TeachingEnglish
We can develop in our career gradually without heavy expenses for single event.
Submitted by SoniaM on 28 October, 2009 - 21:32
Hi Dear Teachers,
I'm a teacher from Ukraine. In 1994 I graduated from Kyiv Institute of Foreign Languages. I've got over 10 years of teaching experience and some other even more important, from my point of view, experience(you can read it in my profile). I believe I'm quite qualified. To obtain CELTA or other certificates is very expensive for Ukrainian teacher, I don't earn so much, I have to spend on my family. And does it mean that if someone has enough money to pay for quite short expensive courses, he is cleverer and more experienced than I am? I don't really think so. We can develop in our career gradually without heavy expenses for one single event.
What do you think about it? Can you advise any way out?
Regards,
Svitlana Matyushenko
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...shocked and appalled that people totally ignored your post, dear Svetlana!
May I add one more question..? Is it really true that you are worth paying attention, only if you are loaded?! I don't think so! And, lest we forget, we are teachers! We should understand that money isn't everything and that's what we have to convey to our students! It is the only way to make the world a better place, if not change it!
Dear Svetlana... I don't know what piece of advice should satisfy you, but I strongly recommend that you do your job properly, and everything should fall into place! Don't obsess about certificates, because they are, in the end, just pieces of paper! Just concentrate on your work and collect experience! No certificate can buy that! Just like money can't buy everything!
Cheers and hold your head up!
T.T.
I recall a statement made by my boss when I started my career. He said, " A person is paid for his skill and not for his qualification "
The wealth of knowledge that you gain by experience is something which cannot be bought. Ten years of experience speaks for itself.
Dear Mr. T.T.,
I'm extremely sorry for being silent for such a long time. Thank you a lot for your concern and support.
In Ukraine we have our own state educational system to obtain and confirm teaching degrees every five years. I am OK with it. I even jumped one degree (it can be allowed as exception). So, I feel like my management wouldn't like to lose me as a specialist. But I am an English teacher and for international authorities British certificates are a must. On the one hand, I agree with it. On the other hand, these certificates are still expensive for most Ukrainian teachers.
I personally try to use every possibility to learn something new. For example, now I've been learning at the ETTO courses. I agree with your saying that everything should fall into place. In my case I always follow my intuition, my luck and extraordinary people I meet.
Money can't buy health, happiness and talent. They are only papers needed to be independent and to live and work for pleasure.
Best Regards,
SonyaM
Dear Girishseshamani,
You are lucky to have such a boss and your company will be successful while he/she is leading it.
Of course, knowledge, skills, qualification, experiense and talent are ideal combination for a 'teacher's bunch of flowers". And ideal dreams should lead us into the future. There's no future without dreams...
Thanks for being heard,
SonyaM
I'm currently paying to gain an extra qualification - precisely for the reasons mentioned regarding the Ukraine, i.e. that authorities seem to think it is necessary. The course I'm on is very interesting, but much of it is not relevant to the specific learners I teach, and at the end of it I won't be paid any more and be given any extra responsibility. So I've asked myself too, on many occasions, why it's actually required....
However, on this course I have learned something valuable... which might even be seen as ironic.. and that is that teachers don't need to take expensive courses, to travel to/attend expensive conferences etc etc to develop professionally. Something as simple (as free!) as observing peers and discussing together one's lesson plans, methodology/approach, how to deal with specific situations, etc is unbelievably useful. I have come to believe that is the reflection on one's own teaching that leads to professional development of the most valuable kind. And that's all for free!
So, as specific "advice" for SonyaM, I'd say just keep on keeping on! :-) Do what you do, share your experiences with your colleagues, reflect on why you do what you do and try out new ideas. I think this is worth far more than hanging an expensive certificate on the wall! (And the quicker the authorities come to realise that, the better!!)
Dear Cmftrier,
Thank you for your advice. I agree that professional knowledge is extremely valuable. Let me say, they are our (teachers') know how. To stay and progress in our career we must constantly learn something new, as science, art, literature, etc. are going on to develop and, fortunately, English teachers are closely connected to that development. Our knowledge is always with us, we don't need to carry it in heavy bags, it's luck of the profession.
New course-books appear for us and our students to discover them.
We can exchange our ideas on this website or meeting somewhere on the seminar, for example, if there is a possibility. Our inner engine should lead us ahead; if we are pushed by 'helping hand', even better.
Between 'to be' or 'not to be' there's only one right answer to choose for teacher searching for development...
Best Regards,
SonyaM
Dear Svitlana,
I am a teacher of English from Romania. I can understand you very well. The problem is similar here.Although Romania is a member state of EU our university studies aren't recognized abroad if you want to work in another country. That's too bad because a good teacher of English here studies in a university 4 years and then when we got the job in a school you prepare for some teacher degrees. So we, teachers, learn all our life. We take part in different courses, workshops.
I tried to apply for a teaching job (For summer) in EU and they asked me for those international qualifications: TESOL/DELTA/CELTA so I gave up sadly. It's not fair! I would like to get one of those qualifications but the painful truth is that I can't afford them. They are too expensive for teachers. I can't afford going to UK and studying at Trinity College and the online courses organised by Cambridge ESOL are also expensive.
Does anybody know a good, serious online course TESOL, DELTA,TEFL?
Good luck to all of you!
Dear Emi2009,
Thank you for your understanding.
At the moment I've been studying at the Primary English Teacher Training On-line Courses organized by British Council free for teachers from Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. I am really happy to get this possibility. I learnt about ETTO from this site.
But, of course. I still dream about going to the UK and take other famous ELT courses.
Best Regards,
SonyaM