How to Get a Teaching Certificate...When There is None

[wingchun100]

Well, I know that the community colleges around here require a masters degree in SOMETHING in order to teach anything. Even martial arts, where there is no masters degree.

So maybe that is part of the issue?

A Master's Degree? No.

 

[wingchun100]

The rule of thumb for “teaching” (in quotes for the different types of teaching) at a college...

If it’s an official course for college credit, such as a PE elective, they’ll require a minimum of a master’s degree in a relevant field or comparable experience. Relevant field in this case would typically be physical education, kinesiology, exercise physiology, etc., or adult education. Comparable experience could be, say, a former pro dancer who’s successfully run their own dance school for several years.

Running an extracurricular club where credits aren’t earned allows far more leeway. Yes this is teaching, but not really in their eyes. They’d typically require references, background check, CPR/First Aid (for physical activities), stuff like that. Private schools have more leeway, and state schools have more red tape typically. With RPI’s reputation, I’d anticipate at least as many hoops to jump through, if not more.

To give you a sense of RPI’s ways, I applied for an athletic training (sports medicine) position 5 years ago. My interview was about 5 hours total after all was said and done. Individually, I met with HR, the athletic director, the staff I’d be working with, the head athletic trainer, 2 head coaches, a committee of employees outside of athletics, and a group of student athletes. At least they fed me lunch in the middle. All that for a position where I wasn’t a supervisor. And I didn’t get the job. I’m not bitter though.

If the OP obtains any credential certificate, it WILL be verified. If it’s issued by a teacher, they’ll look up the school to make sure it’s actually a school, and they’ll contact the person in charge. If not prior to hiring, then soon thereafter. Safety of the students is their primary concern.

I’ve seen a few people seemingly slip through the cracks only to be escorted off campus by security shortly after.

Please note I’m not saying the OP is someone who’d falsify any credentials, has a questionable past, etc. I’m just saying how colleges operate. I’ve had several friends in college HR. Unfortunately none at the college in question to be able to make a phone call.

Yep, Hudson Valley just did a background check to make sure I indeed have the permission to teach that I claimed I did. That was it.

 

[wingchun100]

I have found places online when searching "Wing Chun Instructor Certification," but it's not like anyone can stop in, get tested, and get the certificate. You have to have trained at that school for many years to test. Ugh.

 

[Flying Crane]

I have been teaching an ever-evolving 3-session course as part of Hudson Valley's community education program for a while now.

A martial arts course?

 

[wingchun100]

A martial arts course?

Yes.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Microsoft?

MSCMAT? (Microsoft Certified Martial Arts Teacher)
Do you have to have 6 hours of MS Access for that?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

For those that don’t know RPI, it is typically a national top 25 (maybe even top 10) engineering college. They’ve got a veritable who’s who of engineering alumni base. A school like that is going to cross every t and dot every i when it comes to someone teaching ANYTHING.

The HR people in charge of screening and hiring most likely have zero MA knowledge. They most likely look at it like every other physical activity in that they think there’s a credentialing process like yoga, personal training, coaching association levels, etc. I’m sure they’re just looking for someone official sounding to say the applicant is competent.

I’ve worked at quite a few colleges. I can say that colleges have some of the most intelligent people who also happen to be complete idiots working there.

@wingchun100 they have an Isshin Ryu club on campus. It is or at least was run by an outside guy (non-faculty/staff). Perhaps get in touch with him and ask his advice. I highly doubt he doesn’t know Wing Chun doesn’t have ranks.

Isshinryu Karate Klub of Troy

You know, another possibility is maybe they just need SOMETHING to cover their butts. I wonder if a Group Fitness certification would suffice (I've considered getting one, for other purposes). Might be more work (and money) than it's worth, in this case, though.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I am not "dead set" on it. As for gym rentals, they are good only if you can also get students in. I am already currently renting a room at a gym and, despite quite a push on my part, I haven't had anyone show up yet.

