As of now I am living and working as an English teacher in Korea, but I plan to take steps over the next couple of years to make the transition to international schools. I am hoping you will be willing to give me some feedback on my plan, as I still lack an understanding of what it takes to "make it" in the international school job market.
Next year, while in Korea, I will do the Teacher Ready program through the University of West Florida. Though much of this program is done online, there is also a significant field experience component. Coming out of that program I will be certified to teach in the state of Florida. I hope to land my first job in 2015. My questions for you are as follows-
-Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
Thank you so much for your help! It is very much appreciated.
New to the game. Is my plan a good one?
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andybaxley86
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:25 am
- Location: Seoul
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Yantantether
- Posts: 168
- Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:41 am
Hello Andy,
My responses will be brief (busy day).
Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
The better ones will, yes.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
If you are applying for teaching (non ESL positions), then again this is not ideal as you will essentially have zero experience as far as most schools are concerned. (If however you mean ESL jobs , then that's a different ball game).
How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.
You don't need a masters to be competitive. Schools are more interested in your attributes and experience. It obviously won't hinder you but I personally think some put way too much onus on them. This is particularly true amongst American teachers, which I believe is partly driven by the certification policies in the States. The majority of British teachers, for example, won't bother with a Masters and will focus on continual professional development on the job.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
How utterly bad and shameless many of them are! ^_^
Good Luck.
My responses will be brief (busy day).
Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
The better ones will, yes.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
If you are applying for teaching (non ESL positions), then again this is not ideal as you will essentially have zero experience as far as most schools are concerned. (If however you mean ESL jobs , then that's a different ball game).
How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.
You don't need a masters to be competitive. Schools are more interested in your attributes and experience. It obviously won't hinder you but I personally think some put way too much onus on them. This is particularly true amongst American teachers, which I believe is partly driven by the certification policies in the States. The majority of British teachers, for example, won't bother with a Masters and will focus on continual professional development on the job.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
How utterly bad and shameless many of them are! ^_^
Good Luck.
-Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
Not really, do not believe in the naysayers; as long as the courses are from an accredited university, it doesn't really matter. Make sure that your teaching philosophy is up-to-date and incorporates current pedagogical practices that you learned from these online courses. Internet education is the future and IB already offers some courses online.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
This is one area where you need to work on; if you can gain a couple of years experience teaching at an accredited international school or a candidate for accreditation, you can aim for the big schools.
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive.
Of course, schools love teachers with advanced degrees, which means you have an edge over others in terms of content knowledge. However, experience matters a lot when you are teaching students to an external curriculum, say AP or IB. If you can produce solid scores on these exams for two or more consecutive years, and if you can coach a sport or a scheduled activity, you'd be able to get great references, thus increasing your chances of being hired by an established school. And you can always enroll in an accredited master's program online, where you will have a five to six-year window period to complete and state the same on your CV. Even some of the established school administrators are currently pursuing PhDs online.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
Creativity, you will need tons of it. Incorporate technology creatively wherever it can engage students better. Giving second chances, revisiting concepts, after-school help to your slow learners all will show you in positive light, which means you are the guy who walks the talk and walks the extra mile for your students' who pay a bomb, so that you as a private school teacher can have luxurious vacations and decent savings.
Not really, do not believe in the naysayers; as long as the courses are from an accredited university, it doesn't really matter. Make sure that your teaching philosophy is up-to-date and incorporates current pedagogical practices that you learned from these online courses. Internet education is the future and IB already offers some courses online.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
This is one area where you need to work on; if you can gain a couple of years experience teaching at an accredited international school or a candidate for accreditation, you can aim for the big schools.
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive.
Of course, schools love teachers with advanced degrees, which means you have an edge over others in terms of content knowledge. However, experience matters a lot when you are teaching students to an external curriculum, say AP or IB. If you can produce solid scores on these exams for two or more consecutive years, and if you can coach a sport or a scheduled activity, you'd be able to get great references, thus increasing your chances of being hired by an established school. And you can always enroll in an accredited master's program online, where you will have a five to six-year window period to complete and state the same on your CV. Even some of the established school administrators are currently pursuing PhDs online.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
Creativity, you will need tons of it. Incorporate technology creatively wherever it can engage students better. Giving second chances, revisiting concepts, after-school help to your slow learners all will show you in positive light, which means you are the guy who walks the talk and walks the extra mile for your students' who pay a bomb, so that you as a private school teacher can have luxurious vacations and decent savings.
-Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
Not really, do not believe in the naysayers; as long as the courses are from an accredited university, it doesn't really matter. Make sure that your teaching philosophy is up-to-date and incorporates current pedagogical practices that you learned from these online courses. Internet education is the future and IB already offers some courses online.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
This is one area where you need to work on; if you can gain a couple of years experience teaching at an accredited international school or a candidate for accreditation, you can aim for the big schools.
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive.
