3 Different Ways of Dealing with a Curve

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Grading on a curve can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. I've found that most teachers do one of three things when faced with using a curve.

1. They max out the curve
If you take a TEFL course you will find out that many of us are teaching required courses. Even if it's not required, I highly recommend you take a course even if you've been teaching for years; there's always something new you can learn. Some popular online courses are the CCELT (100 hours) and the University of Toronto (100, 120, and 150 hours). Due to this, many of the students don't care as much about these classes as they would about classes in their major. Although English is important, a basic course probably isn't going to make or break their career, so why fight it? If the curve allows for 30% A's, then they'll give 30%, no matter how low the scores are.

There are a couple of exceptions to this, one is when teachers save a couple A's just in case there are mistakes. If they have students with identical scores, they might bump them both down to B's, though some teachers will take a look at how much they improved or their effort and give one an A and one a B. I personally find that difficult to do. Some students are naturally better than others and will score higher with little effort. So what do you do in that case? Reward the student who has slightly better English or reward the student who tried the hardest? Either way, these teachers will do their best to max out the curve.

2. They use cut-off scores
Commonly referred to as a cut-line in Korea, these teachers ignore the curve. The purpose of the curve is to put a cap on how many grades you can give. They don't state that there has to be a minimum number of A's. Therefore, these teachers might use a straight 90-80-70-60 cut-off, or make up their own. If the highest score in the class is a 79, then no one gets an A or a B. The highest score will be a C. Of course, this might set you up for a bunch of student complaints, but I've found that most teachers who do this don't care about complaints and are very firm with grading. They believe that students get what they deserve.

3. They look for a natural separation
This method kind of combines the first two methods. The teacher isn't going to max out the scores nor are they going to use per-determined cut-off scores. They're going to look for bunches. Let's say you're allowed to give a max of 30% A's and the top 23% of your students have scores in the 90s and then there's a huge drop from there and the next score is an 84. Teachers who use this method are going to use the drop as a cut-off score since that's where the divide naturally falls. Of course, even with this method, you're going to get students who complain, however, there will always be students who complain, even when you max out the curve.

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A Quick and Easy Way to Decrease the Complaints You Get About Writing Scores

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At once time or another I'm sure every teacher has been asked by a student to re-grade their writing. Usually what happens is that they'll come to you and say something like they think they deserve a higher grade. Sometimes, they'll bring their friend's paper and say their friend got a higher score and they think that they also deserve a higher score.

In the past I made the mistake of increasing their score. In hindsight, this definitely was a major mistake to make. First of all, it tells the student that you didn't do a good job grading. Second, it lets them know that if they complain, you'll raise their grade. The only reason I would give them a higher grade when they came and complained was to appease them. Once students find out you'll raise their score if they come talk to you, you'll be bombarded by students.

After over a decade of teaching at the university level, I know what grade a student deserves. Due to the that and the fact that it can be depressing for students to see red all over their paper, I don't correct every single mistake. Plus there's the fact that very few students will actually look at the corrections I've made.

One little change I've made has dramatically decreased the amount of complaints I have once I hand a writing activity back.When students come to me and ask me to re-consider the grade I gave them I start at the very beginning and correct every single mistake. Usually after a sentence or two the student will realise that they got a higher score than they deserved. If not, I'll refer to the rubric and start deducting points. Then I'll give them the option of keeping their score or changing it. When they come with their friend's paper, I do the same to their friend's paper and they quickly realise that their friend will lose points.

Some people will say that it sounds mean, but I personally know that I do a good job grading and grade fairly. I don't play favourites. More often than not give them higher scores than other teachers would. This isn't a problem since all my students are graded against themselves: not against other teachers' students. In addition, there's a curve involved.

Granted, there are times when I've made a mistake with the math involved and when that happens I'll happily change their score. However, if you make this one change, students will realise that complaining will not necessarily raise their score and if anything, it will decrease it.

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10 Hoops To Jump Through to Get Renewed at a Korean University

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Anyone who has taught in Korea knows that there's a lot of paperwork to go through to get a job. Nowadays, more and more universities are making you do lots of paperwork just to keep your job, especially for those people who have some of the best TEFL jobs in Korea.

Even if you do everything they ask and pass all their tests with flying colors, it's may not mean anything. They can fudge the results or decide they want to have retroactive job requirements. While I don't want to say that it's a farce, most of it is just a formality. They are going through the motions to show their higher ups that they did what they had to do. More often than not it comes down to them liking you and them having the budget to hire you. Below you can find somethings that people have had to do to renew.

