Contract headaches

Postbox letter from Ajarn Andrew

Always make sure a contract is signed if you plan on working with an agency.

Labour protection for teachers at private schools

Postbox letter from No Justice to the Chalkies

Every person working in Thailand, who receives money for their labour, have the right to labour protection. However this is not true if you are a teacher or principal - foreign or Thai, working as a teacher at a Thai private school.

A teacher's day in court

Postbox letter from Justice for Chalkies

A group of teachers took a Bangkok private school to court over severance pay and wrongful termination of contracts.

Oh, one more thing - you're fired!

One teacher's account of being popular with students and getting fired

I found out later after talking with other teachers, that there were two teachers that didn’t like us and they were both on the “committee” The director couldn’t go against the committee because she would lose face.

My tango with Tony the Tarantula

Dodging the TEFL scammers

There will always be people like Tony, or worse, in this industry. Just as there will always be hordes of backpacking sex-tourists posing as English teachers. This industry, like any other, is obsessed with money and power.

An alternative guide

A rough guide to the lonely planet of teaching in SE Asia

If you studied TEFL or CELTA in your home country, something that would have almost definitely been lacking from your course was your tutors experience and knowledge of SE Asia.

Finding work in Isaan

How easy is it to get jobs in this region?

General Internet searches tend not to provide a very complete picture of employers because many of them don’t have websites. Those that do are unlikely to show any interest unless you’re in the immediate vicinity.

Foreign A-holes

Postbox letter from Mr Jeem

After five full years of employment in Asia, I have ONE good friend who is a foreigner. He is from England, which doesn’t really mean anything, since I’ve met twenty-fold Brits who were flaming arseholes.

The rules of behaviour

How to conduct yourself as a teacher

I got to thinking about some of my past employees, good and bad. Instead of telling you about of some of the more “interesting” interviews I have conducted, I thought I would write about what types of behavior and teachers schools and agencies here want and do NOT want.