i speak English good.

It's funny, I was just speaking with my good friend D last week when the conversation turned into a rant about English teachers - I mean, the bad ones! How much it irks us that teachers like us - with not just experience but concrete credentials in the field that we teach - have to compete against people with nothing to their name besides "I am a native English speaker. Therefore, I am fully qualified to charge a lot of money to teach English in a foreign country." Now this really ticks us off. Teaching - never mind teaching English - takes skill, effort, and experience, just like it would take to be an engineer or a lawyer. To discount teaching English as a job that anyone can do is JUST A BUNCH OF BS. Yes, it makes me livid, can't you tell?

I'm not saying at all that a good teacher comes only from a good (read: appropriate) education/degree in the appropriate field. Most of the Teaching Fellows I know are amazing teachers and have become that way because of one (or both) of two factors - one is personality and the other is experience. Take for example, friends like L & M. Regardless of experience, these girls actually have traits that warrant them good teachers - it's true, girls. M is creative and L is a good leader. Even the NYT cites that no longer is the key determining factor of a good teacher their "license" or "credential." Hooray for all Teach for America, Fellows, other fellowship graduates, and career-changers who have had the HONOR and PLEASURE of leading youngsters in the classroom. It is definitely not a job for everyone, and it isn't a job you take "for the money." Ha. No way.

You know, last week I posted an ad on Shanghai's craigslist for two of my friends here in Shanghai. They are both highly skilled professors who have organized a group of kindergarteners who are interested in learning English. Because I'm familiar with craigslist, I offered to advertise for them and had all resumes sent to me. This was really the impetus for this note, because I got three kinds of resumes:

1. Resumes of actually experienced teachers (even one year counts!!) who clearly "get it" because their devotion, ingenuity, and interest in teaching comes through crystal clear

2. Resumes with TYPOS. I mean. You're applying to be an English tutor. Apply with a little bit of caution and proofreading, please???
"Very intrested in position" and...well, one Italian guy emailed me in completely incoherent English and said something like, "I like very much teach English to children (if you want meet first class students me with us, i got it). I deleted that one immediately but really wish I had saved it for comic material. Lesson learned: please do not apply to teach your 3rd or 4th language...oy vey.

3. Resumes of business people/ business majors that I have to scour with a magnifying glass to find "qualifying experience." Isn't that one of the most important headings on a resume? "Relevant Experience?" Or am I the only one hallucinating? Some may have had 2 weeks - 2 months English tutoring experience in the corporate and business world. And now they are applying to teach 6-year-olds but who have never ever taught little ones before. I mean, what's the basis for me to choose YOU?

So D may agree with me here - it's almost an insult to know that some people out there think they can get an English teaching job randomly and without possessing any qualifications, such as experience, interest in teaching, or in children, relevant skill, etc. Even tutoring a group of students requires patience, good management and leadership, and a ton of preparation. My point being: Teaching English is not a $6/hour after school job - it is a career!!!