is a wonderful thing and I would love to go back and change my degree to one in education and save myself the headache. Nevertheless, this is the situation I am in. I have searched and searched but it seems there are only a few options given the fact I am already working in an international school:
1) TeachNow
2) PGCEI
3) Finish my contract and look to enroll in a year long ITT/EPP university program?

Unfortunately, I don't really have the resources to become a full time student again.

PsyGuy,

Thank you once again for taking the time to reply. It is very much appreciated.

I'll be honest and say that I am new to the international school scene. I work with a very experienced international school teacher who is always encouraging me to get some form of formal teaching qualification. I don't have any prior academic preparation in professional education. It's more a case that I've had some great opportunities to experience working as a teacher and I really don't see myself doing anything else now because I am passionate about it.
The thing is I am not going to stay at my current job forever. However, just browsing job sites I feel like I won't even be able to apply to the majority of jobs out there because they all seem to require some formal qualification (understandable, I know). Now, I want to be clear. I am not looking for an easy way because I don't want to put in real effort becoming qualified. I just want to be able to keep teaching and at the same time obtain something that is going to allow me to at least apply to some of the other job opportunities out there besides China. Maybe I've got it wrong but it seems like it's always there a a 'requirement.'

Also, I talk of QTS because that's what I'm familiar with in the UK and I always see it mentioned in job advertisements. However, I don't plan on going back to the UK to teach, so is QTS even necessary?

I know I probably sound naive and ignorant but I am trying to take a positive next step in my teaching career. I just want to make sure I choose the right one.

Cheers

Hi,

Apologies for creating another topic on this as I know a lot about this has been discussed. However, I am a bit confused as some threads aren't entirely clear.

I've read that some people (non-US citizens) have obtained a US teaching license and then QTS. I'm considering doing TeachNow, which I believe is a route to achieving this. I just want to check to see if there are any easier routes. I taught for over 2 years in the UK as an unqualified teacher in an academy school and I am coming up to 1 year in an international school in China.

I know there is also the Assessment Only route but I don't have plans to return to the UK any time soon and I believe that I would need to do that in order to complete the Professional Skills tests.

Is TeachNow the best option?

Thanks

Sorry, *Diploma in Education and Training.

Thanks again for the replies to this post. I have looked into the PGCEi. My situation is that I kind of fell into teaching. I worked as a TA to get a feel for it and then worked as an unqualified teacher in an academy school in London for two years. I then decided that I wanted to try my luck abroad as my quality of life, in London on an unqualified teacher's salary, just wasn't cutting it for various reasons. Now, while I am still fairly inexperienced compared to some, I am confident in my ability and potential as a teacher. However, I just feel I need some sort of qualification under my belt because right now if somebody asks if I am qualified then all I can refer to is a few years of experience. I don't want to seem like I am just being lazy and avoiding the hard work of gaining an academic qualification like a PGCE, I would just prefer to save the thousands of pounds and continue gaining further experience in my current position. The reason I have asked about the Diploma in Teaching and Training is that it is both cheaper than the PGCEi and can qualify you for QTLS.

Thanks for your response, PsyGuy. At the moment I am just looking to gain further experience in the international school sector. However, I am just concerned that further down the line not having a teaching qualification on my CV might hold me back when looking for other jobs. I have read about the AO route. It still works out more expensive than taking the level 5 and applying for QTLS. I just don't want to fork out money for something that might not even help my international school career.

Hi,

I am currently working at an international school in China and looking to gain a recognised teaching qualification (I worked for 2 years as an unqualified teacher in an academy school in the UK). However, I don't wish to return to the UK to study a PGCE. Some people have suggested a PGCEi but it seems a bit expensive considering it doesn't qualify for QTS back in the UK. I have been reading about the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training. I could do this through my current job and it also allows me to apply for QTLS status which I believe is now considered on par with QTS in the UK. My question is whether this qualification would carry much weight with international schools? Or, would I be better served with another qualification?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks