How Do Current Policies Restrict What We Can Do and Teach?

Hi Everyone,

I am unsure about current work visas and government regulations.

1. As background, my biggest strength is high school counseling. I can help people get into universities. I can also help people with mental health, social, and emotional problems.

2. Additionally, my degree is in history. I have taught AP US History, World History, Euro History, Geography, Psychology, and many other forms of social studies. Most of my students get 5 scores.

In theory, I could also do A Level and IB.

3. I should say I have only been halfway through US Teacher License Programs (Teach Now), PGCE (ULondon), Master's in Counseling, and California State Teacher Licensing.

So, I can see why I am shuffled into English teaching a lot: the need is there, and I am not yet certified for high levels in other areas.

4. My questions are:

a. What are the rules for me to get a visa as not an English teacher, but a subject-matter expert and high school counselor.

b. How come we cannot teach AP History, Psychology, etc.? How do we work around it?

Some classes have more than just "possess a teaching license" or "have a TFL certificate" as a requirement to be an instructor.

One thing you could try.  If California lets anyone, regarless of status, take a teacher certification exam, take those for the specific subjects.  Or, fly to Florida and take the tests.  In Florida, you need a general teaching cert and also to pass a test on your specialty.  The trick is that you can take that specialty test any time you like, even if you don't currently have a teaching cert.  Maybe California works like this, maybe not.  They have tests for so many things, including school admins as well as guidance counsellors.  They also have separate tests for Junior High and High School level of many subjects.  Visit the state Dept of Education website for California (and maybe Florida) if you want a full menu of available exams.  In Florida, these can be taken online at a number of testing centers around the state, so there's now worry about having to wait months for a test date.  I have no clue how California has them, but their Dept of Edu site should lay it out simply enough.

In China, being an existing acknowledged teacher, plus showing them that you've passed the subject-specific certification test from a US state might (or might not) be enough to meet the Chinese standards, so you should probably ask "Hey, if I've got a passing score on the cert testing for teaching this from the US, will that and my current qualifications be enough?" before you leap on an airplane.

If you can get them to agree that this makes you a subject matter expert, that's the time to look into a visa/RP change.

Thanks.

1. Honestly, my attention gets scattered so easily.

I should just finish TeachNow, then can do Praxis for specific areas.

Eventually, I can specialize in the areas I want. I have multiple areas of interest.

2. The real problem is not the money. Per teaching hour, ESL teaching is about the same as others.

Rather, it is I know I am stronger teaching the 9 AP Humanities-Social studies than regular ESL.

I am tired of always filling in the needed gaps for these Chinese (English), but getting no respect when there are sub-par results, etc.

I believe that the visa requirements are just that you have a Bachelor's degree and a teaching credential and the rest is up to the discretion of the school.

Thanks. I just need the teaching credential, and more of everything.

I think you can just buy them online. They don't check that hard
I would really really recommend a CELTA because it just makes you better at teaching and is lot of fun to do, but for visa purposes you can get a shady one pretty cheap

1. Thanks. I already have a CELTA.

For ESL people who want to be actual professionals (not backpackers or temporary workers), CELTA really is worth it.

2. I was speaking more about US or UK teaching licenses. I want to teach AP, Social Studies, etc.