1. Sign a document saying that you know your contract is up: this is just a legal formality. They need to tell you that your contract is finishing.
2. Sign a document saying you want to renew: this usually states that this is not an offer of employment, but they just want to know if you want to renew. You can always decide later not to sign the contract.
3. Verbally tell them you want to renew: and you might have to tell multiple people, such as your head teacher, boss, secretary, and/or dean.
4. Email them and tell them you want to renew: they cover all the bases and this is just another one of them.
5. Interview: you might have to have an interview with people such as the head teacher, your boss, and/or the dean. It's usually short and less stressful than an actual job interview.
6. Self-evaluation: this can get lengthy so be sure to ask if there are guidelines. Some places think the more the better, while others think that less is more. 
7. Achievements: You'll have to list any awards, publications, new degrees or diplomas, committees, or workshops you gave or attended.
8. Submit proof of your achievements: you'll have to provide originals or copies to show your awards, publications, committees, TEFL certificates like the CCELT or the University of Toronto, new degrees or diplomas, or workshops you gave or attended.
9. Student evals: You usually just have to list your score but you might have to print off a copy of them as well.
10. Have your class observed: unfortunately this is not that common since students really don't know much about methodology and most places completely rely on students to decide which teachers should stay or go (based on popularity). If it's done it's usually internal and the people observing you might not know much about methodology either. 

This is not an extensive list since all places are different. This is just a list of some of the more common things that you might have to do to get renewed. Contracts may be signed early, but more often or not they are signed a few days before the semester starts and it's not unheard of for teachers to sign contracts after the semester has started.

NB: I'll be on vacation in January and February and will be publishing guest posts. While I'm gone you can read posts my other blogs. I will start posting again at TEFL Tips in March.

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Pros and Cons to Entering Grades Last Minute

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'Tis the season. Here in Korea, the school year is coming to an end and so is the semester. All Korean universities work in a similar way. You have X amount of time to enter the grades, students have X amount of time to complain about their grades, and then you have X amount of time to change their grades if needed.

I've found that teachers can be divided into two groups when it comes to the grading period: those who enter their grades as soon as possible and those who put off entering their grades as long as possible.

Pros to Entering Grades Last Minute

• You will get fewer complaints. The reason behind this is that if you enter grades last minute, students will have less time to check their grades. Less time means fewer students to deal with. 
• You will spend less time checking your emails. Koreans aren't exactly known for their patience. I've had students email me an hour after they sent their first email demanding why I hadn't answered them. If you're lucky, the office will keep your personal details from your students. Sometimes, the secretaries will give out your personal email and cell phone to students. I've had students text and call early in the morning. 
• You will have more time to do your grading. This way you can double check to make sure there are no mistakes.

Cons to Entering Grades Last Minute

• If you enter grades at the last minute then your students will have less time to check their grades before the grievance period and this means that mistakes might slip through the cracks.
• More students will complain to the office that they can't see their grades right away. Korean professors might only teach 1-2 classes a semester and then have TAs do all their grading. Foreign professors typically have 5-6 classes a semester and forget about getting a TA. 
• You have the deadline hanging over your head which means more stress for you.

The complaint or grievance period is definitely one of the most stressful and annoying parts of the semester. With that being said, I love working at a Korean university and have even written about how to get a job at a Korean university, as well as some of the best places to work at. During the grievance period, students can be very persuasive. Some try to give you gifts. Others will play the pity card and beg and plead with you. However, you need to be firm and let students know that you don't give grades; they earn them.

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Retroactive Job Requirements

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About a year ago I wrote about whether Korea was still a good place to teach in. There is an oversupply of teachers and it is definitely an employers' market. Many universities are taking advantage of this and some have decided to initiate retroactive requirements.

Take Sungshin University in Seoul, for example. Many people were hired there with only a BA. However, last year Korea decided to start requiring university teachers to have a BA + 4 or an MA + 2. This meant that they had to have at least that many years teaching at a university or equivalent and preferably this experience was in Korea.

What Sungshin University did was look at what teachers had when they were hired, not what they had then. That meant that even if you had an MA + 2 now, but only had a BA and no university experience when you were hired you weren't allowed to renew.

Having spoken to teachers who worked there it seems like they wanted to clean house. No notice was given and it's simply not logic. Yes, I understand that that's the requirement now, for new teachers. However, you should implement a current rule to teachers that have already been hired.

My advice is to continue to build up your CV. Create material, teach new classes, get an MA, do a TEFL certificate such as the online CCELT or the online University of Toronto certificate, network, attend conferences, and look for jobs every single time you're up for renewal. You never know what will happen plus it's always good to get interviewing experience. 

