The pros and cons of the private language school
Postbox letter from Mark
I've said it before and I'll say it again - everyone coming to Thailand should work at a language center for a while.
Making your mark
How to 'get along' with your school
We have discussed the lead up to the job, so now let’s talk a bit about what a teacher can do at work to merit a passing grade or better with his or her students, colleagues and the administration
Why I work in a language centre
Thai high schools? Never again buddy.
The benefits of a good language centre far outweigh those of a high school. The freedom, work conditions and financial package make it the best option for me.
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
Classroom management experiences
Experiences from both Thailand and China.
The Thai teachers at my school, especially the veterans, are uncomfortable with the excitement and commotion during the lessons by the foreign teachers. They view it as an inability to control our students.
The highs and the lows of living and teaching in Thailand
Our survey said.........
To get an idea of exactly what teachers love and loathe about life in Thailand, we conducted a brief survey and with foreign teachers based in Chiang Mai.
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.
I don't want to learn!
The biggest teaching hurdle: motivation
Motivation in the classroom, both from the teachers and the students, is essential for learning but it is a tricky balance to strike since the two are so interconnected; if the teacher loses motivation, so do the students and if the students lose motivation, so does the teacher.
Great Expectations
When parents of students are simply too demanding
The demands and expectations that some parents burden their children with are alas often too great. At the moment I’m teaching a kid who hasn’t even turned six, yet his life revolves solely around learning.
Using a touch screen in class
Maintaining student interest with technology
I felt so overwhelmed by the results of using the touch screen computer for this was my first time in 9 years to use the most updated technology in my English classes. In fact, during my last observation, my inspector rated me excellent in my teaching.
