Stop that noise!

8 classroom management strategies to regain control of your noisy classroom

With these 8 tips, I was able to feel more in control of my classroom, and I believe that they can help you too!

A short-lived teaching career?

I'm not sure whether Thailand isn't right for me or I'm not right for Thailand.

In spite of the draconian disciplinary measures, the students are basically normal, mostly happy, playful, loving children, who are extremely well behaved, and attentive to my classroom instructions - when the Thai teachers and assistants are present.

The importance of a positive learning environment

It helps to think back to my own past school experiences.

Call me an idealist, but each time I see a teacher whose negativity and/or negative reinforcement tactics are obvious, the Pink Floyd music video plays in my mind. “Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone…”

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.

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.

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.

Useful classroom management techniques

These ideas have all worked for me!

If you have something the students want then you have a big asset in keeping your class under control. I have developed a few games and props that the kids love and I will use them when they start to tire or lose focus on a more testing part of the curriculum.

Tips for first year teachers in Thailand

How to maximize your teaching enjoyment!

Successful good quality teaching is never a "walk in the park." As you prepare to teach in Thailand really try to focus on being there for the students.

More adventures in rural Thailand

My first semester at a Thai government school

I've now worked at a rural government school for a whole semester. I thought I might share with you my account so far, with some practical advice that may help ease your transition to teaching in Thailand.