I'd love to hear your opinion. What do you think about retroactive requirements?

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Getting Students Talking: Consistency is Key

One of the first lessons I learned in the classroom was the necessity of structural consistency in lesson planning. That’s not to say that each lesson should be a carbon copy of the last. But if you want to create a low pressure atmosphere where students feel comfortable, I recommend using a stable lesson structure that is easy for students to follow. Obviously, each classroom and curriculum is going to be different, but I want to talk about specific methods and activities that I use with all of my freshmen and sophomore basic English classes. In every lesson, I include objectives, warm-up questions that use the target vocabulary, language and picture prompts in Powerpoint form, and consistent pair and group work.

Lesson objectives are an important cue for students at the beginning of class. Many students write down the lesson objectives and  appreciate being introduced to the basic and order of the class. You also might want to repeat the lesson objectives at the end of class or perhaps you can ask students to tell their partner what they learned that day. Either way, students should be aware of what their learning itinerary includes in any given class.

I have also had a lot of success with warm-up questions at the beginning of class. I include the target vocabulary in the question and answer to encourage students to use the vocabulary when talking with a partner. On the Powerpoint, I include a language prompt with a blank space so that students can fill in the blank with their opinion. For example, let’s say that ‘reliable’ is a vocabulary word this week. I will include a quick definition of reliable on the Powerpoint along with the question:

‘Q: Who’s the most reliable person in your life? A: The most reliable person in my life is my          .”

I use these warm-up questions for a few reasons. First, it allows low level students the ability to talk with their partners easily. Also, students are well prepared for vocabulary exercises in their book later in class after viewing and using the word previously. Third, the questions serve as a kind of icebreaker at the start of class when students are often tired and sometimes hesitant to participate.

With low level students, I recommend using both language prompts and pictures. Language prompts with blank spaces for students to fill (like the one above)  are an easy way to equalize low level and high level English speakers. If your high level students aren’t feeling challenged, try adding extra follow up ‘wh’ questions or encouraging students to add their own ‘wh’ questions. You can’t go wrong with visual aids just so long as they are relevant to the lesson. If you can find interesting or funny pictures to grab student attention, even better. Asking students to help describe a picture is also an effective way to cover tough vocabulary or as a hook to start class.

Next, I’m often told by my students how much they appreciate pair and group work. At the beginning of class, I have students facing the head of class for only a short time. I recommend the “think, pair, share” model. Students collect their thoughts at the beginning of class followed by pairs and group speaking activities. After students are paired for a time, I put them in groups of four for book work, games, and more activities. Keep in mind that with a focus on pair and group work, the teacher has to closely monitor students and keep them on task. But despite the minimal challenges, most classes should be centered around pair and group activities. The teacher should not be the center of the classroom, but rather a spirited facilitator who aids and encourages student discussion.

There are numerous ways to modify the ideas I have just shared. Depending on the class context, I find myself modifying them each semester. Just remember that lesson consistency can be very beneficial for your students as they navigate their way through the language classroom.

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Using Category Games to Construct Speaking Activities

I teach a variety of classes at my university and some of those classes focus on speaking, listening & grammar for first and second year students. English levels vary among students and it’s often a challenge to set up fun and engaging speaking activities. With lower level classes, students need scaffolding and preparation before they begin an activity. On top of this preparation, it can also be difficult to explain the rules and guidelines. This process can be time consuming and can sometimes feel futile.

So recently, I started a new ‘category’ activity with all of my freshmen and sophomore English classes. It has been successful beyond expectations and I hope that it can help other teachers. Full disclosure: I didn’t invent this activity but I haven’t heard other teachers use it in quite the same way.

First, look at the vocabulary your book uses in any particular week. Last week, my student’s vocabulary lesson included “rude” and “polite” in their learning objectives. So I gave students 3 minutes to make a list of polite actions in Korea and another 3 minutes to make a list of rude actions. I allow students to use their phone dictionaries and each group (usually groups of 4) assign one student to be the writer. The other students in the group have to give their team writer ideas. After the combined 6 minutes is up, I have students count up the number of rude and polite actions they have written down. The team with the most points wins. It’s simple, I know. It’s also an EFL version of Scattergories but there’s more.

