Hello,
I am an aspiring teacher starting a certification course (TeacherReady). My husband currently works at an international school in South Korea and I hope to join him there soon. I am interested in the social sciences, particularly history, and I think I will likely prefer to teach at the high school level, or possibly middle school, but I do not really have an interest in primary school. Given all of this, I am wondering if there are any pros or cons to choosing a K-12 or 6-12 certification other than the obvious that with 6-12 I would be limited to middle and high school. The TeacherReady program certifies through the state of Florida, which offers two subject certificates relevant to my interests: 6-12 social science, and K-12 humanities. Do international schools favor one over the other? K-12 would obviously allow me to teach at any grade level, but it seems quite broad. Do schools like more of a focus like the 6-12 certification? Is there a significant difference between humanities and social sciences that could impact this decision? I've tried to research this on my own but I am not having much luck. Any information or advice you have will be helpful. Thank you.
aspiring teacher: certification in K-12 or 6-12?
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janegreentea
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:18 pm
Re: aspiring teacher: certification in K-12 or 6-12?
It probably will make little to no difference, except as you point out, in helping you stay out of Primary.
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Psychometrika
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 10:08 pm
Re: aspiring teacher: certification in K-12 or 6-12?
Generally, certification is basically just a checkbox, and as long as you have it for the relevant position for which you are applying you are good. The quality of your experience is what they really take a closer look at.
Response
You dont really understand the difference between the two certification areas. Social Science is a broad field that covers everything in the social sciences such as psychology too political science and classics such as history too geography as well as some of the core business courses such as economics, etc.
Humanities is a very very small subset of courses that are essentially religious studies, epistemology and philosophy types of courses. It includes a handful of IB courses such as TOK, etc. It also allows a DT to teach courses that require any certification, which as mostly elective enrichment type of courses.
The social studies credential is the one you want, and if you want to compliment it with humanities to include those small number of courses (understand that religion courses typically require prior experience as well as some religion based certificate, a state credential typically isnt very marketable when it comes to pastoral or religious studies).
However, in IE no one is likely to know or care very much, and they could interpret any primary level credential as qualifying you to teach primary. I wouldnt let the lack of a credential imply some kind of assurance against being placed in a primary classroom. When the steal meets the grindstone leadership will use what they have and any credential is better than no credential. You arent going to be able to play the 'Im not certified card" in IE and have it protect you, if leadership says your teaching years 1-3 social studies reading and language arts thats what youre doing.
Humanities is a very very small subset of courses that are essentially religious studies, epistemology and philosophy types of courses. It includes a handful of IB courses such as TOK, etc. It also allows a DT to teach courses that require any certification, which as mostly elective enrichment type of courses.
The social studies credential is the one you want, and if you want to compliment it with humanities to include those small number of courses (understand that religion courses typically require prior experience as well as some religion based certificate, a state credential typically isnt very marketable when it comes to pastoral or religious studies).
However, in IE no one is likely to know or care very much, and they could interpret any primary level credential as qualifying you to teach primary. I wouldnt let the lack of a credential imply some kind of assurance against being placed in a primary classroom. When the steal meets the grindstone leadership will use what they have and any credential is better than no credential. You arent going to be able to play the 'Im not certified card" in IE and have it protect you, if leadership says your teaching years 1-3 social studies reading and language arts thats what youre doing.
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janegreentea
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:18 pm
Re: aspiring teacher: certification in K-12 or 6-12?
Fantastic. Thank you all for your replies. 6-12 social sciences sounds more like what I want, but I am not worried about nevertheless being placed in primary school. Primary not my dream but I was actually considering the k-12 cert. merely because it would open up more opportunities. Thanks again.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: aspiring teacher: certification in K-12 or 6-12?
Janegreentea,
the reality is once you get teaching experience it is going to cement you in recruiters' minds unless they are desperate.
So if you do K to 12 and your first contract is teaching MS or HS, and then you go recruiting for ES, most ES schools won't look at you because you don't have experience. That might be less true after your first two years, but it will be true after that (because after two years, if you really WANTED to teach ES, by then you would have on your second contract).
So, if you are really looking to teach MS/HS, do the 6-12 cert. Otherwise, if you want to teach ES, do the K to 12 and see what happens. But expect that after your first contract, or second, as I said, you are locking yourself into that area/field in recruiters' minds.
the reality is once you get teaching experience it is going to cement you in recruiters' minds unless they are desperate.
So if you do K to 12 and your first contract is teaching MS or HS, and then you go recruiting for ES, most ES schools won't look at you because you don't have experience. That might be less true after your first two years, but it will be true after that (because after two years, if you really WANTED to teach ES, by then you would have on your second contract).
So, if you are really looking to teach MS/HS, do the 6-12 cert. Otherwise, if you want to teach ES, do the K to 12 and see what happens. But expect that after your first contract, or second, as I said, you are locking yourself into that area/field in recruiters' minds.
Discussion
@SJ
While I concur in part, thats not entirely accurate. Where its true is if your a SLL IT in literature and then want to move to primary, your going to be limited in being able to make that transition, that type of scenario I agree with. Where I dont agree for example is the SLL maths IT who then transitions to lower secondary maths and then transitions into primary as a maths specialist, that happens and it happens with art, ICT, Art, PHE/PSPE, etc.
Further, while its unlikely anyone would ever look but if they did they would discover the K12 humanities credential does not permit them to provide services as an HRT and doesnt even include primary social studies it would permit them to provide instructional services in PHE/PSPE and ICT at the primary level.
While I concur in part, thats not entirely accurate. Where its true is if your a SLL IT in literature and then want to move to primary, your going to be limited in being able to make that transition, that type of scenario I agree with. Where I dont agree for example is the SLL maths IT who then transitions to lower secondary maths and then transitions into primary as a maths specialist, that happens and it happens with art, ICT, Art, PHE/PSPE, etc.
Further, while its unlikely anyone would ever look but if they did they would discover the K12 humanities credential does not permit them to provide services as an HRT and doesnt even include primary social studies it would permit them to provide instructional services in PHE/PSPE and ICT at the primary level.