Non-Traditional Teaching Credentials

After spending more than 1o years teaching ESL, 7 of them in Taiwan, I’m back “home” In Arkansas and starting again. I have my B.A. in English, but no teaching license. I’ve been subbing and, boy is it a different world over here. Anyhow, I’m still persuing teaching over here.

I would really have thought that that many years teaching would mean something to someone, but it doesn’t. No one knows if I’ve been in Taiwan for all this time, or in Thiland, but either way, they don’t seem to be able to relate.

So, anyway, March 30 I’m taking three pre-professional exams, reading, wrighting, and rithmatic, and then in April I take my content knowledge assessments. Once I pass, I can be hired on full time, but have to study ed courses once a month and durring the summer for two years. Then a couple more tests, and I’m done. I’m a real teacher! I’m looking forward to the ed courses, as I think I’ve done a pretty good job without them, thank you, but I’m hoping I’ll do even better with them.

I studied “Teaching English to Second Language Learners” before I graduated. It was a graduate class, but they let me in, heh. Anyway, that was before the licensing guidelines had been outlined for TOFEL. Now, to get credit for it, I’ll have to take three more, and hope I don’t have to re-take that one, as it’s been 10 years ago this year. So, then I can teach ESL over here, and not just high school English.

So, anyhow, this is the option I’ve found for myself. Wish me luck. The first tests shouldn’t be difficult at all, except for math, uhem. But I’m nervous as I don’t like testing. So send me some good thoughts, will you?

Anyway I posted this because I didn’t know about this program before, and thought maybe some other Forumosans getting tired of Taiwan style mafan might think about it.

Peace.

Best of luck to you friend. Let us know how you’re coming along with the program as you get further in.

Sorry, I don’t have psychic abilities.

I’m surprised more teachers haven’t responded. I imagine many dread the idea of returning to their home countries and going through what you are going through right now: becoming certified are recertified.

Erm…not really… :blush: I pursued a CELTA before I came here so I’d be a better teacher, but when I go home I’m pursuing a JD, not a teaching credential. I truly do have good wishes for the OP, but I bet most teachers here aren’t going to try teaching when they get home - we’re all lazy bums remember! :slight_smile:

I like your phrasing, superemma. ‘pursued a CELTA’; sounds like you chased it but it got away. hehe.

They’re slippery, tricksy little creatures, you know!

Are we allowed to question some of the spelling in the title? :wink:
…but English is my 2nd languange, so it is probably correct. :s

No, you could definitely question it because there is a mistake. Didn’t mention it though, as it wasn’t particularly relevant.

No, you could definitely question it because there is a mistake. Didn’t mention it though, as it wasn’t particularly relevant.[/quote]

It was a type-o, but I’m infamous for my terrible spelling. Scarry for an English teacher. I give my students extra points for correcting me! My Uni instructors used to be on me all the time until one day the creative-wrighting instructor quoted Mark Twain, “Never trust a man who can only spell a word one way!” That’s been my motto ever since. :smiley:

Sorry to have gone off topic on this. The Mark Twain quote is great, and in addition to that, I learned a thing or two that can be useful - Tradidional, Cradentials… :smiley:

Just in case:
:wink: :wink:

:roflmao:

Don’t change a thing! I love it! Do it more!

Creative writing instructor. :stuck_out_tongue:

Trie too bee moor profeshunul inn yoor communikashuns.

[quote=“housecat”]After spending more than 1o years teaching ESL, 7 of them in Taiwan, I’m back “home” In Arkansas and starting again. I have my B.A. in English, but no teaching license. I’ve been subbing and, boy is it a different world over here. Anyhow, I’m still persuing teaching over here.

I would really have thought that that many years teaching would mean something to someone, but it doesn’t. No one knows if I’ve been in Taiwan for all this time, or in Thiland, but either way, they don’t seem to be able to relate.

So, anyway, March 30 I’m taking three pre-professional exams, reading, wrighting, and rithmatic, and then in April I take my content knowledge assessments. Once I pass, I can be hired on full time, but have to study ed courses once a month and durring the summer for two years. Then a couple more tests, and I’m done. I’m a real teacher! I’m looking forward to the ed courses, as I think I’ve done a pretty good job without them, thank you, but I’m hoping I’ll do even better with them.

I studied “Teaching English to Second Language Learners” before I graduated. It was a graduate class, but they let me in, heh. Anyway, that was before the licensing guidelines had been outlined for TOFEL. Now, to get credit for it, I’ll have to take three more, and hope I don’t have to re-take that one, as it’s been 10 years ago this year. So, then I can teach ESL over here, and not just high school English.

So, anyhow, this is the option I’ve found for myself. Wish me luck. The first tests shouldn’t be difficult at all, except for math, uhem. But I’m nervous as I don’t like testing. So send me some good thoughts, will you?

Anyway I posted this because I didn’t know about this program before, and thought maybe some other Forumosans getting tired of Taiwan style mafan might think about it.

Peace.[/quote]

It’s the course I’m hoping to take when I get back. I have already applied for a program in Houston. I just have to wait to hear if I am approved for the program. They make it so difficult to find info from here, but I bet if the NCAC were to come here and run a job fair, they’d find quite a few recruits who have enjoyed teaching in Taiwan enough to want to make it a career back home (or in the US if that’s not their home…). I’m not so worried about tests or deadlines because my plan is to take a few months off to get reacclimated to American civilization (such that it is) and spend that time working with students in an after-school or tutoring program, but I am worried about scraping together enough money to finish paying off my student debts so I can get my grubbies on my transcripts. I can’t believe I am still on that vicious cycle…

I can’t get my transcripts until I pay off my loans. I can’t pay off my loans until I get a decent-paying job. I can’t get a decent paying job without proving I was a college student. I can’t prove I was a college student unless I get my transcripts.

I’m sure the literary department at my college loves all the irony wrapped up in university bureaucracy.

Best of luck to you. We might be neighbors (kind of) soon!

[quote=“ImaniOU”]I can’t get my transcripts until I pay off my loans. I can’t pay off my loans until I get a decent-paying job. I can’t get a decent paying job without proving I was a college student. I can’t prove I was a college student unless I get my transcripts.

I’m sure the literary department at my college loves all the irony wrapped up in university bureaucracy.

Best of luck to you. We might be neighbors (kind of) soon![/quote]

It’d be cool to be your Kind of neighbor! That sucks about your transcripts. It’s crazy. I still have student debt, too, but I’m making payments (small ones) and have access to my transcripts. Well, I’d be able to get transcrips anyway, without the payments. Where did you study?

Good luck to you, too. Maybe I can start a business later, doing job fairs over seas for the non- traditional program!

Trie too bee moor profeshunul inn yoor communikashuns.[/quote]

Twain wood bee praoud! Or, not.

That’s because teaching English in Taiwan is not a real profession. You are only hired because you can speak it. Sure, some actually jump through the hoops to get some certificate that says they are supposed to know how to teach the language, but most don’t bother with that. Why should they?
My advice is to get as far away from teaching as possible. The pay sucks and the rewards are nominal.
Open titty bars like me or study bowling pin setting machine repair – anything to get out of teaching.

I’ve already got a phone interview with an agent from the NCAC in Texas for next week.