Next, I try to combine vocabulary learning objectives with grammar learning objectives. For example, I asked students to practice gerund phrases and agreement/disagreement in their groups after the activity. Students now have a list of words that they have created and are given a language prompt to practice with their group. Instruct students to use the words on the list to give their opinion and pass the paper to the next student. In this case, students said something like, “Spitting is rude” with a response, “I agree/I disagree.” Higher level students in class can be encouraged to expand on their speaking by answering why they think it’s rude or polite. I recommend supplementing these games with pictures and language prompts to help lower level students get involved.

This activity has worked very well in my classes. There are a few reasons I think it’s an effective game and speaking activity for students. First, students are creating their own opinions and sentences in collaboration with one another. Also, students have fun competing with one another. The game isn’t just fun for the sake of fun either. The speaking activity that follows is crucial to maximizing student talk time. Lastly, this game is simple, can be used with a variety of students and a variety of lessons. I have used this activity in many of my classes and my students find it fun and engaging every time. Again, I’m not inventing anything new . I’m merely putting a twist on a popular game and using it to get my students talking in an engaging, competitive, and low pressure situation. Try using it with your class. You might find that it works.

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Applying for Jobs Before You Have Your Diploma In Hand

From New Republic

Congrats! You graduated! Many TEFL employers want copies of your degree and not being able to prove that you've graduated can hurt your chances of getting an interview. Here are some things that you can do to show that you've earned your degree. These ideas were taken from the Foreign Professors and University English Teachers in Korea Facebook group. 

• Ask the registrar for digital copy 
• Ask for transcripts either in PDF or hard copies
• Just state that you've graduated but are waiting for your diploma in your cover letter 
• Get an official letter stating you graduated

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Fitting In While Living Abroad

From Reach Out

No matter how long you've lived abroad and even if you've married a local, speak the language, or gotten citizenship, you may still be perceived as an outsider. When I lived in China I worked with a white American woman who spoke fluent Chinese, yet there were Chinese people that refused to acknowledge that she could speak Chinese. They'd look at her, see that she wasn't Chinese, and refuse to understand. Kind of like this video of foreigners speaking Japanese in Japan.

Fitting in a work is another matter. The Marmot's Hole has an article about being treated like equals in Korea at work. The Chronicle also wrote about how foreign professors can have a hard time fitting in. Some people say that foreigners should be treated differently and others think they should be treated like locals. One thing's for sure and that's foreigners are different than locals.

Amazon has a number of good books with tips on living abroad. Here are some more articles about living abroad and fitting in.

• Dealing with culture shock
• Learning the local lingo
• Tips for living in a foreign country

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Stuck in TEFL: Is it a Dead-End Job?

From Simon Free

Although some people make a career out of TEFLing, many people only teach for a year or two and then move on. For those who do stay in TEFL, it can be hard to move up the TEFL ladder. Many people just teach. Salaries aren't getting better and the bubble has burst in places like Korea.

People continue to teach English abroad for many reasons. For some it's because of the lifestyle. You may only have to teach 15 hours a week and get 20 weeks vacation if you get a university job in Korea.

For those teachers who marry locals and have kids it can get harder and harder to leave, especially due to visa restrictions on bringing your family back home. People say they'll stay for a year or two and that can quickly become five or ten. The prospect of moving back home with a spouse and kids in tow can be extremely daunting. Middle Kingdom Life has an article about a man who has been teaching in China since 1999. It's an interesting read, especially for those who have lived abroad for a while.

All I know is that it's good to have a back-up plan. Nowadays it's easy to supplement your teaching salary or even make money online. There are a number of good books out there about saving money and retirement.

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Online EdDs and PhDs

Updated 20 March 2017

If you're looking for an online masters degree program, please read this post.

Here are a few programs that offer doctorate degrees that can be earned completely online or only require a few on-campus sessions that are usually held for a couple days during breaks. Some of these universities are B and M (brick and mortar) and others are online schools. Do your research thoroughly before choosing a school. 

Don't just choose a programme based on price! You can get grants for doing a doctorate. Check out profellows for more info. If you're looking for encouragement while drudging through your programme, PhinisheD is a great website with like-minded people. More info can be found at ISR: distance degree programmes. 

Doctoral degrees aren't the end all. Here are some articles against them.

