People without formal teaching qualifications

I'm talking about those without as much as a TEFL or CELTA certificate

Some would say controversial words from Steve. But what is it about untrained teachers that really gets his goat?

Teaching to the test: an editorial

What do these standardized tests actually prove?

Is there a better way to determine what a student knows, or how he/she could perform in whatever environment for which the score is required?

Going Home

The difficulties of finding employment when a teacher returns to the USA

The economy is functioning like an alcoholic's ailing liver. This has been headline news for several years, but seeing it in the news and experiencing it first hand was quite different.

Am I one of the desirables?

Postbox letter from Ken

Do I fit what Thais are seeking "disciplined, neat, clean, organized, mentally stable and responsible foreign people"? Perhaps?

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.

It's not the 'Land of Smiles' for us

Facing challenges as a black teacher in Thailand

For the sensitive minded people who live in utter oblivion about skin color, this is probably not the article for you. But this is the cold hard truth.

Black teachers in Thailand

Does racism exist in The Land of Smiles?

Over the years, ajarn.com has asked the question 'do black teachers have a harder time finding work in Thailand?' Racism? Xenophobia? Fear of the unfamiliar? These have been some of the responses from various teachers.

The plight of getting old

Postbox letter from Just getting by

Please, consider the older teachers. We are close to having all we work for only to be shut out and living hand to mouth on today's wages

Dealing with the troublemakers

Discipline: tips on control in the classroom

Troublemakers. We have all seen them do their thing, causing mayhem and disorder in the classroom; perhaps you were even one yourself at some point during your time as a student. Troublemakers are the bane of every teacher's existence and they make our job go from difficult to pounding headache and hair-tearing proportions.

Is the drought over?

My experiences with water shortages in Thailand

I have lived with drought restrictions in Australia, but nothing like this. The dam at the back of the town has been bone dry, with any rain simply falling down the cracks.