Culture of insouciance
The Cambodian rubbish dump, and my not so final, final exam
Many of the students in my class with their fancy clothes, laptops, I-phones, and I-pads, rarely experience an atmosphere where true learning takes place. Outside of the odd serious teacher they may have encountered along the way, they also live and learn in a rubbish dump, an educational one.
Steve Schertzer's Tag Cloud
Previous Articles
- 28th October 2011: Fast times at Hitler High
- 11th September 2011: He sleeps in a storm
- 11th July 2011: Business as usual
- 8th May 2011: Unfinished business
- 7th March 2011: The enemy within
- 10th January 2011: Why?
- 8th December 2010: The courage of Arpaporn
- 5th October 2010: A teacher, an old wise man, two punks, and a chicken
- 5th August 2010: The Mismeasure of Thais
- 11th July 2010: Responsibility: Teaching the fourth R in education
- 2nd May 2010: I am my mother’s keeper
- 3rd February 2010: The promise of tomorrow
- 11th January 2010: Determine your own significance
- 1st December 2009: Barbarians in the building
- 3rd September 2009: Show me that you love me
- 2nd September 2009: My tango with Tony the Tarantula
- 1st July 2009: Sticking up for passionate teachers
- 1st June 2009: The woman of the world
- 1st May 2009: The 3-4-3 principle and the importance of repetition
- 1st March 2009: When in Rome
- 1st January 2009: The TEFL Industry
- 1st September 2008: The purpose driven teacher
- 1st July 2008: Honor thy mother and thy father
- 1st May 2008: Bananas and condoms
- 1st April 2008: Understanding culture
- 1st March 2008: Outsourcing in the TEFL industry
- 1st February 2008: My tears and your legacy
- 1st January 2008: Finding the poetry
- 1st November 2007: Not in my classroom
- 1st October 2007: The perfect storm
- 1st September 2007: Creating classroom culture
- 1st August 2007: You are the solution
- 1st July 2007: TEFL’s number one enemy
- 1st June 2007: Delusions of the lowly and mediocre
- 1st May 2007: The Virginia Tech backlash
- 1st March 2007: Teacher as leader
- 1st February 2007: Racism in the TEFL industry
- 1st January 2007: The politics of Babopalooza
- 1st December 2006: Taking back the profession
- 1st November 2006: The courage to be fair and honest
- 1st October 2006: The deep bow and the silent fart
- 1st September 2006: From Boulder to Bangkok
- 1st August 2006: The greatest myth
- 1st July 2006: We don’t learn like that!
- 1st June 2006: Caring or kinky?
- 1st May 2006: A Taiwan and Korea story continued
- 1st April 2006: A Korea story part one
- 1st March 2006: A family tragedy
- 1st February 2006: Coming home
- 1st January 2006: Teachers and learners as one
- 1st December 2005: The flame of hope
- 1st November 2005: The TESOL diaspora
- 1st October 2005: Touch their hearts
- 1st September 2005: I want your English and nothing more
- 1st August 2005: Boredom in the ESL classroom
- 1st July 2005: We work for the room
- 1st June 2005: Why don’t we ever learn?
- 1st May 2005: We’re not just another brick in the wall
- 1st April 2005: No fries with that!
- 1st March 2005: ESL teachers as mentors and heroes
- 1st February 2005: Notes on the Thailand TESOL conference
- 1st January 2005: Where children used to play
- 1st December 2004: Why I came to Thailand
- 1st November 2004: Globilization at its best
- 1st October 2004: Advice you can truly use
- 1st September 2004: Fresh off the boat
Featured Teachers
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Christophe
Certificate (3), Diploma (1)
Filippino (male, 37 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Roda
Diploma (1)
Philippino (female, 26 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Elie Grace
Diploma (2), BA (1)
Philippino (female, 30 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Shanisara
BEd (1)
Thai (female, 33 years old, native Thai speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jeff
Certificate (2), BA (1), MA (1)
British (male, 57 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Billy
BA (1), MA (1)
American (male, 37 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Evan
Certificate (2)
South African (male, 26 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Kieron
Diploma (2), Certificate (1), BSc (1)
British (male, 37 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Martin
Certificate (1), BA (1)
Dutch (male, 33 years old, native Dutch speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Amanda
Certificate (3), BA (1)
American (female, 26 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
Ajarn Guests
Fear of change?
In Thailand the government has set 2012 as English Speaking Year with a goal of encouraging students to converse in English every Monday. Such policies are useful but the major leap of enacting legislation to make English an official language for Thailand is also needed
Software for student tests
The integration of internet and computers with education and English learning is something students find normal, and classrooms without some access to educational software may seem quaint. Some students may even feel they can get more ‘professional' teaching from the numerous online ELT sites if a school is behind in IT.
Whatever happened to the shopping mall teacher?
They are the shopping mall English teachers - gliding like pale, undernourished phantoms amid the hordes of weekend Thai shoppers. The main reason I empathize with the shopping mall teacher is because I was once one myself. I know how desperate and soul-destroying it can be.
Most recently answered question:
Are there any teaching agencies in Bangkok that I can just walk into?
About Ajarn.com
Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.
Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.
Friends of Ajarn
Hi, I’m Tony Dabbs
I was a licensed life and health agent in the USA for many years and now I'm ajarn.com's health insurance expert.
Fancy teaching freelance?
How easy is it to cut out the middlemen and rake in the cash teach students at their own homes?
The Region Guides
Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.
E-mailing for jobs
E-mailing potential employers in Thailand can be a very frustrating experience. Teacher Chris is on hand to give you some top tips.
Fun Quiz
Find out how employable you are in Thailand as an English teacher. Is it a case of 'welcome aboard' or "Mom, I need you to send some money again"
Renting an apartment?
Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.
The cost of living
How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.