• 100 reason not to go to graduate school
• ABD company 
• Doctoral degrees: the disposable academic

Australia

• Deakin University: PhD, Doctorate of Philosophy in Education and Teaching. It will take longer if you study online. 
• Macquarie University: D App Ling, Doctor of Applied Linguistics
• University of Southern Queensland: EdD, Doctor of Education
• University of Tasmania: EdD, Doctor of Education

Canada

• Athabasca University: EdD, Doctor of Education in Distance Education
• Nova Southeastern University: PhD, Doctor of Philosophy, EdD and Doctor of Education
• University of Calgary: EdD, Doctor of Education

Korea

• Korea Education Institute: EdDs and PhDs

New Zealand

• University of Auckland: PhD in Education or Doctor of Education
• University of Otago: EdD, Doctor of Education  

South Africa

• Rhodes University: PhD, Doctorate of Philosophy
• Stellenbosch University (SUN): PhD in Curriculum Studies
• University of Capetown: PhD, Doctorate in Education (might be able to waive the time on campus req)
• University of the Free State: PhD, Doctorate in Education
• University of Kwazulu-Natal: PhD and EdD programmes
• University of South Africa (UNISA): PhD and EdD programmes
• University of Witwatersrand: PhD, Doctorate of Education

United Kingdom

• Birmingham University: PhD, Doctor of Education
• Glasgow University: Doctorate in Education
• Kent University: PhD, Doctor of Philosophy by published works
• King's College London: EdD, Doctorate in Education and Professional Studies
• Middlesex University: PhD, EdD, and many other doctorates.
• Open University: PhD in Educational Technology and EdD, Doctorate in Education 
• Swansea University: PhD in Humanities
• University of Exeter: PhD in Education and more info. They also have a EdD, Doctor of Education
• University of Liverpool: EdD, Doctorate in Education
• University of London: EdD, Doctor of Education
• University of Sunderland: PhD, Doctor of Philosophy by Existing Published or Creative Work

 United States

• Anaheim University: EdD, Doctor of Education in TESOL
• Argosy University: EdDs, Doctor of Education in Organisational Leadership, Higher and Postsecondary Education, Counseling Psychology, Pastoral Community Counseling, and Curriculum and Instruction
• Arizona State University Online: Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership and Innovation
• Aspen University: They offer EdDs in Doctorates in Education Leadership and Learning General, Education Administration, Faculty Leadership, and Instructional Design
• Atlantic International University (AIU): PhD and EdD in Education
• Ball State - EdDs, Doctor of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision and Adult, Higher, and Community Education
• Benedictine University: EdD, Doctor of Education and Organisational Change
• Boise State: EdDs, Doctor of Education in Educational Technology and Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in literacy, bilingual education, ENL/TESOL
• Boston University: EdDs, Doctor of Education in Counseling Psychology, Curriculum and Teaching, Developmental Studies, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and Special Education
• California Coast: EdD, Doctor of Education in Educational Administration, Educational Psychology, and Organisational Leadership
• Capella University: EdDs, Doctor of Education in Reading and Literacy, Adult Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and Educational Leadership. They also have PhDs, Doctor of Philosophy in Training and Performance Improvement, Curriculum and Instruction,  Educational Psychology, Instructional Design for Online Learning, K-12 Studies, Higher Education, Education Administration, Postsecondary and Adult Education, Professional Studies in Education, and Special Education Leadership
• City University: EdD, Doctor of Education in Leadership
• Colorado State: PhD in Education and Human Resource Studies-Higher Education Leadership Specialization 
• Colorado Tech: DM, Doctor of Management in Higher Education Teaching and Learning and Organizational Development and Change
• Concordia University Chicago: EdDs and PhDs in Community Colleges, Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Higher Education, Organizational Leadership, Reading, Language, and Literacy, and Teacher Leadership
• Concordia University Irvine: EdD, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
• Concordia University Portland: EdD, Doctor of Education
• Creighton University: EdD, Doctorate of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership
• East Tennessee University: EdD, Doctorate of Education with concentrations in Postsecondary and Private Sector Leadership, School Leadership, Administrative Endorsement, and Classroom Leadership
• Grand Canyon University: EdD, Doctorate in Education with emphasis in K-12 Education, Special Education, Higher Education, Organisational Management, Behavioral Health, and Christian Ministry.
• Indiana University Bloomington: EdD, Doctorate in Educational Leadership in Educational Leadership
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP): PhD, Doctorate of Education in Composition and TESOL
• Keiser University: PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Design and Technology and PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership
• Lehigh University: EdD, Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership
• Liberty University: EdD, Doctor of Education with emphasis in Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction
• Maryville University: EdD, Doctor in Education
• Minnesota State University Mankato (MSUM): EdD, Doctor in Counselor Education and Supervision and EdD, Doctor in Educational Leadership
• Mississippi University: PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Community College Leadership
• Morehead State: EdD, Doctorate in Education with emphasis in Adult and Higher Education Leadership, P-12 Administrative Leadership, and Educational Technology Leadership
• Northeastern University: EdD, Doctorate of Education
• Northcentral University (NCU): PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Education and EdD, Doctor of Education
• Regent University: PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Organisational Leadership and DSL, Doctor of Strategic Leadership
• Robert Morris University (RMU): PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Management
St Leo University

