Working smart, not working hard

Making the most of your teaching time

8th December 2011

By paying more attention to your teaching hours and your overall availability, it's possible to juggle teaching jobs around and watch your monthly earnings soar.

Teacher mistakes

Avoid falling into any of these teacher traps

12th August 2011

Ajarn has put together a list of the most common mistakes that teachers make in Thailand - both new arrivals and those who have been here a while.

Three basic techniques in whole brain teaching

The class yes, the teach OK and the scoreboard

30th April 2011

It is important to note that of course when introducing a new technique to class that they understand what is expected of them. In addition you have to practice the procedures with them and get them to the point where they can do what you tell them on command.

Whole brain teaching techniques

An amazing new approach to teaching that really works

19th April 2011

Do you want to be able to control a roomful of pratom one students with one simple word? ? Would you like to get 99 per cent participation from your matayom class? Do you want an easy way to engage your adult students making learning fun for them and for you?

Classroom ice breakers

How to start your lesson off the right way

7th March 2011

Summer classes begin soon and many of us will be working during our vacation. One of the problems we face is how to maintain student interest

Transforming lesson plans into modules

Plans to develop a better school curriculum

26th September 2010

Teachers who use their own modules know very well the advantages they bring to classroom teaching and professional development.

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.

Responsibility:  Teaching the fourth R in education

It's time to make our students look good - and not just academically

11th July 2010

In our zeal to teach the three ‘R's, reading, ‘righting, and ‘rithmetic, we are neglecting to teach another very important ‘R': Responsibility; responsibility for oneself and responsibility for others

How to get them talking

How can teachers get their students to interact in a way that's beneficial?

3rd January 2010

If students don't learn to interact with their teacher and other students in English during P1 to 4 then they'll find themselves struggling to do so by the time that they enroll at a private language centre because they're preparing for university or want a better job.

Games for large unruly classes

Should games always have a pedagogical value? No.

2nd October 2009

Some of these appear in different versions and with different names on Dave’s ESL Café, but most of those were designed for smaller classes in countries like South Korea and Japan and don’t work very well with larger groups in Southeast Asia.

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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.

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.