Of course, schools love teachers with advanced degrees, which means you have an edge over others in terms of content knowledge. However, experience matters a lot when you are teaching students to an external curriculum, say AP or IB. If you can produce solid scores on these exams for two or more consecutive years, and if you can coach a sport or a scheduled activity, you'd be able to get great references, thus increasing your chances of being hired by an established school. And you can always enroll for an accredited master's online, where you will have a five to six-year window period to complete and state the same on your CV. Even some of the established school administrators are currently pursuing PhDs online.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
Creativity, you will need tons of it. Incorporate technology creatively wherever it can engage students better. Giving second chances, revisiting concepts, after-school help to your slow learners all will show you in positive light, which means you are the guy who walks the talk and walks the extra mile for your students' who pay a bomb, so that you as a private school teacher can have luxurious vacations and decent savings.
Not really, do not believe in the naysayers; as long as the courses are from an accredited university, it doesn't really matter. Make sure that your teaching philosophy is up-to-date and incorporates current pedagogical practices that you learned from these online courses. Internet education is the future and IB already offers some courses online.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
This is one area where you need to work on; if you can gain a couple of years experience teaching at an accredited international school or a candidate for accreditation, you can aim for the big schools.
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive.
Of course, schools love teachers with advanced degrees, which means you have an edge over others in terms of content knowledge. However, experience matters a lot when you are teaching students to an external curriculum, say AP or IB. If you can produce solid scores on these exams for two or more consecutive years, and if you can coach a sport or a scheduled activity, you'd be able to get great references, thus increasing your chances of being hired by an established school. And you can always enroll for an accredited master's online, where you will have a five to six-year window period to complete and state the same on your CV. Even some of the established school administrators are currently pursuing PhDs online.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
Creativity, you will need tons of it. Incorporate technology creatively wherever it can engage students better. Giving second chances, revisiting concepts, after-school help to your slow learners all will show you in positive light, which means you are the guy who walks the talk and walks the extra mile for your students' who pay a bomb, so that you as a private school teacher can have luxurious vacations and decent savings.
-Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
Probably not. But are you getting certification w/o student teaching? Schools would definitely look down on that.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
No. ESL teaching experience does not count, unless you are applying for an ESL job. You will be starting out with zero years of experience, so schools will be reluctant to hire you. You will most likely have to go to an undesirable location (Middle East, mainland China, any country with -stan in it) to get started. Just make sure it's an IB school.
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.
I got one and I'm glad I did. I think it does help, but IB experience helps more.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
How competitive it is and how you must have IB experience to get into one of the better schools. Even with an M.A., + teaching certificate and 6 years of xp, schools would not look at me without IB.
Probably not. But are you getting certification w/o student teaching? Schools would definitely look down on that.
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
No. ESL teaching experience does not count, unless you are applying for an ESL job. You will be starting out with zero years of experience, so schools will be reluctant to hire you. You will most likely have to go to an undesirable location (Middle East, mainland China, any country with -stan in it) to get started. Just make sure it's an IB school.
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.
I got one and I'm glad I did. I think it does help, but IB experience helps more.
And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?
How competitive it is and how you must have IB experience to get into one of the better schools. Even with an M.A., + teaching certificate and 6 years of xp, schools would not look at me without IB.
Hello,
I am actually teaching in Korea and doing the TeacherReady program as we speak. Finish the program in May/June.
I will give you my opinions from spending countless hours researching and talking with people.
TeacherReady is an hybrid online / onsite (mentor school / teacher) ACP. It wont keep you/us from getting a job, but at the same time it wont look "good" on the resume. Kill the interview and add my last piece of advice at the end of this post to help offset the "online ACP" stigma.
Your ESL experience will count for nothing, generally speaking.
Having a masters is only "icing on the cake" imo. It will obviously make you more competitive and increase your pay in some cases. Having one is great, but I wouldnt worry about not having one.
My advice would be to get your license in a high demand / need field. (High School Math / Science or in Computers / Technology.)
I am actually teaching in Korea and doing the TeacherReady program as we speak. Finish the program in May/June.
I will give you my opinions from spending countless hours researching and talking with people.
TeacherReady is an hybrid online / onsite (mentor school / teacher) ACP. It wont keep you/us from getting a job, but at the same time it wont look "good" on the resume. Kill the interview and add my last piece of advice at the end of this post to help offset the "online ACP" stigma.
Your ESL experience will count for nothing, generally speaking.
Having a masters is only "icing on the cake" imo. It will obviously make you more competitive and increase your pay in some cases. Having one is great, but I wouldnt worry about not having one.
My advice would be to get your license in a high demand / need field. (High School Math / Science or in Computers / Technology.)
Most top schools are looking for teachers with international overseas experience and your time spent in Korea teaching English won't count but don't despair... there are schools out there that will hire first year teachers which is basically what you will be when you complete your program. Upon completion, you should have no problem getting a job as long as you are willing to go anywhere and accept a lower salary. Everyone has to start at the bottom and it takes time to work your way up to your ideal dream job! Good luck!