• Texas A and M University: Executive EdD in Curriculum and Instruction
• Texas Tech: EdD, Doctor of Education in Higher Education
• Trident University International (TUI): EdD in Educational Leadership and PhD in Educational Leadership
• University of the Cumberlands: EdD, Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership (They also have a PhD. It requires an additional 6 hours of coursework and a differently orientated dissertation. Contact them for more information.)
• University of Maryland University College: DM, Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln: EdD, Doctor of Educational Studies in Educational Leadership and Higher Education and PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Higher Education
• University of New England (UNE): EdD, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
• University of Northern Colorado (UNCO): EdD, Doctor in Educational Studies and EdD, Doctor in Educational Leadership
• University of Tennessee Chattanooga: EdD, Doctor of Education in Learning and Leadership
• University of Southern California Rossier: EdD, Doctor of Education in Organisational Change and Leadership  
• University of West Georgia: EdD, Doctor of Education in School Improvement
• University of Wyoming: EdDs in Ed Administration-Adult and Post Secondary Education, Educational Administration Educational Leadership, Instructional Technology. PhDs in Curriculum and Instruction, Literacy, Math, and Science.
• Valdosta State University (VSU): EdD, Doctor of Education in Adult and Career Education and EdD, Doctor of Education in Leadership 
• William Howard Taft University: EdD, Doctor of Education 

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How to Advance Your TEFL Career

The following post is from a guest blogger. Jackie Bolen has got some great info on her blog, Wealthy English Teacher. This is an excerpt from the book, The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Future, which is available on Amazon in both digital and print formats.

You Can Exceed Low Expectations 
Once you’ve been teaching abroad for a year or two, it is time to start focusing more on your career and how to improve your employment prospects so you can move up in the world into bigger and better things. Teaching English as Second Language is not exactly rocket science and you will most often be teaching pretty basic things to students who often do not have high expectations for their native English speaking teachers. The administration at your place of employment is also likely to have low expectations of you as well. Nevertheless, this should not be an excuse to be lazy or fail to upgrade your qualifications; you should be constantly trying to improve yourself.

Career Behaviors to Avoid 
I will give you examples of some career behaviors to avoid. I have numerous acquaintances here in Korea who have been working at universities for the past six, eight or ten years. They got their jobs back in the old days when anyone with a bachelor's degree in anything could get the job just by luck, or knowing someone on the inside. During their tenure, they have spent plenty of time at the expat bars, hanging out, or traveling around Asia--basically doing anything besides professional development training to improve their job prospects such as obtaining a CELTA or DELTA certification, or TEFL cert, getting a related master's degree, learning a second language, getting academic papers published, presenting at conferences, or getting a teaching license from their home country.

Over this long period of rest and relaxation, qualifications for university teachers in Korea have risen, such that it is now almost impossible to get the job without a master's degree and a few years of experience teaching at a university, or at the very least adults or high school students. Now, those people who were just enjoying life, sliding on by with only doing the minimum have started to lose their jobs and are finding it extremely difficult to get another job with similar benefits. Do not find yourself in that situation!

Do You Want to Make Teaching English your Career? 
How do you go about improving your skills and qualifications? The first piece of advice that I could give you is to decide whether or not you want to make teaching a longer-term career option. Like many people, perhaps you just came overseas to teach for a bit of adventure and the chance to pay off some debts and save money. If this is the case, do not worry so much about improving your teaching qualifications and instead focus on making a plan for life after teaching. Perhaps you could do some online courses to improve your career prospects once you return home, maybe there is some sort of certification test you could take or you could work on applications to graduate school. Definitely be thinking about your post-teaching life because going home without a plan is the surest way to burn through massive amounts of money and find yourself teaching abroad again when you do not have any options left and are broke and desperate.

Get Qualified If You Want to Make TEFL Your Career 
If you decide that you like teaching and want to make it a career, then get qualified by doing any of the following:

• complete a master's degree in education, TESOL, or English 
• get a CELTA or DELTA certificate 
• get certified to administer and grade popular exams such as TOIEC speaking or IELTs 
• get a teaching certification and license from your home country, which opens up the option of teaching at international schools 
• get published, formally or informally 
• make a name for yourself through blogging, social media or other online ventures 
• present at conferences and make sure you get certificates proving that you did so 
• volunteer with an English teaching organization (for example, KOTESOL) and accept positions with increasing responsibility 

You can find Jackie Bolen at the popular, long-running blog, My Life! Teaching in a Korean University.

