Is There An American Equivalent To The P G C E?

[PeaceBlondie]

Our British and Australian coworkers can buzz back home for a year or so and earn a PGCE on top of the BA or BS they previously earned, and then after a certain amount of teaching, be fully certified. They can earn some of their academic credit toward the PGCE by open university or internet, as well. What about Yanks and Canadians?

If I wore a younger man's clothes, I'd want to be better qualified. But back home (at least in Texas), I'd be lucky to make $90 per day as a substitute, with only a BA degree. And the 'emergency teaching certificate' would expire in a year or two, during which time I might have to go to 3 or 4 nights per week of undergraduate school to earn all those 'education courses' I never took.

Does anybody know what it would take for a North American to get fully certified and experienced as a professional educator, so you could come back to Thailand and earn 112,389 baht every month at an international school?

[stament]

Our British and Australian coworkers can buzz back home for a year or so and earn a PGCE on top of the BA or BS they previously earned, and then after a certain amount of teaching, be fully certified. They can earn some of their academic credit toward the PGCE by open university or internet, as well. What about Yanks and Canadians?

If I wore a younger man's clothes, I'd want to be better qualified. But back home (at least in Texas), I'd be lucky to make $90 per day as a substitute, with only a BA degree. And the 'emergency teaching certificate' would expire in a year or two, during which time I might have to go to 3 or 4 nights per week of undergraduate school to earn all those 'education courses' I never took.

Does anybody know what it would take for a North American to get fully certified and experienced as a professional educator, so you could come back to Thailand and earn 112,389 baht every month at an international school?

Sorry don't know. But I'd be interested to know where you got the 112,389 monthly salary from!!!

[PeaceBlondie]

Sorry don't know. But I'd be interested to know where you got the 112,389 monthly salary from!!!

I made it up. Surely a fully qualified, Western-educated, native speaking, experienced teacher would not consider working for less than 97,432 baht per month...seriously, in my daughter's school district in Texas, a starting salary with no experience other than student teaching is about $3,000 per month. My daughter wouldn't come here for less than 200,000 baht per month.

[mopenyang]

PB, it basically depends on the state: http://www.uky.edu/Education/TEP/usacert.html

Even if you are licensed or qualified for licensing, the competition for positions in top tier international schools is very intense and usually requires several years of teaching experience in your home country.

If you already have an undergrad degree (non-teaching) and are willing to invest some time, energy and money, I think something like this might work:

http://www.universities.com/On-Campus/Texa...d_Teaching.html

[wangsuda]

OK, here's what it takes:

1. A BA/BS degree in something that can actually be taught in a school (math, science, or English related. Underwater basket weaving doesn't count).

2. A GPA in said degree of a minimum of 2.7/4.0

3. Enrollment into a teaching credential program (graduate level)

4. About one year of classes (full time)

5. About one school year of student teaching

For more information, go to http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/ccoe/

[stament]

Sorry don't know. But I'd be interested to know where you got the 112,389 monthly salary from!!!

I made it up. Surely a fully qualified, Western-educated, native speaking, experienced teacher would not consider working for less than 97,432 baht per month...seriously, in my daughter's school district in Texas, a starting salary with no experience other than student teaching is about $3,000 per month. My daughter wouldn't come here for less than 200,000 baht per month.

I realise you made the figure up, but I wondered what the average or range of salary might be for someone who has a PGCE, maybe from a newly qualified to someone senior.

Does anyone have any idea on a salary range? I mean if it only paid say THB 15,000 more per month would it be worth the expense of the person studying it, paying course fee's and sacrificing a year's salary?

[PeaceBlondie]

OK, here's what it takes:

1. A BA/BS degree in something that can actually be taught in a school (math, science, or English related. Underwater basket weaving doesn't count).

