how to begin?
how to begin?
Hello. I've searched this forum a lot but just looking for some more advise on how to begin teaching in an international school. I am an American who has been teaching esl in Korea for the past 7 years. I'm growing a bit tired of English teaching and would like to teach my major (art) in an international school (High School level the ultimate goal). I am not certified and am looking for the best way about doing so that does not involve going back home to get my license. I found a few online programs. The best so far, I believe, is Teach-now. However they will not be able to certify me in teaching art internationally because that is not what I am currently teaching. I'm married and my wife and I have no problem starting off in a low tier school. Does anybody have any suggestions as to the right steps I should take to become an international art teacher? I've heard of a company called Dipont in China. I believe their schools are not international school but rather higher end high schools. A friend of mine got a job through them with her husband and they were able to get IB training in the school and make a pretty good salary. Now they are moving into an actual international school. I applied for Dipont but all the positions are filled at the moment. Are there other companies/schools like this? Any help would be much appreciated!
Response
Two different questions, how to enter IE and how to get a professional teaching credential.
To begin with the major forum contributors are generally in consensus that doing a traditional ITT/EPP credentialing program at a university and then gaining 2 years prior teaching experience before entering IE is the preferred and recommended pathway.
Disclaimers out of the way and moving on to distance credentialing options.
There are 3 generally regarded pathways to obtaining an alternative certification (ACP). The limiting factor is what type and for how long you have access to an accredited IS classroom in your subject for your field experience (student teaching/clinical teaching).
1) Teach Now: This program in D.C. requires 12 weeks of field experience in an accredited IS. They likely declined your application because art is a difficult subject to find a placement in for 12 weeks. If you were employed at an IS or suitable DS in Art, or had secured a cooperating IS/DS, Teach Now would not have an issue.
2) Teach Ready: This program in FL. requires 5 days of field experience, which is a much easier proposition for an IS or suitable DS to cooperate with you. However, you will still need an IS/DS to permit you into one of their classrooms for that length of time, this is in addition to observational and mentoring by a member of their staff.
3) PGCEi: This is a credential offered by several UK Universities, its a derivative of the standard qualification in England called a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education). The "i" in PGCEi is "international". It is done almost exclusively by distance education. It is entirely an academic qualification, based entirely on coursework, there is no field experience. It is the lack of field experience that differs between the PGCEi and the PGCE. The lack of field experience means that you do not receive QTS (Qualified Teaching Status), which is the professional credential for educators in the UK. Many ITs complete a PGCEi and have no issues finding employment in lower tier ISs.
Most of the lower tier IB ISs can not attract experienced IB ITs and must train new ITs each recruiting cycle. The majority of IB ISs follow the training and PD requirements of the IB, but a number of low tier ISs will forgo IB training of ITs if they are in the middle or early stages of their authorization cycle if they know their ITs will leave after 1 or 2 years (the most common contract length is 2 years), as a result you may find yourself at an IB IS that wont train you, but you will still have IB experience.
The rule is no amount of training equals any amount of experience. The F2F IB training is a weekend long workshop of about 17 or more hours. IB workshops are not of much practical use to western training professional ITs. DIP (IB Diploma, which is congruent with the last two years of secondary school) workshops mostly cover the curriculum guide for the subject course you are enrolled in.
The IBO offers its own Teaching and Leadership Certifications, these programs are offered by Unis and often result in a Masters degree as well. This is a type of Pseudo certification, the certifications meet all the training and PD requirements of the IB, but arent recognized by national regulatory agencies for accreditation purposes., they are also expensive, and there is considerable debate about their value.
The peak of hiring season has passed (January-February) but there are still many lower tier ISs that are hiring. There are several type of employment search pathways:
1) Premium Agencies: These are at the top of the employment options. The two major ones in IE are ISS (International School Services) and SA (Search Associates). They both charge fees of about $200USD to be represented by them. They arent 'head hunter' agencies that actually find you a job. They give you access to a jobs and schools database and their recruiting events (fairs). You also have access to an associate/consultant.
SA is the general take almost everybody on both sides of the table (ITs and ISs), you get some general attention by your associate but they arent going to hold your hand and walk you through the process.