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How to Choose an ESL Teaching Job Wisely

The following post is from a guest blogger. Jackie Bolen has got some great info on her blog, Wealthy English Teacher. This is an excerpt from the book, The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Future, which is available on Amazon in both digital and print formats.

The Salary per Hour Worked Model
Salary will (and should) be a major factor when deciding on a job offer, especially if you have significant amounts of debt to pay off or want to kick-start your journey to financial success. However, I would like to suggest a more helpful way of examining it than just simply going for the highest number possible. A better variable to consider is salary per hour worked. By having a job with the highest salary per hour worked possible, you will have one of two things: a lot of money coming in each month or plenty of free time on your hands to pursue other things such as overtime opportunities, building passive income streams or advancing your career in some way.  

3 Examples from South Korea
I will give you three examples from South Korea, which is the context that I am most familiar with. Let's assume for the sake of simplicity that housing or adequate housing allowance is included in all cases (as is usually the case in South Korea). Also, to keep things from getting overly complicated, I will not factor in health care or taxes, which are the same for all jobs. As a quick reference, 1,000 South Korean Won is generally equivalent to around $1 USD, so 2.4 million Korean Won is around $2,400 USD.  

The Average Hagwon (Private Institute) Job

• Monthly salary: 2.4 million Korean Won
• Weekly teaching hours: 30
• Vacation: 2 weeks/year
• Airfare: included (2 million Won)
• Bonus money at end of contract: 2.4 million Won
• Total yearly salary: 33.2 million Won
• Total hours worked/year: 1500 Salary/hour = 22,000 Won  

The Average University Job

• Monthly salary: 2.2 million Korean Won
• Weekly teaching hours: 15
• Vacation: 20 weeks/year
• Airfare: not included
• Bonus money at end of contract: not included
• Total yearly salary: 26.4 million Won
• Total hours worked/ year: 480 Salary/hour = 55,000 Won

The Average Public School Job

• Monthly salary: 2.0 million Korean won
• Weekly teaching hours: 22
• Vacation: 14 days (officially), but there are many “desk-warming” days where you have to be at school but have no classes or work that you need to do. I will include some of these, so vacation is around 6 weeks (unofficially), which is what I will use for my calculations.
• Airfare: included (2 million Won)
• Bonus money at end of contract: 2.0 million Won
• Total yearly salary: 28 million Won
• Total hours worked: 1012 Salary/hour = 28,000 Won  

The Job with the Highest Salary is Not Always the One You Should Choose
As you can see from these three examples, the hagwon job which at first glance seems like the best one due to the high monthly salary, free airfare and contract completion bonus is the worst one in terms of salary per hour due to the high number of teaching hours and low vacation time. The public school job that initially seems to be the worst due to the low monthly salary turns out to be better than the hagwon job because it pays 6000 Won more per teaching hour. And of course, the university job is by far the best, but these jobs are not that easy to come by in South Korea and require some serious qualifications and networking skills (for tips on how to get one of these coveted jobs, check out this book, available on Amazon in both Kindle and print editions: How to Get a University Job in South Korea).  

Legal Overtime Opportunities Another closely related factor to consider when deciding on a job offer is the availability of legal overtime opportunities. There is always plenty of illegal work you could do on the side but I do not recommend this, especially if you are someone like me who likes to stay on the right side of the law. The best way to do legal overtime work is through your main place of employment. For example, some universities in Korea have a low number of teaching hours per week and large amounts of vacation. If you can combine this with lots of opportunities for work during those off times, you can make a significant amount of money and in some cases even double your monthly salary. Another way to work legal overtime is by working at a place that gives you permission for outside work and will sign whatever paperwork necessary to make it possible for you to do this, assuming it is permissible with immigration. Overtime opportunities should be something that you inquire about during the interview process.  

It’s Not an Easy Decision
As you can see, the decision about which ESL teaching job to take is a difficult one and the decision should not be made without careful consideration. For lots more information related to Teaching ESL, check out the author’s popular site, My Life! Teaching in a Korean University and for more ideas about how to build a successful financial future, go to The Wealthy English Teacher.

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Quick Tip: Offer Your Students the Chance to Earn Extra Credit

From http://www.girlgoneblind.com/i-could-be-the-extra-credit/

After the semester ends I invariably get a few emails from students asking me to raise their grades. Unfortunately I have to grade on a curve and that means some people don't get the grade they deserve. More often than not students will cite effort as a reason for getting a higher grade. As much would like to give them points for effort, they are graded on results. I can try as hard as I want in a Chemistry class and I still won't end up with an A.

