Traumatised by Thailand

Postbox letter from Micky Davenport

I don't want to go through those traumatic experiences again, of being discriminated against and collaborating with agencies and somehow taking part in fooling these lovely Thai people.

The promise of tomorrow

Making the classroom a sacred place

For every reputable school that is looking for serious, responsible, caring, and dedicated teachers who are committed to the success of the students, there are many more who simply don't care about the teachers they hire or the students under their tutelage.

Oh, one more thing - you're fired!

One teacher's account of being popular with students and getting fired

I found out later after talking with other teachers, that there were two teachers that didn’t like us and they were both on the “committee” The director couldn’t go against the committee because she would lose face.

First impressions count

Get the basics right first

Here are some valuable interview tips derived from my experience as the academic director of the Language Institute at DPU.

The TEFL Industry

A rotting, putrid, stinking corpse

EFL teachers are put into positions of authority and responsibility, most at a time in their lives when they have yet to learn what it means to be responsible. EFL teachers must learn to teach properly. They must learn to love their work. They must learn to see it as a mission and an honor. They must learn to be accountable for their actions, or their inactions. In essence, they must learn to become fuller human beings.

What do Thai students think of us?

Straight from the horses's mouth

I wondered if our Thai students really had a true picture of the salaries we earn, the hardships we face, and the hoops we have to jump through? I put ten questions to a range of Thai corporate staff - male, female, single, married with kids. What do they really know? And is there any respect left for the 'ajarn farang'?

Thai teaching assistants

Angels from the planet Xerox or Satan's snitch?

They are as much a part of a teaching package as subsidized health insurance, the occasional sports day and possible unpaid test-marking. We want to hear about yours. When asked to make photocopies does she say "coming right up oh great white-skinned one" or does she beat a path to the dean's door to remind him that slavery has been abolished?

Notes on a semester

What can you do when teaching starts to get you down?

How can I or any teacher that feels he's underachieving turn things around? I doubt there is any magic formula, but I've come up with a few ideas. Many of them are blindingly obvious but it's often the easy points we miss during difficult classes.