However, I will say this about RPI versus other colleges: whereas the other colleges are willing to let me teach a course as part of their Community Education program, RPI would be looking for me to teach something that goes semester-long. At the other places, the classes last only 3 sessions tops.

That is a nice arrangement if you can get started.

 

[jks9199]

Have you asked them to clarify what you need? Spoken with the appropriate department head about it? It might be that a simple note and contact information from your instructor is sufficient... or that they can pair you with one of the professors to meet their need? Even if it's just a "talk with him once in a while" pairing...

 

[Tony Dismukes]

The only legitimate WC teaching certificate for you would be one signed by one of your instructors. If your teacher does not normally award written certificates, then I would say to him "Hey, I have this opportunity to teach at a college, but only if I have paper documentation of my credentials. Would you be willing to sign such a certificate for me? If it helps, I can design and print up the certificate for you to sign and you can use the form for future students who might need such documentation."

If he is unwilling to do that, then you're out of luck. I suppose you could go with one of the many online martial arts diploma mills. Functionally, they are no more meaningful than printing up and signing your own rank certificate, but there's a good chance the college administration won't know how to identify a diploma mill in the martial arts world.

 

[wingchun100]

Have you asked them to clarify what you need? Spoken with the appropriate department head about it? It might be that a simple note and contact information from your instructor is sufficient... or that they can pair you with one of the professors to meet their need? Even if it's just a "talk with him once in a while" pairing...

Yes, I asked for exactly what was needed. Have not heard back yet.

 

[wingchun100]

The only legitimate WC teaching certificate for you would be one signed by one of your instructors. If your teacher does not normally award written certificates, then I would say to him "Hey, I have this opportunity to teach at a college, but only if I have paper documentation of my credentials. Would you be willing to sign such a certificate for me? If it helps, I can design and print up the certificate for you to sign and you can use the form for future students who might need such documentation."

If he is unwilling to do that, then you're out of luck. I suppose you could go with one of the many online martial arts diploma mills. Functionally, they are no more meaningful than printing up and signing your own rank certificate, but there's a good chance the college administration won't know how to identify a diploma mill in the martial arts world.

I'll give it a shot. The legitimate version. LOL

 

[oftheherd1]

...
If it’s an official course for college credit, such as a PE elective, they’ll require a minimum of a master’s degree in a relevant field or comparable experience. Relevant field in this case would typically be physical education, kinesiology, exercise physiology, etc., or adult education. Comparable experience could be, say, a former pro dancer who’s successfully run their own dance school for several years.
...
.

Which would not be a master's degree!? Oh, you covered that above about idiots.

Colleges and universities can be sticklers. But its all about reputation; showing concern for student's exposure to good learning and physical safety. Most people have the mistaken idea that colleges and universities are educational learning institutions. In fact, they are businesses; no students no teaching. That is what everything revolves around.

 

[JR 137]

Which would not be a master's degree!? Oh, you covered that above about idiots.

Colleges and universities can be sticklers. But its all about reputation; showing concern for student's exposure to good learning and physical safety. Most people have the mistaken idea that colleges and universities are educational learning institutions. In fact, they are businesses; no students no teaching. That is what everything revolves around.

When I was working at colleges, I’d always say colleges and government are the 2 worst run businesses. When a college messes up, they raise tuition to cover their excessive spending. When government messes up, they raise taxes.

The places colleges spent their money was/is awful. Great example - 1 college I worked at went out letters that they had less money than anticipated, so they weren’t giving raises that year. 2 months later, they decide to redo the mascot and the college’s script (the script all official stuff was written in, and have a new drawing of the old mascot). After all was said and done, that cost tens of millions of dollars. How? Replace the field turf, the gym floor, every sign on campus, paint everywhere the old logo was, every piece of stationary, new clothes for staff who had stuff like shirts and jackets with the old mascot and script, new team uniforms, and it goes on and on. No raises for staff and a tuition hike. What other business could get away with that unscathed, except government? Any other business would’ve folded.

