Moans and groans

Sent in by Jeff V

31st December 2007

I have "some" moaning and groaning to do, so I guess I'm here at the right place to do so!

A very bad day indeed

Today was one of the most unpleasant in my four years plus of teaching

1st December 2007

My problem was discipline. You see, I've been teaching for over four years and until today I had only received two complaints.

An Indian teacher in Thailand

Bobo Meitei faces the perils and pitfalls of finding a teaching job

5th August 2007

Bobo gets to grips with sliding pay scales and agents bemused by his pseudo-American appearance. Well worth a read!

Nothing but disrespect

24th April 2007

For those foreigners willing to devote their time and energies to quality teaching, it can be a bitterly disillusioning experience. With the salaries going lower and the benefits (medical and other insurance, housing, etc.) fewer, and the cost of living increasing, teachers who have been here for years are now leaving the country.

What hope for a superficial education system?

The joys of being part of the system

2nd November 2005

Being a foreign teacher is again another superficial and costly exercise. They want to show you off like a new piece of gold jewelry or a good photograph. Relatively speaking it costs a lot to employ a foreign teacher in Thailand.

Are you certified?

Finding your way through the TEFL course maze

1st June 2005

Teaching was no longer challenging. I was stagnating. Sure, I could always shake my life up with a weekend of debauchery, an occasional fling with a sexy female expatriate, or by traveling to a different city – and, truth be told, I often tried combining all three. But, at my core, I knew that I wasn’t growing productively. As a teacher I wasn’t developing. My methodologies had become stale. I needed a new bag of tricks. I needed rejuvenation.

The teacher’s diary

One teacher's descent into madness

18th November 2004

The diary is the sad and heartbreaking four-week journal of Mr Jim Elmdon - a teacher who came, saw, and failed miserably. Keep a box of tissues handy.

Act professionally please

Why don't teachers act like teachers for a change?

2nd September 2004

Start looking at things from an employer’s point of view. Start thinking like a teacher, teaching isn’t a 9 - 5 job, it’s a profession taken up by people who want to educate young minds.

Bitchin, fussing and cussing

Let's all have a good moan why don't we

21st March 2001

Complaints from language school teachers. You've heard 'em all before I'm sure.

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Ajarn Guests

Teacher employer etiquette

I feel it is just unprofessional that if someone well qualified for an advertised job takes the time to research the job and your school, then you as an employer should have the courtesy (manners) to acknowledge that application even if the applicant may not be right person for the job.

Going Home

I possess ten years of classroom EFL teaching experience, plus a solid education, and this was the type of work available to me. There were many moments, such as when I was cleaning a toilet bowl, or when a housekeeper ordered me to do something, that frustration welled up inside me.

Teacher nightmares part two

More stories from teachers in Thailand who have found themselves in difficult situations often through no fault of their own. Can you offer them some good advice?

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.