Getting the kids hooked young!

My goal is to not frighten the lives out of my students

I'm stepping back from the serious, academic approach and working on making my classes something that kids look forward to - even if they aren't learning as much.


The DoS by default

What can happen when your director of studies is a clueless foreigner

I've worked under four foreigners. The first one was fantastic. A fully qualified teacher with his own business who really wanted to be the best. The thing I liked the most about him was his honesty. The next three were just terrible people.


My wishes

Reflecting on what I could have done better for my students

What had I achieved as a teacher, as a class?" "What had I given them? What had my students taught me during the past year?" So many moments of ups and downs, sheer joy and triumphs, but there were things I wish I could have done better.


Handling students with learning difficulties

How can I ignore students just because they are different?

I remember in my first week at my government high school there was a student who was severely autistic. I just wasn't prepared for the task at hand.


Learning vocabulary

Let's start with Chinese household appliances

I had always taken teaching and learning lexical sets as a given - but perhaps in language teaching, there are no givens: it's a constant search for ways of doing things better.


Decisions, decisions

Is it time to stick or twist? To leave Thailand or stay?

I came to Thailand for an adventure but I fear the adventure is nearing its end. There is a new journey to start and I'm hopeful its one that can begin - but for now I'm feeling a bit stuck.


How can I make it in the madness?

The harsh reality of teaching in Thailand

It's depressing just how many people come here to teach and leave with lots of resentment and bitterness. Or worse still, remain here polluting the place with those same feelings! Don't be one of them.


Low test scores are no surprise

Postbox letter from Sheri

It is not a surprise that Thai students score so low on English tests because they don't sense any urgency in learning English.


Who gets the call when their arms are raised?

Which student gets the teacher's questions and why?

Here are the different groups of students within a typical class. They are quite distinctive and there's not really much of a gray area between them.


My ideas for change

Postbox letter from James

Having taught at government and private schools I echo the frustration of native English teachers when it comes to Thais being poor in English.


Showing 10 tagged items out of 35 total Page 2 of 4



Featured Jobs

NES Grade 4 Math and Science Teacher

฿40,000+ / month

Chiang Mai


Early Years Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Bangkok


Primary Science Teachers for MEP Program

฿33,000+ / month

Maha Sarakham


Part-time NES Summer Camp Teachers

฿450+ / hour

Bangkok


Summer Camp Teachers

฿700+ / hour

Chiang Mai


NES Primary English Teacher

฿45,000+ / month

Bangkok


Featured Teachers

  • Samuel


    Ghanian, 32 years old. Currently living in Ghana

  • Barry


    Australian, 59 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Jamielyn


    Filipino, 26 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Erwin


    Filipino, 26 years old. Currently living in United Arab Emirates

  • Hammadi


    Moroccan, 39 years old. Currently living in Morocco

  • Jan


    Filipino, 33 years old. Currently living in Philippines

The Hot Spot


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?


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!


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.


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.


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.


The Region Guides

The Region Guides

Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

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


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.