There’s so many more examples.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Yeah, I'd see if OP's teacher can go in Word and fill out a certificate or letter that says "Wingchun100 is certified to instruct in Wing Chun, signed, Sifu So-and-So". That's probably all they really want, just somebody to vouch that he knows what he's doing.

I think that's what it is. Can someone other than you verify that you have the skill set to teach what you claim.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I am not "dead set" on it. As for gym rentals, they are good only if you can also get students in. I am already currently renting a room at a gym and, despite quite a push on my part, I haven't had anyone show up yet.

However, I will say this about RPI versus other colleges: whereas the other colleges are willing to let me teach a course as part of their Community Education program, RPI would be looking for me to teach something that goes semester-long. At the other places, the classes last only 3 sessions tops.

How are you marketing your classes? Do you have friends and family that can take your classes so you aren't marketing an empty room. Do you have a website? Not facebook but an actual website for your classes.

 

[Flying Crane]

The only legitimate WC teaching certificate for you would be one signed by one of your instructors. If your teacher does not normally award written certificates, then I would say to him "Hey, I have this opportunity to teach at a college, but only if I have paper documentation of my credentials. Would you be willing to sign such a certificate for me? If it helps, I can design and print up the certificate for you to sign and you can use the form for future students who might need such documentation."

If he is unwilling to do that, then you're out of luck. I suppose you could go with one of the many online martial arts diploma mills. Functionally, they are no more meaningful than printing up and signing your own rank certificate, but there's a good chance the college administration won't know how to identify a diploma mill in the martial arts world.

I was going to add: Sifu could simply sign a letter stating that this person has trained well and is authorized to teach. It does not need to be a certificate.

However, this raises another issue: how does the university know the the sifu has any authority to grant permission to teach? Sifu could be a fraud as well.

This is one of the problems with the fact that there is no “official” oversight or accreditation process in martial arts in the USA. I suppose if Sifu has a local reputation that people at the university are familiar with, and are willing to accept his reputation as his authority, that could work. But if they are strict about credentials, why would they give a pass to Sifu?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I was going to add: Sifu could simply sign a letter stating that this person has trained well and is authorized to teach. It does not need to be a certificate.

However, this raises another issue: how does the university know the the sifu has any authority to grant permission to teach? Sifu could be a fraud as well.

This is one of the problems with the fact that there is no “official” oversight or accreditation process in martial arts in the USA. I suppose if Sifu has a local reputation that people at the university are familiar with, and are willing to accept his reputation as his authority, that could work. But if they are strict about credentials, why would they give a pass to Sifu?

Although it has little to do with martial arts skill, a college may except a certification from someone who is highly educated. Example, my taiji shifu, who is highly trained in Taijiquan, is also Doctor, which has northing to do with taiji. But a college "MIGHT" take a certification from someone who has a verifiable degree as a doctor more seriously that a certificate from some guy with less of a college education,or no college education. This is how the world of academia will work sometimes. And it is this type of thing that makes me generally refer to it as academentia

Hey there's always University of Bridgeport

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I was going to add: Sifu could simply sign a letter stating that this person has trained well and is authorized to teach. It does not need to be a certificate.

However, this raises another issue: how does the university know the the sifu has any authority to grant permission to teach? Sifu could be a fraud as well.

This is one of the problems with the fact that there is no “official” oversight or accreditation process in martial arts in the USA. I suppose if Sifu has a local reputation that people at the university are familiar with, and are willing to accept his reputation as his authority, that could work. But if they are strict about credentials, why would they give a pass to Sifu?

If the intention is to do due dilligence, then like any other endeavor where they can't fully vet the entire lineage (lacking the expertise), they may simply settle for something that fits their idea of "established school" and/or "recognized instructor". I suspect they'd rather have something from an organization, so they can look into the background of the organization (which, in most cases, isn't really any more useful).

 

[hoshin1600]

tell them the aim of the class will be to support the LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter individuals who feel threatened by Trump supporters on campus. they will totally forget about any certification and welcome you right in... no questions asked.