TravelingTeacher

Is there anyone else who hasn't had any info yet from their embassy contacts? I have heard nothing about my placement or departure date and couldn't get that info over email yet. I know it will all work out but I'm getting kind of antsy, especially since if I have to buy a plane ticket last minute it's less money I will have to do other things like pay for housing. Just wondering if any other countries had a similar lack of information.

Eastern Europe/ Eurasia. I guess ours is later so we haven't gotten any official registration yet--thanks! Also, I still haven't gotten my grant authorization document either even though I found out about my award on April 9! I emailed Maria Mazur about a month ago and she said she was working on it--I'm going to give it a few more weeks.

Great--where is that link? My email is only a save-the-date. I'm definitely going to ask if it's not clear--parking will probably cost more than the gas there, because DC...

Does anyone know about transport if you're not planning on flying to orientation? I am going to be coming from my family vacation at the Jersey shore, and the best option to me seems like it will be driving, but I'm not sure if parking is an option. Otherwise, I will take a train but I won't really be near any Amtrak stations...

Hi all, For those of you who uploaded documents to the portal already, did you rescan the entire "Grant Authorization" document or just the part with your signature on it? I want to do this now before I forget and I'm not quite sure how to combine the PDF pages that I've scanned into one document, but I am afraid if I just upload the page with the signature that it will be rejected. Thanks! EDIT: Just saw I need to initial each page... guess my mom and I are going to have a scanner adventure tonight. In other news, ETA folks--do you have your ETA supplement available on your self-service portal yet? I only have the regular "Grant Terms and Conditions." Everything I've gotten from Fulbright so far says "US Scholar Program" and I'm terrified I somehow applied and got the research one instead, even though I know that's impossible.

Bosnia-Herzegovina notified this morning at 8:15 AM! I've seen selected for the ETA... dreams really do come true sometimes!

Oh god, I didn't get one of those Save the Dates. Applying for Eastern Europe. Fulbright, why would you do this?

Hi squidtown, I just made a reply in the Fulbright thread to your questions on this topic. I'm going to sum up what I said there in case anybody else is looking at this with similar questions. As somebody who is currently doing a MA + teacher cert. program and applying to Fulbright, I would HIGHLY recommend that you do Fulbright this year. I hugely regret not applying to Fulbright last year when I was graduating from undergrad. Some areas do hire in June/July, but you are much better off starting your application process earlier. Also, as I explained in the thread, teacher cert programs provide you with a very specific pre-professional training towards teaching in the US context, and it might be difficult for you to transition into teaching abroad and then transition back into the US context after one year. I understand how the thought of possibly losing funding is terrifying--the majority of students in my program are unfunded--but I think having the ETA on your resume will make you even more qualified for your grad programs and lead to even more funding at the same or other programs. Hope this helps!

I think it depends on the country and its specifications. For example, the ETA program that I am applying to wants students in the field of either American Studies or Education and prefers candidates at the Master's level and candidates with "extensive teaching experience". I am doing my MA in Social Studies Education and am a finalist. I don't know how that will translate into actually getting the ETA (as far as I know, none of the ETAs in the past two years in my program have had a Master's in education) but it hasn't hurt me so far. Also, I was able to talk about my practicum placements on my application essays. However, some countries prefer candidates with "some teaching experience," and I read an interview with a higher-up in Fulbright who said that since it is a student program, they discourage experienced teachers (ie teachers who have taught in a K-12 classroom for more than 4 years) or students with masters' in TESOL to apply. That being said, as somebody who is currently in a teacher prep program, I do NOT recommend that you wait to do Fulbright until after you do your master's, especially if you've already been accepted. Generally, you will get your teacher's license right after you graduate from a teacher's prep program, and you need to complete certain actions to keep your certification valid like professional development. Spending a year outside of the country makes it harder for you to keep your certification valid. Additionally, since most school districts only do in-person interviews, it is extremely hard for one to find a job if they are out of the country during teacher "hiring season." Teacher prep programs prepare you for the very specific task of teaching either elementary ed or a specific subject in an American school context, which is probably vastly different than the context you will encounter in your Fulbright (although I do not know the specifics for Germany). I have learned a lot in my teacher prep program and I know most of it will be helpful in any teaching context, but I am not quite sure at this point what I can apply from working with seventh graders if I end up getting the Fulbright and teaching college students. Finally, I feel that right now, a month and a half away from graduation and in the midst of student teaching, I am really ready to teach middle school in the US because I have lots of practice and am quite used to being observed. I'm used to the professional United States school context. I'm not sure I'll feel the same sense of preparation when I begin working in the US if I end up teaching abroad next year. In short, I wish I had applied for Fulbright BEFORE doing a master's teacher-prep program. The only reason I didn't apply last year was because I ended up switching my undergrad graduation year at the last minute and I couldn't plan ahead like I wanted, but I am definitely regretting it now.

