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.
You won't compete with the social media platforms
Postbox letter from Trevor
The best educator in the world is unable to compete against Facebook and the other social media platforms that students love.
A better way to deal with class disruptions
What to do when students misbehave
This article is for teachers like me who don't have formal training to do what they do, but who nevertheless want to do the best that they can to enrich and improve their own lives as well as those of their students.
Thai education and TEFL class management
A look at three practical examples to use in your classroom
Class management, although employing techniques, isn't so much a process as a mind-set requiring a separate skill set from that of delivery, a point often missed in progressive education orthodoxy.
Getting the kids hooked young!
My goal is to not frighten the lives out of my students
I'm stepping back from the serious, academic approach and working on making my classes something that kids look forward to - even if they aren't learning as much.
The first days of the new school year
A new term usually means meeting new students
As you move into a new year with new classes, you may be considering what sort of impression you want to make on the students when you have your first lesson. What exactly should a teacher do in the first few lessons considering that these first impressions are so important?
Are Thai teachers actually helpful?
Or is the foreign teacher better off without them in the classroom?
Before beginning my experience as a TESOL teacher in Thailand, way back when I was a newbie farang taking my TESOL course on Phuket, I was repeatedly assured by indifferent agencies and instructors not to worry because you will always share classrooms with Thai teachers that are there to help you.
My wishes
Reflecting on what I could have done better for my students
What had I achieved as a teacher, as a class?" "What had I given them? What had my students taught me during the past year?" So many moments of ups and downs, sheer joy and triumphs, but there were things I wish I could have done better.
How to motivate your students
From using humor and surprise to employing reward structures
Boredom grows from predictability. An occasional taste of the unexpected will make everyone's learning experience more enjoyable.
Teachers pets
Postbox letter from Mark
My favourite students are the ones who are the most attentive and involved in the class. I play to this section of the crowd.
