I tend to agree with you (places like forums and professional communities are better than certification courses). Still, for someone new-newish starting out, those certificates are important for getting that initial work.
As for the commoditization of our profession, it's not only us. That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to work in education after coming back to the US. Teacher salaries are a joke, they are over-regulated, over-managed, and are the first to get thrown under the bus at the slightest hint of inconvenience to a school.
I would like to get into private tutoring in the US in addition to doing signings. I am the kind of person who likes to keep several irons in the fire at once. I just don't know how to start private teaching in the US. |