Help! I Have A Teaching License, But... (need Advice)

[Pawpcorn]

Hi, all... I need advice...

I was granted a Teaching License by the Thailand Ministry of Education a number of months ago, due to my AA degree, MCSE Certificate, and a multitude of college courses and work training courses I have taken during the course of my life, in addition to my teaching experience. I also have a valid Work Permit and 1 year non-immigrant Type-B American Visa.

I'm working my butt off teaching English at ECC, putting in huge hours and making low-baht. (Although I am quite grateful to them for getting me this far, with the License and Work Permit).

I was recently hired on to teach English Speaking and English Listening classes, part time, for 10 weeks, 2 days a week, at a major University, walking distance from my condo.

This is like working a dream gig, with excellent peers, great support, great pay, on a great campus... but for part time only.

They would love to hire me full time, but they tell me that their current hiring rules are the same as the old rules... even tho I have a Teaching License issued by the TME, (which I THINK technically validates my approval to teach ANYWHERE in Thailand, as far as the TME is concerned) the University’s current rules require me to have a Bachelor's degree, before they can hire me full time (and validate the work permit, etc etc).

I don't know what to do!

My AA degree is in Telecommunications, and my career spanned from Broadcasting, to Engineering for Television Post Production for 20 years, to finally becoming certified as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and working as a System's Analyst in the past 8 years.

I came to Thailand last July. I am 57 years old, drive a motorcycle to and from work 60 km a day, I’m still in good shape, mentally and physically agile.

I work (including the commute) from 9 in the morning to 10 o'clock at night 6 days a week, but I have kept my FRIDAYS completely free.

In as I'm required to be available to teach evenings at ECC, I think this rules out taking evening classes at an English-speaking University... leaving only Fridays available for working on advancing my degree.

I am very willing to dedicate myself all Friday, every Friday, toward that effort, before I die prematurely, being bled to death at ECC.

BUT... I think having ONLY Fridays available, limits me to... what? A correspondence course????

Does anyone know if there IS a legitimate, fully accepted correspondence-style university Bachelor’s Degree Course available to get myself out of my multiple catch-22 situations?

I would be SO grateful for any help or advice anyone can contribute. I plan on living in Thailand, this land I love, for the rest of my life, and I would SO love to be able to contribute... on a University level... for decent wages... to live a decent life.

Thanks!

[mopenyang]

Hi, all... I need advice...

I was granted a Teaching License by the Thailand Ministry of Education a number of months ago, due to my AA degree, MCSE Certificate, and a multitude of college courses and work training courses I have taken during the course of my life, in addition to my teaching experience. I also have a valid Work Permit and 1 year non-immigrant Type-B American Visa.

I'm working my butt off teaching English at ECC, putting in huge hours and making low-baht. (Although I am quite grateful to them for getting me this far, with the License and Work Permit).

I was recently hired on to teach English Speaking and English Listening classes, part time, for 10 weeks, 2 days a week, at a major University, walking distance from my condo.

This is like working a dream gig, with excellent peers, great support, great pay, on a great campus... but for part time only.

They would love to hire me full time, but they tell me that their current hiring rules are the same as the old rules... even tho I have a Teaching License issued by the TME, (which I THINK technically validates my approval to teach ANYWHERE in Thailand, as far as the TME is concerned) the University’s current rules require me to have a Bachelor's degree, before they can hire me full time (and validate the work permit, etc etc).

I don't know what to do!

My AA degree is in Telecommunications, and my career spanned from Broadcasting, to Engineering for Television Post Production for 20 years, to finally becoming certified as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and working as a System's Analyst in the past 8 years.

I came to Thailand last July. I am 57 years old, drive a motorcycle to and from work 60 km a day, I’m still in good shape, mentally and physically agile.

I work (including the commute) from 9 in the morning to 10 o'clock at night 6 days a week, but I have kept my FRIDAYS completely free.

In as I'm required to be available to teach evenings at ECC, I think this rules out taking evening classes at an English-speaking University... leaving only Fridays available for working on advancing my degree.

I am very willing to dedicate myself all Friday, every Friday, toward that effort, before I die prematurely, being bled to death at ECC.

