Basic advice for beginners (and not only beginners)
Postbox letter from Gregor
Beware of agencies that offer a visa and work permit after a 3-month probationary period. A 3-month "probation" is nothing more than illegal work and forcing teachers into visa runs.
Experience trumps qualifications every time!
Postbox letter from Mike
Experienced teachers who actually try are worth their weight in gold. You can only learn so much from a book and then you really need to just get your hands dirty.
Observations from a teacher recruiter's chair
Postbox letter from Brian
If you have any hand in employing teachers, and you're only interested in warm bodies in the classroom and paying the very least, you're going to attract the worst kind. But if you actually take the time to read cover letters, read CV's and try to get a feel for the person applying, your life will be so much easier.
Banning failure
A no-fail student policy has its plus and minus points
Teachers argue that disallowing a failure grade undermines their ability to get on with the job of educating their students.
Tips for new teachers coming to Thailand
Postbox letter from Cary, Ed and James
Usually your experience doesn’t matter too much as long as you’re likable, preferably younger and enthusiastic towards the students.
Life itself is irony
A teacher's journey - different countries, different jobs.
Believe me I am thankful to be a teacher in Thailand today. Ironically I had to leave Thailand to get the best job I have ever had here.
Why become an English teacher?
A job that brings challenges and rewards every single day
When it comes to picking your dream job, some options just leap out at you. Wine taster, travel writer, movie critic: who wouldn’t fancy any of those? Teaching, on the other hand, is a more maligned profession.
The accidental whistle blower
Distance learning TV and the toppling of Kru Wang
If we're going to be pointing a condescending finger at one teacher in one video at one moment in time then we should maybe look into a mirror and point it at ourselves, too.
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.
Teacher mistakes
Avoid falling into any of these teacher traps
Ajarn has put together a list of the most common mistakes that teachers make in Thailand - both new arrivals and those who have been here a while.