Hello,
Here are my responses to your questions. I hope that you can find them helpful.
[b]1) Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program? [/b]
Despite 21st century literacy and progressive approaches to education via technology, there is still a bit of " elitist traditionalism " ingrained when it comes to teacher education. Online programs are usually looked down at more than actual studying experience on campus. I believe that the really good, academic schools will tend to choose candidates with on-campus degrees than online ones. There's still that mentality, " Anyone can get an online degree ".
2) I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
The 3 years ESL experience is something that can get your foot as long as you have the following :
a) A full teaching license
b) The personality / charisma to win the hiring committee at the interview
When I started out, I had 4 years of ESL teaching with a program that was fully endorsed and supported by the host country's government and my government. That 4 years ESL teaching experience was looked at highly by the hiring international schools as I didn't teach at some private, makeshift ESL company that proliferate in the Asian markets. It was actually a program sanctioned by the education ministry of the country so that I can teach ESL to students at public schools.
When I got my full license ( on campus ), my personal background and ability to have good interviews landed me 6 interviews and 3 offers at my first job fair. At that time, as a teacher with no POST-LICENSE experience, I was very fortunate. I landed an international school in Tokyo and currently have been offered a position at what most consider as the best international school in Tokyo. I am only a teacher with 2 years POST-license experience. Remember that international schools ( the really good ones ) tend to hire teachers with 2 years POST license experience so although your 3 years ESL will attract them ( should your personality win out ), it will not be truly enough for them to offer you a position. So if you want to make a move into the international schools, you do have to start off at the " lower tier " schools, shine as brightly as you can and then move on, after 2 - 3 years, onto a " better, higher tier " school.
3) How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive.
A Master's degree can get you far in ANY field. However, it's best to get your Bachelor of Education ( license ) first and then practice for at least 2 years. Once you get the experience, then you can pursue an M.Ed and then jump back into the market, with more marketability. If you get a B.Ed and then an M.Ed right after, most international school hiring committees will still look for that experience. So not only did you take 4 years or so to complete your education degree and spend copious amounts of money, but you will find that you will still have to compete with those with a B.Ed degree but years of working experience.
Here are my responses to your questions. I hope that you can find them helpful.
[b]1) Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program? [/b]
Despite 21st century literacy and progressive approaches to education via technology, there is still a bit of " elitist traditionalism " ingrained when it comes to teacher education. Online programs are usually looked down at more than actual studying experience on campus. I believe that the really good, academic schools will tend to choose candidates with on-campus degrees than online ones. There's still that mentality, " Anyone can get an online degree ".
2) I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
The 3 years ESL experience is something that can get your foot as long as you have the following :
a) A full teaching license
b) The personality / charisma to win the hiring committee at the interview
When I started out, I had 4 years of ESL teaching with a program that was fully endorsed and supported by the host country's government and my government. That 4 years ESL teaching experience was looked at highly by the hiring international schools as I didn't teach at some private, makeshift ESL company that proliferate in the Asian markets. It was actually a program sanctioned by the education ministry of the country so that I can teach ESL to students at public schools.
When I got my full license ( on campus ), my personal background and ability to have good interviews landed me 6 interviews and 3 offers at my first job fair. At that time, as a teacher with no POST-LICENSE experience, I was very fortunate. I landed an international school in Tokyo and currently have been offered a position at what most consider as the best international school in Tokyo. I am only a teacher with 2 years POST-license experience. Remember that international schools ( the really good ones ) tend to hire teachers with 2 years POST license experience so although your 3 years ESL will attract them ( should your personality win out ), it will not be truly enough for them to offer you a position. So if you want to make a move into the international schools, you do have to start off at the " lower tier " schools, shine as brightly as you can and then move on, after 2 - 3 years, onto a " better, higher tier " school.
3) How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive.
A Master's degree can get you far in ANY field. However, it's best to get your Bachelor of Education ( license ) first and then practice for at least 2 years. Once you get the experience, then you can pursue an M.Ed and then jump back into the market, with more marketability. If you get a B.Ed and then an M.Ed right after, most international school hiring committees will still look for that experience. So not only did you take 4 years or so to complete your education degree and spend copious amounts of money, but you will find that you will still have to compete with those with a B.Ed degree but years of working experience.
I teach at an international school, which many of you and the parents consider elite. I have an American certification which I gained via an accredited online program in the US. None of the school administrators questioned my credentials so far.
So, I don't really believe in this one-size-fits-all propaganda.
So, I don't really believe in this one-size-fits-all propaganda.
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andybaxley86
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:25 am
- Location: Seoul
Thank you
Hey everyone, thank you so much for all of the sound advice. It is amazing to have a community to turn to with questions like these. The general consensus seems to be that I'll be ok with my online teaching certification, but that I may need to start off at a lower tier school to build my credentials. I'm still fairly young, so I'm perfectly okay with that. As for the masters, I will pursue it eventually if need be, but I won't worry about it for at least a couple years. Thanks again everyone!