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.
Entertainer or educator?
And somehow smiling through the pain while trying to teach a class of 50 kids
I was forced to wear sandals for at least a week as my poor toe needed some pressure-relief in which to heal properly. As I limped into each classroom, the 50 or so kids would all notice my footwear and the large bandage on my toe. But not one student smirked or laughed.
The dreaded teacher burnout
How is it caused and how can you avoid it?
"I'm a new teacher about to start work in Thailand and this will be my first full-time teaching gig. I often see more experienced teachers refer to 'teacher burnout'. Just out of interest, what are some of the things that contribute to such a condition?
‘Sanook’, games and the Thai EFL classroom
Should teachers be entertainers?
One would think that the Thais' love of ‘sanook' would make the EFL classroom an inviting place for new EFL teachers, but the situation can be frustrating.
Will I find work in Thailand?
Is there a definitive answer to this incredibly common question?
I wish I could look at the main scenarios, the reasons teachers ask if they will find work in Thailand, and give everyone a straight "yes, you will" or "no, you won't" answer. But unfortunately it's nowhere near that straightforward.
Triggers in the classroom
How to grab attention
Now classroom management is a complex thing, and identifying the reasons for the students' lack of attention is sometimes hard to do while things are descending into chaos. The real issue is what to do about it when it happens.
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.
Problems with the Thai public education system
A list of almost twenty issues that certainly need looking at
I want to list some of the more egregious problems and describe reasonable solutions. Testing and implementing the solutions on a small scale will come later, if at all.
I am just dust on the shoes
Postbox letter from David
I am routinely referred to as 'the farang' by a senior teacher. It took a major effort not to tell them to take this job and shove it.
Why I've had enough of teaching in Thailand
It may work out for others - just not for me
It's not so much that I've had enough of Thailand, it's just teaching really. I'd say a good 90% of teachers at my school are women over the age of 50. None of them are open to change.
