“Do I need a teaching license to get a job in an international school?”
I’m asked this question a lot, and my answer is carefully distinguished. Sure, it’s certainly possible to work as a teacher in some schools without formal training, though as a professional educator myself, I wouldn’t recommend that route. In the international teaching world, hiring unlicensed educators is a common practice in some schools, so some educators fail to see the need to get one.
WHY EDUCATORS ENTER THE PROFESSION WITHOUT TEACHER TRAINING
I see three primary reasons why international school educators may not get the credentials needed to move into that type of school.
- They enter teaching from another profession or earn a degree in one field but really want to teach instead.
- They come from another country’s teaching system but do not have an international teaching degree or license that matches the international school’s licensing system.
- A few teachers see this as a job as an amateur pastime and don’t want to invest in a serious education career. If you’ve read this far into this article, I don’t think this last situation is likely yours so that I won’t go further into it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Of course, I’m not saying that if a teacher has no teaching license, they don’t care about the profession or that they can’t do the job.
Yet, I fully believe there is an art and science to teaching. We feel the art of teaching from within our hearts. Yet, the science of teaching is learned in part through formal training and then by purposeful practice. In my experience, untrained teachers may have their hearts in the right place to be educators, but many often need a better understanding of the science behind effective teaching practices.
There is a logical reason to require teaching licenses, just as other professionals do, such as doctors, lawyers, and accountants. Teachers provide a foundation for student success that lasts a lifetime. It’s not an untrained profession. If done well, it will serve students best. Yet, poor teaching preparation can sometimes insurmountably damage a student’s entire life if they don’t gain the proper educational foundations.
There are far more trained teachers than not. Regardless of training status, most professionals place a high value on the importance of education. Yet, after over three decades of career experience, I believe the person who seeks to go into the classroom without the intention of getting proper training is severely under-prepared to maximize student success in learning. For me, the potential for student achievement is the primary reason I hire an educator.
When I have conversations with professionally trained teachers and those who aren’t, the differences are stark. I’ve heard many untrained educators express that they have a deficit in their understanding of how to reach their students best. They may have a passion for working with students and do a good job, but they feel it’s hard to overcome missing a solid foundation in the science of teaching.
I’ve done no formal study of this, but I suspect most countries require professional teachers to have a license. For example, I know the US, UK, South Africa, Canada, and China require one. Suppose you want to work in a school that values high professional standards. In that case, it seems logical to conclude that those schools that hire teachers with proper credentials (or who at least commit to getting the license once they’ve gotten the job) care about educational quality.
I’ve known effective teachers who are untrained in the science of teaching but who have college degrees in their subject area. Yet, I’ve also known many untrained educators who were less effective in the classroom because they lacked proper teacher preparation, even if they had subject training. The difference between the two is that most of those effective but untrained educators sought to improve their knowledge about the science of teaching by seeking professional training after they entered their teaching careers. Either they took advantage of the professional development offered in their schools, they sought to take university courses, or they eventually got a teaching license. I admire a
person who earns that license after entering the career because it shows their commitment to the education profession. When I’m hiring, it’s that growth mindset that matters the most.
THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF GETTING A TEACHING LICENSE
Getting formal training and licensing also makes the most sense economically since it opens the door to more and better-paying job opportunities. Sure, some teachers can get jobs without these credentials. Yet, their possibilities are severely limited, and their path to finding an international school job is significantly more difficult without the accepted licensing. The economic facts are that educators who are untrained in teaching limit themselves from gaining access to some school job opportunities because they need more adequate teaching credentials.
Some teachers have a degree from another country, even a teaching one, that is different from the average educators the international school typically hires. These teachers may be very passionate about teaching in an international school and have excellent subject knowledge, but they need the accepted credentials and training the school requires. For these teachers, getting a degree or teaching license recognized by the international school system matters; otherwise, they’ll have limited opportunities to get international teaching jobs.
I know many very skilled teachers who are in this situation. While they are well-trained by their own country’s standards, they need formal training in the international education system in order to understand the science behind that teaching style.
I don’t know anyone who purposely wants to limit their availability to be considered for potential jobs. When educators look for school jobs, they have the most chance of obtaining gainful, higher-paying teaching jobs with proper credentials. Who wouldn’t want more opportunities to choose from?
WHERE TO GET INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND TRAINING
University and training programs online will help teachers gain the training needed to get a teaching degree or teaching license. The following list is just a brief starting point; here are some examples of opportunities.
- Moreland University — US teaching license or master’s teaching degree
- Teach Away — US teaching license
- Teaching Nomad— US (teaching license or masters degree in teaching) and the UK’s QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)
- ipgce.com — UK’s iPGCE, iQTS, PGCE, MA. Please reach out to John Woodberry for details.
A FINAL FEW WORDS
As a veteran school leader and recruiter, I want to see educators place a higher value on professional training and licensing. I also want schools to maximize the chances of student success, which licensing helps accomplish.
Putting it this way, when you’re ill, you go to a nearby medical clinic for help. There are two people available. One is a trained and licensed medical doctor. The other is an untrained, unlicensed amateur. Who would you pick to treat you? The parent who places their child in a school rightfully expects nothing less from professional educators than you would when you go to the medical clinic. Let’s raise the bar of expectation in schools and the profession.
Suppose you’re an educator without a teaching license or education degree. In that case, I hope you’ll invest in yourself to get the credentials needed to open more professional and economic opportunities in your career path.
You can do it to improve your career and your student’s chances of success!
You can do it!
Copyright 2024 by Kelley Ridings
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