Transferable skills for High School Teacher?

[puukao]

I am wondering if anyone has taught English and then went back to their home country and taught High School (different subject). Of course there are basic transferable skills, but curious if there are enough that significantly helped a teacher returning home. I am at the stage where I can apply for a long-term substitute teacher position, but would like to spend more time abroad first.

I'll do a quick summary: MBA, TESOL, Statement of Eligibility Social Studies (7-12), many years teaching experience (finance related, in a classroom and online, but not a formal school setting).....

negatives and positives are great....thanks for reading.

[zeichen]

I am quite surprised that those qualifications can allow you to teach even as a substitute in the US. My guess it is a poorer state and has over crowded schools. Majority of states with higher standards still require a teacher's license.

To be brutaly honest with you, the majority of things that you learned teaching EFL are not helpful. Most likely you have serious bad habbits unless you were trained as a professional teacher and worked for real schools. There are a lot of things that people say and do as teachers in Thailand that not only would get them fired but probably sued.

" Of course there are basic transferable skills,"

Really, enjoy the wake up call when you actually teach in a real school in the US.

First of all none of your classroom management techniques will translate, none of your methods of rapport building. Most likely you don't have a clue of how to create standard teaching rubrics, proper lesson plans, formative and summative activities.

Many jobs will actually not consider what you have done as actual teaching. More than a gap year or 2 and it looks quite bad unless you worked for International schools.

Not to mention that you have mostly taught adults and teaching middle school native speakers subject matter is day and night difference.

[lostinisaan]

I am quite surprised that those qualifications can allow you to teach even as a substitute in the US. My guess it is a poorer state and has over crowded schools

To be brutaly honest with you, the majority of things that you learned teaching EFL are not helpful.

Why do you never write any brutally positive posts that help people to answer their questions, Mr. Zeichen?

OP seems to be qualified to be a substitute teacher, as he's got many years of teaching experience.

Why do you think are most "things that he learned" not helpful? I know successful English teachers here in Thailand, who don't even have a degree, nor a TEFL, TESOL,etc...

I assume that teaching at an International school in Thailand would help the OP when he comes back to his country. We all had to start somewhere, right?

Others on this forum might be more knowledgeable to come up with brutally honest and positive experiences regarding this matter.

Good luck from lower northeast. -

Edited January 9, 2015 by lostinisaan

[SlyAnimal]

If you'd never taught before, there would have been some general experience in regards to teaching, but from the sounds, your current teaching experience is likely more relevant to what you'll be doing in America.

Although, as you didn't study a BEdu or similar, and you're used to teaching adults, the experience of teaching teenagers in a high school, will give you some experience and perspective in regards to classroom control. Although due to the cultural differences and language barrier in Thailand, this experience won't be directly transferable (But will give you some perspective having seen things from a different side of the coin).

Which of course is why teachers who taught in their home countries, don't always adjust to a TEFL environment well, despite having years of learning and qualifications behind them, because the skills they have aren't directly transferable (Although of course, it's not that difficult for them to learn the new skills required for teaching in a TEFL environment, as they already understand the fundamental principals and psychology involved in teaching).

For example, when I did my TESOL course back in NZ, we also had a registered teacher who was in our class. She was an older lady, and took the course in TESOL because she wanted to start teaching ESL at her school in NZ. She initially had a really tough time adjusting, although by the end of the course she had picked up things pretty well.

But yeah, I'm a TEFL teacher, and don't have experience teaching in my home country, but believe my experience in Thailand would help me if I ever went back to do my DipTeach + become a subject teacher in NZ, although I'd definitely need to learn a lot of new skills in the process, as the environments are very very different.

[zeichen]

"OP seems to be qualified to be a substitute teacher, as he's got many years of teaching experience."

I don't really want to tit for tat with you but since you have never taught in your home country nor have gone back and tried to use EFL experience in Thailand to get a full time teaching position without any other qualifications, you really aren't helpful either are you?

"I assume that teaching at an International school in Thailand would help the OP when he comes back to his country. We all had to start somewhere, right?""

The OP doens't have International School experience and like I said if he did it would be considered especially if it were a well known curriculum.

His experience isn't valid experience in the minds of many educational administrators in the US. If he had been teaching social studies in an EP program or International school, they would recognize it.

I have been driving a car for 30 years, but if I were to get a job as a commercial truck driver, I couldn't really say that I have 30 years experience driving.

Teaching skills are not transferable. You have to reinvent yourself as a teacher. There are many people who can adapt to each teaching experience. I know many that have taught kindergarten all the way up both EFL and subject matter. However, it is more a reflection of them and not the skills they posess.

"Why do you think are most "things that he learned" not helpful? I know successful English teachers here in Thailand, who don't even have a degree, nor a TEFL, TESOL,etc..."

Really, you know English teachers in Thailand who have gone back to their home countries and been successful teachers without a degree?

Unfortunately, in the world of education no administrator will ever look at an EFL teacher in Thailand as a successful teacher. They just have a strong prejudice. They rank below Gym teachers.

[culicine]

I taught a few few years as a maths teacher in LoS before I did my GradDipEd (in NSW). One thing is for sure I knew a lot more about teaching / pedagogy than any of the other students on my course. Hence I got HD's for most of my teaching units without breaking much of a sweat. In-class experience in Thailand can be valuable, as long as the subjects / age levels to be taught are similar. Yes, there are some differences, but it would be only a few months for one too get their head around those.

[puukao]

I appreciate the comments. I think the big transferable skill is age versus age, since there are likely many variables in teaching that can only be experienced. I know a few teachers in America who constantly complain about being overworked, underpaid, made to do more administrative tasks, and they don't seem too happy about their students. To me, that means they teach for money and not passion (I hope passion existed at one time). I took the finance route, secured enough cash (making 3-4x what a teacher would make on much LESS hours), and now looking at a second career choice. I can always go back to finance, or do something completely different. After 15+ years in finance, I'm ready for a change.

Getting an 'A' on some TESOL course didn't mean anything to me. I did win a National Championship (2006) in a popular sport in America, and obviously that meant much more. You spend more time on something, get good, the reward is greater. TESOL required very little time and effort, so very little reward. So, I think I have my answer.....I will try to teach kids who are between 14-18 years old, and worst case I can simply take a year off.....I just don't want to totally waste my time if the skills I learn abroad won't help me back home.

Note: Most teachers I know in America make 60k a year with great benefits. In fact, we all know money in Thailand for teaching is horrible, and good luck in retirement, social security, etc.... You are only smart to work there if you appreciate the other aspects of your life while in Thailand. With that said, there are many cities in Thailand I would never work in.....and it's nice to have that luxury. Anyhow, appreciate the thoughts.