Teacher Qualification Essentials

Dear Hiring Managers for Language Schools, If you’re hiring English teachers and treating TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA qualifications (or even a BA in Linguistics, Languages, or Education) as interchangeable, it’s time to revisit your criteria. These certifications may all focus on English teaching, but their depth and approach vary significantly. CELTA (Cambridge) and CertTESOL (Trinity) provide rigorous training with supervised teaching practice and detailed feedback. These programs prepare teachers to handle real classrooms with confidence and skill. TEFL and TESOL courses, while valuable, differ greatly in quality. Many offer solid theoretical grounding, but they often lack the structured, hands-on teaching component found in CELTA or CertTESOL. A BA in Linguistics, Languages, or Education, especially in countries like Brazil, often prepares graduates for teaching in regular schools, not private language institutions. These degrees focus on a different educational environment, where the methodologies, student profiles, and goals differ significantly from those in language schools. Understanding these differences can help you hire teachers who are ready to meet the demands of your school and your students. Precision in job requirements leads to better hiring decisions and better outcomes in the classroom. Let’s raise the bar for English language education by recognizing what strong teacher preparation really looks like. #ELT #efl #esl #esol #englishteacher #CELTA #TESOL #TEFL #LanguageEducation #TeacherTraining

An instructor is more than just someone with subject knowledge — they are trained to teach, evaluate, and guide students effectively. While experience in a profession is valuable, teaching requires a separate set of skills: presentation, communication, assessment, and the ability to adapt to different learners. "The Gap Between Provider and Instructor" *Provider: A person skilled at performing tasks or applying knowledge (for example, a medic, engineer, or technician). *Instructor: A person trained not only in the subject matter but also in instructional techniques — how to deliver information clearly, check for comprehension, and ensure learners can apply what they’ve been taught. Just because someone is an excellent provider doesn’t mean they can automatically teach well. Experience makes you a seasoned professional, but teaching requires additional preparation. *The Role of Instructor Credentials Instructor credentials usually show that a person has: 1. Completed a formal course in instructional methods. 2. Practiced teaching in front of peers and trainers. 3. Been evaluated on presentation, knowledge, and student engagement. 4. Learned standards on lesson planning, student assessment, and professional ethics. This is especially important in high-stakes fields like medicine, emergency response, or safety training, where a poorly taught skill could cost lives. In less critical subjects (e.g., teaching a computer program), lack of formal instructor credentials may not be as risky — mistakes can be corrected. But in life-saving training, an error in instruction could mean the difference between survival and tragedy. *Legal and Liability Considerations If a student receives improper training and causes harm, questions arise: 1. Was the student negligent? 2. Was the instructor at fault for teaching incorrectly? 3. Or was the organization liable for hiring an unqualified instructor? Courts and regulators often look at whether the instructor held recognized credentials. A credentialed instructor shows due diligence by the organization in ensuring proper training standards. Why Students Should Care Students should not assume every instructor is equally qualified. Before taking a course, it is wise to: 1. Research the company offering the training. 2. Ask about the instructor’s credentials. 3. Observe the instructor — within a few minutes, you can often tell if they have mastery of the subject and confidence in teaching.

Sharing this for the teacher community thinking of applying for jobs in China — I wish someone had told me this earlier! Here are some insights from my own journey that might help you: 1. Prepare your CV thoughtfully. It’s the most important part! Customise it for the specific school. For example, I’m an animation filmmaker, researcher, PhD supervisor, artist, and IB teacher — I wear many hats, and they’re all part of who I am. But that doesn’t mean I flood my CV with everything. I keep multiple versions and send what’s relevant, whether it’s for a school, university, or industry pitch. Keep your CV clean and precise. Use Canva. In case you need help, just ping me and ill share a clean format. 2. Add that something special you bring to the school community. Whether in your CV or during your interview, highlight what unique value you offer. I, for instance, engage parents through art therapy workshops, helping build a beautiful bridge between home and school. Think about what you can contribute — beyond the classroom. 3. Get your teaching license sorted. Most schools expect a PGCEi (or similar) or QTS. A Master’s in Education may bypass this, but China’s IB job market is getting more competitive. A PGCEi definitely strengthens your application and negotiation position. 4. Many good schools prefer a Master’s in your subject. (I have a PhD — not necessary, but it helps in negotiations!) 5. IB certificates really help. Some schools offer annual PD, but even if they don’t — invest in it yourself. It’s worth it: builds your network, keeps you updated with the latest IB guides. 6. Update your child protection/safeguarding certification annually. Easy options: TES, EduCare, and others. 7. Stay updated with AI tools, Apple Teacher, Microsoft certifications — these add value. 8. Stand out by attending conferences, presenting, and inviting leaders to run workshops for students. 9. Research the school well. IB Bilingual schools are an entirely different ball game, especially if you are travelling with kids. 10. In case it is a small school, you are expected to have a lot more flexibility in terms of your subject, work load and after school activities. Prepare for that in advance. And this may sound funny, but… live the IB learner profile yourself! I love how it simply encourages us to be better human beings: stay curious, reflective, principled, open-minded — trust yourself and the world, and keep learning. :) Hope that helps! And best of luck to all of you planning to move to IB teaching. #ibteachersguide #ibjobs #ibjobsinchina #teachercouple #lovemyjob #gratitude