Seems like all of Europe has notified except for the countries in the former Yugoslavia and Albania.... congrats to everyone who was accepted and good luck to all alternates... everybody on this forum is so impressive and is going to do so well in whatever they put their mind to!

My country notified May 2nd last year. I am fortunate enough to be in a career field where a lot of offers don't come until later in May and June (woo woo education!) but if I get an offer of a teaching job before I hear back from Fulbright, I have no idea what I'll do.

Also very curious about this as I am also a Balkan applicant/Balkan fanatic and would love to hear about your interest in the region ToTheBalkans, I wonder if they make you chose because you will miss Fulbright orientation if you do the CLS program. I wish it was more in my academic interests to do the CLS program, the Turkey programs look awesome but I am doing pre-professional grad work right now and I don't think I could have justified Turkish language study in order to teach middle-school Social Studies in the US... :/

Hi- I'm probably just being super paranoid, but are there any lurkers out there who know if Bosnia-Herzegovina does interviews anymore for ETA? I have a friend who was interviewed in 2013 and she was contacted immediately after she was recommended, but I haven't heard anything yet. No response to my email from my Fulbright program advisor at my school (which is not in the least surprising) but I don't want to contact the region supervisor yet and look all panicky...

Hi tspier2--thanks for the advice! I am applying to private school jobs mainly because my SO is considering grad schools in New York, which does not make it easy for me to transfer my Virginia certification, but if he decides to go to school in a state that does not require the insane amount of extra testing that New York does, I will consider the public schools. I also have found/been told that private schools tend to be more receptive of individuals who are applying for jobs outside of the areas that they student-taught. Tenure is also less of an issue with me because we'll be moving when my SO does postdocs or accepts a faculty or research position after he finishes his PhD in five or six years anyway. I'm also applying in the Balkans (Bosnia & Herzegovina) so I imagine I'll find out quite late in the game. Out of curiosity--did you end up seriously applying for teaching positions last year?

Hi all-- what are folks (especially if there are any ETA folks out there who are interested in jobs in public and private school teaching) doing about their other job applications as they wait to hear back? I'm in a kind of tricky situation where I am graduating in May with my MA and certification in secondary education. I am simultaneously applying to the Fulbright and public and private school jobs in the cities that my significant other is applying to PhD programs in. He based his grad school list to a large extent on where I would feel comfortable living/be able to easily find a teaching job, and is starting to hear back positive responses. Due to public school hiring timelines, I won't have to worry about public school jobs until after I hear back from Fulbright unless I am an alternate, but I might hear back from private school jobs within the next few months. Given the web that is cross-state teacher reciprocity, private school jobs are more appealing to me right now, but I'm concerned about saying no to a perfect job only to not get the Fulbright, or accepting a job and then hearing a yes from the Fulbright commission. I also feel like applying for many, many jobs before I hear anything from Fulbright might not be the best use of my very limited time as I go through student teaching. Thoughts from those who are applying to the ETA but don't have grad school applications or plans for next year?