Stick or twist?
Decisions, decisions, decisions
Like many other teachers I now find myself in the position where I need to make a decision about what I will do next academic year. Do I stay put? Or is it time to move on to pastures new?
An overview of teaching in Thailand
I thought this might be of benefit to new ajarn readers in particular
I was asked to fill in a questionnaire by my old university on the topic of teaching English in Thailand. Although it was intended to encourage applicants to take a Thai study program in Germany, the information might be useful for those teachers thinking of coming to work here in Thailand.
Summertime blues
Major changes that will affect many teachers
Next year it's going to be a very long summer. Schools will be finishing in early March as usual but the new school year won't begin until mid-June. That's a 3-month holiday we're looking at. Great news for our students but it may be a little worrying for teachers that don't get holiday pay
Does Thailand want to keep its teachers?
Postbox letter from Jonathan
I think it is plain to see that Thailand has to change the way it operates. The fat cat agency owners are making a killing ripping off teachers. The school directors are pocketing money to buy their Mercedes instead of buying what the school needs.
Don't turn your back on the kids
Postbox letter from Jon
Who are we there for? The school? Maybe. But I would hope that most teachers would say that they are there for the children, to offer the kids a chance to improve their English
When your face just doesn't fit
When a school wants to fire you, what can you do?
I had been working as a Maths teacher for just under four months at a Catholic school in Bangkok when the head teacher, who is always happy to deliver bad news in a very dramatic way, informed me that parents had complained about the homework books not being marked. This was just the beginning.
Enough is enough
Postbox letter from Annoyed
I have just left Thailand after 10 years of teaching, my wife and two children are in the process of getting their passports and visas to follow me here in the next couple of months. Why? Enough is enough,
Go to labor court
Postbox letter from Kru Anon
The labor court can be your best friend if you think you are being unfairly dismissed from your teaching job.
How to take legal action?
Postbox letter from Isabella
The international school that I work for employed me on a 23-month contract but they want to terminate it after my first school year for very vague reasons.
Choosing the right employer
The joys of working for a teacher agency
I wouldn't say I have a "horror story" per se, but rather a three-ringed circus. I found the whole ordeal quite amusing for the most part, although the never getting paid on time or the correct amount, along with the constant harassing emails from whom I can only assume to be a mentally imbalanced employer did get a bit tiresome by the end.
