Stephen Louw
Overjustification
Is there a place for rewards in the classroom?
Having classroom management problems? Try using candy as a reward for good behavior or good grades. Kids love candy, so it works great as a reward. Or does it?
Richard McCully
Do you want to be a TEFL teacher or a licensed teacher?
The positives and the negatives of each
Do you want to continue working in TEFL or become a licensed teacher in your home country and go for the higher-paying international school jobs. It's a big decision to make!
Phil Hall
A first lesson disaster
I mean, seriously, how many other teachers pass out in their first class?
when I awoke, I was on the floor slumped against the wall. I looked up to see at least 30 faces looking down on me, and yes, the smartphones were out in force. I could only wonder how much of the event had already been recorded.
TEFL Course News
April 2018
Take your TEFL course with one of Thailand's major course providers.
This month there are special offers and promotions from courses in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Koh Samui. The choice is yours!
Mark Newman
A better way to deal with class disruptions
What to do when students misbehave
This article is for teachers like me who don't have formal training to do what they do, but who nevertheless want to do the best that they can to enrich and improve their own lives as well as those of their students.
John V
Thai education and TEFL class management
A look at three practical examples to use in your classroom
Class management, although employing techniques, isn't so much a process as a mind-set requiring a separate skill set from that of delivery, a point often missed in progressive education orthodoxy.
Bangkok Phil
Experiences with Air BnB
We're big Air BnB fans and have used the site seven times so far
We love staying in hotels and we love guest houses that serve up hearty full English breakfasts, but we love the Air BnB experience as well. It still gives me a genuine buzz to peruse the Air BnB listings in any given town or city and wonder what adventures and experiences lie ahead.
Matthew Pape
The worst type of foreigner
Why bash other people's lifestyles and situations?
I live in a closet with no air-con and a fan. I live off of a diet of air, water and noodles. Sure, I can't afford to travel, save for retirement, get my own place and I haven't seen my family for years because I can't afford a ticket to go home and visit them, but I am living the Thai lifestyle man!
Sam Thompson
The price of ignorance
The recent pollution epidemic in Thailand
I think we should all exercise a bit of common sense. At the very least, be aware of the situation and help make others more likely to be affected (young children, for example) aware too!
Steve Schertzer
Powerball TEFL
Sometimes we have to do what is ridiculous
As I lament the last 20 years of my life in and out of the TEFL industry, I can't help but wonder how I haven't completely lost my mind. Have things in the Powerball TEFL industry changed over the last 15-20 years? It depends on who you ask, who you believe, and what you believe, or choose to believe.
Mark Brown
Discipline in the classroom
The 800-pound gorilla no one talks about
On more than one occasion last semester when I was teaching at the local high school I walked out of classes because I wasn't able to control an unruly crowd of 35 teenagers.
James Humphries
Be honest with yourself
Every teacher has made mistakes - including you!
I've read many teaching blogs down the years and I generally enjoy hearing about other people's experiences. However there is one thing I'd like to see more of - honesty
Adam Crittenden
The benefits of working in an after-school language centre
Extra cash and more teaching experience for starters!
Teaching at an after-school has been a worthwhile experience. If you are willing to build your endurance and self-discipline then you will gain the rewards of more experience and some extra cash to boot.
Mickey Sheehan
The all new 10-year retirement visa
Who is it aimed at exactly?
A buzz of excitement went through the Thailand expat community last week, when it was announced the Thai government planned to offer ten year visas to those over the official Thai retirement age of 50. That buzz of excitement was shortlived however once any street savvy expat decided to delve into the figures and requirements in more detail.
Johnny Chan
Where's Santa Claus
Remember - health insurance is a business
Taxpayer supported health care is not a yet a reality for most of us. Now, we have no other choice but to rely on private health insurers for our medical care needs.
