Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post Reply
mrmandago
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 6:35 am

Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by mrmandago »

Hi all. I am in a bit of a dilemma. I have a Phd....(sciences) . I have taught university for 5 years and have worked in industry 10 years. I am finishing my 10 industry contract next year. I am a bit confused whether to look for a university teaching position or teach high school or look for another industry job.

I hated it when i was teaching university mainly due to the pressure to publish and the fact that you would be expected to teach too many different unrelated courses. I dont think i have the energy to continue with the publish or perish mentality. I have been dreaming of teaching in an international high school.......I attended one and loved the environment........ I love teaching but i feel the university setting does not value teaching in its self but publishing which I am honestly not ready to endure again. Kindly advise on whether I am deluding my self. Would any highschool really hire a Phd Holder with lots of "university teaching experience" and practicle industry experince............. but without a formal teacher qualification like the PGCE.

What do i need to do do increase my chances of being hired if thats what i really want.

Thank you.
gibwise
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2013 9:16 am

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by gibwise »

I would think it unlikely that many schools would consider hiring you without a formal qualification due to the fact that teaching in a University setting is very different to in a school setting. I am with you in that the priority for universities is that you are doing good research and if you could teach that would be nice. Your best approach might be to talk to a school about distance learning a teaching qualification alongside teaching.
curiousme
Posts: 100
Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:43 pm

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by curiousme »

Sounds like you'd be more suited to teaching pre-U courses such as IB or A-Level, at least to begin with. If all you've done is lecture you might need to adapt your teaching style but ask for mentoring at least in your first year.
Most schools LOVE to have a PhD on their website!
Where were you thinking of?
mrmandago
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 6:35 am

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by mrmandago »

Thanx for your responses. @curious me I am thinking of the east African region. I would love kenya in particular. Not sure which schools there have a good reputation. I am seriously considering a teaching qualification to up my chances. May be a postgraduate dip in education .......online. But looks like all the foreign universities require one to do teaching practice in those countries. I am tied down by a job so online is more feasible. PGCEI looked a bit too general and seems to have a not so good reputation. So I want a solid course I can do online which will allow me to do teaching practice in the African country That I am located. Is that even possible. thanx again
shadylane
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 7:11 am
Location: SE Asia

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by shadylane »

.
Last edited by shadylane on Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
curiousme
Posts: 100
Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:43 pm

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by curiousme »

Although I know people (yes multiple) who have the PGCEI and also work in some of the top (and I do mean top) schools. It very much depends on your experience and how much they want you. Just as I've known unqualified (!) teachers to be taken on by excellent schools and trained, I am sure that a PGCEI would do no harm.

As for Kenya, the school I was recommended was Primary, but this post might be of interest: http://www.internations.org/nairobi-exp ... -nairobi-3
luvinit
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:11 pm

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by luvinit »

I think there could be jobs open to you even now, but they would be at less desirable schools in less desirable locations. However, if you could find a tolerable one of those, it could be a good launching pad for getting certified.. Your PhD and Uni teaching experience is great, but if you really want to make a career change you need two things: school level Teaching experience (preferably in IB, AP, or the English system), and a teaching qualification from a country with known educational standards (most English speakers would go for a UK/US/Commonwealth based program). Your best 2-5 year plan would be to get both of those. Then all doors are (in principle) open to you, and your PhD and industry experience will be a great addition to your teaching CV. Until then you don't have a teaching CV.

Since you're employed, I would start a teaching qualification programme which can be done partly online, in holidays, or evenings. You want a 'real' PGCE or US/commonwealth equivalent, and any all-online option with no student teaching would not get you that. But there are a number of flexible programs which don't take full-time in-residence study and where you still do a real full-time student teaching (internship) assignment. So I'd recommend you start such a programme in your spare time for a year, and then on the basis of that in-progress programme and your other education and experience, fish for a teaching job at the best school you can find (i.e. a second or third tier school in the middle East, or Asia). While you're there you would finish your teaching qualification, do your internship at the school where you're employed, and get experience. If it works out, In 2-3 years you'd in a good place for an upward bid with much more choice.

There are at least three potential difficulties with this plan: (1) A teaching certificate is still required for 90+% of the jobs out there. (2) some government policies don't allow visa for teachers without a certificate. No matter how willing the school would be, they can't hire you. (3) You don't want a horrible situation, even for two years. But if you can get into a school and you have an in-hand a plan to get your certification, this could work.

I'm spending the summer in Bangkok doing a US-based certification program with TCNJ (Google it or see ref's on this forum). There are lots of people here who are in a similar situation, aiming for the status of fully-qualified (and also competent!) teachers. But they've mostly already gotten themselves into teaching in various capacities somewhere in Asia, The TCNJ program is good, takes two 4-week summer terms and some online courses, and will lead to a New Jersey state teaching license, which fits the bill generally for international schools. But you have to arrange your own teaching internship at a school, and the course as a whole is not cheap. Some of us are either hired (provisionally or part-time) at a decent school or have regular jobs at a third-tier school. Others will be asking a local school if they can volunteer for a 10-12 week internship.

Do save some money now, though. You will increase your options both for your training program and for teaching positions those first two years if finances are not too tight.

The good thing about your situation is that if you find nothing at all your first year looking, you'd still presumably be employed at your present job, so you could try to get further on your qualification and go for 'round two' of the job search without quitting. The job-hunting season starts in about October for the following Aug/Sept. But in your case you'd just keep hunting year around (since you might score a late hire).

I'd be interested in others' perspectives on your prospects for getting hired now at a second- or third-tier international school without certification. I'm thinking of countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. (Indonesia and Thailand are out without a teaching certificate). There are 'international' schools serving mostly local populations in such places which might bite onto your lure. My experience is that I know people who have those kind of jobs (I am one, hired as a part-time teacher in the wake of my certified spouse), but I don't know enough to know how lucky we are. In some situations, spouses of teachers sometimes have a 'in' to part-time teaching, that would be harder for others to land.) But an in-progress teaching cert program could show you're committed. Combine that with a school in need and it could be your 'in'. Once your foot is in the proverbial door, it's up to you to wedge it all the way open.

Others?
mrmandago
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 6:35 am

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by mrmandago »

@luvinit. Thank you very much for your detailed response. From what you have said, it looks like getting a teaching qualification and some school level teaching experience before applying might be the better option. Incidentally I stay next to a secondary school (local) so i will look into volunteering there to satisfy my internship experience.

I am now going to embark on getting the ideal online program that atleast includes some teaching practice. I am not very mobile at the moment thus the option of doing a second or third tier school in another continent may not be applicable. Let me work towards getting a "Teaching CV" so that i can be competitive when I start applying.

Best of luck with the summer program. Hope it opens amazing opportunities for you.

Thanx again
josephine
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 1:11 am

Re: Can a Phd holder be allowed to teach High school

Post by josephine »

Florida and Nevada have teacher licensure programs which gives credit for the university teaching experience making it easily accessible; good route if you are American. 2 semesters full time teaching exempts 2 of the requirements, just click on it and you will see (general knowledge & professional prep) http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/cert_types.asp

Nevada http://teachers.nv.gov/Licenses/Secondary/
Post Reply