Well, The things I have going for me in accomplishing this are:
1. I love to teach.
2. I love experiencing new places, things, cultures etc…
3. I have some experience teaching by way of the tutoring I did in highschool and college.
4. I have earned several ECE credits.
5. I am one of only a handful of certified trainers nationwide for my job.
6. I have had extensive training in working with people, communication and dealing with differences.
7. I have had the opportunity to visit places in which English was not the native tongue (Mexico & Puerto Rico).
8. I have experienced living with people from other cultures for extended periods of time (puerto rican, chinese, kenyan) and have adapted easily, dispite not understanding the languages I often heard spoken around me.
The things I have going against me are:
1. I am not TEFL or TESOL certified.
2. I only have an associates degree, not a bachelors
I have found that the quality of programs and companies hiring teachers varies widely. I will need to do a lot of research before selecting which company I would like to go with.
TEFL/TESOL certification really isn’t necessary, but could help my chances of being hired. The major roadblock I see is that I don’t have a Bachelor’s degree. With the exception of volunteer programs, every company I have looked at requires a B.A. This is a little disappointing because I fit all the requirements they are looking for in a candidate, but lack this one thing. However, I know it is realistic and frankly would be a little concerned if a Bachelors wasn’t required. Afterall, if you are going to teach, you should be educated!
It’s time to get back in school…
