I'm trying to come up with a 3-5 year plan for getting my family abroad. I have a teaching license and M.Ed. in ESL, as well as seven years ESL teaching experience in U.S. public schools and two years in Japan (at a conversation school).
My husband has a B.S. in Business and 6-8 years computer/IT experience. He's currently a Project Manager at a large corporation but doesn't enjoy the job. I know it would help our chances of getting hired a lot if he got certified. Would we be decent candidates if he did TeacherReady or Teach Now and got certified in Tech.Ed. 6-12, Computer Science K-12, or Business Education 6-12? Which certification do you think would give us the best chances?
I assume I'm a good ESL candidate, and that's what I love to teach. But would you recommend me getting another certification in Reading? Are there lots of K-12 reading jobs (more than ESL jobs)? Or should I just concentrate on what I know best - ESL - and worry about getting my husband certified?
FWIW, we have two boys, currently four and about to turn three. We also have two cats, but as much as we'll miss them, I'm sure they would not be coming with. Our ideal location would be Japan because I speak the language, but we're willing to consider many countries outside the ME and Africa.
Thanks for any advice! I'd also love to hear from anyone who went through TeacherReady or Teach Now and was successful at getting a job internationally!
Getting hubby certified; improving our chances
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kellysensei
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- Location: St. Paul, MN
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shadowjack
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Re: Getting hubby certified; improving our chances
Either TeacherREady or TeachNow are decent for getting that certification - provided he has a school to do their teaching requirement in.
For you - ESL is often referred to overseas as EAL, EFL or ESL. Each has a slightly different philosophical twist, but a common core (haha!). Having a reading ticket to go along with it would be good. Having reading and writing would be even better, because writing is the area that second language students need the most help in (IMHO).
For your husband, with his tech background, he should do tech ed and/or computer science. If he can teach computer science and knows multiple languages, do the tech ed. Business Ed is much more common than a good techie, and schools love good techies because, surprisingly in this day and age, there generally aren't enough to go around.
As to your boys, growing up overseas will relieve a lot of the pressure they will be under back home. In the international schools I have taught at, there is less pressure to sexualize at an earlier age, less pressure to engage in socially risky behaviour (drinking, drugs), and more freedom to be yourself. This is just my experience, however, and it does not mean those things are not out there at all schools. Our kids grew up overseas and the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. In fact, our cats are also living with us in their third country! So don't think you *must* leave those kitties behind, especially if they are part of the family. They might even help your boys settle in faster.
When you go recruiting, don't worry about language. Worry about what is the best location for you and your family and your career. And don't eliminate whole geographic areas because "I saw the news and it's a horrible place to be". If the right offer came up, I would go back to Saudi again. We spent seven years there and we didn't leave because it was horrible - we left because it was time to move on and seek new experiences. We still have many dear friends there, though, and there are some amazing schools too. It is the same with Africa - there are some gems of schools (Addis Abbaba, Lincoln School in Accra, Ghana, The American School in Madagascar, American School of Rabat, that I would not hesitate in going to). Yes, there are also some schools you would never see me at. Then there are some in between.
Bottom line - never say never, do your homework, get your ducks lined up, and go for it. If it is meant to be, it will happen.
Just my two halalas,
shad
For you - ESL is often referred to overseas as EAL, EFL or ESL. Each has a slightly different philosophical twist, but a common core (haha!). Having a reading ticket to go along with it would be good. Having reading and writing would be even better, because writing is the area that second language students need the most help in (IMHO).
For your husband, with his tech background, he should do tech ed and/or computer science. If he can teach computer science and knows multiple languages, do the tech ed. Business Ed is much more common than a good techie, and schools love good techies because, surprisingly in this day and age, there generally aren't enough to go around.
As to your boys, growing up overseas will relieve a lot of the pressure they will be under back home. In the international schools I have taught at, there is less pressure to sexualize at an earlier age, less pressure to engage in socially risky behaviour (drinking, drugs), and more freedom to be yourself. This is just my experience, however, and it does not mean those things are not out there at all schools. Our kids grew up overseas and the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. In fact, our cats are also living with us in their third country! So don't think you *must* leave those kitties behind, especially if they are part of the family. They might even help your boys settle in faster.
When you go recruiting, don't worry about language. Worry about what is the best location for you and your family and your career. And don't eliminate whole geographic areas because "I saw the news and it's a horrible place to be". If the right offer came up, I would go back to Saudi again. We spent seven years there and we didn't leave because it was horrible - we left because it was time to move on and seek new experiences. We still have many dear friends there, though, and there are some amazing schools too. It is the same with Africa - there are some gems of schools (Addis Abbaba, Lincoln School in Accra, Ghana, The American School in Madagascar, American School of Rabat, that I would not hesitate in going to). Yes, there are also some schools you would never see me at. Then there are some in between.
Bottom line - never say never, do your homework, get your ducks lined up, and go for it. If it is meant to be, it will happen.
