quote:
Originally posted by jake
larrylek,
You have made some valid points, however even with the RSA CELTA or even DELTA you are expected to give a demo lesson. This demo lesson is what usually lands you the job. I have known people without even the RSA CELTA get a job over those with the DELTA.
If it's big money you are after then teaching is not the job for you, it doesn't matter where any more as even those lucrative Saudi jobs have long since vanished! Who needs loads of cash when you have some of the best biking roads in the world at your door step - as long as the tanks full.....
happy travels
jake
To The Thai & Ital Tarmac Company in Hang Dong - Splash it all over and lay it on think and heavy, chaps!
Yep, Balance. Ya gotta have balance. Less money and harder work in chiang main for some,but some of the best roads and places to visit in the world
You are certainly right about the demo. I understand t&t is quite good, and has better training than CELTA in the areas of teaching kids. CELTA is more designed for adults. But giving a good demo should counter any certificate questions, as you say. But, I think it rare that the typical school will go through that process, in my experience...As a former DoS and college English dept Director (all in Thailand), I used to hire many teachers, but never a demo behorehand. It just wasn't practical, under the circumstances. That system takes much more organization and extra manpower to setup and maintain. Chula is one of the very few places with such a system, and it works quite well when screening teachers. I've been through the hiring process there, and was offered a job, some years ago.
Anyway, under my limits, I have to rely on documents and my gut feeling as the 2 main hiring factors. If offered a candidate with no experience, that's not always a problem. I know, for sure, that if they have the CELTA it means I know what they've been taught, and how. The history and credibility of the course makes it easier for me to get a fuller sense of this person's skills. A person coming to me with T&T will get a more detailed exam from me, purely because I'm not as familiar with the exact training this teacher has received. Of course, many factors go into my mind....the certificate is a small factor, overall.
My experience has been that most hirings are done by Thais....Exceptions, of course, but a general rule, in my experience. As such, many will not be as familar with farangs as I might be....The Thais whom I've known, who hire teachers, rely more on rules than gut feelings, mostly because they are not western-raised, in some cases, perhaps. When schools in Thailand advertise for teachers, they often get hundreds of replies from around the world. They must have a screening system, and, if they are only familiar with CELTA, well, human nature says CELTA grads will get more consideration....T&T wouldnot be an issue for me, but I've been doing this in Thailand for almost 20 years, far longer than most any Thai doing hiring of farang teachers...You can bet they would be more strict in their selection process, being much less familiar with farangs....
Oh,...Though I didn't have teachers do demos, I was always in their classroom on the first day, making sure they got off to a good start. The Real World Demo...If the teacher survives, everyone is happy. Though I truly never tried to inflict added stress, I've alwys found that one's actions under stress are an excellent predictor of character and behaviour patterns.
I had a stroke a couple of years ago, which cacelled out anymore biking riding, and forced me to retire and slow down a bit....Though I'm not riding anymore, I still get my 'meditation' from driving my car around the north, though I trult miss the wind and being in the environment, instead of in the car, watching the environmment....
And, since the majority of my adult working life has been in Thailand, working through the ranks, and paying my dues like everyone else, I'll always be interested in teachers in Thailand. It's in my heart.
