Jason Alavi

Jason Alavi's blog on Ajarn.com


And it's goodnight from me

Feathers have most certainly been ruffled

Unfortunately this monthly column of mine has to come to a rather premature end.


Doing it yourself

What it takes to start your very own language school

For the first two years we actually lived in our school. This was tiring and annoying, but saved us a lot of money, obviously. Our monthly mortgage was only 6,600 baht, for which we got a house AND a school! The drawbacks to this sort of arrangement are that we had to pull out our bedrolls after the school was closed down


The rules of behaviour

How to conduct yourself as a teacher

I got to thinking about some of my past employees, good and bad. Instead of telling you about of some of the more “interesting” interviews I have conducted, I thought I would write about what types of behavior and teachers schools and agencies here want and do NOT want.


The flipside of teacher agencies

Reasons that a teacher agency could be good for some teachers

Teacher agencies are just like people. Some are fun to be with and some you just wanna kick to the curb. Shop around, ask around. Check to see if the agency you are thinking of working with actually possesses a valid license from The Ministry of Education, many do not. Remember to keep an open mind and not to be too quick to judge though.


The lowdown on teacher agencies

Why do teacher agencies have such a negative image?

Most agencies just drop foreign teachers off at a school and leave them to fend for themselves. They give teachers no curriculum, lesson plans, grading rubrics, textbooks, workbooks, realia or anything else to help them. The foreign teacher is left to deal with all of the linguistic and cultural misunderstandings that will inevitably arise, on their own.


Good news for teachers

At last a glimmer of hope

The important news this month is that foreigners who wish to continue teaching in Thailand can now do so, even if they are not yet qualified. Read on.


News from the TCT

The latest in the ever changing world of teacher requirements

Thanks for stopping by this month, and reading my article. The last month has been a busy one for myself and many other teachers I have met. There have been many conferences hosted by The Ministry.


Regulations update

Some amendments to last month's article

All Teacher’s License applicants must have 1 year of teaching experience, prior to application. Several readers had emailed me that they heard that it was two years. I got the one year answer from The Teacher’s Council, just yesterday.


The new teacher licensing regulations

How the new rules will affect teachers

The first memo about these new regulations from The Ministry of Education and The Teachers Council of Thailand came out about 2 years ago. Until a few months ago, no mention of this has ever been made to me at either Immigration or The Labor Department. When I tried getting new visas and work permits for my teachers, (a few months ago) the Immigration officials told me that the teacher had to have their teachers license under the new regs before they could be issued a Non-Immigrant Visa.


Featured Jobs

Secondary PE & Health Teacher

฿50,000+ / month

Samut Sakhon


Qualified Year 1 Homeroom Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Samut Sakhon


Part-Time Language Teachers

฿30,000+ / month

Bangkok


Full-time NES English Teacher

฿42,000+ / month

Chon Buri


English Teachers for June Start

฿35,000+ / month

Suphan Buri


Native English Speaker / Instructor (Part-time)

฿400+ / hour

Pathum Thani


Featured Teachers

  • Joenyl


    Filipino, 31 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Clarisa


    Filipino, 24 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Ana


    Filipino, 23 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Mary


    Filipino, 23 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Marenel


    Filipino, 46 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • John


    Filipino, 24 years old. Currently living in Philippines

The Hot Spot


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


Can you hear me OK?

Can you hear me OK?

In today's modern world, the on-line interview is becoming more and more popular. How do you prepare for it?


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


Renting an apartment?

Renting an apartment?

Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.