Paul Metcalfe
10 classroom phrases every Thai student knows
Learn them. Embrace them. And yes - always have a game ready.
Often said with absolute honesty and zero shame, Thai students can be refreshingly direct when it comes to shortcuts.
Mark Beales
An overview of teaching writing skills
Focus on the basics first!
Writing can take many forms, and it’s good to create lessons that show students the differences. A letter to your bank manager is likely to be pretty different from one to your girl or boyfriend, while an e-mail to a mate is probably not written the same in tone as a job application.
Jason Byrne
What to do if you're teaching during an earthquake
Critical actions you can take to keep yourself safe.
Having taught through several earthquakes in Japan and Italy, I vividly remember the 9.0 Tohoku earthquake in Japan in 2011. The quake's energy waves were so intense that they lifted my house repeatedly - an absolutely terrifying and surreal experience.
David Parfitt
Why do technical school students fight in Thailand?
In Thailand, fights between students from rival technical colleges have been happening for years.
Movies, TV shows, and social media often glamorize technical students as tough and rebellious, making fighting seem cool. Some students see it as a way to earn respect or boost their reputation.
Stephen Louw
Phones in the classroom - a teacher's curse?
Should teachers tolerate telephones in the classroom?
Telephones have become an integral part of modern life, to the extent that they are an intrusion and compromise the long-term goals for our classrooms. I present the following arguments to support my position.
Laura Thomas
Why teacher observations shouldn't be feared
Don't dread observations, embrace them!
The mere thought of a supervisor sitting at the back of the classroom, clipboard in hand, can send shivers down any teacher’s spine. But take a step back and consider what observations are all about.
Joseph Hunt
Good morning teacher, how are you?
The ritual of greetings in Thai classrooms
You might be tempted to shake things up, maybe throw in a casual “Hey, guys!” or an upbeat “What’s up?” But don’t. This is not the time for creativity. This is not the time for free expression.
Richard McCully
Speaking Thai in the classroom
It is not what foreign teachers are paid to do.
It wasn’t until moving to a language school, with proper management, that I saw the negative side of a foreign teacher speaking Thai in class. It was also at that job where I saw that some TEFL teachers are actually stuck in the routine of speaking Thai with students.
Mark Newman
The ten teaching English in Thailand commandments
Tips and strategies to make your life easier
If you are new to Thailand, the following guide may help you to enjoy your time here and your classes more. If you are a burned out, old pro, the following gentle ‘reminder' may reinvigorate your verve.
Bangkok Phil
How's the 'decorate' and the 'supervise'?
The joys of filling in customer feedback forms
Should that be ‘supervision’ or ‘supervisor’? Was I supposed to rate the actual restaurant supervisor? Was I evaluating those that do the supervising as opposed to those who are supervised? Forget it. It doesn’t matter. It makes no sense whatsoever
Mickey Sheehan
All hail the mighty khao pat gai
Boring yes, but never a dish to be underestimated
How many times have I been out for dinner with a group of Thai friends and that enormous bowl of khao pat gai has saved the day?
