Stop this no-fail policy

Postbox letter from Dr John Smith

I have many students that fail and one particular class I was supposed to teach had never turned up to a class, never took a test or exam and I failed them all. I was told that I could not fail them by the head of year and by the director of the school and that I would have to give them minimal scores.

Just because its on university grounds

Postbox letter from Gayle Smith

There are many great schools in Thailand, with excellent administrators and wonderful staff. However, the opposite is also true. Some schools have been formed with the express intention of attracting students through apparent connections and links to universities.

Teacher nightmares part two

What happens when teaching in Thailand all goes horribly wrong

More stories from teachers in Thailand who have found themselves in difficult situations often through no fault of their own. Can you offer them some good advice?

A fulfilling moment

The story of teacher Salrich

One Filipino teacher I knew and admired so much did something great for his school. His name was Salrich. When his director told him to beautify a 90-metre long concrete school-wall, Salrich hesitated for a moment. It was a huge undertaking.

Race and non-degree jobs

Postbox letter from Xandra Martin

I am a female teacher from South Africa. I am a person of colour (or coloured) in my country. I do not have a degree in any field - only a diploma. When doing my TEFL course and doing research on the internet, people painted a picture of how easy it would be to find a teaching job in Thailand. This however does not appear to be the case.

No real shocks

Postbox letter from Mr. Russell Park

This is a follow-up from a post I made late last year regarding a school in rural Nakhonsawan, where I informed the readers of my surprise at landing a job in a 'normal' school and how the school itself and the staff seemed nice and human.

Dancing with coordinators

Sometimes it's better to keep teaching colleagues at arm's length

The next term is fast approaching and many schools have job openings. Have you decided to apply to another school and look for a new teaching job because you have some conflict with your coordinator? If you don't plan to leave then how do you handle the conflict?

Cross-cultural education for teachers

Adding to opinion and speculation about the teaching industry

When writing about the ESL industry and Western English teachers in Thailand or other Asian countries, it should be kept in mind the industry is extremely fragmented, unregulated and there is a startling lack of reliable statistics or data about the industry and the teachers working in the industry.

Did I join the army or a school?

Postbox letter from Mr Grumpy

I do agree that it is not ideal to come to work in Thailand without much savings, nor should one not try to save for a rainy day. However, two months without pay is around 60-70,000 baht in saved money that needs to be used (rent, relocation - to escape the floods, food etc.).