Laugh and be happy

Sent in by DJ

4th January 2013

Try to apply the advice offered to you by experienced staff. Try to empathize with the different groups of students rather than to each individual student.

Take heart, the schools are out there

Sent in by Michael

26th December 2012

Unfortunately, the schools with the most vacancies are the schools that have some problems with student (and sometimes teacher) motivation and discipline)

At the end of my tether

Sent in by Steven

26th December 2012

The problem I encounter with almost every class, is a lack of respect, plus attention, demonstrated by the students

Dealing with the troublemakers

Discipline: tips on control in the classroom

19th January 2012

Troublemakers. We have all seen them do their thing, causing mayhem and disorder in the classroom; perhaps you were even one yourself at some point during your time as a student. Troublemakers are the bane of every teacher's existence and they make our job go from difficult to pounding headache and hair-tearing proportions.

The enemy within

The evil side of the TEFL industry

7th March 2011

It is a complicity of silence that sees many foreign teachers working hand-in-glove with a Thai administration that cares only about money and maintaining an educational system mired in cultural backwardness and social repression.

Handling a ‘sanook’ class

How to handle a classroom full of badly-behaved children

13th September 2010

Success in handling naughty students calls for common sense, creativity and resourcefulness on the part of teachers. Furthermore, a lot of reasons that trigger students’ behavior have to be addressed too, for if they are not, problems will surface

Catholic schoolteacher caught caning students

Sent in by Donald Patnaude

31st August 2010

How far should teachers be allowed to go when dishoing out corporal punishment to students?

Teaching tips

What to do and what not to do in the EFL classroom

23rd August 2010

Regular ajarn contributor Tim Cornwall is back with more tips and techniques for both experienced and inexperienced teachers alike from smiling to laying down class rules and from teacher movement to setting up activities.

The Ideal Student

What qualities and characteristics make the perfect student

1st July 2009

This month's column doesn't focus on teachers and how to achieve near-perfection, but on what the ideal student would be like. Let's keep in mind though that nobody's perfect and that most teachers would probably be over the moon if only a slight majority of students showed some of the traits mentioned

EFL teaching in Thailand

What’s the best and the worst class you’ve ever taught?

1st July 2009

Having been teaching for more than twelve years in places like Japan, the UK, West Africa, Thailand and the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, I guess you could say that I would have inevitably had a few moments when I was far from in control.

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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.