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.
Launching a school magazine
What's involved in creating a brand new student publication that everyone will enjoy reading?
Since moving to Thailand, I've often considered creating a simple magazine for students. But with a schedule focused on younger students (P1 to P4).
The benefits of team teaching
Postbox letter from Juan
There was a moment when the Thai teacher mentioned that she had picked up many new activities from me that she had never encountered before. In the same way, I learned from her how to manage classes, introduce lessons, present activities, and assess students.
A teacher's regrets
Postbox letter from Sarah
Now that I have resigned from my job and quit teaching, I look back on my regrets.
Honestly, I'm here in Thailand to teach
For the male teachers out there, how do you build rapport in the classroom?
There's no denying it: there's sometimes a stereotype about male English teachers in Thailand being seen as sex tourists. If you're single, you're fighting an uphill battle against this perception.
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 class points system worked for me!
Postbox letter from Kelvin
In ESL classes, there’s often this mix of teaching and fun, where teachers can end up being more like entertainers. I tried to find a balance between keeping things light and making sure that the students actually learned something.
Know your audience!
Postbox letter from Knox
We all know the concept of working both inside and outside "the box". The typical EFL/ESL classroom is the box. The teacher is the colored dot trying to operate within. It seems to me, in order to create more room for learning opportunities, the smaller the dot is, the more space there is to move about within those parameters.
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.
Bring back real discipline
Postbox letter from Dave
You simply cannot take a namby pamby approach as many so called educators have been writing about for years in their papers and getting praised and their works published.