Just my two halalas,
shad
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kellysensei
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:04 pm
- Location: St. Paul, MN
Re: Getting hubby certified; improving our chances
Well, forget that idea. A couple years ago, my husband said he'd think about getting certified "in a couple years," but today he looked at the TeacherReady program information I showed him and said he doesn't really want to teach. So we are back to square one, wondering what the heck he'd do if we go abroad. I guess it's up to me to go back and get further certification so that I have a chance of getting hired.
Re: Getting hubby certified; improving our chances
kellysensei wrote:
> Well, forget that idea. A couple years ago, my husband said he'd think
> about getting certified "in a couple years," but today he looked
> at the TeacherReady program information I showed him and said he doesn't
> really want to teach. So we are back to square one, wondering what the heck
> he'd do if we go abroad. I guess it's up to me to go back and get further
> certification so that I have a chance of getting hired.
Could he find an IT job? That's what my other half does, and that's actually more lucrative than my teaching job that we moved overseas for in the first place! Even in places that don't have English as a native language there are usually plenty of opportunities if you're willing to look :-)
> Well, forget that idea. A couple years ago, my husband said he'd think
> about getting certified "in a couple years," but today he looked
> at the TeacherReady program information I showed him and said he doesn't
> really want to teach. So we are back to square one, wondering what the heck
> he'd do if we go abroad. I guess it's up to me to go back and get further
> certification so that I have a chance of getting hired.
Could he find an IT job? That's what my other half does, and that's actually more lucrative than my teaching job that we moved overseas for in the first place! Even in places that don't have English as a native language there are usually plenty of opportunities if you're willing to look :-)
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kellysensei
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:04 pm
- Location: St. Paul, MN
Re: Getting hubby certified; improving our chances
We'll have to do more research on tech-related jobs. It's a possibility, though he's not a computer programmer, which I'm sure is the most in demand.
Re: Getting hubby certified; improving our chances
My wife and I were in a similar situation a few years ago. I desperately wanted to go back overseas, but my wife was very reluctant to get qualified. We had both taught ESL in Asia and enjoyed it, but I think the financial strain of going through school again really put her off. After many discussions and more than a few arguments she did indeed get her B.Ed.. We are now in our second international school and not planning on returning home until retirement, if ever. We have two kids, one of whom was born after we left.
I had a plan to go back overseas, but it could only really be done with both of us teaching. Having one teach and the other just pick up a bit of work here and there would have made the future too financially uncertain, which was something we were trying to escape. We've seen too many families with one teacher not really be able to enjoy their new locale due to financial constraints. For me, it was all or nothing.
I had a plan to go back overseas, but it could only really be done with both of us teaching. Having one teach and the other just pick up a bit of work here and there would have made the future too financially uncertain, which was something we were trying to escape. We've seen too many families with one teacher not really be able to enjoy their new locale due to financial constraints. For me, it was all or nothing.
Response
I realize that youve withdrawn your inquiry but for the aid of others my response is as follows.
If your in the states forget Teach Ready or Teach Now, it will just be more complicated than it has to be, find an ACP program in your current state locally or a Post Bach program at the local university. It will make testing and field work FAR easier.
Business would work for him if he also could add social studies/humanities and economics. Tech. Ed and Comp Sci are really the same in ISs until you get into design technology, and off the two I agree tech is the more marketable.
ESOL also goes by other names, ELL TESOL, EAL, EFL, understand that as an ESOL teacher you wont be marketable at many of the top tier American or British schools, because those populations already are mostly English speaking students. Reading is typically only a primary school program, and without elementary certification isnt very marketable. I would look at Adding English Lit and potentially Elementary and Drama/Theater qualifications. If your solely focused on top tier school I would consider focusing more on SPED, as the top tier schools are typically the ones that have open SPED programs
Your kids are going to be job killers. Your basically logistically unhireable or too expensive unless hubby gets certified. No ones going to travel 4 people for an ESOL teacher when many schools can hire from the local ESOL teaching population.
If your in the states forget Teach Ready or Teach Now, it will just be more complicated than it has to be, find an ACP program in your current state locally or a Post Bach program at the local university. It will make testing and field work FAR easier.
Business would work for him if he also could add social studies/humanities and economics. Tech. Ed and Comp Sci are really the same in ISs until you get into design technology, and off the two I agree tech is the more marketable.
ESOL also goes by other names, ELL TESOL, EAL, EFL, understand that as an ESOL teacher you wont be marketable at many of the top tier American or British schools, because those populations already are mostly English speaking students. Reading is typically only a primary school program, and without elementary certification isnt very marketable. I would look at Adding English Lit and potentially Elementary and Drama/Theater qualifications. If your solely focused on top tier school I would consider focusing more on SPED, as the top tier schools are typically the ones that have open SPED programs
Your kids are going to be job killers. Your basically logistically unhireable or too expensive unless hubby gets certified. No ones going to travel 4 people for an ESOL teacher when many schools can hire from the local ESOL teaching population.