Father's Day

Honouring and respecting the Thai King

Tuesday's ceremony was quite interesting. I have no blooming idea what was going on, but I showed up in a nice yellow/gold tie with a gold flower I bought from a Thai teacher earlier in the week to show my support for the King

Teaching a six-hour Sunday class

A world of classroom activity and the odd jaded colleague

I've now taught two sessions of a Sunday 6-hour class at a language school near Ekkami here in Bangkok, and I think I have a pretty good feel for what it's all about.

Mid-term prep and a week in review

You have to go with the flow in Thailand

Here's another example of why you must roll with the tides here in Thailand, too. I spent a good two hours making a 40-question midterm for my Mathayom 2 class. My paperwork shows that the M2 class I have is divided into Science 1 and Science 2, but the curriculum is identical for both

Dancing with coordinators

Sometimes it's better to keep teaching colleagues at arm's length

The next term is fast approaching and many schools have job openings. Have you decided to apply to another school and look for a new teaching job because you have some conflict with your coordinator? If you don't plan to leave then how do you handle the conflict?

Ghosts in the teachers room

Postbox letter from Steve Bold

This is the story of the ghost of an ex-English teacher who hunts the Principal of a Thai school.

Better the devil you know

Postbox letter from Mr. Russell Park

At this moment in time, I find myself teaching in a small town close to Nakhonsawan. I've been teaching here for four months and at first I thought I wouldn't last because the town is small and very rural.

The chalkies need a real change

Postbox letter from Mr Grumpy

Nothing can prepare the foreign teacher for the employee-to-management-to-admin staff life. Dealing with these matters can drive the most experienced teachers up the wall and can turn a normally friendly teacher into a paranoid wreck!

Who do you work with?

Recognize any of your colleagues from this list?

Nothing more than a playful poke at some of the teaching characters we've all worked with down the years.

Ask Joyce Armitage

When only a wise old head will do.

I am here to answer all those nagging ‘teacher etiquette’ questions that sometimes even your best friends and colleagues can’t or won’t answer. Please don’t be afraid to ask. With years of experience behind me, I’m hopeful that I can always come up with a solution that keeps a smile on everybody’s face and keeps the work-place harmonious. Best regards, Joyce Armitage