ISS is more the boutique agency, either your a high value IT and you get a lot of attention or your a nobody and you get ignored.
There are some minor fairs such as the UNI fair (University of Northern Iowa), TORF (Queens University), the AASSA (South America) fair, etc..
2) Service Agencies: These include TIE (The International Educator), Joy Jobs, etc. They cost about $40, and membership gets you access to a jobs database and a newsletter.
3) Job Boards: These include the number of country specific job banks that include education related vacancies. Daves ESL Cafe and is the most well known for ESOL vacancies. There is no cost to view vacancies and there is no application procedure.
4) Recruitment Agencies: These are mostly agencies recruiting for ESOL ETs, but occasionally, they have low tier IT vacancies at DS Academies (Academies are international/English, divisions/departments within an overseas DS). Teach Away is an example.
There are some notable mentions: TES is a major service board for UK vacancies in education both domestic and international. There is no application or fee.
CIS operates similar to premium agencies as there is an application and the do have a major recruiting event, but there is no cost to join.
At this point neither of the premium agencies would accept you, but you could join TIE and use the various boards. Often the Job boards will advertise for 'teacher' vacancies for a subject that are really little more than EAP vacancies using the medium of a specific subject. You would still be able to add the experience as teaching experience and IB experience.
At this point your employment opportunity is to pay attention for hardship or emergency vacancies in Art and hope an IS is desperate enough to hire an IT with a degree only.
To begin with the major forum contributors are generally in consensus that doing a traditional ITT/EPP credentialing program at a university and then gaining 2 years prior teaching experience before entering IE is the preferred and recommended pathway.
Disclaimers out of the way and moving on to distance credentialing options.
There are 3 generally regarded pathways to obtaining an alternative certification (ACP). The limiting factor is what type and for how long you have access to an accredited IS classroom in your subject for your field experience (student teaching/clinical teaching).
1) Teach Now: This program in D.C. requires 12 weeks of field experience in an accredited IS. They likely declined your application because art is a difficult subject to find a placement in for 12 weeks. If you were employed at an IS or suitable DS in Art, or had secured a cooperating IS/DS, Teach Now would not have an issue.
2) Teach Ready: This program in FL. requires 5 days of field experience, which is a much easier proposition for an IS or suitable DS to cooperate with you. However, you will still need an IS/DS to permit you into one of their classrooms for that length of time, this is in addition to observational and mentoring by a member of their staff.
3) PGCEi: This is a credential offered by several UK Universities, its a derivative of the standard qualification in England called a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education). The "i" in PGCEi is "international". It is done almost exclusively by distance education. It is entirely an academic qualification, based entirely on coursework, there is no field experience. It is the lack of field experience that differs between the PGCEi and the PGCE. The lack of field experience means that you do not receive QTS (Qualified Teaching Status), which is the professional credential for educators in the UK. Many ITs complete a PGCEi and have no issues finding employment in lower tier ISs.
Most of the lower tier IB ISs can not attract experienced IB ITs and must train new ITs each recruiting cycle. The majority of IB ISs follow the training and PD requirements of the IB, but a number of low tier ISs will forgo IB training of ITs if they are in the middle or early stages of their authorization cycle if they know their ITs will leave after 1 or 2 years (the most common contract length is 2 years), as a result you may find yourself at an IB IS that wont train you, but you will still have IB experience.
The rule is no amount of training equals any amount of experience. The F2F IB training is a weekend long workshop of about 17 or more hours. IB workshops are not of much practical use to western training professional ITs. DIP (IB Diploma, which is congruent with the last two years of secondary school) workshops mostly cover the curriculum guide for the subject course you are enrolled in.
The IBO offers its own Teaching and Leadership Certifications, these programs are offered by Unis and often result in a Masters degree as well. This is a type of Pseudo certification, the certifications meet all the training and PD requirements of the IB, but arent recognized by national regulatory agencies for accreditation purposes., they are also expensive, and there is considerable debate about their value.
