Advice for getting started with international schools
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:35 pm
Hello all,
I wondered if you could help me understand the international school market a little better and, more specifically, the most economical way for me to break into it. First, my background:
--30 year old American male
--Bachelor's degree in English
--CELTA certification
--1 year of teaching ESL in South Korea, and will be renewing for a second year in 2015
I don't necessarily want to teach ESL at an international school, although I know those jobs exist and wouldn't be out of the question. But ideally I'd like to give myself more opportunities. I don't think I'd be good at teaching math or science, unfortunately, but English (as a subject) or history are definite possibilities.
I realize I'm missing a few important things: a master's degree, teaching certification, and teaching experience in a non-ESL environment.
I have a lot of "desk warming" time at work right now, so ideally I'd like to use it toward progressing my career. I've found a program called TeacherReady that I could do online that would certify me to be a teacher in Florida, but (as I understand it) you have to observe a classroom in person and do some practical teaching by the end of it, which wouldn't work for me because I live too far from the international schools here.
How would international schools feel about an online master's degree in TESOL? I don't want to get a master's degree back in the US because of the insane cost of higher education and the 2 years I'd spend being a student again. I have some friends who are currently getting their MA TESOL online through a respected university in England. It isn't cheap but it's a fraction of what I'd pay in the US. Should I spend the money to get the MA, or do international schools not care about it that much and thus it would be better to just save the money?
Assuming I get my teaching certification later and potentially get the MA in my spare time, what would be my chances of finding a job without 2 years of teaching experience in the US? I don't want to put my "overseas life" on hold for 2 years while I go back home and teach for 2 years simply so that I can get the experience to leave the country again. I'd rather just stay overseas and transition from teaching ESL to teaching a specific subject to international students.
Thanks very much in advance for your advice and information!
I wondered if you could help me understand the international school market a little better and, more specifically, the most economical way for me to break into it. First, my background:
--30 year old American male
--Bachelor's degree in English
--CELTA certification
--1 year of teaching ESL in South Korea, and will be renewing for a second year in 2015
I don't necessarily want to teach ESL at an international school, although I know those jobs exist and wouldn't be out of the question. But ideally I'd like to give myself more opportunities. I don't think I'd be good at teaching math or science, unfortunately, but English (as a subject) or history are definite possibilities.
I realize I'm missing a few important things: a master's degree, teaching certification, and teaching experience in a non-ESL environment.
I have a lot of "desk warming" time at work right now, so ideally I'd like to use it toward progressing my career. I've found a program called TeacherReady that I could do online that would certify me to be a teacher in Florida, but (as I understand it) you have to observe a classroom in person and do some practical teaching by the end of it, which wouldn't work for me because I live too far from the international schools here.
How would international schools feel about an online master's degree in TESOL? I don't want to get a master's degree back in the US because of the insane cost of higher education and the 2 years I'd spend being a student again. I have some friends who are currently getting their MA TESOL online through a respected university in England. It isn't cheap but it's a fraction of what I'd pay in the US. Should I spend the money to get the MA, or do international schools not care about it that much and thus it would be better to just save the money?
Assuming I get my teaching certification later and potentially get the MA in my spare time, what would be my chances of finding a job without 2 years of teaching experience in the US? I don't want to put my "overseas life" on hold for 2 years while I go back home and teach for 2 years simply so that I can get the experience to leave the country again. I'd rather just stay overseas and transition from teaching ESL to teaching a specific subject to international students.
Thanks very much in advance for your advice and information!