Retraining - reskilling to do Adult Ed English in UK (CELTA/TEFL/TESOL) ???

[totalyahoo]

Carpe Vinum et. al - Please help me! I'm 40, 2 DCs, 5 and 10 (10 is an Aspie) and I've got 10 years as SAHM.
I've read all the MN threads on this, I can see it's a real challenge not an easy or hugely well paid route - but I hope it will work to my strengths and be something long-term (not burn-out like full-time primary ed). Great advice to seek volunteer work teaching to try it out, will begin search there. Meantime, 2 questions

• a friend going abroad did CELTA, this is "the best"
• I have to go 45mins or 1 hr drive to my nearest college doing CELTA
• If I'm looking to teach in UK, could I do Trinity TESOL (or another qual) and make any headway without experience?

First degree is BSc Econ - but maths has always been a struggle for me, while I've always found learning languages easy (my Aspie-lite special skill?). Could not work with large groups of littlies - 3hrs/week volunteering at DS2's playgroup has shown me that. Enjoyed teaching uni/adults some basic IT skills.

CELTA looks hard but you ladies made it look fun! Am I nuts to be thinking of this? Advice really, really appreciated!

I did a PGCE with TESOL a few years ago. I enjoyed the TESOL part, as my degree is in languages, and just plodded through the PGCE part which was quite theoretical and not very exciting.

I found my own placement in a different college. I got my qualification last year, and still have no job. I still volunteer one day a week in the college where I did my placement. I had good reports etc, but there have only been three jobs advertised in the last four years in a 20 mile radius. I applied for them all, but didn't get an interview, even though one was in the college where I volunteer.

I love the teaching. I have taught three different classes, all unpaid! I love teaching adults because they really want to learn. We still manage to have fun. I bumped into an old student the other day, and she asked if I was coming back to her class because she enjoyed my lessons, and I was so happy. You meet people from all over the world in these classes, they come from totally different backgrounds, and it is so interesting to meet them all.

I suppose it depends where you live OP. Look at the local colleges and see if they have any vacancies for ESOL teachers. I really want to work, but I am looking at all the local colleges, and there is nothing to even apply to at the moment.

Sorry, I can't help with the CELTA, as I did TESOL.

I would say it's a great job, if you can get one.

Hope that helps. :)

I did the CELTA with the British Council and while it was pretty intense and I had to work really hard it was also great fun. I really enjoyed it and would def recommend it. You learn so much and it gives you a real insight into the world of TEFL and teaching adults, if this career isn't for you it will become obvious as the course progresses.

Now although I am a teacher, I don't teach adults, I also have a primary teaching degree and that's what I do now.

Trinity Cert TESOL is five weeks while RSA/Camb CELTA is four.
As a newly qualified TEFL-er there will be lots of summer school work, so if you have DC you might want to think about how hard that could be.
You might find some FE TESOL work through Protocol National.
Additionally once you have some experience plus the diploma there is pre-sessional and ongoing work at universities which is v well paid.

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