Hmmm... now that's a Thai-English saying eh? But really it is up to you not just the educational facility that is posting up jobs. A good teaching job is not just about the money, there are plenty at 30,000 or less a month, its a two way situation. A school is looking for a teacher who will improve the educational standard of its students and fit in with the cultural and social aspect of the place. A teacher is looking for..... well that's personal, so what is the problem?

We can all read what we want into a job advert, actually that's quite good marketing, get the maximum response and choose the best for the situation. However also we teachers can also look and laugh at what we see posted on the jobs page.

What suits me as a teaching job, is very different from the next teacher. We all have different needs. Whilst money is not the first thing I look at in a job ( I'm lucky enough to have another income) there is a value I put on my work and time. For me facilities available, support from the school, the welcome I get when I arrive and how other teachers mix with each other, plus its important to know that the school will support you if there are ever any disruptive students. (I've know teachers who have had students take a knife to them and the school did nothing about it) it might be an extreme, but just knowing that the school is there to help and support a teacher is very important. Some help with accommodation, others provide visas ,health insurance, transport assistance.... the list can be endless.

If you can get a class room assistant thats a bonus, and for one I'd be willing to take a little less salary if it meant I had an assistant. They are a great help to a teacher and more often than you both become good friends, so the students benefit all the more.

So come on lets not get all pc, that is one thing that has gone to far in the UK. Of course cut the racism out, but don't get offended at simple things like job adverts. We all make choices every day and so what if one place wants a three-legged, one eyed, twenty foot tall NES teacher with pink hair, maybe because that is in line with all the other staff they employ!

I've been turned down for plenty of jobs, and I've turned down many before and after the interview, just don't take it to heart, no job is for life anymore, these things constantly change. Remember you choose where you work, if the school or education facility does not match your needs or expectations just say no, its better for both.

Ian Bkk