Absolute pile of sh*te
Are the job ads really that bad?
A disgruntled ajarn.com reader wrote in to say that he had never seen such low quality job ads on the Thailand TEFL websites. Is he right in his assumption? And if so, what are the reasons?
This is an English-speaking only zone
Reflections from teaching in an English-only international school
Six weeks ago I started a new teaching job in Myanmar at an international school. The job and the school have surpassed my expectations and one of the most impressive things is that I can use complete sentences in the classroom and give directions in English and the students not only understand, but they respond with great English.
So many hurdles
Postbox letter from Fozzie
I am a non-native English speaker from Europe but I've been teaching here in Thailand for five years now and never had a problem with documents and being employed as a legal teacher. But now my school have told me that according to The Ministry of Education website (which I cannot check because the info in question is only available in Thai apparently) - I need to satisfy all of the following requirements.
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.
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?
Culture of insouciance
The Cambodian rubbish dump, and my not so final, final exam
Many of the students in my class with their fancy clothes, laptops, I-phones, and I-pads, rarely experience an atmosphere where true learning takes place. Outside of the odd serious teacher they may have encountered along the way, they also live and learn in a rubbish dump, an educational one.
You are merely entertainers
Postbox letter from John in China
I really can’t see the point of teachers complaining about salaries. Time after time there are instances of corruption, bad behavior by directors and coordinators, unruly student behavior with no disciplinary procedures.
TCT waiver/exemption letter glitch
Postbox letter from Jim
My TCT waiver/exemption letter dated Jan 25, 2010 is for 2 years, but in 2011 Mukdahan Immigration only gave me my new visa until Jan. 25, 2012. I had to get a new TCT letter (another 2 years) to allow me to finish the current academic year in early March.
Be warned!
Postbox letter from Dennis Faulkner
This is just a 'be aware and take care' story. The week before last I was offered a job with a teacher agency and invited to start immediately. But as I was already working for another school so the best I could do was give the agency a week’s notice and I eventually left my old school last Friday
Grow up guys
Postbox letter from James
Strange that not being paid for not working has now turned to how badly you perceive yourselves to be employed. It's simple and there’s nothing right wing or conservative about it – you don’t like it, you leave. You go back to Europe and ‘the dole’ as people put it, where at least you’ll be fed and housed and have free medicine. What on earth is difficult to understand about that?
