Bangkok Phil
In the footsteps of the wild boars
The Thamluang cave in Chiang Rai Province is becoming quite an attraction
My wife and I travelled up to Chiang Rai to take advantage of a bank holiday weekend. We had heard that the Thamluang Cave had become something of a major tourist attraction and 16 months after the Wild Boars were rescued, we were eager to see what Thailand had done to commemorate the successful mission, and in turn pay tribute to the heroes of the hour.
Jessica Watson
Dealing with the troublemakers
Discipline: tips on control in the classroom
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.
Richard McCully
We can learn from tourists
Isn't Thailand all about having fun?
I think expats need to let their hair down every so often or we can be dragged down to thinking everything here is negative.
Diary of a Thai football season
Samut Prakan v Muangthong United
A midweek league game against The Kirins, a team in red hot form at the moment
Although Muangthong had a dreadful start to the campaign and we beat them 3-0 at their place, they have rediscovered their form in the second half of the season and are currently on a run of just one defeat in their last 13 games. This could be a very tough evening indeed.
TEFL Course News
October 2019
The latest news, starting dates, etc for Thailand's leading TEFL course training courses
We're now coming out of the busy recruitment season but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of teaching positions around. Boost your chances of employment with a TEFL certificate.
John Wilson
Can you start on Monday?
What lies behind that oft-heard request?
This request often means the organisation you are joining is less than adept at hiring procedures and is pressed for time. The ‘power-dressing princess’ delegated to find new recruits may have had little aptitude for the practicalities of recruitment.
Walter van der Wal
4 most important things to consider when relocating with children in Thailand
From education to food, neighborhood and healthcare
Oscar started asking me for advice as he and his family are planning to relocate to Thailand. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised. The warm weather, beautiful beaches, delicious (and spicy) food, and quality healthcare, who wouldn’t want to live here?
- 100 baht tourist tax to cover basic insurance in Thailand
- All about emergency medical evacuations
- Retiring in the Land of Smiles
- Should you consider private health insurance for an elderly family member when moving to Thailand?
- Why is health insurance important for kids?
- The importance of insurance for protection against accidents
Ace in Asia
Secret classroom management techniques
Some tips for controlling students
In the beginning days and weeks, you have to be more stern, that's just the way it is. Don't be too playful. In fact don't be playful at all. You have to show the students that you mean business.
Richard Constable
Learner-oriented fun activities
My relatively laid back teaching approach to teacher/student semi-interactive learning
When I begin a two-hour lesson, I write every student's nickname down the left-hand side of the board, one below the other. Not only those that have already arrived but also those that are expected.
Dr. A.E Schneider
Things I learned about recommending students for graduate and professional school
Ways to truly support students’ path forward
Once applicants have accurately assessed their skill set, standing out amongst the crowd of outstanding applicants is surprisingly straightforward and achievable with enough hard work and preparation.
Stephen Louw
Just between you and I
Grammar rules or conventions
I’ve been in staff-rooms populated by language teachers who have taken grammar matters very seriously. There have been disagreements that have led to accusations of idiocy, the casting of aspersions, attacks against character, flying fists, spilled blood, death threats, and dagger-laden glares.
Phil Hall
Those first time teaching nerves
How not to prepare for your very first class
I’ve read about how some of you love this work whilst others almost sneer at the very suggestion that we teach for the love of it. This is just a short recollection of how I really failed to prepare for what was one of the most challenging jobs of my life.
David Walters
Keeping your job application out of the bin
How to stand out from the job application crowd
Applying for jobs is always tedious and can take up copious amounts of time especially if you are tailoring each application for specific positions. I can't speak for all employers but for anyone applying for jobs I can offer advice based around what I look for when filling any position.
Jocelyn Pollak
Three fun warm-up activities
Games designed to get students focused on using English and getting comfortable with their classmates.
Have fun with these games and consider joining in with your students! Great EFL warm-up activities really set the tone for a great class. Enjoy!
Rachel Diamond
Finding a job in Thailand - the basics
From one newbie to another
If you're considering coming to Thailand on your own to find work as an English teacher, I promise you can do it.
Ben Bartee
Stumbling blocks
What I didn’t learn in my 100-hour online ESL course
I can see my skin through my dress shirt because the thin layer of fine linen is totally soaked through. In short, it’s too hot to care about anything academic.
Parin Hemtanon
How to gain teaching experience when you have none
Could lack of experience be the reason why schools aren't replying to your job applications?
When I realised that I was an inexperienced teacher, I decided to create my own life-changing “teacher training program”. These are things I did to pack my resume with relevant teaching skills and experience, which I believe helped secure my first teaching job.
Phil Roeland
Teaching the kiddies
Do they learn anything at all?
Although weekend courses have to be fun for everyone involved, meaning both children and teacher, I think that fun and learning should be balanced. If the parents pay good money to get their kids on a course, the least a teacher should do is make sure that they learn some English. This can be done using fun and games, but not exclusively.
Lee Lepper
An amazing TEFL journey
From Saudi to Thailand to China (and a bit of America in-between)
China is definitely on the upswing as far as English teaching goes. Thailand is a place I love but professionally dead to me. Saudi was challenging, interesting and of course lucrative.
Mark Newman
Investing in people or rolling out policies?
Let's evaluate what happens here in Thailand as something we can learn from rather than condemn.
I firmly believe that we can look at Thailand and learn a lot about how we prepare our kids to enter society and live rewarding lives with the resources they have and priorities they live by.
John V
Excuse me, haven’t we met before?
A satirical look at TEFL personality types
If you’re just an average teacher struggling along in a sea of two legged sharks trying to do your best give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back, because you sir or madam are gold dust.
Mickey Sheehan
New term conversations
Eavesdropping on the first day of term
Steve Schertzer
The poor traveler
The promised land or the den of lions?
One of the books I recently read is Bangkok to Ben Nevis Backwards, by Phil Hall. It could have been my story, minus the marriage to a Thai woman, a son, and an almost completed house in the countryside.
Todd Persaud
Get it down on paper!
The secret to managing office politics
Conflict in a workplace can pop up unexpectedly. This is why it’s necessary for you to write things down. This way, when it comes time to defend yourself or to shed light on the matter you can look back to your notes and bring up exactly what happened
Blake Sibbitt
The best place to live in Bangkok for teachers
Onnud has got the lot!
In the past, all we had was a Tesco, Big C and the beer garden. It was pretty barren. But it's distance from the "city center" and subsequent lower rents, while still having access to the BTS, has made it a popular choice for expats.
FIRE in Thailand
What does your retirement from teaching look like?
There's no excuse not to invest and plan.
Planning for retirement doesn't have to be complicated. All you have to do is spend less than you make and invest the difference for the long-term. That's it. I know you are thinking that's easier said than done, but start small.
