Why is it important to certify our knowledge?

Welcome to this first blog entry!

Hopefully we will learn together as we walk this path. We will be sure to bring cookies.

Have your ever been to a doctor’s office? Have you looked at his wall and thought: ‘What a show-off! Who is he trying to impress?’

Well, let me tell you that he is trying to impress you. It has been proven that doctors that display their academic acknowledgements are perceived as more trustworthy than doctors who do not ‘show-off’.

Maybe it is time to start thinking the same way in the TESL world. Teachers who have got pedagogical certifications either from Cambridge English Language Assessment, Trinity or any other instances are perceived as more competent teachers.

And you might think: ‘A paper will not define me’, well, let me ask you something… Which doctor would you prefer? The one who lets you know everything he’s accomplished or the one that does not?

It is not a matter of profiling, we do not doubt that there are excellent, professional teachers who do not have a certificate, but having a document that proves what we know comes handy.

These documents become relevant when we are looking for a job because most (big, well known, good-paying) schools have an ‘ideal teacher’ profile. From personal experience, the ones with certifications get the Jobs most of the times.

Also, when applying for scholarships, academic institutions hosting this events like to look at the candidate’s academic background and experience.

Both as teachers and recruiters, we trust experience, ability, knowledge and, of course, documents.

There are many certifications available and their prices range. You can find really cheap ones that will get you started on this path (TKT’s) and really expensive ones, which will grant you BA grades (ICELT, CELTA) or even Master’s degrees (DELTA).

If you are a good teacher, become a great one by achieving one of these. If you already are a teacher looking for better positions, prepare yourself and get certified with higher level diplomas.

At the end of the day, we all like to go to the doctor who can alleviate our pains and give us the right medication.

Prove your pedagogical mastery and show off!

#education #certification #Cambride