Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America Forum

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worldtraveler

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Re: Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America

Post by worldtraveler » Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:39 am

Regulus wrote:
worldtraveler wrote:Most 22-25 year olds don't know what they want to do with their lives or their careers yet. I don't see why that's such a bad thing.
First of all, I wouldn't say that's necessarily true, and even if it is, that doesn't make it "right." If someone has been in school for almost two decades and still doesn't have any idea of what they want to do in life, then they probably need to get with the program.

Even so, let's say that someone has made it all the way through college and for some reason they still don't know what they want to do with their career. Instead of working at a rudimentary job where the only qualification is being able to speak one's native language, why in the hell would they not at least try to work in a position that would be somewhat intellectually-stimulating, or even slightly challenging? In fact, if someone's goal was to teach English, why would they not major in education and become a licensed English teacher? Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that English teachers in Asia are looked down upon is because they need absolutely no background in teaching or English education because the classes they teach are not rigorous whatsoever (many of them are closer to "English conversations" than "English classes"); a lot of the students that attend these schools just want to hang out with foreigners, and a lot of the foreigners that teach at these schools just want to be liked, which is easy to do in Asia as a 'Murican.
A lot of ESL teachers do have English degrees and do have teaching certifications. Probably half of the teachers I met did. Some had taught in America, or wanted to teach there, but realized they could work less hours for better pay elsewhere. Yeah, you can get a job without that stuff, but there are shit teaching jobs, and then there are real teaching jobs. Any idiot can get hired at some schools, and others have a fairly rigorous recruiting process. It really varies.

English teaching in Asia is also quite different and much more of a joke than teaching English anywhere else. I taught in East Africa and in Korea and my job in East Africa was pretty damn difficult and stressful. People who have taught elsewhere throughout the world say similar things (I'm talking about actual teaching jobs; not gap year fellowship type of things).

I find it really strange that you are judging people so harshly for jobs they do straight out of college. The economy is shit and has been for a while. I know plenty of smart, motivated people who ended up in dead end jobs and shit jobs straight out of college just because that was all they could find. I had classmates at a T-10 who had worked in construction, at fed ex, or as playground supervisors with a college degree just because they wanted a break before law school but those were the only jobs they could find. Your incessant need to judge people on their jobs is quite repulsive.

20141023

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Re: Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America

Post by 20141023 » Sat Aug 24, 2013 4:29 am

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Last edited by 20141023 on Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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dr123

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Re: Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America

Post by dr123 » Sat Aug 24, 2013 10:34 am

Regulus wrote:
dr123 wrote:
Regulus wrote:
worldtraveler wrote:Most 22-25 year olds don't know what they want to do with their lives or their careers yet. I don't see why that's such a bad thing.
First of all, I wouldn't say that's necessarily true, and even if it is, that doesn't make it "right." If someone has been in school for almost two decades and still doesn't have any idea of what they want to do in life, then they probably need to get with the program.

Even so, let's say that someone has made it all the way through college and for some reason they still don't know what they want to do with their career. Instead of working at a rudimentary job where the only qualification is being able to speak one's native language, why in the hell would they not at least try to work in a position that would be somewhat intellectually-stimulating, or even slightly challenging? In fact, if someone's goal was to teach English, why would they not major in education and become a licensed English teacher? Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that English teachers in Asia are looked down upon is because they need absolutely no background in teaching or English education because the classes they teach are not rigorous whatsoever (many of them are closer to "English conversations" than "English classes"); a lot of the students that attend these schools just want to hang out with foreigners, and a lot of the foreigners that teach at these schools just want to be liked, which is easy to do in Asia as a 'Murican.
You wouldnt say that 22-25 year olds who have a solid life/career plan are in the minority? Really?
Even so, let's say that someone has made it all the way through college and for some reason they still don't know what they want to do with their career. Instead of working at a rudimentary job where the only qualification is being able to speak one's native language, why in the hell would they not at least try to work in a position that would be somewhat intellectually-stimulating, or even slightly challenging? In fact, if someone's goal was to teach English, why would they not major in education and become a licensed English teacher? Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that English teachers in Asia are looked down upon is because they need absolutely no background in teaching or English education because the classes they teach are not rigorous whatsoever (many of them are closer to "English conversations" than "English classes"); a lot of the students that attend these schools just want to hang out with foreigners, and a lot of the foreigners that teach at these schools just want to be liked, which is easy to do in Asia as a 'Murican.
A lot of people aren't making rational decisions at a college age, bro. Why do you think there are so many college grads taking jobs that don't even require a degree.

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Re: Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America

Post by Stinson » Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:15 am

When I was in college I worked in the school's scholarship advising office - Fulbright, Mitchell, that kind of thing. And teaching English in Asia was indeed the go-to for the "I don't know what to do now" crowd. It was generally assumed to be a cool experience and not very hard. The former was almost always true; the latter usually was too, though it varied widely and the job was more legitimate in some cases.

I think as far as your career it's going to depend how you spin it, and the important thing will be not to try to overplay your hand. It's okay to graduate from college and not know what you want to do, especially in a terrible economy. People who are just doing it to "find themselves," or kill time, or see the world, should honestly just say that. It's what interviewers will assume anyway. People get into trouble when they try to spin this sort of thing into a special snowflake story or a life-changing event.

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TheSpanishMain

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Re: Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America

Post by TheSpanishMain » Sat Aug 24, 2013 1:14 pm

dr123 wrote:. Why do you think there are so many college grads taking jobs that don't even require a degree.
Er....possibly because of the shitty economy and the overabundance of people with college degrees?

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ilovesf

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Re: Teaching Abroad provide a similar boost to Teach For America

Post by ilovesf » Sat Aug 24, 2013 1:56 pm

IAFG wrote:
worldtraveler wrote:
IAFG wrote:The minority of my interviewers were boomers. Mostly Gen Xers. WT, you weren't aiming for biglaw, right?
No I was not. Only public interest and government. Maybe it's different in big law? I don't really know.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if your teaching abroad experience was met more icily by firms.
I think this is what hurt me during OCI. A lot of older people have a hard time believing that someone who used to live/teach abroad extensively really wants to work in a corporate environment.

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