BUT... I think having ONLY Fridays available, limits me to... what? A correspondence course????

Does anyone know if there IS a legitimate, fully accepted correspondence-style university Bachelor’s Degree Course available to get myself out of my multiple catch-22 situations?

I would be SO grateful for any help or advice anyone can contribute. I plan on living in Thailand, this land I love, for the rest of my life, and I would SO love to be able to contribute... on a University level... for decent wages... to live a decent life.

Thanks!

As far as I know, TLs are not required at the uni level in Thailand and really don't come into play.

While not guaranteeing the validity of the information on this link, it may be a good starting point for you in seeking out a distance learning undergrad degree program:

http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/

About uni teaching in Thailand, yes, there are very good gigs out there and often the stated salary is only the stated salary and one can make much, much more where extra classes and other work pay 1,000 baht and more an hour. Throw in the incredible amount of vacation time, holidays and flexibilty in your daily schedule and you can find yourself in a very nice situation and enjoying life at a level the majority of teachers in Thailand would have you believe is only the stuff of dreams.

Dreams have been known to come true.

Edited May 31, 2007 by mopenyang

[Scott]

To the best of my knowledge the TL doesn't help you very much. We have two new teachers at our school and they had to cancel their work permits, leave the country, get a tourist visa and start the entire procedure for employment all over again. They will both get new TL's. You will, most likely need a Bachelor's degree. There are a number of universities that offer on-line courses leading to a degree.

I don't know any just off hand, but hopefully someone will post them here. With a 2 year degree, you may want to find a degree and program that accounts for what you have so far. This should bring you fairly close to your goal.

Best of luck to you.

[Pawpcorn]

As far as I know, TLs are not required at the uni level in Thailand and really don't come into play.

While not guaranteeing the validity of the information on this link, it may be a good starting point for you in seeking out a distance learning undergrad degree program:

http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/

About uni teaching in Thailand, yes, there are very good gigs out there and often the stated salary is only the stated salary and one can make much, much more where extra classes and other work pay 1,000 baht and more an hour. Throw in the incredible amount of vacation time, holidays and flexibilty in your daily schedule and you can find yourself in a very nice situation and enjoying life at a level the majority of teachers in Thailand would have you believe is only the stuff of dreams.

Dreams have been known to come true.

Dear Mopenyang,

Thanks VERY much for the hyperlink; it seems to be very well laid out... and spot checking the institutions listed on the "home page" against my 11 page (!) list of NON-ACCREDITED schools that I got from ECC, not a single one matched up... a good sign, eh?

Now my research to choose an institution, (and hopefully be able to afford it) begins...

Thanks for offering a helping hand. Much appreciated!

Best regards,

Pawpcorn

[Pawpcorn]

To the best of my knowledge the TL doesn't help you very much. We have two new teachers at our school and they had to cancel their work permits, leave the country, get a tourist visa and start the entire procedure for employment all over again. They will both get new TL's. You will, most likely need a Bachelor's degree. There are a number of universities that offer on-line courses leading to a degree.

I don't know any just off hand, but hopefully someone will post them here. With a 2 year degree, you may want to find a degree and program that accounts for what you have so far. This should bring you fairly close to your goal.

Best of luck to you.

Dear Scott,

Thanks very much for your reply and information!

It seems I have to re-think the meaning, purpose, and value of the "Teaching License". It's starting to look to me that they pertain more to relationship between the Ministry of Education and the institution or company you are employed by, than to the teacher as an individual, and therefore don't account for much when seeking new employment, eh?

Thanks again,

Pawpcorn

[Ijustwannateach]

Pawpcorn, the university is being lenient, relatively speaking. Many Thai universities require a master's for you to be hired full-time. Some of them have special exceptions for people who are only doing TEFL-level teaching, and some have "grandfathered" in a number of people who only had bachelor's even though the current policy is for master's.

In general, the direction of hiring policy in Thailand is towards greater and greater on-paper qualifications- a word to the wise. If the OP truly has his heart set on long-term teaching abroad, he'd better start working on a degree.

"Steven"