@PsyGuy.

Yeah, that is what I thought regarding picking up my D.C. credentials (basically, take the Praxis and you're good). My thoughts were I would probably prefer to take up a position at a less demanding school while completing my TN and licence and apply for better schools next year.

As you do your first credential with TN in whatever you do your practicum in I was worried I would be limiting myself to ESL. Great to hear that TCL award endorsements for two subjects. So I could do the ESL placement along with the relevant PLT and then add SS by passing the Praxis Middle School (5623) ESL (5621) & SS (5089). Then voila! I would be able to get QTS as an ESL & Social Studies teacher. In the meantime, I could use the utility of my 4-year D.C licence then add endorsements in the future and then select which two I would like to carry over into QTS at a later date.

Many thanks for the knowledge.

I am currently doing the Teach Now program and can honestly say I have found it very helpful. I think that as I was teaching before and then took a hiatus to work in another industry, it is great for preparing me again for the classroom. It has given me a lot of new strategies and I have used a lot of web 2.0 tools that I didn't know about.It is very 'busy work' in comparison to an academic qualification like an MA or PGCEi.

I do have a question though about certification. I am about to start my clinical and have 2 job offers I am considering. One is a mid-range school and will have me teaching across four subjects and the other is a third tier and will have me teaching only English (but is in a better location). I aim to qualify as a Social Science teacher and would be teaching that in the mid-tier. I presume that the English gig would only allow me to teach ELA or ESL?

So, at the third tier school, I would gain an initial English licence and as I have a BA and MA that could get me a Social Sciences licence through D.C. correct? Would I then be qualified to teach ESL/ELA and SS? How would the gaining QTS work? Do they (NCT) only recognise one subject area? Can you choose?

Cheers in advance.

It seems like it makes most sense to try for the UT Level 1 award. As I understand it would consist of FBI fingerprints, NACES degree cert and the relevant PRAXIS.

@psyguy

With a Politics degree, which subject award am I likely to go for? Social Sciences or Government/Politics?

Hi There,

Similar to mthmchris I have long lurked in the shadows here. I have been a particularly avid follower of the different pathways to certification proposed on here and psyguy seems to have his finger on the pulse.

A bit about me... I am a British guy who taught abroad in Asia and have 3 years third tier international school experience with the Primary Cambridge International Primary Program at fourth/fifth grade + two years EFL experience in a public school system still teaching the Cambridge International at fourth grade. I have a BA in Politics and a CELTA, as well as an MA in Educational Planning, Economics, and International Development. I have been working in development for the last couple of years (on education projects involving teacher training and project management) and would like to become certified.

I am employed as a PM full-time and have no access to a classroom. I have a place on the PGCEi offered for a fall start as a result. I am not interested in teaching in Britain and would most likely in the event of aid funding drying up, return to international teaching. So what I would like to know is, what my options are with reference to the above posters but as a non-American?

As the D.C route is no longer an option (or at best will be a coin toss), where can a non-citizen acquire a license by simply taking the PRAXIS exams, having their PGCEi/BA/MA evaluated by WES or similar, FBI check and bosh using that cert to apply for QTS?

Is the CT route the best? I want to qualify in social studies as my interests/degrees most obviously point that way and the praxis exams seem fairly straightforward. Do they take non-citizens?