2. A GPA in said degree of a minimum of 2.7/4.0

3. Enrollment into a teaching credential program (graduate level)

4. About one year of classes (full time)

5. About one school year of student teaching

For more information, go to http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/ccoe/

Wangsuda, thanks. I don't even know what my GPA was! Do they compute GPA using courses I took after my BA, when I flunked four accounting courses en route to passing seven courses? I do wonder, though, how many young bucks would want to spend one year full time in school, and a year doing student teaching (for free, right?) for the purpose of returning to Thailand and teaching here.

mopenyang: I did look through the Texas website that you provided, and naturally I chose the code PB. They even have a program at the University of Texas at Brownsville-Texas Southmost College!! Also, at my alma mater, The Upper University of Lower Texas in Middle Funk, Central Branch. It's a big state, you see. The info about Texas Wesleyan lost me after the first page, but I noticed the first full year would cost about 600,000 baht plus room and board.

Thanks, y'all.

[Turok]

Peace:

It depends. Some schools offer a Masters Degree and Teaching License which can be done in a year and a half. It is intense with tons of work.

I went back to get certified and took all the undergraduate classes and it took me 2 years. Glad I did it though. Then I went and got my masters degree elsewhere.

As far as looking at money figures of what you can earn in Thailand vs. USA, I think your being unfair doing a direct money exchange. It is never about how much you earn but how much you save.

Certainly the $3000 earned in a US state is going to dwindle down very fast. You can even say $5000 per month in some states is nothing. Imagine living in SF where rent for some small crap apartment is going to cost you $1500. Take out more money for taxes, car payment, insurance, parking, etc.... There isn't much left. Most people don't have cars or large rents in Thailand.

Certainly earning 100,000 baht per month minus rent leaves you lets say 80000 baht. Now lets convert. WOW that is $2000 right there! Assuming no other expenses or debts saving $1500 to $2000 in any state per month is no easy task. So, please don't look at the exchange rates in determining where to teach. Your daughter is asking too much and no school will pay her that and they shouldn't.

Turok

Edited July 3, 2007 by Turok

[PeaceBlondie]

Turok, thanks for the advice. I'm sorry if I've sidetracked this discussion into comparing foreign and domestic salaries. My daughter wouldn't migrate with family for 300K per month, which is beside the point.

So, are you saying it took 2 years of full time academic studies and student teaching to get certified, without earning a master's?

[Turok]

Peace:

Yes that is correct. Of course this was 10 years ago so things may have changed. It could be longer or shorter. In some cases shorter if you have some life experience. But I completed the program in 2 years and that included teacher training and the works. Each state is different. There were many older people going back to school to get the teachers license. Many of them were fed up with the corporate life and 80 hour work weeks. Of course the thing about a US teaching license is that it must be maintained with ongoing classes over a period of years. Most states require you to get a masters degree within 10 years of the initial license. I think this is a good thing.

Yea as far as the salary thing it is unfair to compare apples and oranges and too many people do that when they come to teach in Thailand. They expect to receive the same salary regardless of living conditions. They fail to see the whole picture and ignore the bottom line. Once again its not how much you make but how much you save.

Turok

[wangsuda]

Wangsuda, thanks. I don't even know what my GPA was! Do they compute GPA using courses I took after my BA, when I flunked four accounting courses en route to passing seven courses? I do wonder, though, how many young bucks would want to spend one year full time in school, and a year doing student teaching (for free, right?) for the purpose of returning to Thailand and teaching here.

At my university, they do. And the student teaching is done without salary. And no one, in their right (or left) mind would ever go through the work of obtaining a credential just to come to Thailand. The reason for this is simple - many US state credentials have to be renewed after a set number of years. For example, California State credentials are renewed every five years. To renew, you must take a specific number of education-related credit hours of class at a recognized university AND be working at a state-accredited school. Additionally, to obtain your credential in the first place, you must be working at a state-accredited school.

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks again as always, Wangsuda. In other words, most states' certification is only temporary, not lifetime, and depends upon continuing one's professional education, and continuing to teach in state-certified schools. Actually, some top international schools in Thailand are accredited by Western or Central or Southern Association, the regional American accrediting outfits. I wonder if that would count.