The peak of hiring season has passed (January-February) but there are still many lower tier ISs that are hiring. There are several type of employment search pathways:
1) Premium Agencies: These are at the top of the employment options. The two major ones in IE are ISS (International School Services) and SA (Search Associates). They both charge fees of about $200USD to be represented by them. They arent 'head hunter' agencies that actually find you a job. They give you access to a jobs and schools database and their recruiting events (fairs). You also have access to an associate/consultant.
SA is the general take almost everybody on both sides of the table (ITs and ISs), you get some general attention by your associate but they arent going to hold your hand and walk you through the process.
ISS is more the boutique agency, either your a high value IT and you get a lot of attention or your a nobody and you get ignored.
There are some minor fairs such as the UNI fair (University of Northern Iowa), TORF (Queens University), the AASSA (South America) fair, etc..
2) Service Agencies: These include TIE (The International Educator), Joy Jobs, etc. They cost about $40, and membership gets you access to a jobs database and a newsletter.
3) Job Boards: These include the number of country specific job banks that include education related vacancies. Daves ESL Cafe and is the most well known for ESOL vacancies. There is no cost to view vacancies and there is no application procedure.
4) Recruitment Agencies: These are mostly agencies recruiting for ESOL ETs, but occasionally, they have low tier IT vacancies at DS Academies (Academies are international/English, divisions/departments within an overseas DS). Teach Away is an example.
There are some notable mentions: TES is a major service board for UK vacancies in education both domestic and international. There is no application or fee.
CIS operates similar to premium agencies as there is an application and the do have a major recruiting event, but there is no cost to join.
At this point neither of the premium agencies would accept you, but you could join TIE and use the various boards. Often the Job boards will advertise for 'teacher' vacancies for a subject that are really little more than EAP vacancies using the medium of a specific subject. You would still be able to add the experience as teaching experience and IB experience.
At this point your employment opportunity is to pay attention for hardship or emergency vacancies in Art and hope an IS is desperate enough to hire an IT with a degree only.
Re: how to begin?
PsyGuy thanks so much for all the information you gave me. It was very helpful! I spoke in further detail with TeachNow and they told me I can get a teachers certificate in ESL through their program. I can do my field teaching work at the after school elementary school I teach at now. I then can add an endorsement onto my lisense in art by taking an extra test. I then could have my teaching certificate in art for elementary level. That at least could be a start. However my goal being high school level. Do you think this would be worthwhile? I'm still waiting their response on whether or not I can do my 200 hour field work in an international school instead. Thus getting my high school level certificate. Thanks again for all your help!
Reply
@mcorra8
There must have been some kind of miscommunication. In DC (and Teach Now), the Art certification and exam is all level K-12, there is no Primary only Art certification in DC. There isnt even a Praxis for Elementary Art. The Art test is "Art: Content Knowledge" 5134 and one of the PLT exams, this will qualify you for all level K-12 art regardless of which specific PLT exam you take (I would recommend the Elementary PLT exam, making it much easier in the future to add elementary/primary certification).
It doesnt matter where you do your field experience once you have a level II regular certificate, you can add additional subject certification endorsements by taking the appropriate PRAXIS subject exam (and PLT exam for grade level if needed). If they will accept your current placement for the ESOL certification thats all that matters.
If needed you could take the PLT 7-12 exam in addition too or in place of the 1-6 PLT exam if you really want it to look like a secondary/high school certification but it will make no difference in your DC certification, it will still say K-12 Art.
There must have been some kind of miscommunication. In DC (and Teach Now), the Art certification and exam is all level K-12, there is no Primary only Art certification in DC. There isnt even a Praxis for Elementary Art. The Art test is "Art: Content Knowledge" 5134 and one of the PLT exams, this will qualify you for all level K-12 art regardless of which specific PLT exam you take (I would recommend the Elementary PLT exam, making it much easier in the future to add elementary/primary certification).
It doesnt matter where you do your field experience once you have a level II regular certificate, you can add additional subject certification endorsements by taking the appropriate PRAXIS subject exam (and PLT exam for grade level if needed). If they will accept your current placement for the ESOL certification thats all that matters.
If needed you could take the PLT 7-12 exam in addition too or in place of the 1-6 PLT exam if you really want it to look like a secondary/high school certification but it will make no difference in your DC certification, it will still say K-12 Art.