Thread: How much experience

Hi

I am a newbie to Ajarn and I would be grateful if you good people could help me with a couple of questions.

The first one is how much work experience does an international school require? I am on my first placement of a PGCE in business studies. My second placement next year is at a leading boarding school in north east England. I want to teach business studies, ICT, and sociology at an international school in BKK. I have a BSc, MBA, and will have a PGCE next year. I have seen some jobs advertised on TES that specify a minimum of 2 years teaching experience, and some which state that applications from NQT's are welcomed. Does anyone know what the norm is? Does the fact that my main subject Business Studies is vocational mean that they may take into account industry experience??

The final question is are there many jobs at international schools in Bangkers for ICT, business studies and sociology?

Any help would be appreciated.

Your educational background sounds extremely good.

You'll find work in the International schools, and your past experiences should help you get a lot of on the job training, that you'll be able to utilize better than many others.

More posters will provide more detailed and helpful information than I can.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers Snafu

I think I'll probably do my NQT year in the UK and then head back to Bangkers. I was in Thailand from JJune to August and thought it was a fab place. I'd like to get a 2 year contract at an international school and maybe build a career in Thailand.

My 2nd placement on my PGCE is at a private boarding school in Durham so that should help with my cv.

I'll be in BKK over the christmas period if anyone is up for a beer and a chat about teaching/the highs and lows of living in thailand.

I guess I'll have to start another 'who fancies a beer thread'.

Definitely get your NQT year out of the way in the UK as soon as you can. Why not contact a couple of schools by email and visit them next time you're over?

For the good jobs (paying over 100k baht) you will be in competition with hundreds, possibly thousands of others who want to live in a cheap country on a Western salary, for a number of jobs in single figures (remember, there are tens of thousands of qualified business studies teachers across the English speaking Western world).

Any good paying international school demands a minimum of 2 years post qualifying experience, (and probably prefer more than that) in an attempt to stop people studying for a pgce with the sole aim of making a quick jump from tefl money to top money in Thailand. They expect new recruits to bring a range of (paid) teaching experience from the home country.

Come over to the international section of the TES forum if you want input from others.

Arnold

What you say about TEFL teachers retraining via a PGCE in Business Studies may or may not be true. I have had a career in sales before doing an MBA at Durham university and embarking on a marketing career in the IT sector.

My rational behind doing a PGCE has got nothing to do with working in the far east. It has to do with retraining in a profession which will give me more job satisfaction.

So yes as a business studies teacher in the far east I will be competing against a global market of teachers. However, my subject is vocational and as well as my industry experience I have a BSc, MBA and a postgraduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, as well as the PGCE which I will qualify from in June. As my subject is vocational I see it as being rather pointless staying in the UK for a number of years after my NQT year.

At the end of the day, all you can do is apply for jobs, and if the market says otherwise you have to rethink your strategy. I just fancy working in another culture for a couple of years, and then I'll make up my mind as to whether or not I like it.

Bil,

All I can tell you is that I have never seen a good quality international school in Thailand advertising for NQTs (you originally asked about working as an NQT). You will occasionally see adverts for them in other countries, often in the middle East, but it is not the norm.

You sound like a man who is in a hurry to live in Thailand, not a man in a hurry to become a professional teacher. Have you ever taught in Thailand before? It's a lot of training to do if you have never taught there before. How do you know if you will like it? Why are you training in the UK if you have no desire to work there? Did you tell your university that before starting?


An NQT is effectively only half way through their training and qualification-gaining, as the following induction year is there to show that they are able to work to all expected all skill levels 100% of the time throughout 3 terms of teaching, for 18 hours per week. The pgce year is just about aquiring these skills, and demonstrating that each one can be achieved once or twice each throughout the course, which also has a much reduced teaching timetable. Hence you are not properly qualified without having passed induction, and NQTs who do not pass induction are banned from teaching after 4 terms.

Hence international schools want teachers who are well past this second hurdle. NQTs are more likely to find a job in a bilingual school (on a salary of perhaps 40-50 k baht), although not many, if any, employ foreign business studies teachers.
Confidence is good, but don't count your chickens just yet, either on being able to find a good job in Thailand as an NQT, or even passing the pgce until completed. Patience is also an important professional teaching quality.

Arnie

Thanks for your note. I don't know your background or what you teach. I teach business studies, sociology and ICT.

I don't know where you did your teaching qualification. In the UK you can do a B.ED or a PGCE. The PGCE gives you QTS providing you pass university assignments, QTS skills tests and demonstrate the relevant skills in class. After this you must do your NQT year at a UK school within 5 years of graduating from the PGCE.

You may have misunderstood my original posting. I am doing my NQT year in the UK and then intending to work abroad for a couple of years (initially to see if I like it).

The programme leader at my university is fully in support of my teaching abroad. I did not say that I would never teach in the UK. As I am 33 with several years industry experience as well as a BSc, MBA, Postgraduate Dilpoma CIM, and a PGCE (in June) I wanted to work abroad after completing my NQT year in the UK. The situation in the UK is that with my extensive academic qualifications and industry experience my CV looks strong to UK schools. I wanted to find out if I could work in Thailand for a couple of years without having to spend numerous years gaining classroom experience in the UK. It seems that I wouldn't be welcome in your department.

If I appeared cocky then I have given the wrong impression, I know my subject extremely well, but I wouldn't say I was the best teacher on the planet, that would seemm a bit foolish as I am only on my first placement.

Added after 7 minutes:

Arnie

I should add that you sound like a man that assumes a lot which isn't a good quality in business studies or as a teacher.

I asked for advice which some people have given me and I am grateful for. I do not want a lot of assumptions about my motivations or skills from someone who knows nothing about me.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I'll start the thread on who fancies a festive beer in BKK soon.

Bil,

I am well aware of UK teacher training. Your information is not accurate, which is not a good quality in business studies or as a teacher.

Firstly, it is also possible to gain a state teaching qualification via the GTP scheme, in addition to the two you mention.

Secondly, there is no 5 year time limit for starting induction following the PGCE. Don't believe me? Well believe them http://www.tta.gov.uk/php/read.php?s...ticleid=1338#3

Are you confusing NQT year with induction year? They are the same thing.
It's the second year of training, hence you are not doing it yet, even though you say you are( using the present tense).

You seem a tad disappointed that the international schools of Thailand won't kiss the feet of an NQT (you did specifically ask about job adverts for NQTs, not post induction teachers in your original post) in the way you may hope. Don't shoot the messenger! International schools in Thailand operate at the same level as the top private schools in the UK, and such places as Eton don't need applications from the thousands of NQTs hitting the streets each year (many of whom have qualifications and work experience similar to or greater than yours) because they are extremely selective.

The only person I know personally who has found a good teaching job in Thailand (salary of 140,000 baht) was previously the head of department (of 10 years teaching experience) at one of the schools (it was a private school) I did my pgce at back in 2001. He took a large salary drop and became a standard grade teacher in Phuket, but still improved his standard of living due to the cheaper lifestyle there.

Best wishes

Arnie

Take a chill pill you seem to be getting yourself confused. My original post asked what the norm was as regards experience required for teaching at an international school in BKK as I had seen advertisements which had different stipulations.

I am no longer interested in your advice. However, Arnie, where do you work, what do you teach and what are your qualifications?

The confused and somewhat pedantic nature of your replies seem to indicate poor academic qualifications, coupled with little industry experience (if you even teach business studies), and you are probably in a mediocre school at the moment.

Live the dream Arnie boy!