I still have times each week when I just stop in my tracks and literally speak the following words to myself...LIFE IS GOOD!
Teaching English in Korea has been such an eye opening, fun, growing, stress-free experience for me. I honestly can't imagine trying to do something else at this point. So how I do I keep this ship sailing?
One thing I devote time to regularly is perusing the job openings on major, high profile teacher recruitment sites. I also join many Facebook pages of recruiters as they post opportunities as they come in. Sites like TeachAway, Footprints Recruiting, and Teacherport are my favorite places to visit.
The field of teaching English abroad is changing. Noone can deny that. In the current sluggish economy, more and more people are looking to teach abroad. With this rush definitely comes a higher bar of qualifications and experience. Many experienced teachers who have fallen victim to budget cuts find refuge in the prospect of teaching in another country. This puts the English programs of other countries and the recruiters in the drivers seat. They have pick of the litter now more than ever.
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Middle East (i.e. UAE/Abu Dhabi) are spearheading movements to make English a true second language in their countries. And they are not bashful or hesitant about it.
Finding a teaching job in Abu Dhabi where being a licensed teacher is NOT required is likely impossible. For good reason. The pay scale for teachers ranges from $3-5,000 USD per month. Tax free. Free apartment. Plane tickets for travel during the year.
Malaysia also has stringent requirements similar to Abu Dhabi, as does Hong Kong and Taiwan.
I don't necessarily see myself staying in Korea forever unless some unforeseen opportunity arises. Like getting a date with Kim Yuna...! Knowing that I want to travel and teach in other countries means I need to work on my credentials.
Getting a teacher's license is not easy. You will likely have to take a year to go home to obtain it. This is because of the practical classroom work that is required. However, I found one school that has a prep program where it can be done completely online if you are currently teaching. That includes abroad. So for example, my teaching experience here in Korea will be used for the program - in lieu of doing it back home. Which makes sense. The experience I am gaining here is far better than what would be involved in the work associated with class work back home for obtaining certification. I have my own classroom. I teach solo at times. I run English camps solo. I teach math in English on weekends through EPIK. This is real experience and it will be recognized with the program I signed up for.
The program I found was the University of West Florida's TeacherReady online certification. It takes 10 months to complete. I am very excited about this. I don't have to go home and take a year off to complete it. I can just fly back upon completion during my winter break to sit for the state exams. What could be better? Nothing.
If you're from Florida and you are currently teaching abroad, you should at least give it a look. It could save you a year off of work.
I'll keep you updated on how it goes. Here's a bit more about it on a vlog I did.
Teaching English in Korea has been such an eye opening, fun, growing, stress-free experience for me. I honestly can't imagine trying to do something else at this point. So how I do I keep this ship sailing?
One thing I devote time to regularly is perusing the job openings on major, high profile teacher recruitment sites. I also join many Facebook pages of recruiters as they post opportunities as they come in. Sites like TeachAway, Footprints Recruiting, and Teacherport are my favorite places to visit.
The field of teaching English abroad is changing. Noone can deny that. In the current sluggish economy, more and more people are looking to teach abroad. With this rush definitely comes a higher bar of qualifications and experience. Many experienced teachers who have fallen victim to budget cuts find refuge in the prospect of teaching in another country. This puts the English programs of other countries and the recruiters in the drivers seat. They have pick of the litter now more than ever.
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Middle East (i.e. UAE/Abu Dhabi) are spearheading movements to make English a true second language in their countries. And they are not bashful or hesitant about it.
Educational authorities have decided to shift the language of core subject instruction from Arabic to English - TeachAway, Inc.
Finding a teaching job in Abu Dhabi where being a licensed teacher is NOT required is likely impossible. For good reason. The pay scale for teachers ranges from $3-5,000 USD per month. Tax free. Free apartment. Plane tickets for travel during the year.
Malaysia also has stringent requirements similar to Abu Dhabi, as does Hong Kong and Taiwan.
I don't necessarily see myself staying in Korea forever unless some unforeseen opportunity arises. Like getting a date with Kim Yuna...! Knowing that I want to travel and teach in other countries means I need to work on my credentials.
Getting a teacher's license is not easy. You will likely have to take a year to go home to obtain it. This is because of the practical classroom work that is required. However, I found one school that has a prep program where it can be done completely online if you are currently teaching. That includes abroad. So for example, my teaching experience here in Korea will be used for the program - in lieu of doing it back home. Which makes sense. The experience I am gaining here is far better than what would be involved in the work associated with class work back home for obtaining certification. I have my own classroom. I teach solo at times. I run English camps solo. I teach math in English on weekends through EPIK. This is real experience and it will be recognized with the program I signed up for.
The program I found was the University of West Florida's TeacherReady online certification. It takes 10 months to complete. I am very excited about this. I don't have to go home and take a year off to complete it. I can just fly back upon completion during my winter break to sit for the state exams. What could be better? Nothing.
If you're from Florida and you are currently teaching abroad, you should at least give it a look. It could save you a year off of work.
I'll keep you updated on how it goes. Here's a bit more about it on a vlog I did.
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