Any ESOL teachers out there in Maryland?

[Anonymous]

I am an elementary certified teacher in Maryland and am looking to add an ESOL endorsement to my current teaching certificate. I've check the MD State Dept. of Education website for the courses I would need to take to do this but I don't find anything specific to ESOL. Before I try to call them (which would mean being on hold forever), does anyone know which courses I need to take to get this endorsement?

[Anonymous]

That's funny, OP! I'm a MD state certified ESOL teacher looking to add an elementary edcuation endorsement! I was told by the MD Dept of Ed that all I needed to do was take the Praxis II exam for elementary ed, and they would add the endorsement.

Maybe it is the same for ESOL?

[Anonymous]

Funny PP. I know I could just take the Praxis but aside from studying the manuals, I'd have no knowledge of ESOL. I would like to teach ESOL but don't want to get another Master's in it. I already have my Master's in elementary education. I guess I can try to keep calling them (they never answer the phone and it is frustrating). Can you tell me about your job? What county are you in? I have heard that many states including MD have a shortage of ESOL teachers. I am currently unemployed as I tried to apply to a few MD counties for an ES position this year and they said they had thousands of applications which is much more than they are used to. I taught ESOL overseas years ago and always wanted to teach it here so I'd like to find out which classes I would need. I wish their website was more explicit about what exact courses I would need to take.

[Anonymous]

Funny again, PP! No, I'm an unemployed ESOL teacher looking for a job in PG or MoGo counties and haven't been able to find anything. No one's even called me to sub! I haven't noticed any teaching shortage here in ESOL I'm afraid! )-;

There are some TESOL certificate programs around that only require about 18 credits, i.e. not a full Master's degree. They aren't intended to prepare you for K-12 certification but if you already have elementary ed cert, you might just be able to take 6 courses and then pass the Praxis II?

http://www1.american.edu/tesol/certific.html

[Anonymous]

PP again.

OP have you seen this?

http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/comarhtml/13a/13a.12.02.19.htm

to be certified as an esol teacher you need 21 semester hours, but some of them you probably already have from your elementary ed preparation.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much PP. That link was the one I couldn't find on the MD State Dept. of Education website. They don't make it easy, do they? What a bummer that you are unemployed too! I hate it when people say there will always be teaching jobs. Right now, some counties won't even take any more applications for substitute positions b/c they have way too many already from unemployed teachers. How ironic is it that you haven't found anything in ESOL when Maryland claims that to be a critical shortage area. What are you doing in the meantime if I may ask? I am working as a special ed one on one aide right now. Low hourly pay and no benefits but it is the best I could find.

[Anonymous]

I DO think that there is an ESOL teacher shortage, however, there is also a hiring freeze. So yeah, schools need the ESOL teachers, but I don't think they are hiring.

I was a SAHM by choice for 8 years, but this year had hoped to go back to work now that my kids are in school full day! In non-recession times, this would not have been difficult to do -- I had a friend who found a lovely part time ESOL job just 4 hours per day, which is what I'd like to be working -- but I just haven't had any nibbles. I have found some very part time adult ESOL jobs which are also great, but not really where my experience is. And, I'm tutoring, and hoping that in a nother year schools might start hiring again.

[Anonymous]

You sound a lot like me. I was a SAHM for 5 yrs and now that my DC started K, I figured I wouldn't have too much of a problem finding an ES position. I was shocked to go to the job fairs and see thousands of new grads plus tons of out of state teachers who were either laid off or recently graduated from schools in other states and couldn't get hired. So far, the counties around me haven't instituted a hiring freeze but I am sure it is coming next year. I have to take courses in order to renew my certification so I figured I should start with the courses I need for the ESOL endorsement. Are the positions near you mostly pull-out positions or are there enough ESOL students to form their own classes?

[Anonymous]

They are mostly pull out, I believe, but I really have no idea.

No other ESOL teachers out there??