One point can separate an A student from a B student or a B student from a C student. Since I believe that students should have multiple ways for earning points (such as quizzes, tests, exams, being prepared, attendance, participation, homework, etc), I also offer them two chances to do extra credit.

My classes are based on 100 points and each extra credit assignment is worth 1 point. Other teachers may do things differently. Perhaps offering more points or a scale (1-5 points) depending on what is done. I just started offering extra credit about two years ago and am happy with the results. Students get more chances to use English and they may earn enough points to bump them up a grade.

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Getting a Fantastic TEFL Job: How to Find Hidden Gems

From: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/best-jobs/ss/Top-10-Best-Jobs.htm

I recently finished my series on the The Best TEFL Jobs in the World and had a number of people ask me where I found all these jobs. Here are the ways I've found out about good jobs. I recommend making a list of good and bad jobs so the next time you are looking you know which ones to apply to.

Word of mouth
Network and get to know people. While I personally don't like recommending people for jobs nor asking them to recommend me, by talking with people you can find out key pieces of information.  Knowing where a school advertises and when is half the battle. There are so many job sites out there it's impossible to look at them all. In addition, some places only place adverts on their website or only recruit via word of mouth. Networking is key in finding a good place to work.

Read between the lines
Some job adverts don't give salary details. This may be because they're looking for professionals and not just people looking for the highest salary. It also may be because the salary is super low. Again, networking and talking to people will help you find out which jobs are good and which are bad.

Other times they post outdated salary info. This could be because a secretary just copies and pastes the info to a job board and never updates it.

Scour the internet
Here's a list of tons of TEFL job boards. Facebook and forums might also be a good place to find jobs. Find country-specific sites as well. I personally like these sites for Korea.

• Dave's ESL Cafe 
• Foreign Professors and University English Teachers  
• Jobs.ac.uk
• The Chronicle
• Craigslist
• Dave’s ESL Cafe
• Foreign Professors and University English Teachers
• The Guardian
• Higher Ed Jobs
• Korea Bridge
• TEFL Jobs Overseas
• TESOL.org

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How to Get Your MBA - Without Taking the GMAT

The following post is from a guest blogger.

Does the thought of taking another test just to get back into school scare the living daylights out of you? Perhaps you're not a great test taker but are better at applying your skills to everyday situations. A poor GMAT score could only be a detriment to your admissions material.

In that case, you might choose not to take the GMAT test at all. Hold up. How can you get your MBA without GMAT scores? Is that even possible? Turns out, it is. Check out these ways you can get your MBA without taking the GMAT.

Submit GRE Scores 

  

Image via Flickr by dieselbug2007


If you're scared to death about the GMAT, consider taking the GRE general test instead. The Graduate Records Examination is a more standardized test than the GMAT. That means that you're tested on more general knowledge rather than just analytical writing and problem-solving abilities.

A high score on the GRE is oftentimes enough for universities to accept your application without a GMAT score. US News recently published a list of schools that accept GRE scores along with GMAT scores (you can browse these in their business schools section).

As an added perk, the GRE test is about $50 cheaper than the GMAT. To take your GRE test, you'll have to schedule a time with one of 700 global prometric testing centers and be prepared for about four hours of testing. Your score is valid for five years after taking the test.

Use Your Undergrad GPA to Your Advantage 
What if you don't want to take a test at all? Doesn't taking the GRE test kind of defeat the purpose of skipping out on the GMAT? If you graduated from your undergrad program with high honors, then you may not have to take the test at all. A high GPA is a data point that you can use as "proof" to show your competency to admissions offices.

However, since most universities already look at undergrad GPA when considering students, a high GPA doesn't always mean you can get out of getting your test scores. Talk with your admissions counselor to see if your GPA qualifies you to skip the GMAT and what other options you have if it doesn't.

Enter a Program With a Waiver System 
If you're looking to get your online MBA, no GMAT is required for select programs that offer a waiver system. These programs will waive the test score requirements for qualifying applicants. To qualify, you often have to prove your skills by showing a high undergrad GPA and your achievements in previous work experience. If you don't want to take the GMAT, these programs are probably the best option for you since their goal is to encourage non-typical students to apply. That could mean that the program as a whole would be a better fit for you.

Having no GMAT scores doesn't mean that you have to limit your selection of program choices, nor does it mean that you have to rush to schedule your test time. Instead, you might choose one of the above options to help you get into an MBA program.

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